Hey bunqers 🌈,

Your security is our top priority, and our systems run around the clock to catch suspicious activity before it ever reaches your account. 

On rare occasions, fraudsters may still try to target you directly, using personal details obtained through third-party data leaks, public registries, or social engineering. They can call you pretending to be bank officials and create a false sense of urgency to get you to share information, approve a payment, or send money. 

That’s why we’re adding an extra layer of protection with Security Alerts. If a payment you’re making looks unusual or if you’re trying to approve a payment while on a phone call, we’ll ask you to take another look before sending it. You’ll see a warning explaining what stood out, and you can decide to continue with the payment or cancel it. 

Keep in mind: bunq will never call you. If someone on the phone claims to be us, hang up immediately and report it to us.

Do I need to enable Security Alerts?

Security Alerts are on automatically, so you don’t need to set anything up. It’s there to protect you as soon as you open your bunq account. 

How do Security Alerts work? 

When we spot a payment that looks unusual or out of the ordinary compared to your usual transactions, we’ll share the Security Alert with you. Some of the most common reasons are: 

• You're paying someone for the first time

• The amount is much higher than you usually send

• You're on a phone call while making the payment

• Something on your device or in your account changed shortly before

So paying someone new, or sending more than you usually do, is enough to trigger a Security Alert.

A Security Alert is a warning which outlines what looks unusual about your payment, and gives you the option to Continue or Cancel it, before you send any money through. 

We’ll also display a banner on your Home Tab reminding you that bunq will never call you to remind you that we’ll never call — no matter how convincing the person on the other end of the line is. 

What happens next?

The payment waits for your approval! When you see the warning to Check this payment carefully, read the message underneath that says what stood out, and decide if you’d like to approve it. 

1. If you’re on a phone call, hang up first — no one legitimate needs to stay on the line while you pay

2. Check the name, the IBAN, and who asked you to make the payment 

3. Tap Continue to send it, or Cancel to stop it 

Canceling keeps the money in your account, and you can always send it later. 

What should I check before I confirm?

If you’re unsure about any of the following, Cancel your payment:  

1. Whose idea the payment was. If the unknown person on the phone is the reason you're paying, stop there. 

2. The name and the IBAN. Do they match the person or company you think you're paying?

3. The urgency. Real payments don't come with a deadline of minutes — pressure is the clearest sign of a scam.

4. The reason you were given. Hearing “move your money to a safe account" is a scam. We’ll never ask you to move money.

Can I turn Security Alerts off?

It’s not possible to turn off Security Alerts because they’re automatically enabled for all accounts. 

Will bunq ever call me?

bunq will never call you. We never ask for your Security Code, card details, or login details by phone, SMS, or email. We’ll only reach out to you from inside your encrypted bunq app. If someone is on the phone claiming to be from bunq:

1. Hang up. You don't owe them an explanation

2. Don't send any payment they've asked for, and don't turn Safety Shield off

3. Report it at bunq.com/contact/report

What if a payment I meant to make gets held for 24 hours?

Sometimes, a 24-hour Safety Shield is placed on a payment that looks very unusual for your safety. With Safety Shield, your money stays safely in your account for 24 hours, giving you plenty of time to cancel it if needed. Once the 24 hours have passed, your payment goes through automatically on its own. 

You'll always see the estimated delivery date in the payment details, and you keep earning MassInterest on the money while it’s in your account.