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Fraud Protection
Fraud Prevention Checklist
How to Avoid Scams
Identity Theft
Business Security Center
Understand Merchant Compromise
FAQs
Privacy and Security Glossary

Fraud Protection
Fraud Prevention Checklist
How to Avoid Scams
Identity Theft
Business Security Center
Understand Merchant Compromise
FAQs
Privacy and Security Glossary

Report Suspicious Activity

Have a problem?

Relax.
We're here to help

Your security is our top priority

Here are some important things to know and do if you have concerns about fraud:

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What to do when your credit or debit card has been lost or stolen

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First things first

Sign in to Online Banking to report your lost or stolen card.
We'll cancel your card and send you a replacement immediately.

Remember, you're covered by our $0 Liability Guarantee, so you won't be liable for any unauthorized charges or activity.

Additional steps you can take

Notify any merchants who automatically charge your card and provide them with your new card information.
Review your transaction history for suspicious activity, and contact us immediately if there are transactions that you did not make.

Note: You can also report a lost or stolen card by phone. For credit cards, call 800-732-9194 (outside the continental U.S. call international collect 1-757-677-4701). For ATM or debit cards, call 800-432-1000 (outside the continental U.S. call international collect 1-315-724-4022).

What to do when you lose your checkbook

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First things first

Call 800-432-1000 (outside the continental U.S. call international collect 1-315-724-4022) to report a lost or stolen checkbook. If possible, provide the number of the last check that was written or the name of the person or business to whom it was written.

Additional steps you can take

Sign in to Online Banking to view digital copies of your checks and to see if any unauthorized checks have been written to your account.
Schedule an appointment to visit a financial center so you can close your current account and open up a new one (if you have any recurring charges set up to your checking account, be sure to update those charges with your new account number once you receive it).
If checks you wrote haven't been cashed at the time your checkbook was lost or stolen, you may need to contact the payees and send them checks from your new account.

What to do when you see a suspicious transaction on your statement

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First things first

Contact the merchant directly. It's generally faster and simpler for you to resolve the issue with the merchant. (Very often, the issue is simply a legitimate charge being presented on the statement in an unrecognizable way.)

If you've already contacted the merchant

You can file a dispute for credit card charges by signing in to Online Banking and following the instructions. For ATM or debit card disputes, call 877-366-1121.

What to do if you've become a victim of ID Theft

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Here are some important steps you can take right away if you believe your identity has been compromised:

1. Contact your financial institutions and creditors.
Speak with their fraud departments and explain that someone has stolen your identity.

2. Check your credit reports and place a fraud alert on your file.
Initiate a fraud alert by contacting one of the three credit bureaus (when you contact one credit bureau, the other two bureaus are notified automatically):

Experian: 888-397-3742
TransUnion: 800-680-7289
Equifax: 888-766-0008

3. File an identity theft report and retain it for your records.
Complete a report online at the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) identity theft website layer and contact your local law enforcement to report the crime.

4. Watch out for suspicious emails, phone calls or text messages asking you for your personal information.
Always verify that the communication is legitimate by calling the organization back through an official phone number.

5. Review our Fraud Prevention Checklist.
Learn simple steps you can take to better protect yourself against fraud and scams.

What to expect if you're notified of a merchant compromise

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A merchant compromise is an organized theft of ATM, debit card or credit card information.

We continuously monitor transactions for suspicious activity. If we detect that your Bank of America card may have been part of a merchant compromise, this does not necessarily mean that fraud has occurred (or will occur) on your account. Still, as part of our concern for your security, we may deactivate your current card and issue you a new one as a precaution to help keep your account safe.

Your security is our top priority. Please visit our merchant compromise page to learn how we protect you and to see what you need to do next in the event we notified you that a new card is on the way.

What to do when you receive a suspicious email, text message or phone call

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First things first

Forward any suspicious email or text message to us at abuse@bankofamerica.com (please note that we will only reply to your message if we require additional information). If you received a suspicious phone message and provided personal or financial information, contact us immediately at 800-432-1000.

Additional steps you can take

Learn more about how to recognize fraud when you see it.
Review our FAQs about fraud prevention.
Remember: We will never ask you in an email, text message or phone call to give us personal information such as your account number, card PIN or Social Security or Tax ID.

Phishing emails (fraudulent emails that appear to be legitimate) usually contain features that reveal their true intent - if you know what to look for:

Often the message doesn't address you by name. It also implies urgency, attempting to get you to act quickly before you have time to carefully read the message or examine it thoroughly.
If you hover over a link in a phishing email, it will usually show you that it's pointing to a site different from the one stated in the message. The goal is to get you to click through to a web page where you'll be asked to provide personal information or open an attachment that may be malicious.
Phishing messages often contain grammar and/or spelling errors.

Voice phishing is an attempt by a fraudulent source to obtain your identity, credit card details or money by phone. Be suspicious when receiving a phone call if the Caller ID or automated voice appears to be from Bank of America and asks you to confirm account details. We will never contact you asking you for your bank or credit card numbers.

How to report a potential security concern

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We value our relationship with you. Our products and services are designed with your best interests in mind. Our employees place the highest importance on protecting your information and preventing data loss.

If you believe you've discovered a potential security concern on any Bank of America product, application, service or affiliated site, contact us by emailing security@bankofamerica.com and a member of the Bank of America Security Team will reach out to you.

Please provide the following information in your email:

Your preferred method of contact and your contact details to discuss your concern.
A general high-level description of the issue and concern (do not include specific details of your concern until the Bank of America Security team has established a secure communication channel with you)

We ask our employees and customers to look for opportunities to do the right thing in every aspect of their daily lives. Please note submissions are not eligible for compensation.

Need to reset or recover your online banking or mobile app passcode?

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Watch our guided demos for steps on how to recover your ID or passcode

Online Banking
Mobile Banking

Steps you can take now if you believe your identity and/or account information may have been compromised:

Contact your financial institutions and creditors

Speak with the fraud department and explain that someone has stolen your identity.
Request to close or freeze any accounts that may have been tampered with or fraudulently established.
Make sure to change your online sign-in credentials, passwords and PINs.

Check your credit reports and place a fraud alert on them

Receive a free copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com layer (you can also call 877-322-8228).
Review your credit report to ensure that unauthorized accounts are not opened in your name.
Report any fraudulent accounts to the appropriate financial institutions.
Place a fraud alert by contacting one of the three credit bureaus (that company must tell the other two): Experian layer (888-397-3742), TransUnion layer (800-680-7289) or Equifax layer (888-766-0008).

Contact relevant authorities

Contact ChexSystems (888-478-6536) to place a security alert on any compromised checking and savings accounts when a deposit account has been impacted.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission layer (877-438-4338) to report an ID theft incident.
File a report with your local law enforcement. Be sure to get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

Replace your stolen identification

If your driver's license has been stolen, contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles.
To report a stolen Social Security card, contact the Office of the Inspector General layer (800-772-1213).
To report a stolen passport, contact the Department of State layer (877-487-2778).

Know fraud when you see it

Recognize the red flags that signal scams
Understand phishing techniques
Know what to do when there’s a data breach

See how to better identify fraud

Increase your security

See what to do (and why it matters)
Help protect yourself and your accounts
Minimize fraud and ID theft opportunities

Start increasing your security now

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Advertising Practices

We strive to provide you with information about products and services you might find interesting and useful. Relationship-based ads and online behavioral advertising help us do that.

Here's how it works: We gather information about your online activities, such as the searches you conduct on our Sites and the pages you visit. This information may be used to deliver advertising on our Sites and offline (for example, by phone, email and direct mail) that's customized to meet specific interests you may have.

If you prefer that we do not use this information, you may opt out of online behavioral advertising. If you opt out, though, you may still receive generic advertising. In addition, financial advisors/Client Managers may continue to use information collected online to provide product and service information in accordance with account agreements.

Also, if you opt out of online behavioral advertising, you may still see ads when you sign in to your account, for example through Online Banking or MyMerrill. These ads are based on your specific account relationships with us.

To learn more about relationship-based ads, online behavioral advertising and our privacy practices, please review Bank of America Online Privacy Notice and our Online Privacy FAQs.

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