Add organization

    What is a safe account scam?

    How the scam works and how to protect yourself.

    Answered at: Checked at:

    Short answer

    In a typical safe account scam, criminals call in the name of your bank and warn that a large payment is leaving your account. They then ask you to transfer your money to a new, supposedly safe account, which belongs to the criminals. Finance Finland counted 38.4 million euros of attempted safe account scams in 2025, and banks stopped or recovered 23.8 million euros of them.

    Practical: communication, money, services

    Why

    1. Taloustaito describes the typical safe account scam call in the bank's name.
    2. Finance Finland counted safe account scams as a separate category for the first time in 2025.
    3. Attempted safe account scams totalled 38.4 million euros in 2025.

    Details

    There is no such thing as a safe account. A real bank never asks you to move your money to protect it.

    Tip

    Hang up and call your bank yourself on the number printed on your card or its website.

    What may differ

    Scammers may also pretend to be the police or another authority. The same rule applies.

    Common misconception

    If the caller knows your name and bank, the call must be real.

    What actually happens

    Criminals often know personal details. A bank never asks you to move money to a safe account.

    People also ask

    • How much money do people in Finland lose to online scams?
    • Can a scam call from abroad show a Finnish number?
    • What should I do if I lose my bank card in Finland?

    Sources

    This answer is for reference only. Scam methods change quickly, so follow your bank's current advice.

    Practical: communication, money, services
    Help