How to recognise a fake bank adviser and avoid vishing

1. How the scam works

1. Caller ID spoofing

   The displayed number may be spoofed to resemble your branch or fraud team. A familiar number does not authenticate the caller. Treat caller ID as an indicator, never as payment authorisation.

2. Information that builds trust

   The fraudster may know your name, bank, some card digits or suppliers. This information may come from phishing, public sources or data breaches. Knowing your details does not prove they work for your bank.

3. An urgent offer to rescue your money

   The caller reports a supposedly fraudulent purchase or transfer. They ask you to stay on the line and act without consulting anyone. The pressure is designed to make you abandon your usual checks.

2. Three requests that should raise the alarm

1. Reading out an SMS code or secret

   Do not disclose passwords, card PINs or verification codes received on your phone. In this scam, the code may authorise a purchase, payee or new device. Also refuse to hand your card to a supposed bank courier.

2. Approving a request to “cancel” a transaction

   Do not approve a transaction you did not initiate. A fraudster may describe an authorisation request as a cancellation. Read the app message: approval may authorise the transaction instead of stopping it.

3. Sending money to a “safe account”

   An unexpected caller asks you to move money to a new account for protection? Stop and check independently with your bank. Calling it an “escrow” or “safe” account does not make the request legitimate.

3. Essential steps when in doubt

1. Hang up

   You do not need to convince the caller or investigate while on the call. End the conversation before sharing data or approving anything.

2. Call back independently

   Dial an official number you already know, from your contract, banking app or the back of your card. Do not use automatic callback or a number supplied by the caller. If unsure the previous call ended, use another phone.

3. Ignore links sent during the call

   A simultaneous text or email may extend the scam to a fake banking page. Open your usual app yourself. At work, notify finance and apply the dual approval required by your payment procedure.

Break the manipulation with independent verification

Independent callback and separate approvals help break the imposed urgency. A suspicious number checker provides additional indicators, but an absence of reports does not prove a call is legitimate, particularly when caller ID is spoofed.

Further reading

• The suspicious phone number checker
• Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr — Fake bank adviser fraud
• Économie.gouv.fr — Recognising and responding to the scam