How To Spot Fake Messages

Scammers are becoming increasingly creative, and their messages can look surprisingly convincing. A text may appear to come from your bank, an email may warn you about suspicious activity, and a phone call may even display a familiar number on your caller ID. The goal is often the same: get you to act quickly before you have time to stop and think.

In 2025 alone, Americans lost an estimated $68 billion to scams, with nearly three in four Americans having experienced a scam or fraud attempt. At Legacy Bank, we’re committed to helping our customers recognize common warning signs to better protect their personal information and money. As part of a nationwide effort with the American Bankers Association and banks across the country, we’re giving you the tools to spot a suspicious message before it becomes a problem. So, how can you tell if that message isn’t really from your bank?

There’s a Sense of Urgency

While your bank will often contact you if there’s suspicious activity on your account or if you have signed up for text or email alerts, they will never use threatening or alarming language. Most scammers use fake messages that create a sense of urgency to scare customers into acting quickly without thinking. Examples of threatening language include:

• “Your account will be suspended”
• “Immediate action required”
• “Suspicious login detected”

When a message is truly from your bank, it won’t demand immediate action. If you think you may be the target of such a scam, hang up, delete the text, close the message on whatever platform you’re using, and call the official bank phone number you have on file to confirm. This way, you know that you’re speaking to an official bank representative.

You’re Asked To Open a Link

Often, digital scammers send messages with links to websites designed to harvest users’ personal information. Pages like this may ask you to enter your username and password, account details, etc., which they will then use to transfer funds. If you receive an unexpected email or text asking you to click a link, don’t. Instead, delete the message or block the sender. If you think the message might be legitimate, exit out of it and log in directly through your bank’s official website or mobile app. Legitimate banks will never request the following personal information details through a text, call, or email.

• Online banking usernames and passwords
• Debit card PINs
• One-time passcodes or security codes

Social Security numbers may be requested under certain circumstances if there are no security questions on file. If a customer isn’t comfortable providing this information, they can request a different verification method or visit a branch in person to verify.

There’s an Unexpected Attachment

Email attachments can be another major red flag when it comes to phishing scams. A scammer may send what looks like a routine document, statement, invoice, or other file, but in reality, the attachment could contain malicious software or lead you to a website designed to steal your information. If you receive an email with an attachment you weren’t expecting, especially if it’s from a sender you don’t recognize, don’t open it. Even if the email appears to come from your bank, take a moment to verify it before downloading anything. When in doubt, delete the email and contact your bank directly through an official phone number or website.

You’re Told Not To Tell Anyone

One of the easiest ways for a scammer to keep you from realizing something is wrong is to convince you that you need to handle it on your own. They may tell you not to talk to your spouse, a family member, a friend, or even your bank’s other employees about the conversation. But why would your bank need you to keep a conversation about your money a secret?

Scammers know that a second opinion can stop a scam in its tracks. That’s why they may try to make you feel like you need to solve the problem right away and without anyone else’s help. If you find yourself in that situation, hang up and talk to someone you trust. Then, contact your bank using a phone number you know is legitimate.

There Are Typos or Poor Grammar

Sometimes, the first clue that something isn’t right is simply the way a message is written. If an email or text claiming to be from your bank has spelling mistakes, awkward wording, or missing punctuation, take a closer look. Scammers can copy a bank’s logo and branding, but they may not put the same care into the message itself. One typo doesn’t automatically mean a message is a scam, but if it feels unusual or different from what you normally receive, don’t respond.

You’re Asked To Transfer Money

Has your bank ever contacted you and initiated a transfer of your funds? Probably not. If you receive a message or phone call asking you to move money from one account to another, send money through a payment app, or transfer funds to a “secure” account, be cautious. Scammers may claim that moving your money is necessary to protect it from fraud, but your bank will not ask you to move your money to keep it safe. If someone asks you to transfer money because of a suspicious transaction or security alert, contact your bank directly using a trusted phone number before doing anything.