Stay safe from the latest scam tactics

5 tips to protect yourself:

Capital One, or any other financial institution, will never ask you to make payments for correcting fraud activity.
Never send money to anyone who claims your account is compromised or who threatens to cut off your services. Instead, call the company directly to discuss payment methods. A utility company will never request payments via Zelle®.
Be suspicious of people you don’t know contacting you via phone or text asking for payment. These scams aim to create a false sense of urgency in hopes you’ll send funds before verifying who you’re talking to. Make sure you’re sending payments to reputable companies and contacts you’ve validated from a trusted source.
Report any suspicious activity immediately by calling the phone number on the back of your Capital One debit or credit cards or by visiting our Report Fraud page.
Check out Capital One and Khan Academy’s free financial literacy course to learn about red flags to watch out for and more ways to protect yourself from new scams.

Impersonators may use these and other tactics to scam you

Goods and services scam

Scammers pose as buyers or sellers who set up fake websites or profiles offering products and services, sometimes at prices that are too good to be true. They may post fake ads and fake reviews. Always check that you are paying someone you know or a verified business, as there is no purchase protection if you buy goods or services with Zelle®.

Learn more about goods and services scams.

Gift card scam

Only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers from the back of the card. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. If you gave a gift card to a scammer—no matter how long ago the scam happened—report it to the gift card company.

Learn more about gift card scams.

Accidental deposit scam

Scammers will send you funds then contact you stating the funds were accidentally sent. They’ll then request you to send the funds back through Zelle® or other payment services. Most times the funds were sent to you from stolen credit cards or hacked accounts of other victims. Once scammers receive the funds back from you, they’ll dispute the payment with their bank resulting in duplicate withdrawals. Don’t send the money back or spend it—instead, contact your bank to report the activity.

Learn more about accidental deposit scams.

Phishing scam

Scammers send emails pretending to be a Capital One employee with a link to a Capital One website. This is a fraudulent website and you’ll be asked to log in with your credentials, including a one-time password or authorization code. As soon as you provide those details, fraudsters can gain control of your account.

Learn more about phishing scams.