Banking
Is the Chase fraud alert text a scam?
Quick answer
Often, yes. Real Chase fraud alerts ask you to reply YES or NO — they never include a link, never ask you to call a number in the message, and never ask for your full account number, password, or PIN. If the text has any of those, it's a phishing scam.
Red flags to look for
- Includes a link to tap (real Chase alerts use SMS short codes and no links)
- Asks you to call a phone number that isn't on the back of your Chase card
- Asks for your full account number, password, PIN, or 2FA code
- Sender is a regular 10-digit number (real Chase uses short codes like 24273 or 96632)
- Threatens immediate account closure
Real examples
Text message
CHASE ALERT: A charge of $487.22 at Best Buy was attempted. If unauthorized, call 1-855-555-0148 immediately to dispute.
Likely Scam
Real Chase alerts ask you to reply YES or NO — never to call a number embedded in the message. The fake number routes to scammers who 'help' you 'move money to a safe account' (theirs).
Text message (legitimate format)
FREE MSG: Chase Fraud - Did you charge $52.18 at Shell Oil on 3/14? Reply YES, NO, or HELP.
Safe
This is a real Chase fraud alert format — uses a short code, asks for a simple YES/NO reply, no link, no callback number. Replying YES or NO is safe.
What to do
- If the text has a link or callback number, ignore both.
- Open the Chase app directly or call the number on the back of your Chase card.
- If you've already tapped a link and entered credentials, call Chase immediately at 1-800-935-9935 and change your password.
- Forward the suspicious text to 7726.
- Block the sender.
Not sure about a message? Check it in seconds.
Paste any suspicious text, email, link, or screenshot into Double Check and get a plain-English answer instantly. Free to start. Family alerts included.
Why scammers use this approach
Bank fraud alerts have built up trust — people are used to receiving real ones and tend to act on them quickly. Scammers piggyback on that trust. The 'call this number' variant typically leads to a 30-minute social engineering call ending in wire transfers or remote-access account drain.
Frequently asked questions
How does a real Chase fraud alert look?
A short code (5-digit sender), a question about a specific charge, and asks you to reply YES, NO, or HELP. No links, no phone numbers in the message itself.
I replied to a fake one. Am I in trouble?
Replying just confirms your number is active — it's not catastrophic. But don't tap any follow-up link, and call Chase directly to be safe.