Safe account scam
A vishing fraud in which callers impersonating your bank or police convince you to move your savings to a 'safe account' they control — the account is the scammer's.
Also known as: move your money scam, bank fraud team scam
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
The safe account scam is a variant of APP fraud in which a caller, impersonating the bank's fraud team or police, tells the victim that their account has been compromised and their money is at risk. The solution presented is to immediately transfer savings to a 'temporary safe account' set up by the bank to protect the funds.
In reality, the 'safe account' belongs to the fraudster or a money mule recruited by them. The caller may seem to confirm knowledge of recent transactions to add credibility. They often instruct the victim not to mention the transfer to bank staff when visiting a branch.
No bank or police force will ever instruct you to move money to a new account as a security measure. This instruction is itself the defining red flag of this fraud type.