How to Tell if Something Is a Scam: Texts, Calls, Emails and Websites

You can usually tell something is a scam by what it asks you to do, not by how real it looks. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists four signs: the sender pretends to be from an organization you know, says there is a problem or a prize, pressures you to act immediately, and tells you to pay in a specific way. A familiar name, a matching caller ID or flawless spelling does not show that a message is real. The FTC says caller ID "is easy to fake," and federal cybersecurity guidance notes that in the era of AI "some emails will now have perfect grammar and spelling."

The reliable way to check is to step outside the message. Do not use the link, phone number or reply option it gave you. Look up the company or agency yourself, on a statement, the back of your card, or a website you type in, and contact them that way. In the FTC's words: "Don't call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID." The sections below show the tells and the check for each channel: a text, an email, a phone call, a website, a QR code, a social media message or ad, and a request to pay. If you already clicked, paid or shared information, go to the last section first.

Information last verified on October 3, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This page is a practical guide built on published US federal agency guidance: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It notes the federal wire fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1343, in one line. It does not cover state fraud laws, your legal rights to a refund, or scams outside the United States; for those, see the scams and fraud hub and the guides linked below.

The four signs that apply to every channel

Whatever the channel, the FTC's guide How To Avoid a Scam names the same four signs:

1. "Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know."
2. "Scammers say there's a PROBLEM or a PRIZE."
3. "Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately."
4. "Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way."

Two more FTC lines work as tests on their own. First: "Honest organizations won't call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers." Second: "Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer."

The scams and fraud hub explains each sign in more depth. This page applies them to the place the message actually reached you.

The stakes are real. In a March 2026 press release about its testimony to the Joint Economic Committee, the FTC said that in 2025 it received 3 million fraud reports from consumers, who reported $15.9 billion in losses.

Quick check: the tell and the test for each channel

A text message

The FTC's guidance on spam texts is blunt: "Legitimate companies won't ask for information about your account by text." Its phishing guide adds that "legitimate companies won't email or text with a link to update your payment information." A text that asks you to confirm account details, log in through a link, or update a card number fails both tests.

The danger is the link. The FTC warns that "Some links might take you to a spoofed website that looks real but isn't. If you log in, the scammers then might steal your username and password."

The FTC's April 2025 Data Spotlight on 2024 reports named the five most-reported text scams:

• Fake package delivery problems
• Phony job offers, including task scams
• Fake fraud alerts from a bank
• Bogus unpaid-toll notices
• "Wrong number" texts

Two of those deserve a closer look because they don't feel like scams at first. With fake fraud alerts, the FTC says "People who reply are connected to the (fake) fraud department for 'help' fixing the made-up problem. These scammers quickly up the ante, often telling people all their money is at risk." With wrong-number texts, the FTC calls replying to tell a stranger they have the wrong number "A simple act of kindness" that "can be the start of a very costly scam." The same spotlight reported $470 million in losses to text scams in 2024, which the FTC said was more than five times the 2020 number.

How to check it yourself: don't tap the link and don't reply. The FTC says: "If you think the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Not the information in the text message." For a toll or delivery notice, that means opening the toll agency's or carrier's site by typing the address yourself, or using an app you already had. Our phishing, smishing and vishing guide walks through the toll, delivery and bank-alert scripts in detail.

What to do with the text: the FTC lists three ways to report it. "Copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages in the future." Report it on the messaging app you use. And report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC also notes that "Your phone may have an option to filter and block spam or messages from unknown senders."

An email

The FTC's phishing guide uses a sample scam email to show the tells. Its signs: "The email has a generic greeting." "The email says your account is on hold because of a billing problem." "The email invites you to click on a link to update your payment details."

CISA's guidance on recognizing phishing adds two visual tells: "Incorrect email addresses or links, like amazan.com" and "Untrusted shortened URLs." Look closely at the sender's address and at any link before trusting a familiar logo or company name. CISA also warns that spelling is no longer a reliable test: "A common sign used to be poor grammar or misspellings although in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) some emails will now have perfect grammar and spelling, so look out for the other signs."

If an email bills you for an order or renewal you don't recognize, don't call the number in it. Our guide to tech support and fake invoice scams covers how that one plays out.

How to check it yourself: the FTC suggests one question: "Do I have an account with the company or know the person who contacted me?" If the answer is yes, "contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real," not the contact information in the email. If the answer is no, you have your answer.

What to do with the email: the FTC says "If you got a phishing email, forward it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org," and to report the phishing attempt to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A phone call or voicemail

Don't trust the number on your screen. The FCC defines spoofing as "when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity." It says "Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust." The FCC adds: "You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed."

A scam warning label on your phone is not a complete screen. The FTC's robocall guidance says "Caller ID is easy to fake, so even if it shows that a call is coming from nearby or a company you know, you can't trust it," and "not all scam calls will get flagged."

Tells on a call:

• A demand for payment or personal information out of the blue. The FTC says: "If someone calls you out of the blue and insists you hand over personal information, wire money, put money on a gift card, use a payment app or send cryptocurrency, it's a scam whether the caller says they're from the government or a business."
• Pressure to stay on the line. "If you're on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can't check out their story."
• Credentials that sound official. The FTC warns that scammers "give you an employee ID or badge number or use the name of a real government employee."
• A recorded sales pitch. "If you hear a recorded message from someone trying to sell you something, the call is almost always illegal," the FTC says.
• A threat from a government agency. The FTC states: "The FTC will never threaten you, say you must transfer your money to 'protect it,' or tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold and give it to someone. That's a scam." Our guide to government impersonation scams covers callers posing as the IRS, Social Security, Medicare and law enforcement.

How to check it yourself: hang up and call back on a number you find. The FCC's advice is to "hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request." It also notes: "You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment."

While you are on the line, the FCC says "Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with 'Yes' or 'No.'" If a caller or recording asks you to press a button to stop the calls, the FCC says "you should just hang up." The FTC adds that pressing numbers "will probably only lead to more robocalls."

If the call is from someone who sounds like a family member in trouble, use the same rule: hang up and call that person on the number you already have for them. Our guide to AI voice scam calls explains how scammers use cloned voices and what the law says about them.

What to do with the call: the FTC says to report unwanted and scam calls at DoNotCall.gov, and to "Report the number that received the call, the number on your caller ID, and any number you're told to call back."

A website or online store

Fake stores can reach you through an ad. The FTC's November 2025 shopping alert says scammers "sometimes impersonate real companies and run ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices. But if you click the link in the ad, it could send you to a scammy website designed to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit item, something that looks completely different from the picture in the ad, or nothing at all."

Tells on a website:

• A price that is too good. "If expensive brand-name items are offered for bargain prices, they could be counterfeit or stolen," the FTC says.
• A web address that is almost right. The FBI warns that "A malicious domain name may be similar to the intended URL but with typos or a misplaced letter," and CISA gives the example "amazan.com."
• Reviews you can't rely on. The FTC says "don't rely on star ratings alone because some reviews and ratings are fake or misleading."
• Limited ways to pay. The FTC says "if the seller says you can only pay with a gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency, it's probably a scam."

How to check it yourself: "Before you buy, search online for the seller's name and the website URL the ad sends you to, plus words like 'review,' 'complaint,' or 'scam' to see what others have to say," the FTC advises. Rather than clicking an ad for a brand you know, type the brand's web address yourself. When you buy, the FTC says to "Pay by credit card, when possible."

A QR code

A QR code hides its destination until you scan it, and scammers exploit that. An FBI public service announcement on IC3 (alert I-011822-PSA) warns that "Cybercriminals tamper with both digital and physical QR codes to replace legitimate codes with malicious codes." The FTC's December 2023 alert reports that "There are reports of scammers covering up QR codes on parking meters with a QR code of their own."

Tells with a QR code:

• A sticker on top of a printed code. The FBI says to "ensure the code has not been tampered with, such as with a sticker placed on top of the original code."
• A code you weren't expecting. The FTC says "Don't scan a QR code in an email or text message you weren't expecting," especially one that urges you to act immediately.
• A code that wants you to install something. The FBI's tips include "Do not download an app from a QR code" and "Do not download a QR code scanner app."

How to check it yourself: look at the address before you go further. The FBI says "Once you scan a QR code, check the URL to make sure it is the intended site and looks authentic," and the FTC says "If you see a QR code in an unexpected place, inspect the URL before you open it." For payments, the FBI's advice is to skip the code entirely: "Avoid making payments through a site navigated to from a QR code. Instead, manually enter a known and trusted URL to complete the payment."

What to do if you were caught: the FBI says to report the fraud to your local FBI field office and to IC3 at www.ic3.gov. It is also candid that "Law enforcement cannot guarantee the recovery of lost funds after transfer," which is why contacting your bank or card company quickly matters.

A social media message or ad

Social media makes it easy to pose as someone else. The FTC's October 2023 Data Spotlight says scammers "can easily manufacture a fake persona, or hack into your profile, pretend to be you, and con your friends," and that "scammers who place ads can even use tools available to advertisers to methodically target you based on personal details."

Shopping is the most common trap. The same spotlight said the most frequently reported fraud loss in the first half of 2023 came from people who tried to buy something marketed on social media (44% of all social media fraud loss reports), that most of those reports were about undelivered goods, and that "these scams most often start with an ad on Facebook or Instagram."

Tells on social media:

• A friend or relative asking for money or a code, especially in a new or unusual way. Their account may have been hacked.
• A new contact who builds a relationship and then raises money. The FTC describes romance scammers as using fake profiles, building relationships, then asking for money. See our guide to romance scams.
• An ad for a well-known brand at a price far below normal, which sends you to a site you don't recognize.
• An unexpected job offer. The FTC lists phony job offers, including task scams, among the most-reported text scams. See job and task scams.

How to check it yourself: if a friend asks for money, call or text them at the number you already have, not through the account that messaged you. For an ad, go to the brand's own website by typing the address, and search the seller's name plus "scam" or "complaint" before you buy.

A request to pay

How someone asks you to pay may be the clearest tell of all. The FTC's July 2026 consumer alert, "A way to spot scams: how someone asks you to pay," says scammers "always ask you to pay in ways that make it difficult to get your money back. Anyone who says you can only pay in one of these ways is probably a scammer." The same alert, dated July 22, 2026, says that "last year" people reported more than $4 billion in total losses to scams where they paid with bank transfers and cryptocurrency.

The FTC's core rule: "Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone."

Specific payment tells:

• Gift cards. "No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them," the FTC says. The scammer "might stay on the phone with you while you go to the store," and the FTC's advice is: "If this happens to you, hang up." See gift card scams.
• Payment apps and bank transfers. The FTC lists a payment app among the methods scammers insist on, and its July 2026 alert names bank transfers alongside cryptocurrency. See Zelle and payment app scams.
• Moving money to keep it safe. The FTC says: "Don't believe anyone who says you have to quickly move your money to 'protect' it. Anyone who tells you that is a scammer."
• A check with a send-back. Anyone who sends you a check and asks you to return part of it is following a known pattern. See money mule and fake check scams.

How to check it yourself: the FTC says "Never send money to anyone who says you can only pay with a specific payment method, no matter what reason they give you." If the payment might be legitimate, contact the company or agency through a number you look up and ask how it accepts payment. When you can choose, the FTC says to "Pay by credit card whenever possible. Credit cards offer more protections and give you the option to dispute charges."

The universal rule: contact them yourself before you pay or share anything

Every check above comes down to one habit. Before you pay anyone or share any personal information, contact the company or agency yourself, using a phone number or website you look up independently. The FTC puts it this way: "Don't click on links or call phone numbers in unexpected messages. If you think the message could be real, verify the story. Contact the organization in question using a phone number, website, or email address you know is real."

1. Stop. Don't tap the link, call the number, scan the code or reply. Hang up if you are on the phone.
2. Find the contact yourself. Use the number on your account statement or the back of your card, or type the official website address. The FCC also lists the phone book and the agency's website.
3. Ask them directly. Tell them what the message said and ask whether it came from them.
4. Take your time. Anyone who will not let you check is answering the question for you. As the FTC says, honest businesses give you time to decide.
5. Talk it over. The FTC suggests that "Before you do anything else, tell someone," such as a friend, a family member or a neighbor.

If you already clicked, paid or shared information

Don't wait, and don't blame yourself; scammers are professionals. What to do depends on what happened.

• You paid. The FTC's advice: "Don't delay if you paid a scammer. Contact the company you used to send money right away." Your rights depend on how you paid; our guide on how to get money back after a scam covers each payment method.
• You shared personal information. The FTC says to "go to IdentityTheft.gov. There you'll see the specific steps to take based on the information that you lost." Our guide to what to do if a scammer has your information goes further.
• You clicked a link or opened an attachment. The FTC says to "update your computer's security software. Then run a scan and remove anything it identifies as a problem." Our phishing guide breaks down the next steps by what you entered.
• You paid with a gift card. The FTC says to "Always keep a copy of your gift card and store receipt." Then contact the card company.

Then report it. The main federal destination is ReportFraud.ftc.gov; where to report a scam lists the right agency for each type.

Are these scams illegal?

Many can be. The federal wire fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1343, covers a scheme to defraud carried out "by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce," punishable by a fine, up to 20 years in prison, or both, rising to up to 30 years and a $1,000,000 fine when the violation affects a financial institution or involves disaster or emergency benefits. Prosecution is separate from getting your money back, which is why the payment-company steps above come first. The scams and fraud hub covers the law and links a guide for every state.

Not sure about a specific call, text or offer? The Is this a scam? checker asks a few questions and shows which warning signs match. Your answers stay in your browser.

Related guides

• Scams and fraud: what to do, how to get money back, where to report
• Phishing, smishing and vishing: what to do if you clicked
• Government impersonation scams
• Tech support and fake invoice scams
• Zelle and payment app scams
• Gift card scams
• AI voice scam calls
• Where to report a scam
• How to get money back after a scam
• Utility Scams
• Grandparent Scams and Family Emergency Scams
• Medicare and Health Insurance Scams
• Online Shopping and Marketplace Scams
• Charity and Disaster Scams
• Debt Relief and Student Loan Forgiveness Scams
• Home Repair and Contractor Scams
• Mail Theft and Check Washing

Last updated: October 3, 2026.

Disclaimer: This guide provides general legal information based on US federal agency guidance as verified on October 3, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your bank, card issuer or payment company, the agency named above, or a lawyer licensed in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you tell if a text is a scam?

The FTC says legitimate companies won't ask for information about your account by text, and won't text a link to update your payment information. Don't tap the link; contact the company through a number or website you know is real, and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).

How do I know if a phone call is really from my bank or the government?

You often can't tell during the call, because the FCC says scammers falsify caller ID. Hang up and call the number on your account statement or the official website. The FCC says you will usually get a written statement in the mail first if a legitimate caller wants payment.

Can a scam email have perfect spelling and grammar?

Yes. CISA guidance says poor grammar used to be a common sign, but in the era of AI some scam emails have perfect grammar and spelling. Check the sender address and links for lookalike names such as amazan.com, and ask whether you have an account with the company at all.

How do I check if a website is legit before buying?

The FTC suggests searching the seller's name and the web address plus words like review, complaint or scam, being wary of brand-name goods at bargain prices, and paying by credit card when possible. A seller who accepts only gift cards, wires, payment apps or crypto is probably a scam, the FTC says.

Is it safe to scan a QR code?

Check first. The FBI says to look at the web address after scanning, to check printed codes for a sticker placed over the original, and not to pay through a site reached by a QR code; type a known, trusted address instead. The FTC says not to scan codes in unexpected emails or texts.

What payment methods do scammers ask for?

The FTC says never to pay someone who insists you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card, and never to deposit a check and send money back. Credit cards offer more protections and let you dispute charges, the FTC says.

What is the single best way to avoid a scam?

Contact the company or agency yourself before you pay or share anything, using a phone number or website you look up independently. The FTC says not to call a number the caller gave you or the number from your caller ID.

What should I do if I already sent money to a scammer?

Contact the company you used to send the money right away, as the FTC advises, and ask it to stop or reverse the payment. Then report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your rights to a refund depend on how you paid.