VERIFY THE SENDER’S INFORMATION
A legitimate bank alert will always have the bank’s name and logo, as well as the sender’s email address or phone number matching the bank’s official contact details. You can cross-check this information on the bank’s website or by calling the bank directly.
CHECK LANGUAGE AND TONE
Fake bank alerts often have spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and an informal tone. Genuine bank alerts are usually written in a professional and formal manner. Be wary of any alerts that ask for sensitive information like passwords or PIN numbers. Banks never ask for such information through alerts.
WATCH OUT FOR SUSPICIOUS LINKS
Fake bank alerts often contain links that install malware or redirect to fake websites designed to steal personal information. Before clicking on any links, hover over the link to view the URL and make sure it is a secure site. If you suspect a link is fake, do not click on it and contact the bank directly.
LOOK FOR INCONSISTENCIES
Fake bank alerts may have inconsistencies in the content or formatting that can help identify them. For example, a legitimate bank alert will have the account number and transaction details, while a fake alert may not have these details.
CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCE
If you receive a money transfer alert but your account balance doesn’t reflect the transfer, it’s likely a fake.
CHECK WITH THE SENDER TO CONFIRM THE TRANSACTION
If you receive a money transfer alert from someone you know, call or message them to confirm that the transfer was initiated by them.
CONFIRM WITH THE BANK
If you have any doubts about the authenticity of a bank alert, the best course of action is to contact the bank directly. Banks have customer support teams who can assist you in verifying the alert and provide information on any recent transactions.
FAQs
A real financial institution won't ask for personal information by text or email. If the alert seems real but you're unsure, call or reach out to the bank through a contact listed on the bank's website, rather than a contact provided by the alert.
How do you know if a bank alert is real? ›
A real financial institution won't ask for personal information by text or email. If the alert seems real but you're unsure, call or reach out to the bank through a contact listed on the bank's website, rather than a contact provided by the alert.
Will a bank ever send you a text message? ›
Will My Bank Contact Me Via Text? Yes, banks may use text messages to help protect accounts and provide convenient messages to customers. The utilization of text messaging varies from bank to bank, so it's important to understand how yours might reach out to you once you agree to receive texts from them.
Can fake bank statement be detected? ›
Yes, fake bank statements can be detected through careful examination and by cross-checking details with banks. Comparing transactions, inspecting for formatting inconsistencies, and verifying key information can reveal falsified documents.
What is an example of a fake credit alert message? ›
A fake alert has misspellings, for example, after the amount, it is CR not cr, and there is no full stop after the name of the bank or NGN before the amount.
How does fake bank Alert work? ›
This practice entails sending money to a bank account, with the recipient unable to withdraw the funds from their bank account. In other words, fake bank alerts can be referred to as flash funds, also called “audio money” in the local parlance, to make a money transfer seem original while it is faux.
What is an example of a bank alert? ›
Types of alerts include:
A withdrawal, deposit or check posts to your account. Your online statement is ready for viewing. A change has been made to your account information or settings within digital banking. A transfer has processed successfully or has failed to process.
How do I stop fake bank texts? ›
Report smishing to the authorities
Simply copy and paste the text into a new message and send it to SPAM (7726). You will get a reply from the service asking for the number the text came from. Reply with the number and you're done.
Do banks contact you about suspicious activity? ›
It's not uncommon for your bank to try and contact you. But sometimes those emails and phone calls are just scammers using the trust you have in your bank to con you out of your money.
Do banks send alerts? ›
Most banks will automatically send you alerts if there's suspicious activity on your accounts, but there are other alerts that you can set up to keep an eye on your accounts. Some banks offer email alerts only, while others allow you to set up both email and text alerts as well as push notifications.
You can look up banks by name or website address to verify whether they are a real FDIC-insured bank. Compare the bank name with the web address or URL. Watch for letters out of place or the bank name as a sub web address of the fake name.
How can you tell if transactions are fake? ›
Reviewers can also look for these common mistakes in fraudulent documents:
- Formatting inconsistencies, spelling errors, typos and other mistakes.
- Incorrect sums
- Simple numbers.
- Random transactions.
Never be pressured to release goods, regardless of who is requesting the release. Check the proof of payment presented to you for signs that it may be fraudulent such as, spelling mistakes, text which is not properly aligned, different fonts used, errors and possible changes to the banking details.
How do you know if its a fake alert? ›
How to spot the scam: You receive a message claiming to be from your bank and asking for personal or banking information. You get a suspicious fraud alert for an “unverified transaction.” The fraud alert comes from a phone number or shortcode that's different from your bank's number.
How to detect fake transfers? ›
Verify the receipt by checking your bank statement
Please remember to always verify the receipt by checking your bank account statement. If you see an incoming transfer and added amount of money, it means the money transfer is authentic.
What is an example of SMS spoofing? ›
For example: Sending a phishing scam under the guise of a reputable company. Requesting money while disguised as a friend or family member. Posing as a financial institution in order to obtain personal information.
How to know if a call from the bank is real? ›
Watch out for these red flags:
- High-Pressure Messaging. Scammers want you to act quickly. ...
- Asking for Personal Information. ...
- Diverting You From Legitimate Bank Contacts. ...
- Spotting Unprofessional Communications. ...
- They Contact You First. ...
- They Request Unusual Payments. ...
- They Ask For Passcodes Sent To You. ...
- Their Caller ID Is Suspicious.
Unusual activity
This alerts you when your account has unusual or potentially fraudulent activity. For example, if you live in California but your debit card number was recently used to make a purchase in Texas, your bank can alert you.
How do I know if my Chase alert is real? ›
If you're ever in doubt about the legitimacy of a message that claims to be from Chase, log in to your Chase account online or through the app. If there's an issue with your account, you'll see an alert there.
