The Bank of America + Target scam is a phishing or smishing scam that tricks people into thinking there’s a problem with their Bank of America account or a suspicious Target purchase.
These scams typically aim to steal login info, card numbers, or personal data.
🚨 What the Scam Looks Like
Common Formats:
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Text Message (Smishing):
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Comes from a random number or spoofed short code
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Mentions Target and/or Bank of America
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Examples:
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“Bank of America: Suspicious transaction at Target. Visit link to verify.”
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“Target Alert: You’ve spent $878.23 at Target. If not you, verify here: [phishing link]”
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Email Phishing:
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Claims a large Target transaction occurred
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Urges you to “confirm” the transaction by clicking a button or link
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May spoof Bank of America or Target branding
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Phone Calls (Vishing):
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Someone impersonating Bank of America fraud department
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They say there’s suspicious Target activity on your card
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May try to get your account number, full SSN, or OTP code
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🧪 How to Tell It’s a Scam
| Red Flag | Why It’s Suspicious |
|---|---|
Contains link to a non-bankofamerica.com domain |
BoA will never ask you to log in via suspicious links |
| Urgency or fear tactics | “Your account will be locked in 1 hour” is a scare tactic |
| Requests for sensitive info | BoA will never ask for full SSN, PIN, or login codes via text or call |
| Weird grammar or spelling | Scam messages often have minor errors |
| Random large charges from Target you didn’t make | Designed to bait you into clicking without thinking |
✅ What To Do If You Receive One
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Do NOT click any links
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Do NOT reply or call back
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Do NOT provide any personal or banking info
Instead:
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📱 Forward scam texts to
7726(SPAM) -
📧 Email phishing messages to
abuse@bankofamerica.com -
🛑 Report it to BoA at their official fraud page:
👉 https://www.bankofamerica.com/security-center/ -
🔐 Change your BoA password immediately if you clicked or shared anything
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🔍 Monitor your account for unauthorized transactions
🧾 Real Bank of America Fraud Alerts
BoA may text you from a known short code like 69881 or email you from an @bankofamerica.com address, but:
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They will never include login links
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You’ll be asked to verify a charge, not give login info
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You can always verify legit alerts by logging in to the BoA app or official website
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