Scam Check · Library

Scam Library

Learn the pattern once — recognize it every time. Each article shows what the scam looks like, the warning signs, and safe ways to verify.

A caller or message claims to be the IRS, Social Security, Medicare, or a local agency and demands payment or personal information.

A text, call, or email pretends to be your bank, warning of a locked account or a suspicious charge.

A pop-up, call, or email claims your device is infected and offers to fix it — for a fee or remote access.

Someone builds an online relationship, then eventually asks for money for an emergency, travel, or an investment.

Guaranteed returns, celebrity endorsements, or a 'coach' who helps you invest — the money disappears when you try to withdraw.

A message that looks like it's from your boss, vendor, or client redirects a payment to a new account.

A frantic caller pretends to be a grandchild, relative, or lawyer and needs money for bail, medical bills, or an accident — right now.

A too-good-to-be-true job offer requires you to pay for equipment or training, or to move money on behalf of the 'employer.'

You won something you never entered — but must pay fees or taxes first.

A fake charity — often appearing right after a disaster — collects donations that never reach victims.

A text says a package can't be delivered until you pay a small fee or update your address.

A fake invoice arrives for antivirus, streaming, or software you never bought — with a phone number to 'cancel.'

A caller demands immediate payment for a debt you don't recognize and threatens arrest or lawsuits.

Callers or messages claim to be the IRS or a state tax authority and demand payment or personal information.

Just before closing, an email 'from your title company' provides new wire instructions that route funds to a scammer.

Buyers or sellers on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App try to overpay, use fake payment screens, or reverse charges.

A message tries to get you to sign in on a look-alike site, or to read back a login code the attacker triggered.

Someone uses your Social Security number, driver's license, or credit history to open accounts or file returns.

After you lose money to a scam, a stranger contacts you claiming they can recover it — for an upfront fee.

A cloned dealership website — sometimes built with AI — takes an upfront payment for a car that doesn't exist.

A fake "scan to pay" sticker placed over a real parking meter's QR code leads to a phishing or payment-theft site.