Scam safety guides
Plain-language guides to the scams people meet most, what the latest official numbers say, and exactly what to do before and after. Each one is sourced, dated, and written to be shared. New here? Start with the three complete guides.
Complete guides
Types of scams in 2026: the complete guide to every common scam, the warning signs, and what to do
One page that covers every major scam Americans meet today: how each works, the sign that gives it away, what to do in the moment, and the official figures behind it. Updated September 2026.
What to do if you have been scammed: the complete recovery guide, by what happened
Paid a scammer, shared a code, given remote access, or sent your Social Security number? The exact steps in order, by payment method and by what was exposed, with the deadlines that matter.
Scam glossary: 70 scam and fraud terms explained in plain English
From phishing and smishing to pig butchering, money mules, and SIM swapping: short, accurate definitions of the words used by scammers, banks, and investigators, with links to what to do about each.
Start here
Scam statistics: what the latest FTC and FBI numbers actually say
Americans reported losing $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025. Here are the official figures, what they mean, where they come from, and how to quote them correctly.
How to tell if a text message is a scam: 9 signs and a 60 second check
Text messages are now the most common way scammers reach people. Learn the nine signs, see marked-up examples, and know exactly what to do with a suspicious text.
How to check if a link is safe without clicking it
Learn to read any web address in ten seconds: find the real domain, spot the five common tricks, and know what a padlock does and does not prove.
How to talk to your parents about scams without starting an argument
A practical script for adult children: what to say, what not to say, the five things to set up together in 30 minutes, and what to do if a parent has already lost money.
After a scam
How to get your money back after a scam, by payment method
What you can recover depends on how you paid and how fast you act. A step-by-step guide for cards, bank transfers, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, wires, gift cards, crypto, cash, and checks.
How to report a scam: who to tell, in what order, and what happens next
A complete U.S. reporting directory: your bank, the FTC, the FBI's IC3, IdentityTheft.gov, your state attorney general, and the right agency for each type of scam.
Recovery scams: how people who were scammed get targeted a second time
After a loss, the next call is often from someone promising to get your money back for a fee. Here is how recovery scams work, the signs, and the only real routes to a refund.
Gave a scammer your information? Freeze your credit and lock down your accounts
A checklist for the hour, the day, and the week after sharing a password, a code, your Social Security number, or access to your device, including how credit freezes and fraud alerts work.
Payment scams
Gift card scams: why scammers want them and what to do if you bought one
Anyone who tells you to pay with a gift card is a scammer. How the scam works, the scripts they use, what stores and card issuers can do, and the steps to take in the first hour.
Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App scams: how they work and how to stay safe
Payment apps move money like cash: instantly and usually for good. The most common scams, the settings worth changing today, and what to do in the minutes after a bad payment.
Crypto investment scams: how the long con works, from first message to fake profits
Investment scams took more money than any other fraud in 2025. A stage-by-stage guide to the fake trading platform scam, the signs at each step, and what to do if you are already in.
Impersonation
Government impersonation scams: Social Security, IRS, Medicare, and fake arrest threats
People reported losing about $920 million to government impersonators in 2025. What real agencies will never do, the scripts scammers use, and where to verify and report.
Unpaid toll text scams: E-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak, and what to do with the text
A text says you owe a small toll and must pay today to avoid a late fee. Why almost everyone gets these, how to tell a real toll notice from a fake, and how to check what you owe safely.
AI voice cloning scams: when the caller sounds exactly like someone you love
A few seconds of audio is enough to imitate a voice. How family emergency scams now work, why a familiar voice is no longer proof, and the family plan that still beats them.
Invoice and payroll fraud: how business email compromise drains small organizations
A supplier's bank details change, the CEO needs an urgent transfer, an employee updates their direct deposit. How business email compromise works and the simple controls that stop it.
Relationships, homes, and giving
Romance scams: the warning signs, the scripts, and how to help someone who is in one
They never ask for money at the start. How online relationship scams build trust, the excuses and requests that give them away, how to check a profile, and what to say to a friend who will not listen.
Rental scams: fake listings, deposits for homes you cannot see, and how to check a landlord
The listing is real, the price is great, and the owner is out of town. How rental listing scams work, a checklist before you pay anything, and what to do if you already sent a deposit.
Charity scams: how to check a charity in five minutes and give safely after a disaster
Fake charities appear within hours of every disaster. How to verify an organization, the payment methods to refuse, what crowdfunding does and does not guarantee, and how to give so the money arrives.
QR code scams: parking meters, packages, and emails, and how to scan safely
A QR code is just a link you cannot read until you scan it. Where fake codes turn up, how to preview the address before opening it, and what to do if you paid through one.
Blackmail emails and sextortion: what is a bluff, what is not, and what to do
An email says you were recorded and demands bitcoin. Or someone you met online threatens to share your photos. How to tell the mass-mailed bluff from a real threat, and the steps that protect you.