Spot the scam
FAKE TEXT MESSAGE SIGNS
Learn how to identify a fake text message before you lose anything.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud related to your M&T accounts, notify an M&T Customer Service Specialist
Understanding how common text message fraud works
Cybercriminals commonly send text messages appearing to be from a bank like M&T or another legitimate company. Often, their intent is to induce an unsuspecting victim into clicking a link that leads them to give up personal information like bank account numbers and passwords. To the untrained eye, these spoofed texts can be hard to identify. But with a little bit of knowledge, you can learn how to spot a suspicious text message and avoid granting scammers access to your accounts.
How to navigate a fake text message
Be suspicious of unfamiliar texts.
This means any texts appearing to be from a company with which you have not initiated contact. If you haven’t enrolled in our M&T Alerts{{d943*}}, {{d204*}} program, we will not text you information about your accounts.
When in doubt, don’t click.
M&T Bank will never text you a link. The same goes for many other legitimate businesses. Rather than click a link you don’t trust, contact the company directly through their website or by phone.
Set rules and stick to them.
If you can learn to be wary of any unsolicited texts and adopt a rule of never clicking a link you don’t know to be legitimate, you will significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to text message fraud.
Help protect your account with real-time monitoring. Sign up for M&T Alerts{{d204*}},{{d943*}} to receive timely updates about spending and suspicious activity via text or email.
If you have received a suspicious text message, you can optionally report it to your wireless provider by copying the message and forwarding it to 7726.
7726, which spells SPAM, has been designated by The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) as a number for reporting suspicious and spam text messages to most major U.S. and global wireless providers.
