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If someone calls or texts saying your bank account is at risk, don’t share a verification code, click a link, or move money. Hang up or stop replying, then check with your bank using its official app, a website address you already know, or the number printed on your card or statement. A familiar caller ID—or a caller who knows details about you—is not proof the contact is genuine.

How a phone banking scam works

A scammer may pose as a bank employee and claim there is a suspicious charge, a locked account, or another urgent problem. The contact may arrive as a call or text, sometimes alongside an email or a link to a fake website. The aim can be to get your login details or one-time passcode, steer you to a phishing page, or persuade you to transfer money. If the scammer gains access, they may change account credentials and move funds quickly. The FBI describes these tactics in its November 25, 2025 public service announcement.

Caller ID, text sender information, and email addresses can be faked. A person’s knowledge of your name, account details, or other personal information does not authenticate them. Verify the claim through a contact route you find independently.

Warning signs to recognize

  • Urgency: An unexpected caller or text says fraud is happening now, your account is locked, or you must act immediately.
  • A request for a code or password: Never give an incoming caller or texter a one-time verification code, password, or other account credential. The FTC says a bank caller will not ask for a verification code. A scammer may use one to access your account.
  • Instructions to move money: Someone tells you to withdraw or transfer funds to “protect” them, or to pay using a method that is difficult to reverse. The FTC’s advice is direct: “Never move or transfer your money to ‘protect it.’”
  • A link, callback number, app, or remote-access request: The contact asks you to open a link, call a number it provides, install software, or let someone control your device.
  • Pressure to keep it secret: The person discourages independent checks or tells you not to discuss the call with anyone. The FTC says a legitimate fraud department will not tell you to keep the call secret.

These are warning signs even if the message looks polished or the caller sounds professional. The FTC’s guidance on unexpected calls about bank fraud explains why you should end the interaction and verify separately.

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What to do when a suspicious call or text arrives

  1. Stop the interaction. Do not disclose a code, password, or account number; transfer money; click a link; install software; or grant remote access. If you are on a call, you can ask which bank the person claims to represent and the basic reason for calling, then hang up. Do not use a callback number they give you.
  2. Choose a contact route you already trust. Open your bank’s official app, type a bank website address you know, or call the number on the back of your card or a recent statement. Do not rely on the incoming message or a top search result to find the right contact details.
  3. Ask the bank whether there is a real issue. Explain that you received an unexpected call or text and ask the bank to check your account. Bank-specific fraud lines and procedures vary, so follow instructions from the bank reached through that trusted route.
  4. For a text, don’t reply or follow its link. Check with the bank independently instead. You can report scam texts through your phone’s junk-reporting feature or forward them to 7726 (SPAM), where supported. The FTC provides text-message scam guidance; the CFPB also advises consumers who receive requests to “verify” bank information to use a known contact route.

If you already shared information or sent money

  1. Contact your bank immediately through its official app, known website, card, or statement number. Tell the bank what you shared or transferred and ask it to secure the account and address any unauthorized transactions. For a fraudulent wire transfer, the FBI recommends asking the financial institution for a recall or reversal as soon as possible.
  2. Change exposed credentials. Reset any password you disclosed, plus any reused password on other accounts. The FBI recommends unique passwords; a password manager can help maintain them, but it cannot authenticate an incoming call or stop you from voluntarily sharing a code.
  3. Monitor accounts and preserve details. Watch for unauthorized withdrawals, transfers, or expenditures. Keep the caller’s number and name, messages, website addresses, and details of any software the person asked you to use.
  4. Report the incident. File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For account takeover or fraudulent wires, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The CFPB also recommends considering a report to your state attorney general and local police. The bank’s recovery steps and any payment protections depend on the institution and transaction type; do not assume reimbursement is guaranteed.
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How widespread are account-takeover complaints?

In a November 25, 2025 public service announcement, the FBI said IC3 had received more than 5,100 complaints and losses exceeding $262 million since January 2025 related to this type of account-takeover fraud. Those figures describe complaints received by IC3, not a complete count or estimate of all banking scams.

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