Will my bank ever text me a link to confirm my details?

The NCSC says banks will never ask you to supply personal information by email or ask you to confirm your bank account details on a call. Treat any such message as a scam until you have checked with the bank directly.

The text came from my bank's usual number. Is it real?

Not necessarily: the number shown can be faked. Contact the bank on the number on your card.

Texts pretending to be your bank: how to check them

A text that says it is from your bank, warns of a payment or a blocked account and asks you to act now is built to rush you. Here is how to check it without risk.

Open the scam text checker

What your bank will not do

The NCSC says your bank, or any other official source, will never ask you to supply personal information by email, or call and ask you to confirm your bank account details. It lists the signs scammers use: authority (a bank, a government department), urgency ("within 24 hours", "immediately"), emotion, scarcity and current events.

Stop, Challenge, Protect

The Take Five campaign sums it up in three steps when anyone asks for your money or information: stop, challenge, protect. To check, contact the bank on the number on your card or your statement, not the number or link in the text. If you are suspicious of a call, hang up and call back on a number you know.

If you replied or paid

Contact your bank immediately, on the number on your card.
Report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (Scotland: Police Scotland on 101).
Forward the text to 7726.

Sources

NCSC, what banks never ask: NCSC, How to spot a scam email, text message or call: "your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email, or call and ask you to confirm your bank account details." — https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/spot-scams, read on 2026-09-29
NCSC, spotting scams: NCSC, How to spot a scam email, text message or call: "Urgency: Are you told you have a limited time to respond (such as 'within 24 hours' or 'immediately')? Criminals often threaten you with fines or other negative consequences." — https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/spot-scams, read on 2026-09-29
Take Five: Take Five to Stop Fraud: "the steps you can take to Stop, Challenge and Protect when faced with requests for your money or information. ... Contact your bank immediately if you think you've been scammed and tell the Police at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040." — https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/, read on 2026-09-29
Report Fraud: Action Fraud / City of London Police press release, 4 Dec 2025: "From Thursday 4 December 2025, anyone needing to report cyber crime or fraud will be directed to our new Report Fraud service. Report Fraud has replaced Action Fraud, for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. People affected by cyber crime or fraud in Scotland should continue to call Police Scotland using the 101 telephone number. ... reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040." — https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf/articles/Report+Fraud+service+goes+live+04122025143000; https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/, read on 2026-09-29

Frequently asked questions

Will my bank ever text me a link to confirm my details?: The NCSC says banks will never ask you to supply personal information by email or ask you to confirm your bank account details on a call. Treat any such message as a scam until you have checked with the bank directly.
The text came from my bank's usual number. Is it real?: Not necessarily: the number shown can be faked. Contact the bank on the number on your card.

Why do I keep getting loan texts, and how do I stop them?
The UK rules on marketing texts, what the ICO fined a loan-text firm for in 2026, and the steps that make the texts stop: don't reply, 7726, ICO.
How to forward a scam text to 7726 (iPhone and Android)
Step by step for iPhone and Android, from the NCSC: what 7726 does with your report, what it costs, and what to do if 7726 does not work.
HMRC scam texts: tax refund messages and where to report them
What HMRC says it does and does not send by text, the tax refund pattern, and where to forward a fake: 60599 or phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.
Parcel delivery scam texts: missed delivery and redelivery fees
The missed-delivery texts Royal Mail has published as scams: a small fee, a shortened link, a lookalike site. How to check a parcel safely.

Last updated 2026-09-29. Independent information service. Number data from Ofcom shows the original range holder; numbers can be ported or spoofed. Not affiliated with Ofcom, the FCA, the ICO or any police service.