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    How to Spot and Avoid Fake Bank Calls and Texts

    Scammers pretend to be your bank to steal your account credentials. Learn exactly what real banks do and don't do so you can tell the difference.

    4 min read · 5 steps · Checked May 2026

    1. Step 1. Recognize the warning signs of a fake bank call

      Be suspicious if: the caller asks for your password, your full Social Security Number, or a one-time code your bank sent you. Also be suspicious if the caller creates urgency ("your account will be closed in 1 hour"), asks you to move money to a "safe account," or tells you not to tell anyone.

    2. Step 2. Hang up and call your bank directly

      If you are unsure whether a call is real, hang up — even if the caller seems upset or insistent. Call the number on the back of your debit card or the official number from your bank's website. Ask: "Was there a fraud alert or unusual activity on my account today?"

      Quick Tip

      Quick Tip: Save your bank's real customer service number in your phone contacts right now. So you always have it available.

    3. Step 3. Never share a one-time security code

      Your bank sends one-time codes (6-digit numbers via text or email) to verify that you are logging in. These are meant only for you. If anyone — including someone who claims to be from your bank — asks you to read this code aloud, refuse and hang up.

      Warning

      Scammers intentionally trigger a real code from your bank to be sent to your phone, then call you pretending to be the bank and ask for the code. The code is real, but the caller is not from your bank.

    4. Step 4. Do not click links in suspicious texts

      Real bank fraud texts usually ask you to reply YES or NO to confirm or deny a transaction. They usually do not include a link asking you to log in. If a text contains a link and asks you to "verify your information," go to your bank's official app or website directly instead of clicking.

    5. Step 5. Report suspicious contacts to your bank

      If you receive a suspicious call or text pretending to be your bank, report it. Call your bank, describe what happened, and ask them to note it on your account. You can also report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

    Bank impersonation scams are one of the most common and convincing frauds targeting Americans today. A caller claims to be from your bank's fraud department. They say suspicious activity was detected on your account. They sound professional and urgent. They may already know your name, part of your account number, or your address — information they bought from a data broker or found online.

    Their goal is to get you to confirm or provide your full account credentials, password, or the one-time security code your bank sent you. Once they have that, they drain your account.

    Here is the most important thing to understand: your real bank will NEVER ask you for your password, your full Social Security Number, or a one-time security code over the phone. Ever. These codes exist specifically to confirm that you — and not a stranger — are logging in. If you read a code to someone on the phone, you are handing them the keys to your account.

    If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be your bank, hang up. Then call the number on the back of your debit card or on your statement — NOT any number the caller gave you. Ask the bank if there is a real fraud alert on your account.

    The same rules apply to texts and emails. Your bank may send you a fraud text asking you to confirm a transaction by replying YES or NO — that is legitimate. But clicking a link in a text to "verify your information" is not.

    (Source: FTC, consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams)

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