1. It arrives unexpectedly and demands a fast decision
Legitimate organizations rarely need an answer in the next ten minutes. Fraud does, because urgency is what stops people from checking. Any message that pairs alarming news with a countdown deserves a slower response, not a faster one.
2. You are told to keep it to yourself
Fraud depends on isolation. A caller who tells you not to discuss the matter with your spouse, your bank, your accountant, or your family is protecting the scam, not you. No real investigator, bank officer, or government agency asks you to keep a payment secret.
3. The payment method is unusual or irreversible
Gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps, and cash couriers are the payment methods of fraud because they are difficult or impossible to reverse. No federal agency, utility, or court will ever ask for a gift card.
- Gift card numbers read aloud over the phone
- Cryptocurrency, including ATM kiosks
- Wire transfers to a new account
- Payment apps sent to someone you have not met
- Cash handed to a courier or shipped in a package
4. The sender address does not match the organization
Display names are trivially faked. The address behind the name is harder to fake convincingly. Expand the full sending address and read the part after the @ symbol, character by character. Look-alike domains substitute letters, add hyphens, or append a real brand name to an unrelated domain.
5. The link does not go where the text says
Hover over a link on a computer, or press and hold on a phone, to preview the destination before opening it. When a message concerns an account you hold, do not use its link at all. Open the app you already use, or type the address you already know.
6. You are asked for a code that was just texted to you
A one-time verification code is the last barrier on your account. Anyone who calls and asks you to read one aloud is attempting to walk through that barrier while you hold the door. Legitimate support staff never need it.
7. Someone wants remote access to your device
Unexpected pop-ups, phone calls about a virus, and search results for support numbers all funnel toward the same request: install this program so we can look at your computer. Remote access hands over every account still signed in on that device.
8. The story concerns a relative in trouble
Emergency impersonation is now cheap to produce and convincing to hear, because a short clip of a voice is enough to synthesise a plausible copy of it. Treat any distressed call requesting money as unverified until you have reached the person another way. Our guide on AI voice scams and family verification explains a verification routine a family can agree on in ten minutes.
9. The request is a small variation on a normal one
In organizations, the most costly fraud is unremarkable: a vendor sends updated banking details, an executive asks for an urgent transfer, a payroll change arrives by email. Any change to payment details should be confirmed by phone using a number already on file, never a number supplied in the message.
10. Something is simply off
Odd phrasing, a greeting that is not how this person writes, a logo that is slightly wrong, an invoice for something you did not order. The instinct that something does not fit is worth acting on. Checking costs a few minutes; not checking can cost a great deal more.
The habit that covers the cases the list misses
Stop. Verify through a channel you chose. Then act.
Hang up and call back on a number you already have. Close the message and open the app directly. Ask one other person before sending money. This single habit defeats scams that no list can anticipate, because it removes the pressure the scam depends on.
If a request would be harmed by you taking ten minutes to check it, that is the strongest signal you will get.
If you already responded
Acting quickly narrows the damage, and the first hour matters most. Our companion guide, what to do if you think you gave information or money to a scammer, sets out the order of operations for contacting your bank, securing accounts, and filing reports.
SmallSpark runs scam-recognition workshops through SparkAssist, our technology help for older adults, and helps people rebuild account access through SparkAccess.
Common Questions
Can a caller really show my bank''s number on my phone?
Yes. Caller ID can be falsified, so a familiar number on the screen is not evidence of who is calling. Hang up and dial the number printed on your card or statement.
Is it safe to open a suspicious email at all?
Opening a message is generally low risk. The risk lies in opening attachments, following links, entering credentials, or calling a number inside the message. When in doubt, do not interact with the contents.
How do I check whether a company really contacted me?
Contact the company yourself using a number or address you already have — a card, a statement, a bill, or the app you normally use. Never use contact details supplied in the suspicious message.
Are text-message scams different from email scams?
The delivery differs; the shape does not. Texts tend to be shorter and lean harder on urgency and a single link. The same rule applies: open the app or site directly instead of the link.
Where should I report a scam attempt, even if I lost nothing?
Report attempts to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI''s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Reports on attempts help investigators identify campaigns early.
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6 min readHave Questions or Want to Discuss Your Organization's Technology?
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