If someone calls claiming to be your bank and asks you to act on your money, hang up and check the issue through a channel you open yourself. You do not have to decide during the call whether the person is lying.
A familiar number does not authenticate a call
The number on your screen can look like your bank's usual number even when the call comes from somewhere else. This is caller ID spoofing. The US Federal Trade Commission explains that scammers can make names and numbers appear on caller ID, and advises people to contact the claimed organisation directly. Read the FTC's phone scam guidance.
A caller knowing your name does not settle the question either. And a real alert in your account does not prove that this caller is authorised to help you.
Verify the call in three steps
- End the call. You can say, “I’ll check with my bank directly.” Do not follow instructions to transfer money, install an app, or approve a transaction.
- Open a channel yourself. Use the banking app you already had installed, or call the number printed on your card or shown inside that app. Do not call back from the recent-call list or use a number the caller just gave you.
- Ask about the specific alert. Tell the bank what you were told and check your transactions with them. If there is a genuine issue, follow the steps they give you through this independent channel.
This approach also matches the UK National Cyber Security Centre's advice: if you suspect a caller is not who they claim to be, hang up and contact the organisation directly using details from its official website or a document you already have. See the NCSC guidance on spotting scam calls and messages.
A fictional example: “Tell me the code to cancel it”
You get a call about a supposed $640 transfer. The caller says a text message is on the way and asks for the code to cancel it. The screen shows your bank's name.
The cautious response is not to read the code more slowly or ask the caller to repeat your name. End that conversation. Then open the app yourself and contact the bank using a number you already trust.
Read what an authentication code or notification says it will do. Do not share it or approve a transaction just because an incoming caller says it will cancel a different one. The FTC specifically advises people to keep account verification codes to themselves.
If you already shared something
Contact your bank promptly through an official channel and explain exactly what happened:
- A code or approval: give the time and the transaction text associated with it.
- Card details or login credentials: ask what steps can protect the affected access or payment method.
- A transfer: provide the amount and transaction record, and ask what options may be available.
Keep messages, times, and receipts. Do not send more money to someone who promises to “recover” the first payment. Your bank or payment provider will need to assess the circumstances; no article can guarantee a recovery.
If you also installed an app during the call, stop using it for banking and seek technical help. In the UK, the NCSC explains how to respond after sharing sensitive information. In the US, you can report suspected fraud to the FTC's ReportFraud service. Elsewhere, use your country's official cybercrime or consumer-protection service.
If the alert arrived in writing, read how to verify an urgent message without following its link.
Official guidance checked September 25, 2026. The scenario and dialogue are fictional and intended for practice.