Look out for
each other.

Warning signs

• Urgency combined with secrecy
• An unexpected money request, even from a familiar-sounding voice
• Payment by transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency

What to do instead

1. Hang up and call your relative using a saved number. Contact another trusted person if you cannot reach them.
2. Agree on a family verification phrase privately. Use it as an extra check, alongside an independent call—not as your only proof.
3. Don’t send money based on a voice alone.

Warning signs

• An unexpected caller asking for codes, a PIN, or a password
• Instructions to move money to fix a supposed security problem
• Pressure to stay on the call while you act

What to do instead

1. End the call. Contact your bank through its official app or the number on your card or statement.
2. Keep sign-in codes private when an unexpected caller asks for them. Read the message that explains the code’s purpose.
3. If you see an unfamiliar credit card charge in your own account, report it to the issuer promptly.

Warning signs

• Threats of immediate arrest or a suspended Social Security number
• Gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a wire demanded to resolve a threat
• An incoming caller asking for sensitive identity information

What to do instead

1. Hang up and verify the issue using contact information from the agency’s official website.
2. The IRS generally begins tax collection contact by mail and may call in some circumstances. It does not demand gift cards or threaten immediate arrest for nonpayment.
3. Social Security does not suspend your number. Report SSA impersonation through SSA.gov/scam, and use IRS.gov for tax scam reporting guidance.

Warning signs

• A pop-up directing you to a supposed support phone number
• A stranger asking for remote access or a connection code
• Banking activity during a supposed computer repair

What to do instead

1. Close the warning and seek help through an independently found support channel. Remote-access apps have legitimate uses, but strangers can misuse them.
2. If you granted access, disconnect the device from the internet. Use another trusted device to contact your bank and secure affected accounts; get help removing the tool and checking for malware.
3. Keep automatic software updates on. Avoid installing software from unsolicited links.

Warning signs

• Guaranteed high returns or pressure to invest quickly
• A new payment demanded to release your money
• Screenshots or an app dashboard presented as proof of returns

What to do instead

1. Check the investment professional through Investor.gov. Registration is one check; it does not guarantee an investment is safe.
2. Don’t send another payment to release funds. Save the messages, transaction records, and platform details.
3. Talk with someone you trust before investing. Report suspected online investment fraud to FBI IC3.

Warning signs

• A request asking you to pay someone who says they paid you
• An unfamiliar invoice with a seller-provided support number
• An upfront payment to ‘flip’ your money

What to do instead

1. Open the app directly and check your own payment activity. Don’t rely on another person’s screenshot.
2. Read who is paying whom. Use official app support to investigate an unfamiliar invoice or request.
3. If money was sent to a scammer, contact the payment service and your bank promptly. Ask what recovery options are available; recovery is not guaranteed.

Warning signs

• A check followed by instructions to send money to a vendor
• A scholarship requiring gift cards to claim it
• A caller requesting your StudentAid.gov password or a fee for guaranteed forgiveness

What to do instead

1. Verify an employer independently. Funds appearing in your account do not prove a deposited check is genuine.
2. Ask a school counselor or college financial aid office to help verify an award.
3. Find federal loan options through your servicer or StudentAid.gov. Keep your account password private; eligibility depends on the program.

Warning signs

• An unexpected delivery text with a look-alike address
• A page asking for an unrelated account password
• A seller insisting on gift card codes

What to do instead

1. Check tracking through the carrier’s official site or app. USPS tracking texts are customer-requested and do not include web links.
2. Don’t assume every carrier fee is fake. Independently verify any payment request through the carrier’s official channels.
3. Check unfamiliar sellers before buying. Don’t send gift card codes to purchase an item.