What are the red flags of this scam?

A caller claims to be from your bank's fraud team or the FCA and says your account has been compromised — then suggests moving to WhatsApp to 'verify' you or 'resolve the issue' • They ask you to start a WhatsApp video call and then enable screen sharing — no bank or regulator ever needs to watch your phone screen • You receive one-time passcodes (OTPs) by text during the call — these are authorisation codes for real bank transactions the scammer is initiating • The caller keeps you on the phone for an extended period and asks you not to contact family or branch staff because of 'insider fraud' at the bank • They may pretend to transfer you to a senior manager, police officer, or FCA official to appear more authoritative

What should I do if this happened to me?

Hang up and never share your phone screen with anyone who calls you unexpectedly — your bank and the FCA have no need to watch your screen • If you receive OTP codes during or after a call you did not initiate, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card — these codes mean transactions are being authorised • Do not enter or read aloud any OTP code while on a call or screen-sharing session with someone you did not initiate contact with • To check whether screen sharing is active: on WhatsApp look for the green 'You are sharing your screen' banner — end the call immediately to stop sharing • If you already shared your screen and OTPs were visible, call your bank now — transfers authorised by OTPs may be recoverable if reported within hours • Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

CRITICAL banking Last reported: 30 Sept 2026 Share

Caller claiming to be your bank asks you to open WhatsApp and share your screen — they see your banking OTPs live

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A caller posing as a bank fraud team or the FCA convinces you to start a WhatsApp video call and share your phone screen. They watch in real time and capture one-time passcodes to authorise transfers from your account.

A caller posing as a bank fraud team or the FCA convinces you to start a WhatsApp video call and share your phone screen. They watch in real time and capture one-time passcodes to authorise transfers from your account.

Also known as: WhatsApp screen sharing scam UK, screen mirroring bank fraud, OTP theft WhatsApp call, bank FCA impersonation screen share

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Hang up and never share your phone screen with anyone who calls you unexpectedly — your bank and the FCA have no need to watch your screen
2 If you receive OTP codes during or after a call you did not initiate, call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card — these codes mean transactions are being authorised
3 Do not enter or read aloud any OTP code while on a call or screen-sharing session with someone you did not initiate contact with
4 To check whether screen sharing is active: on WhatsApp look for the green 'You are sharing your screen' banner — end the call immediately to stop sharing
5 If you already shared your screen and OTPs were visible, call your bank now — transfers authorised by OTPs may be recoverable if reported within hours
6 Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Red flags

⚠ A caller claims to be from your bank's fraud team or the FCA and says your account has been compromised — then suggests moving to WhatsApp to 'verify' you or 'resolve the issue'
⚠ They ask you to start a WhatsApp video call and then enable screen sharing — no bank or regulator ever needs to watch your phone screen
⚠ You receive one-time passcodes (OTPs) by text during the call — these are authorisation codes for real bank transactions the scammer is initiating
⚠ The caller keeps you on the phone for an extended period and asks you not to contact family or branch staff because of 'insider fraud' at the bank
⚠ They may pretend to transfer you to a senior manager, police officer, or FCA official to appear more authoritative

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Sources