Updated 20 October 2026
Spot the scam: take-home rules
Keep this after the talk. A familiar voice or official-looking name does not prove who contacted you. Pause before paying or replying.
- We never pay by gift card, crypto or wire when someone contacts us and asks for money.
- Hang up and check. Call the number on the card or the official website. Never use a link or callback number from the message.
- Keep codes and passwords private. Real banks, the IRS, Social Security and Medicare never need you to share a password or one-time code with an unexpected caller.
- Slow down. Scammers rush us. A threat, a familiar voice or caller ID is not proof. Take time to check.
- Tell a family member before sending money. No urgent caller gets to make us keep a payment secret.
Our family code word: ________________
Choose it privately. Ask for it without saying it. Still call your relative on a saved number. Keep this completed sheet out of shared photos.
Check a message free
odilelabs.com/is-this-a-scam gives a second opinion. Remove names, account details, passwords and codes before pasting. A result cannot prove a message is safe. Verify independently.
If you already paid
Call your bank or payment provider now, using a known number. Say it was fraud. Ask if the payment can be stopped or reversed. Keep messages and receipts. Do not pay anyone promising to recover your money.
Where to report in the United States
- Scams: reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Scam texts: forward the message to 7726 (SPAM), then report and block it in your messaging app.
- Internet fraud: ic3.gov.
Reporting does not guarantee recovery. For immediate danger, call 911. You can tell someone you trust, even if you already sent money.
Sources: FTC: recovery steps · FTC: reporting scam texts · FBI: IC3.
