bunq will never call you. Not for a fraud alert, a security check, nothing. Every message from us starts in the app: a push notification, an in-app message. If your phone rings and someone says they're from bunq, open the app and check the chat. If there's nothing there, hang up.

Why these calls work

Vishing (voice phishing, a scam where fraudsters call pretending to be from your bank) has doubled across Europe over the past year, with bank impersonation being one of the most common forms.1 It works because it doesn't target your device. It targets you.

These callers do their homework. They often already know your name, your account type, sometimes transaction details from earlier data leaks. Enough to sound real before the script starts.

That script follows the same pattern every time: authority first, urgency next, then secrecy. "Don't tell anyone. This is an active investigation." That last line exists to stop you from doing the one thing that would expose it: opening the app.

Even if the number on your screen says bunq, it's not us.

And unlike card fraud, where a bank reverses an unauthorized charge, vishing gets you to authorize the transfer yourself. Recovery is harder, and not guaranteed.

The calls to watch for

We also won't ask you to:

• Install software or share your screen

• Share your security code or password anywhere outside the app

• Keep a call confidential ("don't tell anyone, this is an active investigation" is the scam talking, not us)

If you're on the phone right now

Hang up. You don't need to explain yourself or verify anything while you're still on the call.

Then open the app. bunq only ever contacts you through the app: a push notification or in-app message. There are no calls from bunq. Not for any reason. Even if the number on your screen shows bunq's name, it's not us. Callers can fake that. The app is the source of truth.

Before you confirm a transfer

In a vishing call, the account number the scammer gives you belongs to them, but they'll give you a name that sounds legitimate to go with it. bunq's IBAN Name Check catches exactly that: before your money moves, it checks whether the account holder's name actually matches the IBAN. If there's a mismatch, you see a warning on screen. That's the moment to stop. Don't confirm.

If it's already happened

1. Reset your security code in the app. It ends every active session immediately, including any session the caller may have opened.

2. Freeze your card from the Cards tab.

3. Report it in-app straight away. The faster it's flagged, the better the chances of limiting the damage.

Think you've been targeted? Open the app and reach the SOS Hotline. Someone from bunq will pick up in under 20 seconds.

First, we reset your security code together. That one step instantly locks out anyone who got in. Your own access is not affected. Just log back in next time you open the app and carry on as usual.

From there, we take it from here. We open your case, reach out to the receiving bank to try to recover your money, and check whether a refund applies. The review starts the moment you report it and we keep you posted every step of the way.

We won't pretend recovery is guaranteed. It depends on how quickly the fraud is reported and whether the money can still be traced. But you won't be left guessing.

If you got a suspicious call but didn't engage, still report it, in-app through Finn or via the phishing form.

Get help in the bunq app

1 BioCatch 2025 Global Scams Report, "Scams in Europe: What the data really tells us"