# What is phishing?

Last Updated February 19, 2026 2 min read

Phishing is an attempt to steal your personal and financial information, perpetrated by bad actors posing as a trusted company or individual, to lure you into clicking a malicious link or providing sensitive information over the phone.

## How do I spot a possible phishing attempt?

Phishing attempts appear in several formats and communication channels, including email, phone calls, text messages (SMS), and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal. Scammers will spoof trusted phone numbers or email addresses to convince you to click a link or respond with sensitive information. They may attempt to lure you in with special time-sensitive deals or an alert that demands your immediate attention. To help spot a phishing attempt, look out for these red flags:

- Misspelled words and grammatical errors

- Email addresses with strange domains or ones not typical of a business (for example, mybank@gmail.com)

- Links with URLs that don’t match the intended organization

- Promising rewards, especially ones that seem too good to be true

- A sense of urgency

- Threats of fines, punishment, arrest, or significant financial harm if you don’t respond

## How do I handle a suspected phishing attempt?

If something feels off about the message, trust your instincts and always verify before responding or clicking anything.

- Search for us online and confirm if the phone number or email address matches what’s on the official website

- Don’t click on any links or download any attachments  
  Tip: You can hover over linked text to reveal the URL

- Don’t respond to any text messages asking for personal or financial information

- Don’t call a number listed in a suspected phishing email or text message:
  Note: You can find the correct number [on our website](/content/help/checking-accounts-faq/what-do-i-do-if-there-is-fraud-detected-on-my-checking-account/index.html) or the back of your car

## What if I responded to a phishing attempt or clicked on a link?

If you suspect your personal information may have been compromised, follow these steps to help protect yourself:

1. Call us from [the number on our website](/content/help/checking-accounts-faq/what-do-i-do-if-there-is-fraud-detected-on-my-checking-account/index.html), in the app, or on the back of your bank card.

2. Check your credit report for any suspicious activity. Note: You can get [a free credit report](https://www.annualcreditreport.com/) every 12 months or [enroll in DebtIQ](/content/help/debtiq-faq/what-is-debtiq/index.html) for a snapshot of your credit.

3. Add a fraud alert to your credit report.
   Note: This informs lending institutions that they must contact you directly to confirm the opening of new credit accounts.

4. Report your identity theft to the FTC at [IdentityTheft.gov](https://www.identitytheft.gov/).