The Fake Bank Call

What it looks like

• The caller is calm and professional. They know your name, sometimes the last four digits of your card.
• They say there is suspicious activity and you must move your money to a "safe account".
• They ask you to stay on the line, to tell no one, sometimes not to go into a branch.

How to spot it

• A real bank will never ring you and ask for your passcode, your card's CVV, or a one-time code from a text. There is no exception to this.
• There is no such thing as a "safe account". No bank asks you to move your money anywhere.
• Being asked to stay on the line is the strongest signal of all: keeping the line open is how they stop you calling the bank yourself.
• The number showing as your bank's proves nothing — caller ID is trivial to fake.

What to do

• Hang up. You do not owe anyone an explanation or politeness.
• Call your bank yourself, on the number printed on your card — not a number you were just given.
• Wait a minute after hanging up, or use a different phone: on older landlines the caller can hold the line open.
• Report the number. It is calling hundreds of people the same day.

If it already happened

• If you transferred money, call your bank immediately and ask them to recall it. A payment that has not settled can often be stopped.
• If you gave a passcode or a one-time code, change your online banking password from a different device and have the card stopped.
• If you installed remote-access software (AnyDesk, TeamViewer), disconnect that device from the internet and uninstall it.
• Report it to the police and get a crime reference number — your bank will usually ask for one.

Common questions