Your Bank Calls to Stop Fraud? Hang Up.

Your phone rings.

The number displayed belongs to your bank.

The caller knows your name.

They may even know your address, the last few digits of your bank card or the name of your usual adviser.

Then they calmly announce:

"We have detected a fraudulent transaction. We need to act immediately."

At that moment, many people think:

"If they know all that information and the number is correct, it must really be my bank."

That is exactly what makes this scam so effective.

According to Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, requests for assistance related to fake bank advisers increased by 159% in 2025, reaching approximately 15,000 requests.

The organisation also points out that fraudsters often possess considerable personal information about their victims, obtained through phishing, account compromises, malware or data breaches.

Source: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr

The Scenario Is Almost Always the Same

The fake adviser usually does not begin by asking you for money.

That would be too obvious.

Instead, they start by frightening you.

A card payment made in Marseille.

A transfer to another country.

A new beneficiary.

A €1,450 purchase you do not recognise.

Then they pretend to be the person who can save you.

They explain that they are going to "cancel" the transaction.

To do that, they ask you to approve a notification in your banking application.

Or read out a code received by SMS.

Or add a new beneficiary, supposedly a "secure holding account".

This is where the fraud actually happens.

The code does not block a transaction.

It authorises it.

Approving the request in your banking application does not cancel the transfer.

It confirms it.

Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr reminds consumers that a genuine bank adviser will never ask them to disclose passwords or confirmation codes, or to approve or cancel supposedly fraudulent transactions through their banking application at the adviser's request.

Source: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr

"But the Displayed Number Really Is My Bank's Number"

That is not enough.

The displayed number can be spoofed.

Arcep explains that caller ID historically relied on trust between telecom operators and telephone systems.

Fraudsters exploited this mechanism to display numbers belonging to other people or organisations, including financial institutions and public authorities.

Source: Arcep

So even if your phone displays:

Bank X — 01 XX XX XX XX

you should not treat that information as authentication.

It is simply information.

Not proof of identity.

The One Habit That Really Protects You

It can be summed up in one sentence:

Hang up and call your bank yourself.

Do not use the number provided by the caller.

Do not use a number received by SMS.

Do not click a link in an email they have just sent you.

Use a number you already know: the one in your banking app, on the back of your bank card, on the official website or in your branch's usual contact details.

If the fraud is real, your bank will confirm it.

If it is not, you have probably just avoided a scam.

Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr explicitly recommends verifying the information independently by contacting the bank through its usual channels.

Source: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr

Stolen Data Makes These Scams Much More Convincing

This is where large-scale data breaches become particularly important.

A scammer who knows only your phone number is relatively easy to ignore.

But a scammer who knows:

• Your name.
• Your address.
• Your bank.
• Your IBAN.
• Your email address.
• Your tax situation.

has a considerable advantage.

They can build a story that sounds like your real life.

Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr specifically explains that information obtained through data breaches can be used to make fake bank adviser scams more convincing.

Source: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr

That is why breaches involving the DGFiP, FICOBA or other sensitive databases should make us reconsider an old assumption:

Someone knowing accurate information about you does not necessarily mean they are legitimate.

The Phrases That Should Make You Hang Up Immediately

If your supposed bank adviser says:

"Read me the code you just received by SMS."

Hang up.

If they say:

"Approve the notification in your app. It will cancel the transaction."

Hang up.

If they ask:

"Add this account to temporarily secure your funds."

Hang up.

If they offer to send someone to collect your bank card:

Hang up.

Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr also warns about scams in which fake employees or couriers physically collect the victim's card, claiming that it needs to be destroyed or secured.

Source: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr

What If I Have Already Shared a Code?

Do not spend twenty minutes searching the internet for advice.

Call your bank immediately using an official contact channel.

Explain exactly:

• What information you shared.
• What you approved.
• The time of the call.
• Any transactions visible on your account.

Also keep the caller's number, SMS messages, screenshots and any other messages you received.

If fraud has occurred, follow your bank's instructions and the appropriate official procedures, including contacting 17Cyber or law enforcement if necessary.

At this point, speed matters far more than embarrassment.

Fraudsters deliberately exploit pressure and confusion.

The 15-Second Test

Whenever someone calls claiming to represent your bank, ask yourself three simple questions:

Did they call me?

Are they asking me to act immediately?

Are they asking for a code, an approval or a transfer of money?

If the answer is yes:

Hang up.

Then call your bank yourself.

That is all.

You do not need to recognise a scammer's voice.

You do not need to analyse their accent.

You do not need to spot grammatical mistakes in their story.

You simply switch communication channels.

And take back control.

Conclusion

Fake bank adviser scams work because they increasingly look nothing like scams.

The fraudster may know your real personal information.

They may sound completely professional.

The displayed phone number may appear correct.

But one rule remains extremely difficult to bypass:

The person calling you does not get to decide how you verify their identity.

You hang up.

You call back.

And if it really was your bank, you will reach them through the official number.