Verify, verify, verify—the loop never stopped

An email titled "unusual login" asked me to verify my account, and each link opened a new form—password, OTP, last four of SSN, photo ID—until I had handed over a full dossier.

I thought I was securing myself after a scare. Hours later the real bank froze me because logins from overseas IPs tried to move cash using everything I had typed into the fake ladder.

Verification loops fatigue victims into compliance. Every field fed criminal databases sold on forums. The site was a kit dressed as a security audit.

I could not sleep until I "fixed" the problem—the scammer engineered that itch on purpose.

My bookmarked real login showed no alerts while the phishing tab still demanded "final confirmation." Seeing clean dashboards side by side with the fake one proved I had been inside a copy.

Credit monitoring and password resets became a second job for months afterward.

I type URLs myself or use the app only, and I refuse to enter more than one sensitive field per session I initiated. I wish I had compared certificate names before I typed.

• Legitimate banks do not ask for everything at once via an email link.

For more help, see our Report a scam page and Spot and avoid scams guide.