The Unauthorized Transfer Message

Flggd Scam School · Bank & Financial Institution Scams · Lesson 2 of 16

A text warns that money is leaving your account right now and begs you to stop it. Here is how to tell whether an unauthorized transfer text from your bank is real.

The message looks like this

Why this is a scam

The transfer doesn't exist. The dollar amount and the stranger's name are invented to make your stomach drop and your thumb move fast.

Replying or calling connects you to the scammer, not your bank. A calm "fraud agent" will offer to block the transfer, and to do that they'll need your login, your card number, or the security code your bank just texted you. That code is what lets them move real money.

Real bank alerts ask you to confirm yes or no. They never ask for passwords, PINs, or one-time codes to "stop" anything.

Red flags checklist

• A named stranger and an exact amount you don't recognize, out of nowhere.

• You're told to reply or call the number in the text, not your bank's real number.

• The "agent" asks for your password, PIN, or a texted security code.

• The number doesn't match the short code your bank normally uses.

• No matching alert appears in your banking app.

The manipulation tactic

Fear plus rescue. The message creates an emergency, then plays the hero offering to fix it; gratitude keeps you from questioning what they ask for.

What to do, and what not to do

• Don't reply and don't call the number in the text.

• Open your banking app and check your actual transactions.

• Call the number on the back of your card if anything looks off.

• Never read a one-time code to anyone on the phone.

• Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it.

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