Family and romance scams
A caller or text asks for a donation. How to check the charity
Pressure to donate by phone, text or gift card is a sign of a charity scam. A simple way to check a charity, pay safely and report a fake.
The Editors3 min read
The Editors
Editorial team
Every guide is checked against official consumer warnings and shows its sources and review date.
Articles by The
Code and verification scams
Your phone number can be taken over. How SIM swap fraud works
In a SIM swap, a criminal moves your number to their phone to catch your codes. How it happens, what carriers must now do, and how to protect yourself.
The Editors3 min read
Payment scams
A stranger offers to manage your crypto. Is it real?
A message from an investment manager or friendly stranger promises crypto profits with little risk. How the scam works and the steps that keep your money safe.
The Editors4 min read
Going around now
A caller says the FTC will deactivate your phone number
The FTC warned on 22 October 2026 about callers who say your number is being used for scams, then pass you to a fake police officer. What to do.
The Editors3 min read
Government scams
A caller asks for your Medicare number. Is it real?
Medicare does not call to sell you anything or ask for your number out of the blue. How to spot the fake call, and who to ring to check.
The Editors4 min read
Bank scams
A caller says a courier will collect your cash, gold or card
A caller sends someone to your door to collect cash, gold or a card "for safekeeping". Why this is a scam, and the simple step that ends it.
The Editors4 min read
Code and verification scams
Your phone keeps asking you to approve a login. What now?
Repeated approval prompts on your phone, or a caller who asks you to tap approve, are a sign that someone has your password. What to do, step by step.
The Editors4 min read
How to check
How to help a parent who keeps getting scam calls
Kind, practical ways to support a parent who is getting scam calls, from call blocking to a calm plan for the next call, without taking away their independence.
The Editors4 min read
Family and romance scams
A call sounds exactly like your son or grandchild. Is it cloned?
Scammers can copy a voice from a short clip and use it in a family emergency call. How the call goes, what the FBI and FTC advise, and how to check.
The Editors4 min read
How to check
How to set a family safe word
A family safe word is a simple way to confirm a caller really is your grandchild or child. How to choose one, share it and use it calmly.
The Editors4 min read
Tech support scams
An email says your subscription renewed. Should you call?
A message says you have been charged for a renewal and must call to cancel. How fake renewal and invoice emails work, and what to do instead of calling.
The Editors4 min read
Payment scams
A recruiter texts you a job offer you never applied for
A text or email offers a remote job, a check or training fees. How fake job offers work, the signs to look for, and how to check a real employer.
The Editors4 min read
Going around now
Getting transferred to a fake SSA OIG agent mid-call? This is going around right now.
A call transfers you to a fake Social Security Inspector General agent. This pattern is going around right now.
The Editors3 min read
Payment scams
A rental listing looks too good. How to check it
Fake rental and marketplace listings ask for a deposit before you see the place. The red flags, a simple checking routine, and what to do if you paid.
The Editors3 min read
How to check
Already gave out a code, or let someone into your computer? Do this now.
You gave out a code or let someone into your computer. The steps to take right now, in the right order.
The Editors2 min read
Going around now
Callers pose as police or officials. The FBI's September 2026 alert
The FBI warned on 17 September 2026 about scammers posing as police and officials. What they say, what authorities never do, and how to report.
The Editors3 min read
Tech support scams
A call or text says there is a problem with your Amazon account
A caller claims a suspicious Amazon purchase and passes you to your bank or the FTC. How the script runs, and the steps that stop it.
The Editors4 min read
How to check
Would a real government agency actually call you like this?
How to tell whether a call from a government agency is real, and what to do if it is not.
The Editors2 min read
Government scams
A call says there is a problem with your visa or immigration case
A caller claims to be from USCIS or immigration and asks for money or details. How these calls work, what the agencies say, and how to check safely.
The Editors4 min read
Going around now
A call says you missed jury duty. Going around now
The FTC warned in June 2026 about calls, texts and emails that threaten arrest for missed jury duty and send a fake warrant. What is true and what to do.
The Editors3 min read
How to check
Is this really your bank calling?
How to tell whether a call from your bank is real, in five steps you can do in a few minutes.
The Editors3 min read
Going around now
A QR code on a parking meter may be fake. Going around now
The FTC warned in September 2026 that scammers place their own QR codes over real ones on parking meters. How to check before you scan and what to do after.
The Editors3 min read
How to check
How to report a scam in Saudi Arabia
What to do if a call, text or link in Saudi Arabia looks like fraud. Contact your bank's fraud line, stay with official sources and keep records.
The Editors4 min read
How to check
How to report a scam in the UAE
Where to report a scam call, text or message in the UAE, from the eCrime and Aman services to the MoI app and 999, plus what to do first.
The Editors4 min read