The fake bank fraud alert text
Real banks do text about suspicious charges, which is why this works. No real fraud team asks for your verification code or tells you to move money: that's always a scam.1,2
Text Message
Today 9:41 AM
Bank Fraud Alert1: a large transaction of $1,249.00 needs verification. Reply YES or NO to verify.2
NO
Thank you. A fraud specialist will call you. Please have the code we text you ready.3
- A fraud alert from a number you don't know. Banks really do send these, so the name alone proves nothing.1
- "Reply YES or NO." People who replied were connected to a fake fraud department.3
- A request for a code. No caller from your bank's fraud department "will ever ask for the verification code".2
What to do Don't reply or call back. Contact your bank on the number on your card or statement.2
Rebuilt from FTC descriptions; the amount and number are made up. Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.
How it works
Fake fraud alerts were the third most reported text scam of 2024.3 In 2022, the median reported loss to bank impersonation texts was $3,000.4
- The alert.A text about suspicious activity or a large purchase asks you to reply to verify it.3
- The call.A "fraud department" calls and offers to protect your money, and may ask you to read back a verification code.2
- The move.You're pressured to move your money somewhere "safe". It goes to the scammers.3
Real alert or fake?
If you replied or gave a code
Bank accounts have fewer protections than credit cards: if you're tricked into moving money, you probably won't get it back.2 So call fast. Hang up on the caller, then call your bank on the number on your card and tell them what you shared or moved.2 Report the call at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.2
If money already left your account
How you paid decides who to call first. Call today.6
| You paid by | Contact right away |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Your card issuer or bank, on the number on the card, and ask for a refund. |
| Bank transfer or Zelle | Your bank or credit union. Ask them to reverse the payment. |
| Payment app | The app. Report the payment and ask for a reversal. |
| Gift card | The card's issuer, on the number on the card. Keep the card and the receipt. |
| Wire transfer | The wire transfer company. Say it was a scam and ask for a refund. |
| Cryptocurrency | The exchange or crypto ATM operator, then the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. |
More scam examples
- Unpaid toll textA small toll, a late fee and a link.
- USPS package textA delivery problem and a redelivery fee.
- How to report a scamWhere each kind of scam goes, in the US and the UK.
- "Wrong number" textA friendly stranger who turns to investing.
- Job offer text and task scamEasy pay, then a deposit to get paid.
- Fake Geek Squad renewal emailHundreds of dollars, call within 24 hours.
- PayPal invoice scamAn invoice you never ordered, sent through PayPal.
- IRS scam texts and emailsA refund you weren't expecting, or a threat.
- Amazon scam texts and emailsA purchase or account problem that isn't real.
- Crypto romance scamA new friend with a trading app.
- All nine examplesThe home page, with every scam side by side.
Sources 6
- Credit card alerts FAQs, Wells Fargo. Read 28 October 2026.
- Got a call about fraud activity on your bank account? It could be a scammer (8 July 2024), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
- Top text scams of 2024 (Data Spotlight, 14 April 2025), Federal Trade Commission. Read 28 October 2026.
- IYKYK: The top text scams of 2022 (Data Spotlight, 8 June 2023), Federal Trade Commission. Read 28 October 2026.
- How to recognize common bank and money scams, Wells Fargo. Read 28 October 2026.
- What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check