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Impersonation · bank

Your Bank Impersonation Scams

How scammers impersonate banks — and the things a real bank will never ask you to do.

Last reviewed: 1 June 2026

Bank impersonation is one of the most damaging scams because it targets the institution you trust with your money. Scammers spoof caller IDs, copy official wording, and exploit fear of fraud to push you into moving money or sharing codes.

This page explains how the impersonation works and, crucially, the things a genuine bank will never ask — so you can spot the fake regardless of how convincing it looks.

How scammers impersonate it

  • Spoofing the bank's real phone number on your caller ID
  • Copying official letterhead, logos, and app-style wording in texts and emails
  • Claiming to be the 'fraud team' and that your account is under attack
  • Sending links to convincing fake login pages

What the real organisation never does

  • Ask you to move money to a 'safe account'
  • Ask you to read out a one-time passcode
  • Ask for your full password or PIN
  • Pressure you to act in secret or distrust branch staff

Common red flags

  • Urgency, fear, and secrecy
  • A request to move money or share codes
  • A link to log in rather than using your own app
  • Caller refuses to let you call back on the official number

Sanitized example messages

Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].

Call: 'This is the [bank] fraud team — to protect your funds, move them to a safe account.'
Text: 'Did you authorise a payment of [amount]? Reply NO and verify at [fake link].'

How to verify

  1. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card (or 159 in the UK)
  2. Log in only via your official banking app, never a link
  3. Never share one-time codes with anyone, including 'the bank'

What to do if you're targeted

  1. Don't move money or share details
  2. Contact your bank through official channels
  3. Report it to your national fraud service

Frequently asked questions

My caller ID showed my bank's real number — wasn't it them?

Caller ID can be spoofed to show any number, including your bank's. A genuine-looking number doesn't prove the call is real — hang up and call back on the official number.

Focused guides for Your Bank impersonation

18 guides on specific scams as they appear via Your Bank.

Sources