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If an unexpected text or email says your bank account is at risk, don’t reply, click a link, or call a number in the message. Verify it separately: open the bank app you already use, visit its website by typing the address yourself, or call the number on your card or statement. An authentic-looking alert can still be an impersonation.
How bank phishing messages try to get you to act
A scammer may pose as a bank’s fraud department and claim there is a large purchase, suspicious login, locked account, or payment problem. The message is designed to create urgency so you respond before checking whether the claim is real. Some scams start with a text and escalate to a phone call from someone claiming to be the bank’s fraud team. The FBI has warned about instant-payment scams that use this kind of impersonation (FBI IC3 alert, April 14, 2022).
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A familiar logo, plausible bank name, sender name, or caller ID does not prove a message is genuine. In suspicious email, links or attachments, misspellings, unusual fonts, and urgent language are warning signs—but a polished message without those clues can still be fake. The FDIC’s June 2025 consumer guidance says reported bank-impersonation text scams grew nearly twentyfold from 2019 to 2022, citing FTC findings; it also reports that bank impersonation was the most reported scam occurring through text messages in 2022 (FDIC: Bank Impersonation Scams and Fake Banks).
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What to do when a bank text or email asks you to verify information
The CFPB’s guidance is direct: “Banks and credit unions never ask for account information through email or text message.” That answer was last reviewed April 15, 2024 (CFPB guidance on bank verification messages).
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- Pause. Don’t reply, tap a link, open an attachment, or enter your password or other details on a page reached from the message.
- Choose a route you already trust. Open the bank app you normally use, manually type the bank’s known website address, or call the number printed on your card or statement. Don’t use a link or phone number supplied in the alert.
- Ask the bank to check the specific claim. Use the trusted route to ask whether the transaction or account event is real. Let the bank—not the sender of the unexpected message—guide any next steps.
- If the message claims to be from an FDIC-insured bank, check the institution independently. The FDIC’s BankFind Suite lets consumers look up an institution by name or website address (FDIC BankFind Suite).
The key distinction is how you obtained the contact route: a number on your card or statement, an established app, or a website you navigated to yourself is independent of the suspicious message. A number, link, or reply option inside that message is not.
Never share a login verification code
A login verification code is for you to enter during your own sign-in. If a caller or texter asks you to read or send the code, don’t share it: the person may be trying to access your account. The FTC explains why scammers ask for these codes in its consumer guidance (FTC: What’s a verification code and why would someone ask me for it?).
If you already clicked, replied, or shared information
Stop communicating through the suspicious message, then contact the bank promptly using a trusted number, app, or website. Tell the bank what you clicked, shared, or authorized, and ask what account-protection steps it recommends. Don’t assume that clicking alone means your device has been compromised; follow the bank’s account-specific advice.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteIf you clicked an unexpected email link, the FTC advises updating your security software and running a scan for viruses and malware (FTC: Don’t take the bait on phishing scams). If you exposed a Social Security number, credit-card number, or bank-account number, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. The FTC also accepts fraud reports; the CFPB lists the FBI, your state attorney general, and local police as other possible contacts (CFPB: Who do I contact for help with a scam or fraud?).
Report suspicious texts and emails
Reporting can help authorities track scams, but it does not replace contacting your bank if you may have exposed account information. The FTC says you can forward suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM) and report fraud to the FTC (FTC: Is that unexpected text a scam?). Don’t reply to a suspicious text, even to confirm or cancel the supposed transaction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What reported losses show—and what they don’t
The FDIC’s June 2025 article, citing the FTC, reports $12.5 billion in consumer fraud losses during 2024 and says imposter scams were the second-highest reported loss category. It also cites a typical consumer loss of $3,000 for someone who fell for the described bank-impersonation scam. These are reported figures in the contexts cited by the FDIC, not a prediction of what an individual will lose or a measure of every scam that occurred.
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