Help NowStart Practice

Scam alert

"Bank" Asks You to Dial *72? Hang Up. That Sends Your Calls to Them

Posted

Maryland and nationwide · wgmd.com · Arrives by a phone call that looks like it is from your bank

The short answer

Hang up if someone who says they are your bank asks you to dial *72, *21, or any star code followed by a number. On many phone lines those codes turn on call forwarding, so your bank's security calls and codes ring at the caller's phone instead of yours. The Queen Anne's County, Maryland sheriff's office warned about this on September 23, 2026. Your bank will not ask you to change your phone settings. Call the number on the back of your card. If you already dialed the code, dial *73 and let it ring, then call your bank.

What is happening

On September 23, 2026, the Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff in Maryland warned that callers posing as bank staff, with caller ID made to show the bank's number, are telling people to dial *72 and a 10-digit number to reach the "fraud department," as WGMD reported. That step forwards every incoming call to the caller, who can then have the bank phone a sign-in or reset code and answer it. Two banks published the same warning earlier in 2026 and say *21 is used the same way.

How to recognize it

  • A caller says there is fraud on your account, then asks you to dial *72, *21, or another star code followed by a number.
  • They call the digits a case number, a verification code, or a transfer to the fraud team, not a phone number.
  • Your caller ID shows your bank's real name or number.
  • They try to keep you from hanging up and calling the number on your card.

What to do instead

  1. Hang up. Do not dial any code a caller gives you.
  2. Call your bank on the number on the back of your card or on a statement.
  3. Do not share a password or a code that arrives on your phone, and do not treat caller ID as proof.
  4. If you want to tell someone, the rule is: your bank will never ask you to dial *72. If you did, dial *73.

If it already happened

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

  1. Following instructions from someone who sounds exactly like your bank is very common. The call is built to feel routine.
  2. Dial *73 and let it ring to turn off forwarding. If you are not sure it worked, call your phone carrier and ask them to check your line for call forwarding.
  3. Call your bank on the number on your card, say your calls may have been forwarded, and ask them to review recent activity.
  4. Change the passwords on your bank, email, and shopping accounts, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Open Help Now

Common questions

What does dialing *72 actually do?
On many U.S. phone lines, *72 followed by a phone number turns on call forwarding. Every call to your phone, including a call from your bank with a security code, then rings at that other number instead.
My caller ID showed my bank's number. Isn't that proof?
No. The sheriff's office says the bank's number can be faked on caller ID. The safe check is to hang up and call the number printed on your card.
How do I know whether forwarding is still on?
Dial *73 and let it ring. Your phone carrier can also confirm whether call forwarding is active on your line and switch it off.

Practice this safely

Practice hanging up on a caller who says they are your bank, and calling the number on your card instead.

Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.

Start the four-story practice

Tell someone

Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.

"Bank" Asks You to Dial *72? Hang Up. That Sends Your Calls to Them

Hang up if someone who says they are your bank asks you to dial *72, *21, or any star code followed by a number. On many phone lines those codes turn on call forwarding, so your bank's security calls and codes ring at the caller's phone instead of yours. The Queen Anne's County, Maryland sheriff's office warned about this on September 23, 2026. Your bank will not ask you to change your phone settings. Call the number on the back of your card. If you already dialed the code, dial *73 and let it ring, then call your bank.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/bank-star72-call-forwarding-scam

Where this comes from

These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.

The full guide on this

More recent alerts

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.

Try a practice story (free, no sign-up)