Screenshots of bank details: what to do
Why they pile up
A transfer receipt, a balance you wanted to remember, an account number you sent to a friend. Each seems harmless when you take it. Months later they're mixed in with everything else.
What the risk is
The picture isn't the problem. It's who might see it, such as someone with your phone, a shared album, or anyone you sent it to. In our view, the details that help a scammer most are your full name, the bank, and the account number together, because they make a call or message sound like it's really from your bank.
The FTC says not to give your account number over the phone unless you made the call, which is a good rule for pictures as well as phone calls.
What to do
- Find them. Here's how to look. Start with your screenshots.
- Sort into keep and delete. In our view, a payment confirmation you may need for a dispute is worth keeping. A screenshot of a balance, or of a bank app's home screen, rarely is.
- Delete the rest. Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days, and with iCloud Photos on, deleting removes them from all your devices. Empty Recently Deleted for sooner. That can't be undone.
- Keep the important ones locked. The Vault or another place with its own lock is safer than your camera roll. Here's how the options compare.
- Look up details again when you need them. Your bank's own app or website is the place to find an account number again. This is our advice.
If one was shared with someone you don't trust
- If you paid a scammer from your account, the FTC says to contact your bank or credit union right away, using the number on your card or by logging in yourself, and ask them to refund your money. Don't delete the screenshots of the payment or the chat yet. Your bank or the police may ask for them.
- If you gave a scammer a login, the FTC says to create a new strong password if you can still log in, change it anywhere else you used it, and turn on two-factor authentication.
- If your Social Security number was involved, the FTC points to IdentityTheft.gov. This guide covers the US steps.
Deleting your copy can't pull back a picture that someone else already has. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
How FirstHour helps
Protect looks through your pictures on your iPhone for full account numbers, usually shown with a bank's name or account wording (IBAN-style numbers are found on their own), and groups them as Bank account numbers. A second group, Bank or e-wallet mentions, holds pictures that name a bank or e-wallet alongside signs of a real bank document, such as a balance or a transfer. Those are often fine to keep. Pictures stay blurred until you're ready, and nothing is uploaded.
It leaves out numbers that are masked, such as the last four digits only, and it doesn't treat Philippine mobile numbers, used by e-wallets, as account numbers, because people share those on purpose. It doesn't read PDFs such as statements, videos or your Hidden album, and it can miss handwriting and blurry pictures. "Nothing found" means nothing obvious, not "safe".
Questions
Can I send a screenshot to someone who needs my account number?
Send a copy with the parts they don't need covered. Here's how to send a covered copy, and why black boxes beat blur.
What about the codes my bank texts me?
They're covered in their own guide.
Sources
- What To Do if You Were Scammed, Federal Trade Commission
- Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards, Federal Trade Commission
- Delete or hide photos and videos on iPhone, Apple Support