Bank of America texted about a charge I didn't make, is it real?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to recognize a bank-impersonation scam →
Doubt it. That "did you authorize this charge? Verify within 24 hours" text pointing to bofa-secure.example is bank-impersonation phishing dressed up as an alert. Genuine fraud review happens inside the Bank of America app you open yourself; the real bank has no reason to bounce you out to a look-alike domain. The whole point of the reply and the link is to set up a bogus "fraud department" call that pressures you into moving money or sharing a code.
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
People are conditioned to respond fast to a bank fraud alert, which is exactly the instinct this scam hijacks. By dressing up as Bank of America and adding a deadline, it moves victims onto bofa-secure.example or into a fake fraud call before they think to open the real app and check the charge themselves.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Don't reply or click. Open the Bank of America app or type bankofamerica.com yourself and review recent activity.
- Read the domain: the bank uses bankofamerica.com, not bofa-secure.example or any extra-word host.
- If a caller says they're from the fraud department about this, hang up and call the number on your card.
- The bank will never tell you to move money to a "protected account" or read back a one-time code.
Common questions
is bofa-secure.example a real Bank of America site
No. The bank uses bankofamerica.com. bofa-secure.example is a look-alike built to steal your login or launch a fraud-call scam.
should I reply to a Bank of America fraud text
No. A reply confirms your number and invites a follow-up impersonation call. Check the official app instead.
how does the fake bank fraud alert scam work
The text sets it up; a caller posing as the bank then talks you into moving money to a "safe account" or sharing a code, which drains your account.
how do I check a real Bank of America charge
Open the official app or bankofamerica.com and look at your transactions. If the charge isn't there, the text was bait.
If you already responded
- If you shared a code or transferred funds, call the bank now using the number on your card to freeze and reverse.
- Change your online banking password and enable login and transaction alerts.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and tell the bank it was an impersonation text.
Source: FTC, How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with Bank of America. Bank of America is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Bank of America does not send these messages.