Scam safety blog

Read clear, source-linked answers to common scam-safety questions.

Practical answers to common questions

These educational articles use a Pause, Verify, Act approach and link to official consumer-protection sources.

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How can I identify scam red flags?

Learn which combinations of urgency, secrecy, unusual payment requests, identity questions, and unverified contact routes should make you pause without assuming every unusual message is fraudulent.

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Links and messages

What should I do before clicking a link?

Use a short safety check for unexpected texts, emails, QR codes, and account alerts.

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Independent verification

How do I know whether a caller is real?

Learn how to end unexpected contact and verify a bank, business, agency, or family request through a trusted route.

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After something happened

What if I already paid or shared information?

Organize the first steps without panic, protect affected accounts, and avoid recovery scams.

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Family support

How can I help someone without blaming them?

Use a calm conversation to stop further contact, understand what happened, and find the right source of help together.

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More scam topics

Ten additional plain-language articles, each linked to official government guidance.

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Texts and messages

What should I do with a suspicious text?

A calm checklist for unexpected texts that ask you to click, pay, reply, or share information.

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A woman checks her phone while holding a bank card

Bank impersonation

How can I check whether a bank alert is real?

Respond to an unexpected alert without giving the sender control of the verification process.

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A cardboard delivery box sitting beside a front door

Package delivery

Is that package delivery text real?

Check a delivery without opening an unexpected link or paying a surprise fee.

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A person opens a dating app on a smartphone

Relationships

What are the warning signs of a romance scam?

Notice when affection turns into secrecy, repeated crises, or requests for money.

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Three people sit around a table during a job interview

Job scams

How can I check whether a job offer is real?

Questions to ask before sharing information, buying equipment, or depositing a check.

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A person views investment charts on a smartphone

Investments

What are the red flags of an investment scam?

Slow down around guaranteed returns, secret opportunities, and unverified professionals.

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Recovery scams

Can someone really recover money lost to a scam?

Recognize upfront fees and guaranteed results after an earlier loss.

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The United States Capitol under a blue sky

Government impersonation

How can I recognize a Social Security impersonation scam?

Respond to threats about your number or benefits through official SSA routes.

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Tax forms arranged with a calculator and pen

Tax scams

How can I verify an unexpected IRS message?

Check a tax-related contact through IRS information you find independently.

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An older couple talks with family members on a video call

Family emergencies

What should I do if a family member calls with an emergency?

Verify a frightening request even when the caller sounds like someone you know.

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