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Is this a scam?

Paste a text message, an email or a link. We look for the warning signs scammers use, and tell you in plain words what to do next.

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Drawing: a phone showing a text message with a strange link, a magnifying glass over the link, and red, amber and green lightsUSPS
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Check a message

Or try an example:

Private: we never save or log what you paste. The quick check runs on your own device. Tip: you can delete names, account numbers or passwords before you paste. They are not needed.

If it is a scam: report it, and get help

Worried about your bank account? Call your bank using the number on the back of your card or on a statement, never the number in the message. Ask them to watch your account.

Report it to the FTCReportFraud.ftc.gov: for any scam, fraud or bad business practice.Report an online scam to the FBIic3.gov: the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.Forward a scam text to 7726That spells SPAM. Your phone company uses it to block the sender.Forward a scam emailTo reportphishing@apwg.org, as the FTC suggests.Age 60 or older? Call 833-FRAUD-11The National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.Gave out personal details?IdentityTheft.gov makes a recovery plan with you, step by step.

The FTC also explains what to do if you were scammed, including how to try to get money back from gift cards, wire transfers and payment apps.

The warning signs, at a glance

If a message, a call or a pop-up says any of these, stop and check.

  • "Hurry! Act now!""Act now", "within 24 hours" or "final notice": scammers rush you so you do not stop to think or ask someone.
  • "Pay with gift cards"Real companies and government offices never ask to be paid with gift cards. Scammers ask for them because the money cannot be traced or returned.
  • "Use a Bitcoin machine"Being told to put cash into a "Bitcoin ATM" or crypto kiosk is a scam every time. Money sent this way cannot be taken back.
  • "Send it by Zelle or Cash App"Money sent by these apps is like handing over cash. A bank or a company will not ask you to send money to "fix" a problem or to yourself.
  • "Tell us the code we sent"Never share a code that was sent to your phone or email. Anyone who asks for it is trying to get into your account.
  • "Your account is locked"Messages about a "locked", "suspended" or "limited" account, or "unusual activity", are the most common way scammers get people to click.
  • "You won a prize"If you have to pay to get a prize, it is a scam. Real prizes are free, and you cannot win a contest you did not enter.
  • "Your computer has a virus"Warnings that your device is infected or locked, with a number to call, are fake. Microsoft and Apple do not show phone numbers in warnings or call you.
  • "Don't tell anyone""Don't tell anyone" or "don't tell the bank" is how scammers stop you from getting help. Tell someone you trust.
  • A link that is almost rightpaypa1.com, amazon-account-verify.co, usps.com-track.top: one wrong letter or extra words mean it is not the real company.

Scams going around now

The newest warnings from the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI, in their own words. Checked October 5.

  1. FTCFederal Trade Commission

    What to know ahead of Open Enrollment to avoid health insurance scams

    Read the FTC alert

  2. FBIFBI · Internet Crime Complaint Center

    Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes

    Read the FBI warning

  3. FTCFederal Trade Commission

    Scammers are impersonating farm equipment businesses

    Read the FTC alert

See all the latest scam warnings

Sources: FTC consumer alerts and FBI IC3 public service announcements. Public information from the U.S. government; the titles and excerpts are theirs.

Questions people ask

Is what I paste saved anywhere?

No. Sureno does not save or log the message. The quick check runs in your own browser. If you ask for the AI explanation, the text goes to our AI service to be read, with long numbers, phone numbers and email names hidden first, and it is not kept by Sureno.

Can the check be wrong?

Yes. It looks for the signs scammers use most, and a clever scam can avoid them. A green result means we found no common signs, not that the message is safe. If it asks for money, a code or a password, check another way first.

What if I already clicked the link or paid?

Call your bank or card company now using the number on your card. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you gave out personal details, IdentityTheft.gov helps you make a recovery plan.

Who made the rules?

They follow public advice from the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, CISA and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

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