Something feels wrong? Pause and check.

Find out how a scam works, what to verify, and what to do if you have already shared money or information. Keep the family call-safety checklist by the phone.

  • Warning signs
  • Recovery steps
  • Printable checklist
ScamBot Watch: Something feels wrong? Pause and check.

Is it happening right now?

Three checks before sending money
  1. Hang up or close the chat. Pause the payment while you check the story.
  2. Call back on a number you already have. The bank card, the saved contact, the official site. Never the number they gave you.
  3. Check with another trusted contact. For a claimed family emergency, reach another relative or friend if you cannot contact the person directly.

Make a callback plan Check suspicious content

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Scam alerts

The one defense that beats everything

Technology will keep improving the fakes. The defense that does not depend on spotting them is verification through a second channel: hang up and call back on a known number, ask for the family code word, show up in person for big money. Every alert we publish ends there, because it is the only advice that survives every new model.