Is This Call Really From My Bank? How to Check Without Getting Scammed

A call, text or email says it’s from your bank’s fraud department. It might warn about a charge you don’t recognize, ask you to read back a code, or tell you to move your money somewhere “safe.” Here’s how to check whether it’s real without handing anything to a scammer, and what to do right away if you already shared a code or password, or sent money.

Check it the safe way: hang up and call your bank yourself

You don’t need to decide whether the message is fake. Just reach your real bank through a channel you control.

1. Stop. Hang up, or stop replying. If a recorded voice tells you to press a key to reach the “fraud team,” don’t. The FTC’s advice for robocalls is not to press any numbers. Don’t tap links in the text or email, either.
2. Find a number you already trust. Use the number on the back of your debit or credit card (FDIC) or on your statement, or open your bank’s official app (FTC). Don’t use “the number the caller gave you, which will take you to the scammer,” the FTC warns.
3. Don’t search for the number. The FBI warns that criminals buy look-alike ads to push fake banking sites up in search results, and suggests using bookmarks instead (FBI IC3).
4. Call and ask whether anything is wrong with your account. As the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a federal bank regulator, puts it: “you should be the one to initiate the contact, using contact information that you have verified yourself” (OCC).

Why you can’t trust caller ID

“Scammers can make any name or number show up on your caller ID. That’s called spoofing,” the FTC says. The FBI’s advice about unknown “banking” employees who call you is blunt: “don’t trust caller ID. Hang up, verify the correct number, and call it yourself” (FBI IC3).

Texts copy banks, too: fake alerts about suspicious activity or a big purchase often look like they come from a bank and may give a number to call, according to FTC reports data (FTC).

What your bank won’t ask you to do

Some requests are scam signals no matter how official the caller sounds.

If someone asks you to…	What official sources say
Read back a verification code	“No caller — especially someone from your bank or investment company’s fraud department — will ever ask for the verification code” (FTC). The banking industry’s own campaign says banks “will never ask for a one-time login code” (American Bankers Association).
Give your PIN, password or login	Companies “generally do not contact you to ask for your username, password, or OTP” (FBI IC3). The same industry campaign lists requests for “PINs, passwords or Social Security numbers” as a red flag (American Bankers Association).
“Verify” your account by text or email	“Banks and credit unions never ask for account information through email or text message” (CFPB).
Move money to a “safe” account	“Never move or transfer your money to ‘protect it’” (FTC). Real financial institutions don’t ask you to send money to “protect it” (CFPB).
Send money to yourself with Zelle	“If someone who claims to be your bank says you have to send money to yourself, you can be 100% certain it’s a scam” (American Bankers Association). Your bank “will not ask you to send money via Zelle® to any account” (Zelle).
Withdraw cash, buy gift cards or use crypto	Real financial institutions “do not tell you to withdraw cash, buy gift cards, or use cryptocurrency to send money” (CFPB).
Stay on the phone while you go to the bank, or lie about why you’re moving money	The FTC calls both signs of a scam (FTC).

Why the code matters: banks use these codes “to prove you’re really you,” the FTC explains. A caller who gets yours can pass as you.

How these scams usually play out

The FTC says “some of the costliest impersonation scams start with a fake security alert, often from a bank.” People reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025. Of the nearly $1 billion lost to business impersonators, the highest reported losses were to bank impersonators (FTC, June 2026). Common scripts:

• The fake fraud alert. A text asks you to confirm a large purchase you didn’t make. If you respond, someone claiming to be from the bank’s fraud department calls and asks for your personal information (FDIC).
• “Read me the code.” The caller says they need a code to stop the fraud or to verify you. Zelle says scammers use that passcode to link their own bank account to your email or phone number, so money you think you’re sending yourself goes to them (Zelle). In a November 2025 warning about criminals posing as bank staff, the FBI said it had received more than 5,100 account takeover complaints since January 2025, with losses over $262 million (FBI IC3).
• The “safe account.” In the FBI’s September 2023 “phantom hacker” warning, a fake tech-support agent comes first. Then a fake bank representative says a foreign hacker got into your accounts and you must move your money to a “safe” account by wire, cash or cryptocurrency. A fake Federal Reserve or other government official may follow to keep up the pressure (FBI IC3). But individuals “cannot, by law, have accounts at the Federal Reserve” (Federal Reserve).
• The card pickup. A fake bank employee tells you to cut up your card but keep the chip, sends someone “from the bank” to your home to collect it, and tries to get your PIN (FBI IC3).

Already shared a code or password, or moved money? Do this now

The FBI advises contacting your bank “as soon as fraud is recognized to request a recall or reversal” (FBI IC3).

1. Call your bank’s fraud line. Use the number on your card or statement. Say exactly what you shared (a code, password, PIN, card number or Social Security number) and whether anyone got remote access to your device. Ask the bank to secure your accounts and stop, recall or reverse any transfer. Note the claim number and who you spoke with.
2. Change your password. If you can still log in, create a new, strong password. If you use the same password on another account, change it there too, and turn on two-factor authentication (FTC).
3. Clean up your device if they had access. Update your security software, run a scan and delete anything it flags. Then change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication (FTC).
4. Protect your identity. If you gave out your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan (FTC). See what to do if you gave a scammer your Social Security number and how to freeze your credit.
5. If you moved money, act on how you paid (FTC):
   • Zelle or another bank transfer: ask your bank to reverse the payment and refund your money. See what to do after paying a scammer through Zelle.
   • A wire from your bank: ask the bank to recall it (FBI IC3).
   • Cryptocurrency, including a crypto ATM: contact the exchange or ATM operator, say it was a fraudulent transaction, and ask for a reversal.
   • Gift cards: contact the card issuer and say a scammer tricked you into giving them the card number and PIN.
   • Cash sent by mail: call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
6. Stop talking to the scammer and save the evidence: phone numbers, texts, emails, the names they used, and transfer details such as account numbers and recipient names. The FBI asks for these in reports (FBI IC3).

Keep track of each step with the scam recovery checklist.

Can I get my money back?

Maybe. It depends mostly on who moved the money.

• The scammer moved it, using what you shared. The CFPB says Regulation E, the federal rule for electronic transfers from consumer accounts, treats this as an unauthorized transfer, even though you were tricked into sharing the information. One of its examples closely matches this scam: a caller “pretending to be a representative from the consumer’s financial institution” who tricks you into giving your login, a “texted account confirmation code” or your debit card number (CFPB). Report it fast: the CFPB says to notify your bank within 60 days after it sends the statement showing the withdrawal, and that banks generally have 10 business days to investigate (CFPB).
• You moved it yourself. The FTC warns that bank accounts have “different (and fewer) protections than credit cards,” and that “if you are scammed into moving your money out of your account, you won’t be protected” (FTC). Ask anyway: the FTC says to report the payment right away and ask for a reversal and refund (FTC).

Either way, give your bank the full story: who logged in, who had your codes and who pressed “send.”

How to report it

1. Your bank: tell it how the scammers reached you, as the FBI suggests (FBI IC3).
2. Federal Trade Commission: report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses reports to investigate and bring cases, but can’t resolve cases for individuals.
3. FBI: file a complaint at IC3.gov. The FBI’s warnings about these bank schemes ask victims to report there (FBI IC3).
4. Fake texts and emails: forward texts to SPAM (7726) and phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org (FTC).
5. Local police: especially if someone came to your home or you handed over cash, gold or a card (CFPB).
6. If you’re 60 or older, or helping someone who is: call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. A case manager will help you report the crime (Office for Victims of Crime).
7. CFPB: if you have a problem with how your bank handles your claim, you can submit a complaint.

Watch for the follow-up scam

The first call may not be the last. Be ready for:

• A “government” caller. A fake FTC, FBI, Federal Reserve or police official may say your money still isn’t safe. “Never ever will someone from the government say: ‘Your money isn’t safe. Move it to protect it,’” the FTC says. And the FBI says law enforcement and government authorities “will never contact members of the public by telephone or text message to demand any form of payment” (FBI IC3).
• Recovery offers. The FTC calls refund and recovery scams “the worst of the worst.” Scammers buy lists of people who have already lost money. Government agencies and legitimate organizations never ask for money to help you get a refund, and won’t guarantee you’ll get it back (FTC).
• Fake IC3 agents. The FBI says IC3 “will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, online chat, or public forums,” and will never ask for payment to recover lost money (FBI IC3, July 2026).
• Another “bank” call about your claim. If someone calls about your fraud claim and asks for a code or tells you to move money, hang up and call the number on your card.

What varies

• Your bank’s habits. The industry campaign says banks will “rarely” ask for your account number, PIN or password on a call (American Bankers Association). Rarely isn’t never, so verify any call through a number you trust.
• Wires. Regulation E excludes transfers “through Fedwire or through a similar wire transfer system” (CFPB). If money was wired out, ask your bank which rules apply.
• Your account type. Regulation E covers accounts “established primarily for personal, family, or household purposes” (CFPB). For a business account, check your account agreement and ask your bank what applies.
• Your bank and your state. Beyond what federal rules require, a refund can depend on your bank’s policies and your state’s laws.