- Do banks send SMS messages asking you to verify your account?
- Banks do send SMS alerts — for example, transaction notifications or one-time codes when you log in. However, banks do not send unsolicited texts asking you to click a link to 'verify' your account, unlock it, or confirm your details. Any SMS that does this is very likely a scam.
- I entered my details — what should I do?
- Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card or their official website. Do not use any contact details from the text message. Report the fraud and ask them to monitor your account for unauthorised transactions.
- How can I tell if an SMS is really from my bank?
- Genuine bank SMS messages come from short codes or registered sender names and do not contain links to external websites. If the text asks you to click a link, log in, or provide card details, treat it as suspicious regardless of what sender name it shows.
- Can I report the scam text?
- Yes. In the UK, forward scam texts to 7726 (free). In the US, report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. You can also report to your mobile carrier and forward details to your bank's fraud team.