Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why an accurate-looking alert is the trap
The message references a plausible recent purchase or a partial card number, which is exactly what a real alert does. The only reliable check is out-of-band: your own call.
Your bank never needs your full PIN, a one-time passcode read aloud, or a transfer to a 'safe account'.
The protocol
- Do not call the number in the message, and do not click its link.
- Log in to your account through the app or the address you normally type.
- Call the number printed on your card or the bank's site and describe the alert.
- If you already responded, ask for a hold on the account and a record of the call.
- Report the message to your bank's fraud team and to the FTC.
What the tool does
Build a fraud-alert authenticity record It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a record-keeping aid, not financial, investment or legal advice. It cannot stop a charge, reverse a transaction, or establish who is legally liable.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Free path, in order (no cost):
- The number printed on your card or bank statement (never the one in the message)
- FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov for the message itself
- CFPB complaint route if the bank does not resolve the issue
What this cannot do: It cannot stop a charge, reverse a transaction, or establish who is legally liable.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Call your bank from a number you looked up yourself, confirm whether the alert was real, and if you shared anything sensitive, ask for a new card, new credentials, and a fraud case reference.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is financial-agent-exposure; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.