Find the message. Understand the scam.

USPS package text

Unexpected delivery texts with a link to fix an address or pay a small fee are common phishing scams.

Bank account locked text

A text claiming your account is locked may be trying to rush you into a fake bank website or phone call.

Medicare card request

Medicare does not unexpectedly call or message to demand payment or private information for a replacement card.

Google Voice code

A buyer, seller, or stranger asking you to repeat a six-digit Google Voice code is attempting account verification fraud.

Grandchild emergency

Scammers impersonate relatives and create urgent emergencies to prevent families from checking the story.

Gift card payment

A business, government agency, utility, or stranger demanding gift card numbers is scamming you.

Geek Squad invoice

Fake renewal invoices use familiar technology brands and a phone number that connects you to a scammer.

Unpaid toll text

Texts threatening fees or vehicle penalties over a small unpaid toll commonly lead to phishing sites.

Relationships

Online romance request

A person you met online who cannot meet in person and begins asking for money may be building a romance scam.

Protect your money call

Government agencies do not order people to transfer savings, buy gold, or use cryptocurrency to keep money safe.

Amazon order alert

Unexpected order alerts may impersonate Amazon to make you call a fake support number or reveal account information.

PayPal invoice email

An unexpected PayPal invoice or payment notice can include a fraudulent phone number even when the email looks polished.

Accidental payment

A stranger may claim they sent money accidentally and pressure you to return it through Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal.

Check overpayment

A buyer or employer who sends an oversized check and asks you to return part of it is using a fake check scam.

Online task job

Unexpected jobs paying for likes, ratings, optimization, or product boosting often lead to requests for your own money.

Work-from-home offer

Fake employers may request fees, personal information, reshipping work, or money transfers before you ever meet anyone.

Rental listing

Scammers copy real listings, offer unusually low rent, and demand a deposit before you can see the property.

Online pet listing

Fake pet sellers use stolen photos, low prices, and repeated shipping fees for animals that do not exist.

Crypto investment

Fake investment apps show made-up profits, then demand fees or taxes when you try to withdraw.

Accounts and devices

Computer virus pop-up

A browser pop-up that locks the screen, sounds an alarm, or tells you to call support is commonly a tech-support scam.

Social Security suspension

Calls claiming your Social Security number is suspended or connected to a crime are government impersonation scams.

IRS tax debt call

Threatening calls or texts demanding immediate tax payment through gift cards, wires, or crypto are scams.

Missed jury duty

A caller claiming you must pay immediately to avoid arrest for missed jury duty is impersonating law enforcement or the courts.

Utility shutoff threat

Scammers threaten to disconnect electricity, gas, or water unless an immediate hard-to-reverse payment is made.

Prize or sweepstakes

A prize that requires taxes, processing fees, or gift-card payments before delivery is not a real prize.

Wrong-number text

A friendly wrong-number conversation can be the opening of a long confidence, romance, or investment scam.

Accounts and devices

Friend asking for money

A familiar social-media account may be hacked or copied, even if the message uses your friend's name and photo.

Charity donation request

Fake charities use disasters, illness, veterans, police, and animals to create urgency and emotional pressure.