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Is this a scam?
You do not need to prove a message is fake before protecting yourself. Answer three quick questions and get the warning signs to look for, a safe way to check it yourself and the guide that fits.
Step 1 of 3
The pattern behind most scams
Four signs to stop and verify.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission groups the warning signs into four. Any one is a reason to pause; two or more together is a strong reason to check through a channel you trust.
They pretend to be someone you know
A bank, a government agency, a familiar company, a charity or a relative. Caller ID, logos and email names can all be faked.
They say there’s a problem or a prize
You owe money, your account is locked, a parcel is stuck, a family member is in trouble — or you have won something that needs a fee to release.
They pressure you to act now
A deadline, a threat of arrest or a fine, or a request to stay on the line stops you from checking with anyone else.
They tell you how to pay
Gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps, or depositing a cheque and sending some of the money back.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre describes the same tactics as five tell-tale signs: authority, urgency, emotion, scarcity and current events — a message tied to the news or the season, such as a tax deadline.
The one habit that works everywhere
Check it without using the message.
You cannot reliably spot a fake by how it looks. You can make the look irrelevant by never using the contact details it gives you.
- Stop.Do not click, call back, pay, reply or read out a code — even if it feels urgent.
- Find the contact yourself.Use the number on your card or bill, the official app, a saved contact or an address you type.
- Ask them directly.“Did you contact me?” A genuine organisation or person can answer that through the channel you chose.
- Tell someone you trust.Saying it out loud to a friend or family member often breaks the spell of urgency.
Start with who contacted you
Find the guide that fits.
Every guide shows what the message can look like, the warning signs, how to verify it and what to do if you already acted. All 22 are in the guide library.
Police, tax office or another government body
A delivery company, toll road or parking service
A family member or friend
A company I use: a shop, software, streaming or phone provider
My employer, a manager, supplier or recruiter
Someone I met online
A prize, giveaway, investment or job offer
A seller, buyer, landlord or booking site
Someone offering to recover money I lost
I’m not sure who it is
Common questions
Before you decide.
Can you check a link, number or message for me?
No, deliberately. Stop & Verify never asks you to paste messages, links or personal details, so there is nothing to store or leak. Instead, the check above points you to a way of confirming the contact through a channel you already trust — and the web-address exercise shows you how to read a link yourself.
Learn to read a web addressWhat if I ignore it and it turns out to be real?
Contacting the organisation yourself loses you very little. A genuine bank, agency or company will still have the record when you call the number you already have, sign in to your account or visit the official website. A real relative will answer the number you have saved.
They knew my name, address or account details. Doesn’t that prove it’s genuine?
No. Personal details can come from data breaches, public profiles or earlier scams. Knowing something about you shows that the sender has information — not who they are. Verify through a separate channel either way.
Should I reply to say I know it’s a scam?
It is safer not to engage. A reply confirms your number or address is active and can invite more attempts. Report it instead, block the sender and delete the message.
Where to report a scamSources