Question 1

What is a phishing emails & texts and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake messages from banks, government, or companies you trust. Red flags to watch for: urgent language: "your account will be suspended in 24 hours"; generic greeting: "Dear Customer" instead of your name.

Question 2

What is a romance & pig-butchering scams and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake relationships built over weeks or months, ending in financial exploitation. Red flags to watch for: they refuse or always cancel video calls; the relationship moves unusually fast ("I love you" within weeks).

Question 3

What is a marketplace & payment scams and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake buyers and sellers on Facebook, eBay, Craigslist, and more. Red flags to watch for: price is too good to be true (50%+ below market value); they want to move the conversation off the platform ("text me instead").

Question 4

What is a government & authority impersonation and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake calls or texts from the IRS, SSA, police, or courts. Red flags to watch for: the IRS will NEVER call you demanding immediate payment; Social Security will NEVER threaten to suspend your number.

Question 5

What is a tech support scams and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake pop-ups or calls claiming your computer has a virus. Red flags to watch for: Microsoft, Apple, and Google will NEVER call you about a virus; legitimate virus alerts don't include phone numbers to call.

Question 6

What is a job & employment scams and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake remote job offers that steal your identity or money. Red flags to watch for: hired immediately with no interview or background check; pay seems too high for the work described.

Question 7

What is a student & financial aid scams and how do I spot one?

Accepted Answer

fake FAFSA, scholarship, and tuition scams targeting college students. Red flags to watch for: any scholarship that charges an application fee; emails from non-.edu domains claiming to be your university.

learn to spot scams
before they spot you.

scam guides

knowledge is good. protection is better.

learn to spot scamsbefore they spot you.

scam guides

knowledge is good. protection is better.

learn to spot scams
before they spot you.