~/scams explained / fake-bank-email-scam

Fake bank email: "Account locked" and "renew your security method"

An email looks like it comes from your bank and urgently asks you to update something. It is a fake message in the bank's name that wants to steal your login details.

How the scam works

1. You receive an email with a bank logo: "Account locked", "Security update required" or "Renew your authorisation method".
2. It tells you to act fast, or you will supposedly lose access or have your account blocked.
3. A button or link takes you to a page that looks almost exactly like the real online banking.
4. There you type your login details and are asked for a one-time code or approval code.
5. The criminals use everything at once on the real bank site, log in to your account and send out payments.

How to spot it

• The greeting is generic, such as "Dear customer".
• The sender address does not quite match the name of your bank.
• It threatens a block, a deadline or a loss of access.
• You are asked to enter login details or codes through a link.
• The email has language mistakes or looks sloppy.
• You are asked to open an attachment or install an app from an email.

What to do now

• Do not click links or buttons and do not open attachments.
• Open your online banking or the official app yourself, not through the email.
• Never share passwords or one-time codes, by email or on the phone.
• If in doubt, call your bank using the number on your card or your paperwork.
• Delete the email and report it as phishing in your mail program.

Already clicked or paid?

1. Only clicked: close the page, enter nothing and scan your device for malware.
2. Entered login details: change your password at once and call your bank so access can be blocked.
3. Gave a code or approval: call your bank immediately and have your card and access blocked.
4. Report it to the police and keep the email as evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Does my bank ask for my password or codes by email?

No. Serious banks do not ask for login details or one-time codes by email, text message or link.

The email names my bank correctly. Is it real then?

Not necessarily. Criminals send mails to huge numbers of people and use the names and logos of well-known banks. Always check through the official app.

What if I have no account with that bank?

Then the email is certainly fake. Delete it and click nothing.

More scams

• Fake parcel text: "Delivery failed"
• Fake PayPal email: "Account limited" and "suspicious payment"
• Fake Amazon email: order, Prime, locked account or refund
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• Classified ads scam: the fake buyer with the "secure payment link"
• How to spot a fake online shop
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• Fake Microsoft support: the phone call and virus pop-up scam
• Fake bank employee call: when the bank seems to be calling
• Crypto investment scam: fake ads with famous faces
• Tax refund phishing: fake emails from authorities

General advice, not legal advice. If you lost money, involve your bank and the police.

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