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Any phone • Scams • 10–15 minutes

How to spot a scam

The golden ruleThe golden rule: if someone creates URGENCY and asks for MONEY or PERSONAL INFORMATION, stop. It is almost certainly a scam. A real company will never rush you, and it will wait while you check.
Scammers try to scare you or rush you. Their goal is always the same: your money or your personal information. This guide shows you how to recognize them, wherever they show up: in a text, in an email, in a pop-up on your screen, or in a phone call. Take your time. Nothing in this guide can hurt your phone.

  1. Scam texts: messages pretending to be a company

    Common ones: Fake package-delivery texts that say "your package is on hold, tap to reschedule." Fake fraud alerts pretending to be your bank. Fake toll-road bills. A "wrong number" text that turns friendly, then starts asking for money or cryptocurrency. Threats pretending to be the IRS or another government office.

    Red flags: The text comes from an unknown number, or from a strange long number instead of a name. It pressures you to act NOW. It includes a link. And the link’s address is not the real company’s website. Real companies text from short codes or verified senders, and their links go to their real website address.

    What to do: Do NOT tap the link. If the text claims to be your bank or a delivery company, open that company’s own app, or type their real website address into your browser yourself, and check there. Then delete the text.

    Report and block it on iPhone: Open the text. Tap the number at the top of the screen, tap Info, then tap Report Junk. Why: reporting helps your carrier block the scammer’s number for everyone.

    Report and block it on Samsung or Pixel: Open the text. Tap the three dots, tap Block, and check "Report spam" before you confirm. Why: reporting helps your carrier block the scammer’s number for everyone.

  2. Scam emails: messages pretending to be a company you trust

    Common ones: Fake "security alert" or "your account will be closed" emails pretending to be Apple, Google, or Facebook. Fake invoices or receipts for things you never bought. Prize and lottery "wins." Password-reset emails you never asked for.

    Red flags: Tap the sender’s NAME to reveal the REAL email address. If it is not from the company’s real domain, for example not @apple.com, it is fake. Watch for a generic greeting like "Dear customer" instead of your name, threats or urgency, and spelling mistakes.

    Check a link before you tap it: Press and hold on any link (or hover over it on a computer) to preview where it really goes before tapping. If the address shown is not the company’s real website, do not tap it.

    What to do: Do NOT tap links and do NOT open attachments. Go to the company’s real website or app yourself, the way you normally would. In Gmail or Apple Mail, mark the message as phishing or spam, so similar messages get filtered next time.

  3. Scam pop-ups: warnings that say your phone has viruses

    What they look like: Full-screen warnings like "Your iPhone has (3) viruses!" or "Your phone is hacked." Fake McAfee, Norton, or Apple warnings inside your web browser. Pop-ups with a phone number and words like "call this number for support."

    The truth: A website CANNOT scan your phone. No real security company warns you through a browser pop-up. These are ads designed to scare you. They are not real warnings, and there is never a real support phone number in a pop-up.

    What to do: Do NOT tap anything inside the pop-up, not even the X button. The X can be fake and start a download. Close the browser tab instead. On iPhone, open Safari, tap the tab switcher (the two overlapping squares), and swipe the bad tab away. On Samsung or Pixel, open Chrome, tap the tab counter (the square with a number), and swipe the bad tab away.

    If it keeps coming back: Clearing the browser’s saved data usually stops it for good. This site has a step-by-step guide for that: Pop-ups and unwanted ads for iPhone, for Google Pixel, and for Samsung Galaxy.

  4. Scams that try to steal your personal information

    The rule: NO legitimate company will ever call, text, or email you asking for your password, your Social Security number, your bank login, or a 6-digit verification code. Anyone who asks is a scammer, even if the caller ID shows a real company’s name. Scammers can fake caller ID.

    Common scripts: "This is your bank’s fraud department, confirm your code." "Your grandchild is in trouble and needs bail money. Don’t tell anyone." "This is the IRS, pay now or be arrested." The real IRS never calls demanding payment.

    What to do: Hang up. Then call the company back yourself, using the number on their official website or the number on the back of your bank card. Never use the number the caller gave you.

  5. Gift card and payment scams

    The rule: If ANYONE tells you to pay with gift cards, such as Apple, Google Play, or Visa gift cards, it is a scam. No real business, government office, or tech support takes gift cards as payment. Ever.

    Also a scam: Being told to wire money, send cryptocurrency, or send money through a cash app to "fix" a problem or "unlock" your account.

    What to do: Stop. Do not buy the cards, and do not send the codes. Once gift card codes are sent, the money is gone and cannot be recovered. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud reporting site, and tell a family member.

  6. The pause test: three questions to ask yourself

    Before you do ANYTHING a stranger asks: pause. Ask yourself three questions: Are they rushing me? Do they want money or personal information? Did I contact them, or did they contact me? If they rushed you, want money or info, and THEY contacted YOU, it is a scam. When in doubt, ask a family member or friend before doing anything. A real company will wait.

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