Anti-Fraud Guide: Revealing the latest scam attempts

bunq

Hey bunqers 🌈

At bunq your safety and privacy are our top priority. That's why we regularly update you on the latest phishing and spoofing trends. In this topic, we’re going to review some of the latest attempts our team has detected, so you're aware and know how to avoid them 🔒

Important Note: Always be careful with your personal data and make sure to never share it with third parties. bunq would never contact you outside of the bunq app or its official channels and ask for your credentials or any personal information (phone number, email address, Security Code, card number, IBAN, etc.). We will NEVER call you. If you’re receiving a phone call from a person claiming to be a bunq representative, hang up the phone and report the phishing with us.

Need to report a phishing incident to bunq? Fill out our Phishing form to report your incident and help us fight fraud!

What do Phishing and Spoofing scams look like?

Fake bunq phone calls

Fraudsters can call you and pretend they are bunq employees that want to help you by masking the number they're calling you from. By doing so, you get a call from an unknown number, or it may look like we’re calling you from our own 24/7 emergency hotline +31208083666. They may ask you to follow a link, confirm or give away personal information, download a certain software, make a transfer, etc. All these actions could lead to the loss of your account(s) and your funds.

Please be informed that we only use this number to receive calls from clients who need urgent assistance.

Examples of tactics used by criminals on the phone:

Use the name of real bunq employees and ask you to check this employee's account on LinkedIn, to make sure they work for bunq.
“Inform” you that suspicious activities were detected on your account, such as a new device being added and/or suspicious transactions being started.
Convince you to follow their instructions immediately to keep your account safe, and pressure you to take quick action.
Following complex processes to create a sense of credibility, such as transferring your call to other “departments”, asking you to save procedure number, etc.

Be aware that bunq will never call you. If any suspicious activity is detected on your account, we'll apply additional restrictions and/or contact you through the bunq app.

If you receive a phone call from someone pretending to be us, please report it here.

Fraudulent SMS messages

More detailed information about fraudulent SMS messages can be found here.

Fake emails

We've previously shared with you what a fake email sent from bunq's name will look like and shared some pro tips how to recognize them. For further information on how to keep yourself secured from this type of scam, click here.

How to keep your bunq account extra secured?

The ways to keep your account secure are plenty and most rely on your own vigilance and responsibility towards your personal information

You can do these every once in a while:

Change your Security Code: go to Security to change your Security Code. This will end all active sessions, preventing unauthorized access.
Check Devices: go to Security and tap on "Devices". From there, delete any device that you don't recognize.
Check your email and phone number: go to Profile and tap on “Personal Information”. From there, delete any phone number or email address that you don't recognize.

Additionally, we have some cool features that can help you extra secure your account. For example:

Automatically logout when closing the bunq app: You can adjust your Auto Logout to ensure that you're always logged out as soon as you leave the bunq app. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Go to 👤 Profile
2. Click on ⚙️ Setting in the top right corner
3. Tap on Security
4. Tap on Auto Logout
5. Tap on Stay logged in for
6. Choose 0 seconds
Rotating CVC: You can set your CVC to be automatically generated for extra security. To do so, follow the steps below:
1. Go to 🏠 Home
2. Select Cards
3. Select the card
4. The info will be shown on the screen

I’ve lost access to my bunq account, what do I do?

If you somehow can’t recover the access to your account by resetting your Security Code, don’t hesitate to reach our SOS Support at +31208083666. Using this automated flow, you’ll be able to temporarily block your card and bunq account within 1 minute. This will keep your account and funds safe until you regain access. If you suspect your account was hacked, please report the case by filling this form.