Is an SMS from my bank asking me to confirm a new payee real?
Genuine new-payee confirmation texts do exist, but fraudulent texts designed to confirm a payee the scammer already set up are also sent. Never use a number or link in the text — call your bank's official number.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Banks send one-time passcodes and confirmation requests when a new payee is being added to your account. Scammers exploit this by first gaining partial access to your account — or by simply sending a fake alert — and then tricking you into providing the code needed to complete the process. The text arrives and looks genuine, but acting on it confirms a fraudulent payee setup rather than a legitimate one.
The most dangerous version pairs the text with a phone call. Moments after the SMS lands, someone claiming to be your bank's fraud team calls to say a payee addition is being attempted and asks you to read out the code 'to cancel it' — when in reality the code is the final step the scammer needs to complete it. This is why genuine banks say they will never ask you to read a security code over the phone: the code exists to authorise, and anyone who asks for it is trying to use that authorisation.
A new-payee confirmation you did not initiate means someone may already hold your login details, so treat it as an active compromise, not just spam. Do not press any key, click any link, or call any number in the text. Log in to your banking app directly, check pending payees, and call your bank's fraud line from the number on your card. Ask them to remove the pending payee, review recent access, and reset your credentials.
Common red flags
- You did not initiate adding any new payee
- Text contains a link or number to call to 'confirm' or 'cancel'
- Urgency: confirm within five minutes or the request expires
- Any associated call asks you to read back the SMS code
What to do now
- Do not click any link or call any number in the text
- Log in to your banking app directly and check for any pending payee additions
- Call your bank's fraud line from the number on the back of your card
- Ask your bank to cancel the pending payee and review recent account access
Frequently asked questions
What if the text is in the same thread as genuine bank messages?
SMS spoofing can place fake messages into the same thread as real ones. A legitimate-looking thread does not confirm that any specific message is genuine.
Someone called claiming to be the bank and asked me to read the code to cancel the payee. Should I?
Never. Reading out the code completes the fraudulent setup — that call is the scam's second half. Banks do not ask customers to recite security codes. Hang up and call the fraud line printed on your card.
I received the text but did nothing. Is my account safe?
Possibly, but an unrequested payee code can mean someone already has your login details. Change your online banking password, check pending payees in the app, and tell your bank so they can review recent access.