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I once got an SMS to the tone of "This is <my bank>, you have to call us urgently on <some 0800 number> and quote reference <blah>". So the first thing I did wa

I once got an SMS to the tone of "This is <my bank>, you have to call us urgently on <some 0800 number> and quote reference <blah>". So the first thing I did was ring the number printed on my card and have a nice talk to them. Turns out it was the bank, but they don't do themselves any favours.

jlgaddis 13y ago
I've received similar (legitimate) texts from Chase a few times. A couple months ago I was in the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. I handed the pharmacist my card and she walked back to her computer to run it. A moment later, as she gets back to the counter where I'm standing, my phone (which I was holding) buzzes. I look down at an SMS "fraud alert" from Chase just as she says, "I tried running it twice but it won't go through." The SMS from Chase had the name of the pharmacy and the total amount and told me I could reply to the message to state whether it was a legitimate transaction (I don't recall exactly what I had to reply with but effectively I was responding "yes" or "no"). I quickly sent back a reply stating it was legitimate and almost instantaneously received a "thanks" message. I asked the pharmacist to run the card again and it went right through.
- Avenger42 13y ago
  I got the same from Discover once; I was at a computer shop picking up a new PC. They ran it once and told me "it didn't work" as my phone started ringing. It was an automated call asking me whether the charge was legitimate. I told it "yes" and asked them to run it again. Makes sense considering that to Discover, it's an out-of-the-blue $1k+ purchase at a store I rarely visit.
nodata 13y ago
I've had this with my bank: they called me and asked to "take me through security". I explained to them that I'd have to take them through security first, since I had no idea if they were really my bank. They didn't get it. I ended the call.
- tehwalrus 13y ago
  Banks do this with card fraud checks all the time. They often give you a voicemail telling you to "phone this number" - the google results for my bank's fraud number are a whole load of forum posts saying "is this a scam?". The number is not listed anywhere on their website. I just make a personal appearance at a branch when this stuff happens - then they have to sit on the phone to themselves for half an hour while I have a coffee.
ygra 13y ago
I guess it's easiest if the bank doesn't have any contact details apart from snail mail. I'm skeptical already when banks want my email address upon opening an account.

jlgaddis 13y ago

I've received similar (legitimate) texts from Chase a few times. A couple months ago I was in the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. I handed the pharmacist my card and she walked back to her computer to run it. A moment later, as she gets back to the counter where I'm standing, my phone (which I was holding) buzzes. I look down at an SMS "fraud alert" from Chase just as she says, "I tried running it twice but it won't go through." The SMS from Chase had the name of the pharmacy and the total amount and told me I could reply to the message to state whether it was a legitimate transaction (I don't recall exactly what I had to reply with but effectively I was responding "yes" or "no"). I quickly sent back a reply stating it was legitimate and almost instantaneously received a "thanks" message. I asked the pharmacist to run the card again and it went right through.

Avenger42 13y ago
I got the same from Discover once; I was at a computer shop picking up a new PC. They ran it once and told me "it didn't work" as my phone started ringing. It was an automated call asking me whether the charge was legitimate. I told it "yes" and asked them to run it again. Makes sense considering that to Discover, it's an out-of-the-blue $1k+ purchase at a store I rarely visit.

nodata 13y ago

I've had this with my bank: they called me and asked to "take me through security". I explained to them that I'd have to take them through security first, since I had no idea if they were really my bank. They didn't get it. I ended the call.

tehwalrus 13y ago
Banks do this with card fraud checks all the time. They often give you a voicemail telling you to "phone this number" - the google results for my bank's fraud number are a whole load of forum posts saying "is this a scam?". The number is not listed anywhere on their website. I just make a personal appearance at a branch when this stuff happens - then they have to sit on the phone to themselves for half an hour while I have a coffee.

ygra 13y ago

I guess it's easiest if the bank doesn't have any contact details apart from snail mail. I'm skeptical already when banks want my email address upon opening an account.