How to Tell If This Is a Scam

A message or call feels off, and you want a verdict. Here is how to judge it yourself, in the moment, before you pay anything.

You are staring at a message, a call, or a website, and something feels wrong. Maybe you already clicked. Maybe you are one tap away from paying. You want a yes or no answer, and you want it now. No one can give you a yes or no on a company from the outside. This guide offers something better: a way to judge it yourself before you send money or share anything personal.

Why there is no simple yes or no

USAGov says scammers use tricks and lies to steal your money or personal information.

There is a flip side, too. USAGov says an issue with a legitimate business that has wronged you may not be an actual scam. A bad experience with a real company is a problem, but it is a different problem, with a different fix. More on that below.

The universal warning signs

The CFPB names one red flag. The CFPB says real government agencies and financial institutions do not threaten you or ask you to send money to protect it. So treat this as a loud alarm:

Threats or demands to send money to protect it

The FTC says learning the common signs of a scam can help you avoid one.

Where you are probably asking the question

Scams arrive through many doors. USAGov says scams happen online, by mail, phone, text, social media, in person, and through new technologies.

Websites. For scams that happen online, read about is this a scam website.
Phone calls. For scams that happen by phone, learn how an is this phone number a scam lookup works.
Emails. For scams that happen online, see is this email a scam.
Texts. For scams that happen by text, start with is this a scam text.

Why searching online can mislead you

Here is a trap that catches careful people. You search for a company's support number, and the top result is a scammer's number.

The FTC says scammers and dishonest businesses sometimes pay to show up at the top of online search results. The FTC also says social media platforms do not always carefully check the ads you see or the advertisers behind them. So a listing at the top of a search page, or an ad in your feed, is not proof that anyone vetted it. Treat those as leads to verify, never as endorsements.

How to verify instead of guess

Do not ask the person who contacted you whether they are honest. That is like asking the ad if the ad is true.

The CFPB says to contact law enforcement, federal or state agencies, or financial institutions using trusted websites and phone numbers. That means finding the number yourself rather than using one given to you.

If you conclude it is a scam

Report it. The CFPB says to report fraud or a scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The CFPB also says to report fraud or a scam to the FBI Internet Crimes Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Not sure which agency fits? USAGov's where to report a scam tool helps you find the best agency or organization to report the scam.

If it is a real business that wronged you

A legitimate company that overcharged you or broke a promise may not have scammed you. USAGov says to visit its complaints section to learn how to file a complaint if your issue is with a legitimate business.

Your next step

Stop, verify through a number you found yourself, and report what you found.