Spot today's most common scams, know exactly what to do, and check any strange message with free AI in two minutes. Plain English, official sources, and small enough to keep by the phone.
If a message surprises you, rushes you, or asks you to pay in an unusual way, stop. Don't click, don't call the number in it, and don't pay. Check with the real company or person yourself, using a number or website you already trust.
Your 3-step habit: Stop. Check. Ask.
Use it on every surprise text, email, call or pop-up. It takes a minute and it beats almost every scam on this page.
1
Stop
Don't click, reply, call back or pay. Not yet. A real problem will still be there in ten minutes. The FTC notes that honest businesses give you time to decide.
Contact the company or person yourself, using a number or website you already trust: the back of your card, a bill, your contacts, or a web address you type in. Never use the link or number in the message.
Talk to someone you trust before you act: a friend, a family member, your bank, or an AI tool with our scam check. Saying it out loud often makes a scam obvious.
Stop, Check, Ask is our own routine, built on FTC advice. Australia's Scamwatch teaches a similar idea: “Stop. Check. Protect.” Scamwatch: Stop. Check. Protect.
The 4 P's: red flags in almost every scam
Pretend
They pretend to be someone you trust: the government, your bank, a delivery company, tech support, or even family. Caller ID and names can be faked.
Problem or prize
There's a scary problem (a charge, a virus, an arrest, an unpaid bill) or an exciting prize you didn't enter to win.
Pressure
You must act now. Don't hang up. Don't tell anyone. Pay today or else.
Pay
They want a hard-to-undo payment: gift cards, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app, cash, or “deposit this check and send some back.”
A text says you have an unpaid toll, or a package can't be delivered until you confirm your address or pay a small fee. There's a link and a deadline.
The giveaway
A small amount, a late-fee threat, and a link. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS won't text or email you unless you first asked for tracking with a tracking number, and those messages won't contain a link.
What to do
Don't tap the link or reply, not even with Y or N. Check your toll account or tracking on the official website you type in yourself. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it.
A text or call that seems to come from your bank about a suspicious charge. If you respond, a friendly “fraud team” tells a scary story and offers to help.
The giveaway
They contacted you, they're rushing you, and they want a code, your login, or for you to move money. The FTC says scammers posing as your bank promise to help, then drain your account, and that no real government agency will tell you to move your money to “protect it.”
What to do
Hang up or don't reply. Call the number on the back of your card, or open your bank's app or website yourself. Never call back the number that contacted you.
A loud pop-up says your computer is infected and to call a number now. Or a “technician” calls you. Or an email says a tech support subscription renewed for hundreds of dollars.
The giveaway
The FTC says real tech companies won't call, email or text you about a problem with your computer, and real security warnings never ask you to call a phone number.
What to do
Don't call, and never give anyone remote access to your computer. Close the page. If you're worried, update your security software and run a scan, or ask someone you trust. Check your card statement yourself for any “renewal.”
A panicked call from a grandchild or relative: an accident, an arrest, they need money right now, and “don't tell Mom.” A fake lawyer or officer may get on the line.
The giveaway
Urgency, secrecy, and payment by wire transfer, gift card, crypto, a payment app, or cash picked up in person. The FTC warns a scammer can clone a loved one's voice from a short audio clip, maybe from a video posted online. So the voice alone proves nothing.
What to do
Hang up and call your loved one on the number you already have. Call another family member too, even if you were told to keep it secret. Pick a family safe word today: the FBI recommends a secret word or phrase to confirm who's really calling.
A social media ad shows brand-name goods at amazing prices and links to a shop you've never heard of. You pay, then get a fake, something different, or nothing at all.
The giveaway
Prices that are too good to be true, a web address you don't recognize, and a seller who only takes gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or crypto.
What to do
Before you buy, search the store's name and web address plus “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Pay by credit card when you can, so you can dispute the charge. Keep your receipt and order number.
Someone (the “government,” a utility, tech support, a prize office, a new love interest) tells you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers, or send a photo of the back. They may stay on the phone while you shop.
The giveaway
The FTC is clear: only scammers ask you to pay with a gift card and give them the numbers. No real business or government agency will.
What to do
Stop and hang up. If you already paid, call the gift card company right away using the number on the card, tell them it was a scam, ask for your money back, and keep the card and receipt.
A charming match online who can't meet in person: working overseas, in the military, on an oil rig. After weeks of sweet messages comes an emergency that needs money, or an offer to teach you crypto investing.
The giveaway
They can't meet you in person, they soon want to move the chat off the dating site, and sooner or later they need money or want to “help you invest.”
What to do
The FTC's bottom line: “Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven't met in person.” Talk to a friend, and try a reverse image search of their profile photo.
A stranger, a so-called investment manager, a celebrity post, or an online friend promises big, guaranteed, low-risk returns, often in crypto. A slick website shows your “profits,” but you can't take money out.
The giveaway
Guaranteed profits. The FTC says only scammers guarantee returns or demand payment in cryptocurrency. Investment scams caused the biggest reported losses in 2025: $7.9 billion.
What to do
Don't send money or crypto to anyone you've only met online. Search the company or person's name plus “review,” “scam” or “complaint,” and talk to someone you trust first.
An easy, high-paying job, often from home: reshipping packages, “mystery shopping,” or an offer by text. Then they charge you for training, or send a check and ask you to send part of it back.
The giveaway
The FTC says honest employers never make you pay to get a job, and “deposit this check and send some back” is a fake check scam. The check bounces and you owe the bank.
What to do
Never pay to get a job and never forward money from a check. Look up the company yourself. For U.S. federal jobs, use the official site, USAJOBS.gov.
We've set up a safe scam-check question. Paste the text, email or what the caller said over the highlighted line, then pick a tool. You'll get a risk rating, the red flags, and safe next steps.
Before you paste: delete passwords, PINs, one-time codes, Social Security or ID numbers and account numbers from the message. The AI only needs the words. Scam-Proof Pocket Guide
Private by design. Ask It Simply never sees or saves your question. It goes straight into the link for the tool you pick, and that company handles it under its own privacy policy. Leave out names, account numbers, passwords and health details. How Instant Ask works
Good to know: AI is a smart second opinion, not proof. It can be wrong in both directions. If the AI says “low risk” but something still feels off, trust that feeling and check with the company directly. Want a tool built just for scams? See our guide to free AI scam checkers.
See the full scam-check prompt (to copy into any AI tool)
Copy-and-paste prompt
Please help me check if this message is a scam. I removed my personal details first.
1. Rate the scam risk as Low, Medium or High, and tell me why in one plain sentence.
2. List the red flags you see (for example: pressure to act fast, a strange link, a prize or a problem I didn't expect, or a request to pay with gift cards, crypto, a wire transfer or a payment app).
3. Give me safe next steps. Don't tell me to click any link, call any number or reply to anything in the message. Tell me how to check with the real company or person using their official website or app, or a number I already trust, like the one on my card, bill or contacts.
4. Remind me what I should never share: passwords, one-time codes, PINs, Social Security or ID numbers, and account numbers.
Here is the message (a text, an email, or what a caller said):
"""
[Paste the suspicious message here]
"""
Please answer in plain English, like you're helping a friend who is new to this.
If you've been scammed: act fast, and don't be embarrassed
Scammers are professionals, and this happens to careful, smart people every day. The faster you act, the better your chances. Find how you paid or what you shared:
If you paid or shared…
Do this now
Credit or debit card
Call the number on the back of your card right away. Ask them to reverse the charge.
Bank transfer or Zelle
Call your bank or credit union immediately. Ask them to reverse the payment.
Payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal)
Report it in the app right away and ask for a reversal.
Wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram)
Call the wire company immediately. Say you were scammed and ask for a refund.
Gift card
Call the gift card company using the number on the card. Keep the card and receipt.
Cryptocurrency
Contact the exchange or crypto ATM company right away. Crypto is hard to get back, so act fast.
Your Social Security number
Go to IdentityTheft.gov. If it was used, you'll get a step-by-step recovery plan; if you're not sure, see IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.
A password
Change it right away, and anywhere else you used it. Turn on two-step verification.
Access to your computer
Update your security software, run a scan, and change your passwords.
Watch out for “recovery” scams. Scammers often come back, pretending they can get your money back for a fee. Australia's Scamwatch says 1 in 3 scam victims are scammed more than once, and the FBI's IC3 says it will never contact you directly for information or money.
IDCARE (free identity and cyber support)1800 595 160 source
Everywhere else
Your bank first, then your local policeCall your bank's official number to stop payments, then report the scam to the police where you live.
Older adult or caring for one? The CFPB has fraud resources, including when to contact your local adult protective services agency.
Free download · 12-page PDF
Keep it by the phone
Everything on this page, in a small printable booklet: the Stop, Check, Ask habit, the 4 P's, all nine scams, the AI scam-check prompt, what to do if you've been scammed, and where to report in four countries. There's a cut-out wallet card to keep with you, too.
Print it for a parent, a neighbor or your community group. Free to share; please don't sell or change it.
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Common questions
Is the Pocket Guide really free?
Yes. Download it, print it and share it. No sign-up is needed. If you'd like plain-English safety and AI tips a few times a week, you can join the free newsletter too.
How do I print it?
It's 12 small pages, each 5.5 × 8.5 inches (half a US Letter sheet). Print at actual size for one page per sheet, or choose “Booklet” in your PDF reader's print settings to make a folded booklet from two sheets of paper. On A4 paper, “Fit to page” works well.
Can I share it with my church, club or family?
Please do. Share the link or hand out printed copies. We only ask that you don't sell it or change it.
Is it safe to paste a scam message into an AI tool?
The words of the message are fine to paste. First delete anything personal: your name, address, account numbers, codes and passwords. The AI company receives what you paste, under its own privacy policy.
Can AI tell me for sure if something is a scam?
No. AI is a helpful second opinion, but it can be wrong. Always check with the company or person directly, using a number or website you already trust.
I already tapped the link. What now?
Don't type anything on that page. If you already entered card or bank details, call your bank or card company now using the number on your card. If you entered a password, change it and turn on two-step verification. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service advises telling your bank even if you only interacted with a fake link.
Is this legal or financial advice?
No. It's general safety education from official sources, in plain English. For your own situation, talk to your bank, the police, or a qualified professional.
Not legal or financial advice. This guide is general safety education based on official government and nonprofit sources. Scams change fast; if something here doesn't match what an official source says today, follow the official source. Facts checked October 18, 2026.
Sources
Every fact, number and safety tip in this guide and the PDF comes from these official pages, checked on October 18, 2026. The writing, routine and design are our own.
Ask It Simply