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A real bank may send account alerts, but an alarming text, email, or phone call is not proof that your account is at risk. If a message asks you to confirm account details, click a link, share a security code, or move money, stop and verify the situation through your bank’s official app, a website address you already know, or the number on your card. This guide is for US consumers.
Warning signs in a bank alert
Focus on what the message wants you to do, not how convincing it looks. Scammers commonly claim there is suspicious activity, an account problem, or a payment issue, then push you to confirm personal or financial information, click a link, or open an attachment. A generic greeting, an unexpected link to update payment details, and pressure to act quickly are additional reasons to pause. The FTC describes these patterns in its phishing guidance.
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- It asks you to verify account information by text or email. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says, “Banks and credit unions never ask for account information through email or text message.” See its guidance on a bank message asking you to verify your account.
- It urges you to click a link or open an attachment. Do not use a link in an unexpected alert to sign in or investigate.
- It asks for a password or one-time security code. Do not give these to an unexpected caller or send them in reply to a message.
- It tells you to move money to keep it safe. That is a serious warning sign; a bank will not ask you to transfer funds between accounts to prevent fraud.
Branding, a familiar bank name, accurate personal details, and caller ID are not proof that a message or call is genuine. The FBI has documented bank-alert scams in which callers spoof a financial institution’s number and may know details about the customer. Verify using a channel you obtained independently.
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In an FBI/IC3-described “reverse instant payment” scheme, a person receives a fake fraud text asking whether they made an instant payment. After the person replies no, a scammer follows up and calls from a number that appears to belong to the bank. The caller claims to help reverse the transaction, then guides the customer into sending money to an account controlled by the scammer. Knowing your bank, a former address, or partial account details does not establish that the caller is legitimate. The FBI/IC3’s April 14, 2022 public service announcement says financial institutions will not ask customers to transfer funds between accounts to help prevent fraud.
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How to verify an alert safely
- Pause. Do not reply, click, open an attachment, or call the number in the message.
- Choose a separate route to the bank. Open its official app, type a website address you already know, or call the number on the back of your card or in trusted bank paperwork. Do not use contact details supplied by the suspicious message.
- Ask about the specific alert. Once connected through the trusted channel, ask whether the bank sent it and whether there is an unauthorized transaction.
- Keep control of your money and sign-in details. Do not share passwords or one-time MFA codes. Do not transfer money, withdraw cash, buy gift cards, or use cryptocurrency to “protect” an account. The CFPB says real government agencies and financial institutions do not threaten people or ask them to send money to protect it in its scam-contact guidance.
- Report suspicious account-verification requests to the bank. Use the same separately verified app, website, or phone number—not the contact details in the message.
If you already clicked, shared information, or sent money
Act promptly, using verified contact details. What to do depends on what was exposed or paid:
- You sent money: Contact your bank or credit union immediately and ask whether it can stop or reverse the payment. If you used a payment app, contact that service too. The FTC advises reporting the payment to the service involved and asking about a reversal or refund; recovery is not guaranteed. See the FTC’s steps for people who were scammed.
- You shared a password: Change it immediately, along with any reused passwords, and enable MFA.
- You shared identity information: Use IdentityTheft.gov for steps based on the information exposed.
- You opened a link or attachment that may have installed harmful software: Update your security software and run a scan. If you granted remote access or believe malware remains, contact the device maker or another trusted technical-support provider.
- You shared a one-time code: Contact the bank through a verified channel immediately and explain what happened so it can secure the account.
Where to report a phishing attempt in the US
Reporting does not replace contacting the bank quickly if money or account access may be at risk. For a suspicious message, the FTC recommends these options:
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- Forward phishing texts to SPAM (7726).
- Forward phishing emails to [email protected].
- Report the attempt at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
For a scam or resulting fraud, the CFPB also identifies the FBI, FTC, your state attorney general, and local police as possible reporting routes. Use official contact information you locate independently.
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