Why would a scammer want a card that has been cut up?

Because the chip is what they are after. The FBI says callers tell people to cut the card but leave the chip intact, and with the chip and the PIN, the impersonators can take money from the account.

The call showed my bank's real number. Doesn't that make it real?

No. The FBI says these calls can come from a number that caller ID shows as the bank. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office says to hang up and call the number on the back of your card instead.

Scam alert

Bank Caller Says to Cut Up Your Card and Mail the Chip? Hang Up

Posted Oct 19

New Jersey, Utah and Florida · newjersey.news12.com · Arrives by a phone call from someone claiming to be your bank

The short answer

A caller from your bank's "fraud department" who tells you to cut up your card and mail the pieces or the chip, or to hand it to someone at your door, is a scammer. Florence Township police in New Jersey warned residents about these calls in October 2026, and police in Utah and Florida described the same pattern earlier in the year. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Police say banks will not send anyone to your home to collect a card.

What is happening

On October 4, 2026, News 12 New Jersey reported that Florence Township police said callers posing as bank fraud department employees claimed suspicious activity on residents' accounts, pressed for personal information, and told some people to cut up their debit or credit card and mail the pieces. Earlier in 2026, Park City, Utah, police said callers told people to keep the chip intact and mail it or let someone pick it up, and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office in Florida described a person arriving at the home and leaving with the cut card in an envelope. The FBI warned of the same scheme in 2024, saying that with the chip and the PIN, the impersonators can take money from the account.

How to recognize it

You are told to cut up your debit or credit card and mail the pieces, or to keep the chip whole and send it in.
The caller offers to send someone to your home to pick up the card.
They mention recent transactions or suspicious activity, then ask for personal details or your PIN.
Caller ID shows your bank. The FBI says these calls can appear to come from the bank's own number.

What to do instead

Hang up and call your bank on the number on the back of your card or your statement, not one the caller gives you.
Do not cut, mail, or hand over your card because of a phone call, and never share your PIN with a caller.
If a stranger comes to the door for your card, keep it and call your bank and local police.
If you want to tell someone, the rule is: hang up on any caller who wants your card, its chip, or your PIN.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

Handing over a card after a convincing call is common and understandable. These callers sound official and may know details about your account.
Call your bank right away on a number you trust, ask it to lock or replace the card, and check for charges you do not recognize.
Report it to local police and to the FBI at ic3.gov with the keyword #BankChipHack, and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Open Help Now

Common questions

Why would a scammer want a card that has been cut up?: Because the chip is what they are after. The FBI says callers tell people to cut the card but leave the chip intact, and with the chip and the PIN, the impersonators can take money from the account.
The call showed my bank's real number. Doesn't that make it real?: No. The FBI says these calls can come from a number that caller ID shows as the bank. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office says to hang up and call the number on the back of your card instead.

Practice this safely

Practice hanging up on a caller who says they are your bank, then calling the number on the back of your card yourself.

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Bank Caller Says to Cut Up Your Card and Mail the Chip? Hang Up

A caller from your bank's "fraud department" who tells you to cut up your card and mail the pieces or the chip, or to hand it to someone at your door, is a scammer. Florence Township police in New Jersey warned residents about these calls in October 2026, and police in Utah and Florida described the same pattern earlier in the year. Hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Police say banks will not send anyone to your home to collect a card.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/bank-card-chip-mail-scam

Where this comes from

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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

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