How the Scam Works

It usually starts with a phone call from someone pretending to be your bank. They’ll claim your account is ‘under threat’ and that urgent action is needed to keep your money safe.

To make it seem legitimate, they might already know personal details about you – information they’ve likely stolen from a previous scam.

Next, they’ll ask you to enter a series of numbers on your phone, often starting with 21 followed by a long number. They’ll say this is to ensure you keep receiving security notifications, however, it sets up call forwarding.

Call forwarding means that when your bank later tries to call and verify suspicious transactions, or to send a one-time passcode to approve a transaction, the scammer will answer instead of you.

With full control over your calls, they can approve fraudulent payments while you remain in the dark.

How to Stay Safe

• Never enter 21 followed by a number if someone claiming to be your bank asks you to. This is a red flag – hang up immediately.
• Your bank will never call and ask for a one-time passcode unless you initiated the call. If someone asks for it, it’s a scam.
• If you’re unsure, contact your bank directly using the number on their official website – not one provided in the suspicious call.