Protect your account numbers and checks from fraud
How phone, text and check scams work, what to say when someone calls, and exactly what to do if you already gave something away.
The one rule that stops most scams: never give your account numbers, passwords or codes to anyone who contacted you first. Real banks, government agencies and utilities do not need them from you on a call, text or email you did not start. If you remember nothing else, remember to hang up and call back on a number you looked up yourself. The rest of this page shows how the common scams work and how to protect your checks and accounts.
Five rules to remember
Rule 1
Never read out a code
A real bank will never ask you to read back the one-time code it just texted you. If someone asks, that code is the key to your account, and they are using it right now.
Rule 2
Hang up and call back yourself
Do not trust caller ID or a number they give you. Hang up, then call the number printed on the back of your card or on your bank's own website, typed in by you.
Rule 3
Pay only the way you chose
Real organizations do not demand gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or payment apps from a stranger. Demands like that are the clearest sign of a scam.
Rule 4
Slow down
Scammers create panic and a deadline so you cannot think. Any message that says act now or tell no one is a reason to stop and check with someone you trust.
Rule 5
Tell a person
Say it out loud to a family member, a friend or your bank before you do anything. Scams depend on secrecy, and one honest conversation breaks most of them.
Calls and texts from other countries: what to know
Many scam calls do come from call centers in other countries, but you cannot tell by the number. Scammers can fake caller ID so a call appears to come from your own area code, your bank or a government office. They also spread across texts, emails and social media. So a familiar number does not make a call real, and an unfamiliar one does not make it fake. Judge the request, not the voice or the accent.
- Do not call back one-ring calls from unknown international numbers. They are designed to make you call back so the call connects to a costly line.
- Do not press a number to speak to someone or to be removed from a list. That confirms your number works and invites more calls.
- Let unknown numbers go to voicemail. Real callers leave a message. You can look up the number or call the organization yourself afterwards.
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and delete them. Do not tap links, even to reply STOP.
The scams to know, and what to do
These are the versions we see most. The details change, but the pattern is the same: urgency, secrecy and a request for money or information.
The fake bank fraud alert
What you hear: "We noticed a suspicious charge. To stop it, read us the code we just sent."
What is really happening: They are logging in to your account at that moment, and the code they ask for is the one your bank sent for their login.
What to do: Do not read the code. Hang up and call your bank using the number on your card.
The "move your money to a safe account" call
What you hear: "Your account is compromised. Transfer your savings to a protected account right away."
What is really happening: The safe account belongs to the scammer. Banks and government agencies never ask you to move money to keep it safe.
What to do: Stop. End the call. Tell your bank about it from the number on your card.
Government impersonation
What you hear: A caller says they are from the IRS, Social Security or Medicare, says there is a warrant or a problem, and demands payment today.
What is really happening: Government agencies usually contact you by mail first and do not threaten arrest or demand gift cards, crypto or wires.
What to do: Hang up. Look up the agency's real number yourself if you want to check.
The fake check or overpayment
What you hear: A buyer, landlord or employer sends you a check for too much and asks you to send back the difference or buy something.
What is really happening: The check is fake or will bounce. Your bank may credit the money before the check is really cleared, then take it back later.
What to do: Never send money back from a check you received. Wait until your bank confirms it has fully cleared, and ask the bank directly.
The job offer that involves checks
What you hear: A "company" hires you fast, sends a check for supplies or training and asks you to deposit it, keep a cut and send the rest.
What is really happening: The check is counterfeit. You become the person who lost the money, and the account used can be closed.
What to do: Real employers do not pay you to move their money. Do not deposit or print checks for a stranger.
The family emergency call
What you hear: A panicked voice says they are your grandchild or relative and need bail money or help, and asks you not to tell anyone.
What is really happening: Voices can be copied or faked, and the caller counts on panic and secrecy.
What to do: Hang up and call the person on a number you already know. Keep a family code word for real emergencies.
"We need your account number to send your money"
What you hear: A prize, refund, grant or deposit is waiting, but they need your bank account number to send it.
What is really happening: Sending money to you never requires your account number from a stranger. They want to take money out, not put it in.
What to do: Do not share it. If you won something real, it will not cost you or need your account details from a call.
The refund and tech support trick
What you hear: "We refunded you too much by mistake. Please send the difference back, and let us connect to your computer."
What is really happening: They show a fake balance on your screen using remote access, then ask you to "repay" them.
What to do: Never give someone remote control of your computer after they contact you. Hang up.
What you should never share
- Your bank password, PIN or the one-time codes your bank sends you.
- Your full account number, with anyone who contacted you first.
- Your Social Security number over a call, text or email you did not start.
- Card numbers and the three-digit security code on the back.
- Access to your phone or computer through a remote support program such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer.
- Photos of the front and back of your checks, except in your own bank's mobile deposit app.
Red flags: stop if you see two or more
- They contacted you first and you did not ask for help.
- There is a deadline, a threat or an emergency.
- They say do not tell your bank or your family.
- They want payment in gift cards, crypto, wires or a payment app.
- They ask you to read back a code, or to install software.
- They want you to call a different number than the one on your card.
- Money is supposed to come to you, but first you must send some.
- The caller knows a few real details about you. That information is easy to buy, so it proves nothing.
Say this on a suspicious call
“I do not give information on calls I did not start. I will call the number on my card.”
Then hang up. You do not owe them an explanation or politeness. A real caller will understand. A scammer will push, get angry or try to keep you on the line, and that tells you what you need to know.
Make a family code word. Choose a word that is not online or easy to guess, and agree that anyone asking for urgent money must say it. It protects against fake emergency calls, including ones that copy a loved one's voice.
Keeping your checks safe
When you write and send checks
- Use a pen with dark, permanent-style ink such as a gel pen. No ink is guaranteed, but it makes check washing harder.
- Fill the check completely. Write the amount tightly and draw a line through any empty space after the payee and the words.
- Mail checks from a post office or a blue collection box before the last pickup. Avoid leaving outgoing mail in your home mailbox with the flag up.
- Better still, hand-deliver a check or use your bank's bill pay for payments you can.
- Keep a record of every check you write (number, date, payee, amount) and watch for ones that clear for a different amount.
- Store spare checks and blank check stock in a locked drawer. Shred voided and spoiled checks.
- Confirm any change in payment details by calling a number you already trust, not one in the new message.
When you receive and deposit checks
- A check from a stranger is a warning sign, especially if it is for more than you were owed.
- Cashier's checks and money orders can be fake. Call the issuing bank using a number you find yourself.
- "Funds available" does not mean "cleared". A check can be returned weeks after you deposited it, and the money is taken back from you.
- Do not post pictures of checks online, even with some numbers covered.
- If you deposit by phone, keep the paper check safe until the deposit has cleared, then shred it.
If you print your own checks, the same care applies to the paper and the numbers. Read our guides on check fraud prevention for small business, check printing scams to avoid and check security features.
Protecting the account itself
- Turn on bank alerts for every transaction, new payee and low balance. A text within seconds can stop a theft.
- Use a different long password for your bank and turn on two-step sign-in, preferably with an authenticator app.
- Ask your phone carrier for a port-out PIN so nobody can move your number to another SIM.
- Freeze your credit at the three credit bureaus. It is free and stops new accounts being opened in your name.
- Check your statements every month, and look at small test charges as well as large ones.
- If an account number may have leaked, ask your bank about a new account number and about blocking unknown automatic debits.
- Keep software and your phone updated, and do your banking on a device you trust.
If you already shared your information
It happens to careful people. What matters now is speed. Work through these steps in order.
- 1
Call your bank's fraud line right away
Use the number on your card. Say you shared account details. Ask them to secure the account, block unauthorized debits, stop payment on any checks you did not write and open a new account number if needed.
- 2
Change your passwords and sign-in
Change your bank and email passwords, turn on two-step sign-in, and remove any remote access software the caller made you install. Run a security scan on that device.
- 3
If you sent money, ask for a recall now
Tell the bank exactly when and how it was sent. The first hours matter most for a wire or transfer, so do not wait until the morning.
- 4
Freeze your credit
Contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to place a free freeze, and look at your free credit reports for accounts you do not recognize.
- 5
Report it
File a report with the FTC and, if it involved the internet, with the FBI's IC3. If mail was stolen, tell the Postal Inspection Service. A police report can help with disputes.
- 6
Dispute unauthorized transactions quickly
The sooner you report, the better protected you usually are. Ask your bank in writing and keep copies of everything.
- 7
Watch for follow-up scams
People who have been scammed are often targeted again by fake "recovery" services that ask for a fee. Do not pay anyone who promises to get your money back.
Where to report and get help
Report any scam, and help warn others.
A step-by-step recovery plan if your identity or accounts were misused.
Report online and wire fraud, especially when money was sent.
Report stolen mail or check theft. Phone: 1-877-876-2455.
Your free credit reports from all three bureaus.
What a credit freeze is and how to place one.
Cut down on legitimate sales calls so scam calls stand out.
Submit a complaint about a bank or financial company.
Examples of fake emails and texts and how to spot them.
Free help for older adults and families. Phone: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
These are official government or consumer-protection sites. Always type the address yourself or use these links, not links sent to you in a message.
Common questions
Can someone take money from my account with just my account and routing numbers?
Yes, they can try. Those two numbers are enough to attempt an automatic debit or to create a check that draws on your account. Banks have protections, and you can usually dispute unauthorized items, but the safest plan is to protect the account number and to check your statements every month.
Is my routing number a secret?
No. The routing number identifies your bank, is printed on every check from that bank and is publicly listed. The account number is the part to guard. Fraud depends on getting the two together, so treat the whole line at the bottom of a check as sensitive.
Why do scam calls come from other countries, or from numbers that look local?
Calling is cheap and scammers can fake caller ID, so a local number proves nothing. Many calls are made from call centers far away because it is hard to trace them. Where the caller says they are, or how they sound, tells you nothing. What they ask you to do is what matters.
Should I call back a missed call from an unknown number?
No, especially if it rang once and stopped. International numbers that ring once are meant to make you call back, which can connect you to a costly line. If it is important, the caller will leave a message or contact you another way. You can also look the number up before replying.
Is it ever safe to give my account number to someone?
Yes, when you started the contact and you know exactly who it is, such as setting up payroll with your own employer or paying a known vendor. Check by phone using a number you already have if the request came by email or text, since fake payment-detail requests are common.
What is check washing?
Check washing is when a thief steals a check from the mail and uses chemicals to remove the ink, then rewrites the payee and the amount. Prevent it by using dark gel ink, filling the whole check, and avoiding leaving mail in your home mailbox for pickup.
How can I tell if a cashier's check is real?
You cannot tell by looking. Call the bank named on the check using a phone number you find yourself, not one printed on the check or given by the sender. Even then, wait until your own bank says the funds have fully cleared before you send anything or spend the money.
How long does a deposited check take to really clear?
Your bank may make the money available within a day or two, but the check can still be returned for days or weeks, and the amount is taken back from you if it was bad. Available is not the same as cleared, so ask your bank when it is final.
What should I say to end a suspicious call?
Say: "I do not give information on calls I did not start. I will call the number on my card." Then hang up. You do not have to be polite or explain. A real caller will understand, and a scammer will usually try to keep you on the line.
Print your own checks?
Check Writer 123 keeps your account behind a login over HTTPS, stores passwords as salted hashes and sends card payments straight to Square. Read how we protect your account on the security page, or try it free for 14 days with no card.
This guide is general information to help you stay safe, not legal or financial advice. Rules and protections differ by bank and situation, so ask your bank about your own account. Updated October 2026.