Hey bunqers 🌈
To keep you and your money safe we want to keep you updated with the latest phishing and spoofing trends.
What's spoofing?
Spoofing is when someone pretends to be a trusted source to deceive others. Scammers may send fake links via SMS, WhatsApp, or email, making it look like the messages or calls are from our bunq phone number.
bunq will NEVER call you, therefore DO NOT share any sensitive information if someone outside of the bunq app contacts you and pretends to be us
What are the most common types of Spoofing?
Fake bunq phonecalls
Fraudsters may pose as bunq employees by disguising their number, making it appear as our 24/7 emergency automated Support line (+31208083666) or an unknown number. They might ask you to follow a link, share personal information, download software like TeamViewer or AnyDesk, or make transfers. These actions can result in losing access to your account and funds.
Examples of tactics criminals use on the phone:
- Claim to be real bunq employees and ask you to verify their identity on LinkedIn.
- “Alert” you about suspicious activity on your account, like a new device or unauthorized transactions.
- Pressure you to act quickly, claiming it's to secure your account.
- Use complex processes to seem credible, like transferring you to other “departments” or giving you a procedure number to save.
If you receive a phone call from someone pretending to be us, please report it here.
Fraudulent SMS messages
Scammers are clever and use various tricks to get your money. To grab your attention and make you act without thinking, they send fake messages pretending to be from bunq with alarming phrases like ""Suspicious device login,"" ""Verification required,"" or ""Block."" These messages include a link that appears convenient for quick action to ""protect"" yourself.
If you follow the link, they may continue through different channels—on a fake website, phone call, or text. For example, you might get an SMS from a Belgian number while receiving a call from a Dutch one. At some point, they may ask you to scan a QR code or enter your bunq login details. A typical message might look like this:
Fraudsters will claim they need you to do this to "secure your account", pretending to be bunq team members. Their goal is to access your account and steal your information and assets.
Fake e-mails
Email scams use similar tactics as SMS fraud, creating a sense of urgency and imitating bunq’s design to seem legitimate. Always verify if an email is sent from one of our official addresses:
- @bunq.com: For transactional emails.
- @update.bunq.com: For bunq Update invites and announcements.
- @WE.bunq.com: For marketing communications.
- @review@bunq.com: For requests requiring additional documents or information.
If you're unsure about an email, double-check the sender's domain.
How will bunq help me if i'm a victim of fraud?
We know that conversations can be more helpful than messages during tough times. If you're a victim of fraud, we’ll take action and arrange a call through our encrypted channels.
We’ll contact you via our secure in-app chat to schedule the call. You’ll be updated on the situation and the next steps as we work to prevent it from happening again. Remember, bunq will never call you directly—you’ll need to call us at the scheduled time.
Keeping you safe
To enhance your account's security, we've introduced these in-app features:
- Remote Access Software Detection: If remote access apps like AnyDesk are detected, we’ll automatically set a payment limit to prevent fraudulent transactions.
- IBAN-Name Check: If there’s a mismatch between the recipient's name and IBAN, you’ll be prompted to verify, reducing errors and fraud.
- Extra Security Warnings: Alerts will notify you of potentially risky actions, like approving logins, payments, or changing your daily limit.
- Security Code Reset: Resetting your Security Code ends all active sessions and requires identity verification to log in on new devices, adding extra protection if your account is compromised.
Further information about our security features keeping you safe from fraudsters, can be found here.
Related topics
Want to learn more? Explore more bunq knowledge here ✨
