Guide Email & phishing
How to Check If a Website Is Legit: 10 Checks
Before you buy, log in or pay a bill online, run these 10 quick checks to tell a real website from a fake one — from the web address to the payment page.
Scam Protection Guides
Practical, step-by-step help that stays useful: how to check whether a message is real, how to report it, and what to do if something has already gone wrong.
Check if it's real
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Guide Phone scams
Is This Number a Scam? How to Check a Phone Number
Caller ID can be faked, so a number alone can't prove who's calling. Use this checklist to judge a suspicious call or text and find the real number.
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Guide Email & phishing
What Is Phishing? A Plain-English Guide
Phishing is when scammers pose as someone you trust to steal passwords, account numbers or your Social Security number. How it works and how to stay safe.
Report it
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Guide Government impostors
How to Contact the FTC — and What It Can and Can't Do
The FTC's official phone numbers, address and report websites, what happens after you report, and how to spot someone pretending to be the FTC.
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Guide Email & phishing
How to Report a Phishing Email: Where to Send It
How to report phishing and scam emails: your email's Report phishing button, reportphishing@apwg.org, the FTC and the FBI — plus what to do if you clicked.
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Guide Phone scams
How to Report a Scam Phone Number or Call
Where to report a scam phone number: DoNotCall.gov, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FCC and the right agency for IRS, Social Security or Medicare impostor calls.
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Guide Text message scams
How to Report a Scam Text (Forward to 7726)
How to report spam and scam texts: forward to 7726 (SPAM), use Report Spam on iPhone or Android, and file with the FTC. Step by step, with what to include.
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Guide Email & phishing
How to Report a Scam or Phishing Website
Found a fake store or phishing site? Report it to the FTC, the FBI's IC3, Google Safe Browsing and Microsoft, and alert the company being copied.
Recover and protect
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Guide Bank & Zelle
Card Skimming: How to Spot Skimmers at Pumps and ATMs
Skimmers are hidden card readers on gas pumps and ATMs that copy your card. How to spot one, safer ways to pay, and what to do if your card is copied.
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Guide Phone scams
Charity Scams: How to Check a Charity Before You Give
Fake charities use urgent appeals, look-alike names and pressure to pay by gift card or crypto. How to research a charity and give safely.
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Guide Email & phishing
Fake Customer Service Numbers in Search Results
Scammers buy search ads and post fake help-line numbers and bill pay sites. How to find a company's real number and spot a sponsored scam result.
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Guide Bank & Zelle
Gift Card Scams: Why Anyone Who Asks Is a Scammer
No real agency or company asks for payment in gift cards. How gift card scams work, what to do in the first hour, and how to ask for your money back.
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Guide Phone scams
Home Repair Scams: How to Spot a Fake Contractor
Door-to-door offers, big upfront deposits and 'leftover materials' deals. How to check a contractor, get a written contract and avoid post-storm scams.
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Guide Email & phishing
Identity Theft: What to Do in the First 24 Hours
If a scammer got your Social Security number or bank details: freeze your credit, report at IdentityTheft.gov and lock down accounts. Step by step.
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Guide Family emergency
How to Protect an Aging Parent From Scams: 10 Steps
Practical steps adult children can take with a parent's permission: trusted contacts, account alerts, call blocking, a family safe word and more.
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Guide Email & phishing
QR Code Scams: When Not to Scan
Fake QR codes on parking meters, packages and emails lead to phishing sites. How QR code scams work and how to pay or check safely.
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Guide Investment & crypto
Recovery Scams: When 'We'll Get Your Money Back' Is a Trap
After a scam, fake lawyers, agencies and 'FBI' accounts offer to recover your money for a fee. Why it's a second scam and where real help is.
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Guide Text message scams
How to Stop Spam Texts on iPhone and Android
Step-by-step settings to filter and block spam texts on iPhone and Android, plus free tools from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, based on the FCC's guides.
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Guide Bank & Zelle
What to Do After You've Been Scammed: First-Hour Checklist
Scammed, or clicked a phishing link? Follow this first-hour checklist to stop payments, lock down accounts, report it and avoid follow-up recovery scams.
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Guide Romance
Is Your Parent in a Romance Scam? How to Talk About It
Warning signs that a parent's online relationship is a romance scam, and calm, practical ways to talk about it without shame or arguments.
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Guide Investment & crypto
Bitcoin ATM Scams: What to Know Before You Deposit Cash
No real bank or agency will tell you to deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM. How the scam works, the FBI's latest numbers, and what to do if it happened.
Guides to specific scams
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Guide Bank & Zelle
Fake Check Scams: Why 'Send Back the Extra' Costs You
A stranger sends a check and asks you to return part of it. Weeks later the check bounces and you owe the bank. How fake check scams work.
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Guide Bank & Zelle
Zelle Scams: Fake Bank Alerts and 'Safe Account' Tricks
Scammers posing as your bank tell you to send money by Zelle to 'reverse' fraud. Why it's always a scam, how payment app scams work, what to do fast.
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Guide Delivery & toll texts
Got a Package You Didn't Order? It May Be a Brushing Scam
Unordered packages can mean someone is using your name for fake reviews, or bait for a QR code scam. What brushing is and what to do.
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Guide Email & phishing
Amazon Impersonation Scams: Fake Orders, Calls and Refunds
Fake 'suspicious order' calls, account-locked emails and refund tricks use Amazon's name. How to check an order safely and report impostors.
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Guide Government impostors
Courier Scams: When Someone Comes to Pick Up Your Cash
Scammers send couriers to the homes of older adults to collect cash, gold or silver. Why no real agency or bank does this, and what to do if one is coming.
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Guide Government impostors
IRS Scams: Calls, Texts and Letters That Aren't the IRS
Fake IRS calls threaten arrest; fake texts promise refunds. How the real IRS contacts you, what it never does, and where to report impostors.
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Guide Government impostors
Jury Duty and Arrest Warrant Scams: What Police Never Do
Callers posing as deputies or federal agents say you missed jury duty or face arrest and must pay now — sometimes on a video call. How to tell it's fake.
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Guide Government impostors
Veterans Benefit Scams: Postcards, Pension Offers and Fees
Postcards about benefits, 'pension buyouts' and people charging to file VA claims. How scams target veterans and where to get free, accredited help.
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Guide Family emergency
Grandparent Scams: How They Work and What to Say
A 'grandchild' in jail or the hospital needs money fast and begs you not to tell. How the scam works, the courier twist, and exactly what to say.
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Guide Medicare & health
Medicare Genetic Testing and 'Free' Equipment Scams
Free DNA tests, cancer screenings or back braces offered for your Medicare number are a sign of Medicare fraud. How to spot and report them.
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Guide Medicare & health
HealthCare.gov Scams: Fake Health Plans at Open Enrollment
Fake health plan ads, look-alike websites and pushy callers show up when Marketplace Open Enrollment opens Nov. 1. How to spot them and check a plan.
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Guide Medicare & health
How to Protect Your Medicare Number From Scammers
Free braces, 'new cards' and plan pitches are all ways to steal your Medicare number. How each trick works and how to spot false charges.
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Guide Phone scams
Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams: If You Must Pay, It's Fake
You 'won' but must pay fees or taxes first? That's a scam. How fake prize calls, letters and texts work, and what real sweepstakes never ask.
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Guide Phone scams
Timeshare Resale and Exit Scams: Upfront Fees Are the Tell
Callers say they have a buyer for your timeshare or can get you out of it, for a fee. How timeshare resale and exit scams work and what to check.
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Guide Phone scams
Utility Shutoff Scams: 'Pay Now or Lose Power' Calls
Callers threaten to shut off power or water today unless you pay by gift card, app or crypto. How utility scams work and how to check your bill.
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Guide Romance
Signs of a Romance Scammer: 9 Red Flags to Know
How romance scammers find you, build trust and ask for money or crypto. Nine warning signs, how to check a profile, and where to report.
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Guide Social media
WhatsApp Scams: Fake Investment Groups and Strangers' Chats
WhatsApp is where many social media scams start. How fake investment groups and friendly strangers work, and how to report and block them in the app.
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Guide Tech support
Fake Geek Squad, Norton and McAfee Renewal Emails
An email says your antivirus or Geek Squad plan just renewed and lists a number to call for a refund. It is a tech support scam. Here is what to do.
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Guide Tech support
Phantom Hacker Scam: The 3-Step Con That Empties Savings
A fake tech support agent, a fake bank official and a fake government agent work together to move your savings to a 'safe' account. How to stop it.
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Guide Text message scams
Job Scams: Fake Recruiters and 'Task' Jobs That Cost You
Texts offering easy remote work, 'task' jobs that require deposits and recruiters asking for fees. How job scams work and how to check an offer.
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Guide Text message scams
Wrong Number Text Scam: Why You Shouldn't Reply
A friendly text meant for 'someone else' can be the first step of a romance or investment scam. Why it's safe to ignore it and what to do instead.
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Guide Bank & Zelle
Credit and Debit Card Scams: Fake Fraud Alerts and Texts
Fake fraud alerts by text and phone trick people into giving up card details or moving money. See examples, the red flags, and how to dispute a charge.
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Guide Email & phishing
Is a Scammer Using Your Email Address? (Email Spoofing)
Friends getting scam emails from your address? Learn the difference between a spoofed and a hacked account, how to check, and how to lock it down.
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Guide Email & phishing
Phishing Email Examples and 7 Red Flags to Spot
See what phishing emails look like — fake billing holds, invoices, security alerts and refunds — and the 7 red flags that give them away.
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Guide Investment & crypto
Trading Scam Red Flags: Fake Apps and 'Guaranteed' Returns
Fake trading apps show big profits, then demand 'taxes' before you can withdraw. Learn the red flags of trading scams and how to check an investment first.
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Guide Phone scams
Caller ID Spoofing: Why Scammers Can Fake Any Number
Scammers can make any name or number show on caller ID — your bank, a government agency, even your own number. How spoofing works and how to stay safe.
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Guide Social media
Facebook Scams: Fake Profiles, Marketplace and Messenger
More money is lost to scams that start on Facebook than on any other social platform, the FTC says. How fake ads, hacked friends and Messenger scams work.
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Guide Delivery & toll texts
USPS Text Scam: USPS Will Never Send You This Text
Postal Inspectors say USPS only texts people who asked for tracking, and never with a link. See the fake text, a 5-question check and how to report it.
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Guide Family emergency
AI Scams: Voice Cloning, Deepfakes and Your Family
Scammers use AI to copy a loved one's voice, fake video calls and write flawless messages. How AI scams work, the warning signs, and a family safe word.
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Guide Government impostors
Social Security Scams: Calls, Texts and Emails to Watch For
Fake Social Security calls, texts and 'statement' emails threaten suspended numbers and arrest. The four signs of a scam and what the real SSA won't do.