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Scam simulator · Phone calls

The Call From Your Bank's Fraud Team

A text asks whether you just spent $1,263, and minutes later your bank’s fraud team calls. Practice what to do, and see how a caller who seems to be protecting you can empty your savings.

  • About 6 minutes
  • 7 decisions
  • Common in: US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland

Why it matters: Americans reported losing nearly $1 billion to business impersonators in 2025, and fake banks caused the highest losses. When people are talked into moving money to "protect" it, the FTC says, their losses are "often limited only by their available funds." (US Federal Trade Commission, June 2026)

It’s a weekday morning and you’re doing the crossword. Your phone is on the table beside you.

Below, each step shows what you'd see, the choices people make, and why each one is safe or risky. The summary at the end tells you what to look for and what to do.

You'll see each message or call as it would really look. Choose what you'd do, and you'll find out why. Nothing here is real: no messages are sent and nothing you choose leaves your device.

  1. Step 1 of 7 First contact

    Your phone buzzes. The text appears in the same conversation as your bank’s usual messages, right under last month’s statement reminder.

    Practice screen Text message
    Your BankText message
    1. Your Bank: Your statement for the account ending 2208 is ready to view in the app.Mon 9:00 am
    2. Your Bank: Did you attempt a purchase at an electronics store for $1,263.00? Reply YES or NO.10:02 am

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Could a scammer’s text land next to your bank’s real ones? What might happen if you reply?

    1. Reply NO. I didn’t buy anything, and I want them to stop it.

      Risky choice

      It feels like the obvious answer, but replying, whether YES or NO, tells the scammers you’re worried and ready to talk. Very soon, the “fraud department” calls.

    2. Ignore it. If it’s real, the bank will sort it out.

      Better, but not the safest

      Not replying is good. But if there’s a chance it’s real, it’s worth checking in a safe way: open your bank’s app or call the number on your card, so you know for sure.

    3. Don’t reply. Open my bank’s app, or call the number on the back of my card, and ask about the purchase.

      Safe choice

      That’s the safe way to check. If there really was a strange purchase, your bank will see it, and you’ll know you’re talking to your bank because you made the call.

    Red flags at this step

    • A text you weren’t expecting about a large purchase
    • Being asked to reply YES or NO
    • A text that looks like your bank’s, even sitting among its real messages

    What's really going on

    Scammers can fake the name a text comes from, so their message can land in the same conversation as your bank’s real texts. Australia’s phone regulator warns that these fake texts appear in the same message thread as ones from the real organization. The US FDIC says that if you respond, “you might get a call from someone pretending to be from the bank’s fraud department.”

  2. Step 2 of 7 The hook

    Suppose you replied, or simply waited. A few minutes later, your phone rings. The caller ID shows your bank’s name.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Incoming call

    Your Bank

    1. Caller: “Hello, am I speaking with Pat Miller? This is Daniel from the fraud team at your bank. We’ve just stopped a $1,263 payment on your card ending 4417 at an electronics store. Was that you?”
    2. You: “No, it wasn’t.”
    3. Caller: “I thought not. I can see a second payment waiting to go through as well. Let’s stop them both right now, before they clear.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Can the name on your screen be faked? Would your real bank rush you?

    1. Keep talking. It says my bank on the screen, and he knows my name and card number.

      Risky choice

      Caller ID can be faked to show any name or number, and scammers get names and card details from data breaches. None of that proves who he is. He’s also hurrying you, which your real bank won’t do.

    2. Ask him to tell me my address and date of birth, to prove he’s real.

      Better, but not the safest

      He may well know them. Criminals often have this kind of information from data breaches. The only real proof is a call you make yourself, to a number you already trust.

    3. Say “I’ll call you back”, hang up, and call the number on the back of my card, from a different phone if I can.

      Safe choice

      That’s the golden rule. If there’s a real problem, your bank’s fraud team will find it when you call. Using a different phone, or waiting a few minutes, helps make sure the scammer isn’t still on the line.

    Red flags at this step

    • Caller ID showing your bank’s name (it can be faked)
    • A caller who knows your name and the last digits of your card
    • A countdown: a payment “waiting to go through”

    What's really going on

    It’s easy for criminals to make any name or number appear on your phone. Ofcom, the UK’s phone regulator, says faking numbers to look like they come from a trusted organization such as a bank is a common tactic. Australian police say scammers get names, dates of birth, account details and even balances from earlier data breaches, and use them to sound genuine.

  3. Step 3 of 7 Winning your trust

    The caller says he just needs to confirm it’s really you before he can block the payments. While he’s talking, a text arrives.

    Practice screen Text message
    Your BankText message
    1. Your Bank: Did you attempt a purchase at an electronics store for $1,263.00? Reply YES or NO.10:02 am
    2. Your Bank: 739204 is your code to sign in to online banking on a new device. Never share this code with anyone, including us.10:07 am

    Caller: “Could you read me the code we’ve just sent? Then I can block those payments.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Read the new text slowly. What is the code actually for?

    1. Read him the code. He said it’s to confirm it’s me and block the payments.

      Risky choice

      The code isn’t for blocking anything. Read the text: it’s to sign in to your online banking on a new device, which is his. With it, he can see your accounts and try to move your money himself.

    2. Don’t read it out. The text says never to share it, even with the bank. Hang up and call the number on my card.

      Safe choice

      Exactly right. Your bank’s own text gives you the answer. A real fraud team never needs you to read a code back to them.

    Red flags at this step

    • Being asked to read out a code
    • The code is for something different from what the caller says
    • “Never share this code” in the text itself

    What's really going on

    Banks send one-time codes when something important happens, such as signing in on a new device or adding someone new to pay. The scammer starts that process at his end while talking to you, so the code you get is real, and it works for him if you read it out. That’s why the text itself warns you never to share it.

  4. Step 4 of 7 The pressure

    Suppose the code was shared. A minute later, the caller sounds worried.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Call in progress

    Your Bank

    1. Caller: “I’m sorry, the hacker still has access to your online banking. Your savings are at risk right now.”
    2. Caller: “We need to move your savings into a secure holding account in your name while we investigate. I’ll stay on the line and walk you through it. Please don’t hang up, or we could lose the trace.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Does a bank need you to move money in order to protect it?

    1. Do as he says. The account is in my name, so it must be safe.

      Risky choice

      The name on the account can say anything; the account belongs to the criminals. Once you send the money, getting it back is very hard, because you authorized the payment yourself.

    2. Hang up. No bank ever asks you to move money to keep it safe. Then call my bank on the number on my card.

      Safe choice

      That’s the rule that beats this scam every time. Your real bank can freeze a suspicious payment and protect your accounts without you moving a cent.

    Red flags at this step

    • “Move your money to a safe, secure or holding account”
    • “Stay on the line” and “don’t hang up”
    • Panic: your savings are “at risk right now”

    What's really going on

    This is the moment the whole scam has been building to. UK Finance describes it as the fraudster claiming there’s been fraud on your account and that you must move your money to a “safe account” to protect it. Keeping you on the line stops you calling your real bank. As an Australian bank’s fraud chief puts it: “Banks won’t rush you”, and they will never ask you to “move money to a ‘safe account’.”

  5. Step 5 of 7 The ask

    Suppose you went along with it. The transfer is too big for the app, so the caller asks you to go to your branch. He has one more instruction.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Call in progress

    Your Bank

    1. Caller: “Keep your phone on, in your pocket, so I can help. Please don’t mention any of this to the branch staff. We’re investigating an employee there for helping the hackers.”
    2. Caller: “If they ask what the money’s for, just say it’s for your son’s new car. We’ll explain everything once the employee has been arrested.”

    At the branch, the teller asks what the transfer is for. What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Why would your bank want you to lie to its own staff?

    1. Give the cover story. I don’t want to tip off the dishonest employee.

      Risky choice

      The “dishonest employee” is made up so you’ll shut out the one person who could stop the scam. The teller can only help if you tell them what’s really going on.

    2. Tell the teller the truth: someone from the fraud team called, told me to move my savings, and told me to keep it secret.

      Safe choice

      That’s the best thing you can do. The teller can check with the real fraud team and stop the transfer. Anyone who tells you to lie to your own bank is not your bank.

    Red flags at this step

    • Being told not to tell bank staff
    • A cover story to give the teller
    • A caller listening in while you’re at the bank

    What's really going on

    Your bank will never ask you to help catch one of its own staff, or to lie to them. Scammers invent a crooked employee because a teller who hears the real story will recognize the scam. The FBI says callers in these scams tell people not to tell anyone the real reason they are moving their money.

  6. Step 6 of 7 The ask

    In the UK, Canada and New Zealand, a common version of this call ends differently. Instead of a transfer, the caller asks for your card.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Incoming call

    Your Bank

    1. Caller: “Your card has been copied, so we need the original as evidence. Please put it in an envelope with a note of your PIN. A courier from the bank will collect it within the hour, and your new card will arrive tomorrow.”
    2. Caller: “If you need to go out, just leave the envelope in your mailbox and he’ll pick it up.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Has your bank ever sent someone to your home to collect a card?

    1. Put the card and PIN in an envelope for the courier. It’ll save me a trip to the branch.

      Risky choice

      The courier works for the scammers. With your card and PIN, they can take cash from ATMs and buy expensive goods on your account straight away, often before you know the card is gone.

    2. Hand over the card, but keep my PIN to myself.

      Better, but not the safest

      Keeping your PIN private is better than handing over both, but the card is still at risk in the wrong hands. No bank sends anyone to collect cards, so don’t hand it over at all.

    3. Refuse. Hang up, call my bank on the number on the card from a different phone, and cut up the card myself if they tell me to.

      Safe choice

      That’s exactly right. Banks never collect cards from your home or your mailbox. If a courier is already on the way, call the police as well.

    Red flags at this step

    • Someone coming to your home to collect your card
    • Being asked to write down your PIN
    • Being told to leave your card in your mailbox

    What's really going on

    TSB, a UK bank, puts it plainly: “Neither a bank, nor the Police will ever request that you post or handover your card, or cash.” In June 2026, New Zealand police warned of callers telling people to leave their bank card in the mailbox to be “collected for investigation”. In Canada, police say “banks never ask customers to provide their cards to couriers”, and Ontario police say Canadians reported losing more than $28 million to fake “bank investigators” in 2025.

  7. Step 7 of 7 Afterwards

    A week later, whatever happened before, the phone rings again. The caller ID shows your bank’s name.

    Practice screen Phone call

    Incoming call

    Your Bank

    1. Caller: “Good news. We’ve arrested the employee and recovered your money. To release it, I just need you to confirm your details and read me one last code.”

    What do you do?

    Not sure? Show a hint

    Who would know about the money you lost?

    1. Go along with it. I’d do anything to get my money back.

      Risky choice

      This is the same gang, or people who bought your details from them. The promise of getting your money back is the hook for a second loss.

    2. Hang up. Call my bank on the number on my card, report what happened to the police, and tell someone I trust.

      Safe choice

      That’s the way to real help. Your bank’s real fraud team and the police won’t charge you, and won’t ask you for codes.

    Red flags at this step

    • A call promising to return your money
    • Another request for a code or your details

    What's really going on

    People who have lost money once are often targeted again, by the same criminals or by people who bought their details. Real help comes from your own bank and the police, and it’s free. In the UK, most bank transfers lost to scams like this can be refunded up to £85,000 if you claim within 13 months, so tell your bank even if you feel embarrassed.

What really happened

The text, the caller ID and the helpful fraud team were all fake. The gang already had your name and card details, probably from a data breach, and they used the code to get into your online banking. The “secure holding account” and the courier both belonged to them. Your real bank won’t rush you, ask for a code, tell you to move money, or send someone for your card. Hanging up and calling the number on your card stops this scam at any step.

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This simulator is one scam. Scam-Proof puts 50 of today's scams in one calm, large-print book to keep by the phone, for you and the people you love.

This scam is in the book. Chapter 2 covers fake bank calls, and scams 1, 2, 18 and 47 in the book's 50-scam library cover the fraud-team call, the safe account, the "did you make this purchase?" text and the code request.

  • Spot the three-part pattern behind almost every scam: pressure, secrecy and strange payment
  • Handle fake bank, tax, Medicare and tech-support calls with word-for-word scripts
  • Catch out cloned-voice “grandchild in trouble” calls with a family safe word
  • Check a text, email or website before you tap anything
  • A 50-scam library with the tell and the fix for each
  • 20 "Say This" scripts for tricky calls and messages

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Summary · keep this

Fake bank fraud call: what to look for and what to do

Remember: Your bank will never ask you to read out a code, move money to keep it safe, or hand your card to anyone. Hang up and call the number on your card.

What to look for

  • A text asking you to reply YES or NO about a purchase
  • A call soon after, with your bank’s name on caller ID (it can be faked)
  • A caller who knows your name and card details and says a payment is about to go through
  • Being asked to read out a code, or to approve something in your banking app
  • Being told to move your money to a “safe”, “secure” or “holding” account
  • “Stay on the line” and “don’t tell the branch staff”
  • Someone coming to collect your card, or asking you to leave it in your mailbox

What to do

A text asks about a purchase you didn’t make
Don’t reply. Check your bank’s app, or call the number on your card.
Your bank’s fraud team calls you
Say you’ll call back, hang up, and call the number on your card, from a different phone or after a few minutes. In the UK, you can dial 159 to reach most banks safely.
Someone asks for a code sent to your phone
Never read it out. Read what the text says the code is for.
You’re told to move money to protect it
Hang up. It’s a scam every time.
Someone offers to collect your card
Refuse. Call your bank, and if a courier is already on the way, call the police.

If you've already paid, clicked or shared details

Don't be embarrassed. These scams are run by professionals, and acting fast gives you the best chance of stopping the damage.

  1. Call your bank straight away on the number on your card (in the UK, 159). Ask them to stop or recall any payment and freeze your cards and online banking.
  2. Change your online banking password, and ask the bank to remove any new devices or payees you don’t recognize.
  3. If you handed over a card, cancel it now, and tell the police what the courier looked like and anything you noticed about their car.
  4. Report it to the police and your national fraud agency (see below for your country).
  5. Expect follow-up calls offering to get your money back. Hang up on those too.

Where to get help and report it

United States

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank or card company now, on the number on the back of your card.
  • Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for anything online, to the FBI at ic3.gov.
  • Aged 60 or over? The National Elder Fraud Hotline can help you report and recover: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1‑833‑372‑8311), Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm Eastern.
  • Free advice from trained volunteers: AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877‑908‑3360. You don’t need to be a member.
  • Scam texts: forward them to 7726 (spells SPAM).
  • Gave out personal details? Get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov and think about a free credit freeze.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money? Call 911.

United Kingdom

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call 159 to reach your bank safely (it works for most major banks), or use the number on your card.
  • Report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
  • Tricked into a bank transfer? Ask your bank about a refund. UK rules cover most transfers up to £85,000 if you claim within 13 months.
  • Scam texts: forward them free to 7726. Scam emails: forward them to [email protected].
  • Free, confidential advice: Age UK Advice Line, 0800 678 1602.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 999.

Australia

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card or in your banking app.
  • Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. If it happened online, also report it to police through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
  • Gave out personal details or ID? IDCARE gives free help: 1800 595 160.
  • Not sure what to do? The Australian Cyber Security Hotline is 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). For police, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
  • Scam texts: report them to Scamwatch. Telstra customers can also forward them to 7226; other providers may too, so ask yours.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 000.

Canada

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card.
  • Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1‑888‑495‑8501 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4:45pm Eastern) or online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca. Tell your local police too.
  • Scam texts: forward them to 7726.
  • Gave out personal details? Ask Equifax and TransUnion to put a fraud alert on your credit file.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 911.

New Zealand

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card.
  • Report it to Police on 105 (or 105.police.govt.nz) and to the National Cyber Security Centre at ncsc.govt.nz/report or 0800 114 115.
  • Free advice: Netsafe, 0508 638 723.
  • Scam texts: forward them free to 7726.
  • Gave out personal details or ID? IDCARE gives free help: 0800 121 068.
  • Someone coming to your door to collect money or cards? Call 111.

Ireland

  • Money gone or card details shared? Call your bank now, on the number on your card.
  • Report it at your local Garda station. In an emergency, call 999 or 112.
  • Scam texts: mark them as spam and block the sender. Texts from unregistered senders now show as “Likely Scam”.
  • Check before you invest: search the Central Bank of Ireland register at registers.centralbank.ie. Scam alerts from Irish banks are at fraudsmart.ie.

The rules that stop almost every scam

  • Hang up and call back on a number you find yourself: the back of your card, a bill, or the official website.
  • Never share a code sent to your phone, and never let anyone who contacted you take control of your computer or phone.
  • Never move money to keep it safe. No bank, police force or government agency will ever ask you to.
  • Gift cards, crypto, Bitcoin machines, wire transfers, cash couriers and gold are how scammers get paid. Anyone who asks for them is a scammer.
  • Secrecy and hurry are the giveaways. Anyone who tells you not to tell your bank or family, or to act right now, is working against you.
  • Tell someone. Talk it over with a family member, a friend or your bank before you pay anyone you didn’t plan to pay.

Phone numbers and web addresses were checked on 28 September 2026. They can change; if one doesn't work, search for the organization's official website, and please let us know.

Sources we checked

The people, numbers, companies and web addresses shown in this simulator are made up. The way the scam works is taken from real cases reported by police, regulators and consumer groups.

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