How to Spot and Avoid Common Scams

Last updated November 4, 2026 · 6 minute read

Many scams follow one pattern: someone you did not expect claims a problem or a prize, pushes you to act now, and wants payment that is hard to undo, such as gift cards, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency. To avoid one, stop, never share codes, and check the story with a number or website you look up yourself. Talk to someone you trust. If you have already paid, contact your bank or card company at once, then report it.

What do many scams have in common?

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC, 2023) lists four signs of a scam. A fifth, secrecy, shows up in family emergency scams. In plain words:

• Pretending: the contact says it is your bank, a government agency, a company you know or a relative.
• A problem or a prize: a locked account, a debt, a relative in trouble, or a win.
• Pressure: act now, stay on the phone, or face arrest or legal action.
• An unusual way to pay: gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, crypto, or depositing a check and sending money back.
• Secrecy: they tell you to keep it secret (FTC, 2023).

What do common scams look like?

Common types, and what gives each away:

• Phishing texts and emails: a message that seems to come from your bank or another business you use tells a story, such as suspicious activity, to get you to click a link (FTC, 2022).
• Fake bank or government calls: a caller says your money is at risk (FTC, 2026). A real government worker will not tell you to move your money to keep it safe (FTC, 2025).
• Tech support: a pop-up or caller claims a virus and asks for remote access. The FTC (2025) says genuine security alerts do not ask you to dial a number.
• Romance: a new online partner says it is true love, cannot meet in person, then asks for money (FTC, 2022).
• Investment: promises of big, quick or guaranteed profit with little risk (FTC, 2023).
• A relative in trouble: someone says a family member urgently needs money. Some scammers copy a loved one's voice, so a familiar voice is not proof (FTC, 2023).
• Fake jobs: you pay for training or a starter kit, or deposit a check and use some of the money. A genuine employer does not make you pay to be hired (FTC, 2023).
• Selling online: a buyer overpays by check and asks for the difference back. The check is fake, and the bank will expect you to repay it (FTC, 2025).

What should you do before you pay or share anything?

The UK's Stop! Think Fraud campaign says to stop, think and check, and the FTC warns that scammers hurry you so you cannot think. Steps that help:

• Stop. Say you will call back on a number you already have, then hang up. Real businesses let you take your time (FTC, 2023).
• Check it yourself. Use the official app or website, or the number on your card or statement. Caller ID can be faked (FTC, 2023), and scammers buy search ads that show fake numbers (FTC, 2026).
• Guard your codes. The FTC (2026) says never to tell anyone a verification code and never to let anyone control your phone or computer remotely.
• Refuse odd payments. If someone insists on gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or crypto, do not pay (FTC, 2023).
• Ask someone you trust. Talk it over with a friend, relative or neighbor before you act (FTC, 2023).
• Check the offer. Search the company name plus scam or complaint. Before investing, check the firm is registered; in the US, the FTC (2023) points to Investor.gov.
• Avoid common mistakes: trusting a caller who knows your details, using the number in a message, paying a fee to collect a prize (FTC, 2025), and staying silent out of embarrassment.

What if you have already paid or shared details?

Act fast. The FTC (2026) says money may already be gone, but you should ask the company you paid with whether it can be returned.

Keep documents, receipts and copies of messages. Be wary of anyone who promises to recover your money: scammers often target victims again that way, so never pay for a recovery (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 2026).

Steps by situation, from the FTC (2022 and 2026):

• Card, bank transfer or payment app: tell your card company, bank or the app at once and ask for a refund or reversal.
• Gift card: contact the card company at once, say you were tricked into handing over the number and PIN, and keep the card and receipt.
• Crypto: contact the exchange or crypto ATM operator and say it was fraud. Recovery can be hard, because crypto lacks the protections cards have.
• Password or login: change it everywhere you used it, then turn on two-factor authentication.
• Remote access or a harmful link: update your security software, run a scan and change your passwords.

Where can you report a scam?

Report even if you lost nothing (FTC, 2023). The FTC (2026) says reports help it build cases and spot trends. GOV.UK warns that some sites imitate official services, so use the addresses below.

• United States: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and IdentityTheft.gov for identity theft (FTC, 2026). For online crime, you can also file with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
• United Kingdom: in England and Wales, Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, online or by phone (Stop! Think Fraud). In Scotland, report to Police Scotland (GOV.UK).
• Canada: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (2025), online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or by phone, plus your local police if you are a victim.
• Australia: the Australian Federal Police (2026) points victims of cybercrime, including online scams, to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au), part of the Australian Cyber Security Centre. Scamwatch (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) collects scam data but does not respond to reports.
• Elsewhere: look for your national fraud or consumer-protection service on an official government website, and tell your local police.

How can you support someone who was scammed?

Anyone can be fooled. In 2021 reports to the FTC, adults aged 18 to 59 were more likely than people 60 and over to report losing money, but people 70 and over reported higher typical losses (FTC, 2022). Scammers use pressure and trust on purpose, so being tricked is not foolish.

If someone tells you, thank them and skip questions like why they did not check. Start with the bank: the FTC (2023) says that however you paid, the sooner you act, the better.

For an older relative, talk before anything happens, as a shared worry, not a test. Ideas that help:

• Agree on a pause rule: no gift cards, transfers or codes until they have talked to you or another trusted person.
• If a caller says a relative is in trouble, hang up and call that person on a known number, or another relative, even if told to keep it secret (FTC, 2023).
• Save their bank's real number in their phone, and help block unwanted calls and texts (FTC, 2023).

When should you get more help?

In the US, IdentityTheft.gov builds a recovery plan if your Social Security number was used (FTC, 2026). In the UK, Stop! Think Fraud lists Victim Support, a charity offering free, confidential help after crime.

Being scammed can bring shame and money stress, and a trusted person, counselor or doctor can help. If a scam leaves you feeling hopeless or unsafe, in the United States call 911 for immediate danger, call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741 to reach Crisis Text Line; elsewhere, use your local emergency number.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. For a large loss, a lawyer or a free money-advice service where you live can explain your options.

What to do next

Choose one step today: save your bank's real number in your phone, turn on two-factor authentication for email and banking, or agree on a pause rule with a relative.

The free Social Influence Science tool in the SOS app explains pressure tactics such as scarcity and authority, with a defense for each, and has a log for pressure you noticed or resisted.

Sources

1. How To Avoid a Scam (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2023)
2. What To Do if You Were Scammed (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2026)
3. How to handle unexpected calls that claim your money is at risk (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2026)
4. How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2022)
5. How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2025)
6. What To Know About Romance Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2022)
7. Investment Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2023)
8. Scammers Use Fake Emergencies To Steal Your Money (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2023)
9. Job Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2023)
10. How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2025)
11. Who experiences scams? A story for all ages (U.S. Federal Trade Commission, 2022)
12. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2026)
13. Avoid and report internet scams and phishing (GOV.UK, 2026)
14. How to spot fraud (Stop! Think Fraud, UK government campaign, 2026)
15. Reporting fraud (Stop! Think Fraud, UK government campaign, 2026)
16. Get support after fraud (Stop! Think Fraud, UK government campaign, 2026)
17. Report fraud and cybercrime (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 2025)
18. What to do if you're a victim of fraud (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 2026)
19. Cybercrime (Australian Federal Police, 2026)