An email says my bank account is locked. Should I click the link?
Learn how to check a bank alert without using its link.
An account-lock email can be real or fake. Scammers may copy a bank page to steal sign-in details.
Do not decide from the urgent wording or the logo. Check the account through a route outside the email.
Open your usual bank app, type its known address, or call the number on your card.
- Do not click any link in the email.
- Close the email for now.
- Open your bank app or type the site yourself.
- Check if there is really a problem.
- Call the number on the back of your card if unsure.
- Delete the email if it was fake.
I got an email saying my [bank] account is locked, with a link. Please explain in simple words how fake bank emails trick people. Give me 5 safe steps to check my account without clicking the link.
Paste the message into ChatGPT, then fill in any blanks before you send it. ChatGPT opens in a new tab. Opening it does not send the message.
If you entered a password on a suspicious page, secure the real account and contact the bank promptly.