Bank “fraud alert” text: how to tell, what to do.
The alert is fake. The call that follows is the scam.
Try it
Here is what Check says about one.
Example message
Chase Alert: a $480.00 purchase at BestBuy was flagged. If this was not you reply NO or call 1-888-555-0142 to secure your account.
These are examples. To check a message you received, create a free account: five checks a day, only the text you paste is sent.
Check my own message, freeBank-alert text with a callback number
Why we think so
- Real alerts ask you to call the number on your card, not one in the text
- Replying confirms your number is live and starts the call
- The purchase is specific to feel real but names no card ending
The short answer
Updated 23 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Sigrel team, Texas
A text or call says a charge was flagged and asks you to verify or call back. How to tell a real alert from a fake one, and what to do if you answered.
- A text about a charge you did not make, with “reply NO” or a number to call.
- When you reply or call, a calm “fraud department” that knows your name and asks you to move money to a “safe account” or read back a code.
- Pressure to act before the transfer “goes through”.
- A caller ID that shows the bank’s real number (caller ID can be faked).
What to do
In this order.
- 01Hang up, then call the number on the back of your cardThe real fraud team is there. Do not use a number from the text or the call, and do not let the caller “transfer” you.
- 02Never move money to a “safe account”Banks do not ask this. Any request to transfer, buy gift cards or install an app is the scam itself.
- 03Never read back a codeA one-time code sent to your phone is the key to your account. The caller wants it to log in as you.
- 04If you moved money, call the bank nowReport it as fraud within hours; transfers can sometimes be recalled. Then report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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See it reported in your county
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If it already happened
The recovery playbooks: who to call first, what to say, what to report.
Questions
Plain answers.
The caller ID showed my bank’s number. Was it real?
Not necessarily. Caller ID is easy to fake. The only safe path is to hang up and call the number on your card yourself.
My bank does send fraud texts. How do I tell them apart?
Real alerts name the last four digits of the card and tell you to call the number on the card or open the app. They do not include a link or a new number to call.
Got one of these right now?
Paste it into Check. Five free checks a day; the text you paste is not kept.