Fraud Cleanup

Text and phone scams

First

  1. What Is Smishing and Phishing, in Plain Words

    Smishing is phishing that arrives by text. Here is what each one is, the tricks they share, and what to do when a message looks wrong.

  2. What a Smishing Scam Is and What to Do

    A smishing scam is a phishing attack by text. Here is what the scammer wants and what to do about it.

  3. Cell Phone Scam Types and How to Spot Them

    The FCC warns about three kinds of cell phone fraud: SIM swapping, cloning and subscriber fraud. Here is what each one is and what to do next.

  4. AI Scam Calls: What the FTC Says and What to Do

    A robocall with a voice that sounds real can still be a scam. Here is what the FTC says about AI scam calls and how to handle one.

Then

  1. Scam Calls: FCC Call Blocking Help and FTC Reports

    The FCC points you to call-blocking help. The FTC takes the reports. Here is how the two fit together.

  2. How to Block Scam Phone Calls on Any Phone

    Call blocking beats the Do Not Call Registry for scam calls. Here is what works on cell phones, internet home phones and landlines.

  3. You Got a Scam Text Message: What to Do Now

    A strange text with a link is a scam called smishing. Here is how to spot it, what to do, and how to report it.

  4. Phone Number Spoofing: What It Is and What You Can Do

    Scammers can make your own number show up on someone else's caller ID. Here is what that means and what to do about it.

Later

  1. Why You Get So Many Scam Calls

    The calls keep coming because robocalls are cheap to make and scammers ignore the rules. Here is what drives the volume and what actually cuts it down.

  2. What the 'Scam Likely' Label on Your Phone Means

    That label is a warning from a call-labeling service, not a verdict. Here is what it means and what to do when a call shows it.

  3. Is This Phone Number a Scam? What Your Caller ID Hides

    The number on your screen can be faked. Judge the call by what the caller says and wants, not by what the display shows.