Scam texts after a bank outage: what your bank will never ask

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Treat any unexpected text about your bank with care, especially after an outage has been in the news. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says criminals often exploit current news stories and big events to make a scam seem more relevant. Your bank's own pages set out what it will never ask you for, and you can forward a suspicious text free to 7726.

Quick answer

Don't use the links or numbers in an unexpected text about your bank. Santander says it will never ask you to share a one-time passcode, and Barclays says it will never call and ask you to move money to a "safe account". Check by opening your bank's app or official website yourself. Forward scam texts to 7726, and if you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.

Do scammers use outages and news stories?

The NCSC says they do. Its list of tell-tale signs of a scam includes current events, and it says: "Criminals often exploit current news stories, big events or specific times of year (like tax reporting)" to make their scam seem more relevant to you.

On 19 July 2024, after the global IT outage caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update, the NCSC said "an increase in phishing referencing this outage has already been observed", and that it may be aimed at organisations and individuals.

As of 30 October 2026, none of the official sources in this guide describes a specific scam text referring to the Google Cloud outage of 20 October 2026. The general warning still applies, so give any unexpected text that mentions an outage the same checks as any other. Our guide to the 20 October Google Cloud outage covers what Google says happened.

What will my bank never ask me to do?

Banks publish this, and the lists overlap.

  • Santander says of its one-time passcodes: "We'll never ask you to share one with us, ever." It also says never to move money out of your account for security reasons.
  • Barclays says it will never call and ask you to move your money to a "safe account", and will never call you and ask for your one-time passcode. It only asks for that when you call Barclays.
  • NatWest says banks never ask for your full PIN or password.
  • The NCSC says your bank, or any other official source, will never ask you to supply personal information by email.

Take Five to Stop Fraud, a national campaign led by UK Finance, frames it as questions to ask yourself. Are you being asked to share a one-time passcode, password or PIN? Have you been asked to move money to a new or "safe" account? Its advice: stop and think before parting with your money or information.

How do I spot a scam text?

The NCSC says scammers try to gain your trust quickly and pressure you into acting without thinking. Its signs:

  • Authority: the message claims to come from someone official.
  • Urgency: you're told you have a limited time, such as "within 24 hours" or "immediately".
  • Emotion: it makes you panic, or feel fearful, hopeful or curious.
  • Scarcity: it offers something in short supply, such as money.
  • Current events: ask yourself whether you were expecting a message like this.

Barclays adds two specific signs. A text with a one-time passcode you didn't ask for, or about a payment you don't recognise, is probably a scam. And check the company name closely, because scammers often get it wrong, for example "Curry's" instead of "Currys".

How do I check whether a text from my bank is real?

Go to the bank yourself, without using anything in the message. Take Five says to go directly to the organisation's official website or app using details you trust, and to avoid clicking links in unexpected texts. The NCSC says not to use the numbers or address in the message, but the details from the organisation's official website.

  1. Don't tap the link, call the number or reply.
  2. Open your banking app, or type your bank's web address yourself.
  3. If you still want to check, call the number listed on your bank's official website.

How do I forward a scam text to 7726?

Forwarding to 7726 is free. The NCSC says most phone providers are part of the scheme, and your provider can investigate where the text came from and arrange to block or ban the sender if it's found to be malicious.

On an iPhone:

  1. Note the number that sent the message.
  2. Press and hold on the message bubble.
  3. Tap More.
  4. Select the message or messages you want to forward.
  5. Tap the arrow at the bottom right of the screen.
  6. Enter 7726 and send.

On Android:

  1. Note the number that sent the message.
  2. Open the conversation, then press and hold on the message bubble.
  3. Tap the three vertical dots at the top right of the screen.
  4. Tap Forward.
  5. Enter 7726 and send.

Act straight away. Take Five says to contact your bank immediately if you think you've been scammed.

  • Lost money or been hacked: in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, the NCSC says to call Police Scotland on 101.
  • Shared personal information: follow the NCSC's guidance for anyone who thinks they've shared personal details.
  • Typed a password into a fake page: change it through the real site or app, and anywhere else you used it. Our guide to checking whether a password has leaked walks through it.

For scam emails, see our guide to security update scam emails.

Where Failshot fits

Your Mac password is the first layer of security on your Mac. Failshot is the second layer, for the moment someone sits down at your Mac and unlocks it.

With Failshot on, it takes photos of whoever unlocks your Mac (Pro adds a 5-second video), and its window tells them the unlock was photographed. With Pro, turn on alerts and Failshot emails you about an unlock you don't confirm as yours, a wrong Failshot PIN or answer, or its camera access being switched off while it's on. Switching it off, or quitting it from its menu, takes Touch ID or your Failshot PIN and answer, never your Mac password.

Download Failshot free for Mac at failshot.app, on macOS 14 or later. It's free to use. Pro adds video, email alerts and the encrypted vault, and you can try Pro free for 7 days. Your card is taken at sign-up and charged on day 8 unless you cancel. iPhone, Android and Windows versions are coming soon.

More questions

Is Action Fraud still where I report fraud?

No. A Serious Fraud Office notice on GOV.UK, published on 4 December 2025, says Report Fraud, a new service from City of London Police, replaces Action Fraud as the national platform for reporting cyber crime and fraud. Use reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

Will my bank ever text me a one-time passcode?

Yes, when you're doing something that needs one. NatWest says to always read the text that comes with a passcode, because it tells you what the code is for. Santander says never to share its passcodes with anyone, not even a Santander employee.

What if forwarding to 7726 doesn't work?

The NCSC says to contact your phone provider to find out how to report the text. You can also take a screenshot of the text and email it to the NCSC, using the address on its page for reporting scam texts.

Does a text that mentions real news make it more likely to be genuine?

No. The NCSC lists current events as one of the tell-tale signs of a scam, because criminals use news stories to make a message seem relevant. Check it the same way: through your bank's app or official website, not the message.

Does Take Five ever text me?

Take Five says it will never text or call you and ask you to share your information or transfer money. It warns that criminals may try to impersonate Take Five.

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