Think Your Bank or
Credit Card Account
Was Hacked?
If you see transactions you don’t recognize or believe someone gained access to your financial account, acting quickly can help limit further damage.
Contact your financial institution immediately.
Use the phone number printed on the back of your card, a recent statement, or the institution’s official app or website.
Start with these steps.
The exact response may vary depending on what happened, but these actions can help secure your accounts and identify unauthorized activity.
Call the bank or card issuer
Tell them you suspect unauthorized access or transactions. Report anything you don’t recognize and ask what steps are needed to secure the affected account or card.
Secure your online account
Change the password for the affected financial account. If you used the same password elsewhere, change those accounts too.
Turn on multi-factor authentication
If your bank, card issuer, or other important account offers multi-factor authentication, enable it for additional protection.
Review recent transactions
Carefully review checking, savings, debit card, and credit card activity. Look for transactions you don’t recognize, including small charges.
Protect your email account
Your email may be used to reset financial passwords. If you suspect your email was compromised, change its password and review its security and recovery settings.
Consider whether your computer was involved
If this happened after a fake security warning, suspicious download, scam phone call, or someone remotely controlled your computer, the computer itself may need to be checked.
Did someone remotely access your computer?
Financial fraud sometimes follows a scam in which someone convinces a person to install remote-access software or allows the scammer to control the computer.
If someone you do not trust had remote access to your computer, disconnect from that person and avoid using the affected computer for sensitive financial activity until it has been checked.
View Remote Access HelpPossible warning signs
- Someone asked you to install remote-access software.
- Your mouse moved or programs opened without you controlling them.
- You were told your bank account was “under attack.”
- You were instructed to move money to a “safe” account.
- You were asked for passwords or account verification codes.
If personal information may have been stolen, go a step further.
Identity theft
If someone may have stolen or misused your personal information, IdentityTheft.gov can provide a recovery plan based on what happened.
Visit IdentityTheft.gov →Review your credit reports
Look for accounts or activity you do not recognize. Unexpected accounts can be a warning sign of identity theft.
Check Your Credit Reports →Consider additional protection
Depending on what information was exposed, a fraud alert or credit freeze may be appropriate. IdentityTheft.gov explains the recovery options that apply to your situation.
Get a Recovery Plan →Document what happened.
Keep a simple record of the incident and your recovery efforts. Having everything together can make follow-up conversations much easier.
Write down suspicious transactions and amounts.
Record dates and times of calls and reports.
Keep case numbers, emails, letters, and relevant screenshots.
Keep copies of written disputes and other correspondence.
A real fraud department will not need you to “protect” your money for them.
Don’t move money on a stranger’s instructions
A legitimate bank or government agency will not ask you to move money to a different account to keep it safe.
Don’t share verification codes
Never give an unexpected caller, text message, or email your one-time code, password, or account login information.
Don’t give remote access
Do not allow someone you do not trust to remotely access your computer, even if they claim to represent your bank or a government agency.
Concerned that your computer may have been compromised?
If the incident involved a suspicious pop-up, scam call, remote-access program, or someone controlling your computer, CBC can help you determine the next step for the computer itself.