Confidence isn’t verification
A caller may know your name, mention your bank, and claim an urgent payment problem. Even the displayed number can look correct. Caller ID can be spoofed, and personal details may come from breaches or earlier phishing.
End the call and contact the bank yourself
You don’t have to prove that the caller is a scammer while they’re speaking. Hang up, then use the bank’s official app or a number from your card or another independently trusted source.
Don’t use a number, link, or transfer supplied by the caller. Make sure the original call has ended; if uncertain, use another device or the bank’s app.
A request to move money is a major warning
Don’t transfer funds to a supposedly safe account or approve a transaction on the caller’s instructions. Read the actual action shown in the bank app. A payment described as a security test can still be a real payment.
Keep codes and access private
Don’t reveal your card PIN, password, or one-time sign-in codes. An unexpected authentication prompt isn’t something to approve merely because a caller says it will stop fraud.
Likewise, don’t install remote-access software or hand a card, cash, or valuables to an unexpected visitor arranged during the call.
If you already acted
Contact the real bank immediately and describe the transfers, information, or access involved. Preserve messages and transaction details. Recovery options depend on what happened; quick reporting is more useful than arguing with the caller.
Make it a family habit
Agree on a simple rule: unexpected bank call plus a request involving money, codes, or device access means stop and verify independently. A calm callback habit helps more than trying to recognize every new script.
For U.S. reporting and further guidance, use ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your bank’s official fraud support.
