Is a call from my telecom provider saying I was overcharged and they need me to open my banking app to process a refund a scam?
Yes. Unsolicited refund calls that ask you to open your banking app are a well-known fraud format used to steal money.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Telecoms refund scams begin with a caller who claims to be from your broadband, mobile, or TV provider, saying you are owed a refund due to overcharging or a service fault. They ask you to open your banking app so they can 'transfer the refund'. Instead, they guide you through authorising a payment to themselves, or they install remote access software to access your accounts directly. Real telecom providers issue refunds as bill credits or by cheque — they never call you to process a refund that requires you to operate your banking app over the phone. If you believe you may have been overcharged, hang up and call your provider directly using the number printed on your bill.
Once your banking app is open on their instruction, the caller's script turns every security feature into a prop. Payment confirmation screens become 'refund authorisation', one-time codes become 'verification', and if your bank's app displays a warning about scams, the caller pre-empts it — 'the system will show a standard notice, just continue'. Some versions instead push remote-access software, watching your screen while the 'refund' is processed; others recruit you into 'testing' after the refund, walking you through additional transfers. The consistent thread is a stranger directing your hands inside your own bank.
The rule that defeats every script is about who initiated contact: your banking app opens on your initiative, never during an inbound call, whatever the caller's story or apparent knowledge of your account. If money already left, call your bank's fraud line immediately — authorised-payment fraud is time-sensitive, and your report starts the recovery attempt and protects your position. Then report the call, and expect repeat attempts: successful and near-successful victims are recycled through follow-up scripts, including fake 'fraud team' calls about the very scam that just happened.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited call about a refund you did not request
- Caller asks you to open your banking app or online banking
- Request to install remote access software or allow screen sharing
- Urgency — refund must be processed today or will be forfeited
- Caller knows your approximate bill amount
What to do now
- Hang up and call your telecom provider using the number on your bill
- Never open your banking app during an inbound call you did not initiate
- Do not install any software at a caller's instruction
- Report the call to your national fraud reporting service
Frequently asked questions
What if the caller already knows my account number?
Account numbers and partial billing details are commonly obtained from data breaches. Knowing your details does not make the caller genuine.
The caller told me to ignore my banking app's scam warning — why would they know it appears?
Because the script anticipates it. Pre-empting your bank's fraud warnings ('a standard notice will pop up, just continue') is proof you are being coached through an authorised payment to a criminal, not receiving a refund.
I authorised a payment during one of these calls — is it recoverable?
Sometimes, and speed is decisive. Call your bank's fraud line immediately — authorised push payment fraud has reimbursement routes in some jurisdictions, and early reporting maximises both recovery odds and your protections.