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Get startedA new country means a new bank, a new card and a new app you do not fully understand yet. Scammers know it. Every unfamiliar message from "your bank" is harder to judge when nothing about banking there feels normal yet.
These 25 bank scams are the tricks that hit new account holders most. Each comes with the tell that gives it away and what to do instead, so you can keep your money where it belongs.
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Bank Scams That Pretend to Be Your Bank
The most common bank scams copy your bank itself, by phone, text or email. They work because a real bank does contact you about fraud, so a fake one sounds reasonable.
So how do you tell a real bank from a fake one? Real banks never ask you to move money, share a code or install an app to "protect" your account. On your phone, Bitdefender's scam protection adds a check of its own, detecting scams and harmful links in your text messages in real time on Android and iOS.
The fake fraud team call
The phone rings and someone from your bank's "fraud team" says there are suspicious payments on your account. They sound calm and professional, and they may know your name, your card's last four digits and your address. They want you to act now to stop the money leaving. The tell is any instruction to move money, read out a code or give your PIN. Hang up, wait a few minutes in case the line is still open, then call the number on the back of your card. Your real bank will tell you in seconds whether anything happened.
The spoofed bank number
Scammers can make a call or text appear to come from your bank's real number. This is called spoofing, and it is why a familiar number on your screen proves nothing. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority warns that fraudsters can be convincing and knowledgeable, with materials that look identical to the real thing, in its ScamSmart guidance (updated January 2026). If a call from "your bank" makes you uneasy, end it and call back on a number you look up yourself. Never trust the caller ID alone.
The "safe account" request
A caller says your account has been compromised and you must move your money to a new "safe account" they have set up for you. They may stay on the line while you do it, or pretend to be the police helping your bank. No genuine bank or police force ever asks you to move money to protect it. The money goes straight to the scammer, and transfers you authorise yourself can be very hard to get back. Refuse, hang up and call your bank directly.
The bank text with a link
A text says your card has been suspended, a new payee was added or a large payment is pending, with a link to "review" it. The link leads to a page that looks like your bank's login and asks for your details and a code. The tell is being sent to a login page at all. Real banks show security alerts inside the official app. Close the text, open your banking app the usual way and look for any alert there. If nothing shows, report the text and delete it. The scam protection for texts mentioned above is designed to flag harmful links like this one before you tap.
The app update demand
An email or text says you must install a "security update" or a new version of your banking app from a link. The download is a fake app or remote-control software that lets the scammer see your screen. Real banking apps update through the official app store, never through a link in a message. The tell is the link. Only install or update your banking app from the App Store or Google Play, and delete any app you installed from a message.
The bank account on social media
You post a complaint about your bank on social media, and within minutes an account that looks like the bank's support team replies or sends a message. They offer to help and ask you to log in through a link or share details in a chat. Real banks may reply publicly, but they will not ask for passwords or codes in a message. The tell is an account you did not contact first. Check the bank's official website for its real social media handles before replying to anyone.
The "read me the code" trick
Someone posing as your bank says they will send you a code to "verify your identity" and asks you to read it back. That code is usually the one your bank sends to approve a payment or a new device, and reading it out hands them control. The tell is anyone asking for a code at all. Your bank will never need a code read back over the phone. Keep the code to yourself and hang up. If you already read one out, call your bank immediately so it can block the payment or device.
Copying your bank is the most direct trick. The next group is quieter, built around money coming into your account.
Bank Scams Around Money Coming In
Some of the most damaging bank scams start with money arriving, not leaving. They feel safe because you are receiving, not paying.
So why is incoming money a risk? Because payments can be reversed, cheques can bounce, and some money is not yours to move at all.
The overpayment refund
Someone pays you more than they owe, often for furniture you are selling before a move or a room you are subletting, then asks you to send back the difference. Days later, their original payment is reversed or bounces, and your refund is gone with it. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received 2,705 overpayment complaints in 2024, according to its 2024 report. Wait until any payment has fully cleared before you send money back, or simply refuse and ask them to pay the exact amount.
The money mule job
An advert offers easy money for "processing payments" or acting as a "money transfer agent": you receive money into your account and send it on, keeping a commission. Europol says more than 90% of money mule transactions identified through European Money Mule Actions are linked to cybercrime, in its money muling guide, and lists students among the most targeted. Being a mule is money laundering, even if you did not know. Our guide to fake job adverts shows how these offers are dressed up. Never move money for someone else.
The accidental transfer
A stranger messages to say they sent money to your account by mistake and asks you to send it back to a different account. The money may really be in your account, which makes the story feel true. Often it is stolen money, and returning it to a new account makes you part of moving it. The tell is the request to send it somewhere other than where it came from. Contact your bank and let it return the payment through its own process.
The fake cheque
You sell something online and the buyer sends a cheque for more than the price, asking you to wire back the difference or pay their "shipping agent". The cheque appears to clear, then bounces days or weeks later, and you owe the bank the full amount. Cheques can take time to bounce even after the money shows in your account. The tell is any overpayment combined with a request to send money on. Only accept payment methods you understand, and never send money back from a cheque.
The flatmate deposit
Someone answers your advert for a room, or offers you one, and sends a "deposit" before viewing. Then plans change and they ask for a refund to a different account, or ask you to pay a fee to release it. The original payment later disappears. The tell is a deposit paid before anyone has met, followed by a quick change of plans. Meet in person or by video, check identity, and never refund to an account other than the one that paid you.
The prize with a fee
A message says you have won a prize, a refund or a grant, and you only need to pay a small processing or transfer fee to receive it. Some even send a small amount first to build trust. The tell is paying to receive money. Legitimate prizes, refunds and grants do not charge you to release them. The FCA lists unexpected contact and offers that sound too good to be true among its warning signs. Ignore the message and do not reply.
Incoming-money scams rely on you being helpful. The next group targets money you were already planning to send.
Bank Scams Around Money Going Out
These scams hijack payments you were going to make anyway: rent, tuition, investments, money home. You expect to pay, so you are less suspicious.
So what is the common thread? A change of bank details, an unusually good deal or pressure to pay in a way you cannot reverse. Before paying anything through a link, the web protection in that antivirus is designed to warn you about pages carrying phishing or fraudulent content.
The changed bank details
You receive an email from your landlord, agency or university saying their bank details have changed and the next payment should go to a new account. The email looks right because it comes from a hacked or lookalike address. The tell is any change of bank details by email. Call the person or office on a number you already have to confirm before you pay. Our guide to landlord payment scams shows the wider pattern in housing. Be extra careful at the start of term, when large rent and fee payments are due anyway.
The investment platform
A new friend online, often met on social media or a dating app, shows you their profits on a crypto or trading platform and offers to help you start. The platform looks professional and even shows your balance growing. When you try to withdraw, you are asked for a "tax" or "release fee". The FBI's 2024 data recorded 149,686 complaints involving cryptocurrency, with $9.3 billion in losses. Never invest through a link from someone you met online, and check any firm with the financial regulator first.
The crypto ATM instruction
A caller posing as a bank, tax office or police officer says you must deposit cash into a crypto ATM to "protect" your money or pay a fine. They may stay on the phone and guide you through it step by step. No legitimate organisation asks you to pay with cryptocurrency at an ATM. Once the money is sent, it is almost impossible to get back. The tell is the payment method itself. Hang up and call the organisation on a number you find yourself.
The cheap currency exchange
Someone in a student group or chat app offers to swap currency at a much better rate than the bank, if you send money first. Some of these are honest, but many are not, and some move stolen money through your account. The tell is a rate that is far better than anywhere else and a request to pay before you receive. Use your bank or a regulated money transfer service, where your payment has protection and a record. If someone pressures you to decide within minutes, that alone is a reason to walk away from the deal.
The tuition payment "discount"
An agent offers to pay your tuition or visa fees for you at a discount, if you pay them instead of the university. Sometimes the payment never reaches the university, or it is made with a stolen card and later reversed. You end up owing the full amount, sometimes with your enrolment at risk. The tell is any third party offering to pay official fees cheaper. Pay tuition only through your university's official payment page or a method it names.
The money home shortcut
A friend of a friend offers to send money to your family back home cheaper and faster than a bank or transfer service. You give them cash or a transfer, and the money never arrives, or arrives from an account that turns out to be part of a scam. The tell is an informal service with no receipt, no company and no protection. Use a regulated transfer provider, keep the receipt, and confirm with your family when the money lands.
Outgoing-money scams catch people mid-task. The last group targets the account itself, often just after you open it.
Bank Scams After You Open an Account Abroad
A brand new account is valuable to criminals. It has a clean history, a local address and often a card on the way, which makes it useful for moving stolen money.
So what should a new account holder watch for in the first months? Anyone who wants to use, check or "verify" your account, and anything that targets your phone number.
The "rent your account" offer
Someone offers you money to use your bank account for a few weeks, or to buy it outright, often aimed at students who are leaving the country. It sounds like easy cash for an account you will close anyway. Europol warns that money mules are recruited through social media, messaging apps and even in person. Letting someone else use your account makes you responsible for what moves through it. Never share, sell or rent your account or card, and close it properly before you leave.
The fake account verification
A message says your new account needs extra verification before it can be activated and asks you to upload your passport, a selfie and your card details through a link. Real banks do verify new customers, but they do it inside their own app or branch, not through a link in a text. The tell is the channel. If you are unsure, open the bank's official app or call the number on its website to check what it actually needs from you.
The document "check" call
A caller claims to be from your bank's compliance or anti-money-laundering team and says they need to confirm your identity documents and recent payments. They ask for photos of your passport and residence permit by email or chat. Those documents can be used to open accounts or loans in your name. The tell is the request to send ID through an informal channel. Hang up and contact your bank through its app. If you think your documents are already out there, consider identity monitoring for the next few months.
The SIM swap
A criminal persuades your mobile network to move your phone number to their SIM, so your bank's text codes go to them. The first sign is often your phone suddenly losing signal for no reason. The FBI received 982 SIM swap complaints in 2024. Set a PIN or password on your mobile account, use an authenticator app or your bank's app for approvals where you can, and call your network and bank straight away if your phone loses service unexpectedly.
The cloned banking app
A fake version of your bank's app appears in an unofficial app store, an advert or a link sent by message. It looks identical, but it sends your login and codes to the scammer. The tell is where it came from. Download banking apps only from the official App Store or Google Play, check the developer name matches your bank, and delete any banking app you got from a link or a third-party site. Your bank's website usually links to its real app listings, which is the safest way to find the genuine one first time.
The friendly helper at the branch
Someone near a bank branch or cash machine offers to help you use the machine or set up your new card, especially if you look new to the country. They watch your PIN or swap your card for another. The tell is a stranger offering unsolicited help with your card. Shield your PIN, never hand your card to anyone, and ask bank staff inside the branch if you need help. Report a swallowed or swapped card to your bank immediately.
New accounts attract attention. A few simple habits in the first months make yours a much harder target.
Conclusion
Bank scams change their scripts constantly, but they rely on the same pressure: a message you did not expect, a request to move money or share a code, and a payment you cannot easily reverse. The FCA's warning signs, from unexpected contact to offers that sound too good to be true, catch almost all of them.
When in doubt, hang up, close the message and contact your bank through its app or the number on your card. The purpose of this guide was to help you keep your devices, data, money and identity safe while you live your whole life online in a new country. To help you on this journey, College Life has partnered with Bitdefender to make your life easier. Join College Life Club for free and start taking advantage of this today.
FAQ
What is the most common bank scam?
Pretending to be the bank itself is one of the most common tricks: a call, text or email pretending to be your bank's fraud team, asking you to move money or share a code. Real banks never ask you to do either. Hang up and call the number on your card.
Will my bank refund me if I am scammed?
It depends on the country, the bank and how the payment was made. Card payments are often easier to dispute than bank transfers you made yourself. Contact your bank as soon as you notice, because speed improves your chances.
How do I know if a call is really from my bank?
You cannot tell from the number, because scammers can spoof it. End the call and phone your bank on the number on the back of your card or in its app. A real bank will be able to confirm whether it called you.
Is it illegal to let someone use my bank account?
Letting someone else move money through your account can make you a money mule, which is a form of money laundering. Even if you did not know where the money came from, you can face serious consequences, including losing your account.
What should I do if I gave my bank details to a scammer?
Call your bank straight away using the number on your card or in its app, ask it to block your card and check for payments, and change your online banking password from a safe device. Report the scam to the police where you live if money was taken.