Scam help: find a safer next step
Use Scrammer to review a suspicious message or request privately, understand common warning signs, and find established sources of local or national help. Scrammer cannot determine whether fraud occurred.
Review the situation
Choose the format that feels easiest. Results explain warning signs and possible next steps; they do not determine whether something is fraudulent.
Common questions about scam help
Start with the situation that is closest to yours. These general educational steps do not replace instructions from a bank, agency, law-enforcement organization, or qualified professional.
Browse all step-by-step scam guidesWhat should I do if a message or call might be a scam?
Pause before paying, clicking, sharing information, or giving device access. End unexpected contact, then locate an official website, account statement, or trusted contact route independently instead of using contact information supplied in the message.
Review the situation privatelyWhat if I already sent money or shared payment information?
Consider contacting the bank or payment provider promptly through contact information you locate independently. Explain what happened and ask what options may be available. Scrammer cannot promise that money will be recovered.
Read the after-sending-money guideWhat if I paid with a gift card?
Keep the card and receipt. Contact the gift card company through its official website or a number printed on the card, explain what happened, and ask what options may be available. Do not share the card number or PIN with anyone else.
Read the gift card scam guideWhat if I clicked a suspicious link?
Close the page and do not enter anything else. The next step depends on whether you entered a password or payment information, downloaded something, or allowed device access.
Read the suspicious-link guideWhere can I report a possible scam?
The appropriate route depends on what happened. Scrammer explains the different roles of the Federal Trade Commission’s ReportFraud service, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, local law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, financial providers, and legal-aid organizations without promising a particular response.
Compare help and reporting routesCan Scrammer tell me whether something is definitely a scam?
No. Scrammer is an educational website, not a fraud detector. Its tools identify possible pressure tactics and help you plan independent verification; similar messages can have different explanations.
Read Scrammer’s limitationsFind a local place to contact
Enter only a city, county, or ZIP code and choose the type of help you need. Your location is not stored or sent.
Current coverage: Scrammer now prioritizes reviewed contacts for Southlake, parts of Tarrant and Denton Counties, Texas statewide routes, Illinois, and parts of Cook County/Chicago. Nationwide directories appear only as labeled backups. Coverage is still expanding, and Scrammer never guesses a local office.
Create a printable next-step plan
Choose one person or organization to contact and one reporting option to review. You can print the result.