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Is this a scam?

From the HARD wiki · Updated

If a message pretends to be a company you know, says there’s a problem, rushes you and tells you how to pay, it’s a scam.

Paste it below and HARD checks it in your browser. Then find it by name: each page shows what the message or call looks like, how to tell it’s fake, what to do if you already clicked, called or paid, and the official way to check.

Check a message

Paste what you were sent. HARD checks it in this browser with the same rules as the Is this legit? check in its apps. Nothing you paste leaves this page.

Scams by name

Texts

  • Apple ID scam texts and calls. A text, email or call saying your Apple ID (now called an Apple Account) is locked, your iCloud is full or someone used your Apple Pay, with a link or a number to call, is a scam.
  • Bank of America scam texts. A text that looks like a Bank of America fraud alert, followed by a call from “the fraud department” asking for a code or for you to move money, is a scam.
  • DMV scam texts. A text that says you owe the DMV for a traffic ticket or toll and your licence or registration will be suspended unless you pay through a link is a scam.
  • E-ZPass and toll scam texts. A text that says you owe a small unpaid toll and will be charged a late fee unless you pay through a link is a scam, whichever toll agency it names.
  • FedEx scam texts. A text from an ordinary phone number about a FedEx parcel that needs a fee, an address or your details, with a link, is a scam.
  • USPS scam texts. A text that says USPS is holding a parcel until you confirm your address or pay a small fee, with a link, is a scam.
  • Wrong number text scams. A friendly text from a stranger that seems meant for someone else is often the opening of an investment or romance scam that ends in crypto losses.

Emails and invoices

  • Amazon scam emails, texts and calls. A message or call about an Amazon order you didn’t place, a Prime fee or a locked account, that wants you to click, call back, install software or pay, is a scam.
  • Geek Squad scam emails. An email or text saying you’ve been charged hundreds of dollars to renew a Geek Squad plan, with a phone number to call within 24 hours, is a scam.
  • McAfee scam emails and pop-ups. An email saying your McAfee subscription has renewed or expired, or a pop-up saying your computer is infected, with a number to call or a link, is a scam.
  • Norton renewal scam emails. An email saying your Norton or LifeLock subscription renewed for hundreds of dollars, with a billing number to call to cancel or get a refund, is a scam.
  • PayPal invoice and email scams. A PayPal invoice or money request for something you never ordered, with a note telling you to call a number to dispute it, is a scam, even though it really comes from PayPal’s system.

Calls

  • IRS scam calls. A call from someone saying they’re the IRS, demanding you pay tax right now or face arrest, or offering a refund, is a scam.
  • Publishers Clearing House scams. A call, letter, text or email saying you’ve won a Publishers Clearing House prize but must first pay a fee, tax or delivery charge is a scam.

Payment apps and accounts

  • Cash App scams. Someone from “Cash App support” who asks for your sign-in code, PIN or a payment, or a stranger offering free money if you send a little first, is a scammer.
  • Coinbase scams. A call or text from “Coinbase support” or “security” saying your account is compromised and you must move your crypto to a new wallet or seed phrase is a scam.
  • Instagram scams. A direct message saying your Instagram account will be banned or deleted, an offer of a verification badge, or a “you won” giveaway link is a scam.
  • Venmo scams. A call or text from “Venmo” asking for the code sent to your phone or for money to verify your account, or a stranger who sends you money “by mistake” and asks for it back, is a scam.
  • WhatsApp scams. A WhatsApp message asking for your six-digit code, a relative on a “new number” who needs money urgently, or a recruiter offering pay for simple online tasks is a scam.
  • Zelle scams. A call or text from “your bank” asking you to send money to yourself or a “safe” account with Zelle, or for a code to stop fraud, is a scam.

Buying and selling

  • Black Friday scams 2026. Fake online shops advertise brand-name goods at unusually low prices, then send counterfeit goods or nothing.
  • Facebook Marketplace scams. A Marketplace buyer who asks you to read back a code “to prove you’re real”, overpays, or sends a payment email instead of paying, or a seller who wants a deposit for something you haven’t seen, is a scammer.

Four signs it’s a scam

These are the US Federal Trade Commission’s four signs. One is enough to stop and check.

It pretends to be someone you know.
A bank, a delivery company, a tax office, a shop you use, or a relative on a new number. Caller ID and sender names can be faked.
It says there’s a problem or a prize.
An unpaid toll, a held parcel, a locked account, a charge you didn’t make, a refund, or a win you didn’t enter for.
It pressures you to act now.
Within 24 hours, before a late fee, before your licence is suspended, before the police come. The rush is there to stop you checking.
It tells you how to pay.
Gift cards, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app such as Zelle, Venmo or Cash App, or moving your savings to a “safe” account. No real organisation insists on these.

Where to report a scam

United States
ReportFraud.ftc.gov (the Federal Trade Commission). Internet crime also to the FBI at ic3.gov. Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM).
United Kingdom
Report Fraud, at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040, which replaced Action Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101. Forward scam texts to 7726 and scam emails to [email protected].
Australia
Scamwatch, at scamwatch.gov.au. Call your bank first if money or card details have gone. IDCARE helps if your identity details were taken.
Canada
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca. Forward scam texts to 7726.
Anywhere
Your bank or card company, on the number on the back of your card, as soon as money or card details are involved. Then the company the scam pretended to be, through its own website or app.

For a scam that is happening now, see the Situation Room. For a company that lost your data, see Breaches. Helping a parent? Read Look after your parents.

Questions

How can I tell if a text or email is a scam?

Look for the four signs: it pretends to be an organisation you know, it says there’s a problem or a prize, it pressures you to act now, and it tells you how to pay, often by gift card, crypto, wire or a payment app. Paste it into the check on this page, then contact the company through its own app or a website you type in yourself, never through a link or number in the message.

Is this website legit?

Read the address letter by letter: scam sites use a real brand’s name with an extra word, a different ending or a swapped character. Paste the link into the check on this page and it tells you if the address imitates a brand. Go to the company by typing its address yourself or using its app rather than following a link.

What should I do if I clicked a link in a scam text?

If you only opened the page, close it and don’t enter anything. If you typed in a password, change it on the real site or app now, and anywhere you reused it. If you entered card or bank details, call your bank on the number on the back of your card and ask them to block the card. Then report the message.

Can I get my money back after a scam?

Often, if you paid by credit or debit card and call your bank quickly. Money sent by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app is much harder to recover, so call your bank or the app straight away anyway. Be wary of anyone who offers to recover it for a fee: that is a second scam.

Where do I report a scam?

In the US, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and forward scam texts to 7726. In the UK, to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk (it replaced Action Fraud). In Australia, to Scamwatch. In Canada, to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Tell your bank first if money has moved.

Sources

Sources checked on 7 Nov 2026. Each scam page lists its own.

  1. FTC: How to avoid a scam (the four signs), July 2023: pretend, problem or prize, pressure, pay in a specific way; report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  2. FTC: How to recognize and report spam text messages, July 2022: forward texts to 7726 (SPAM), report junk in your messaging app.
  3. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, read 7 November 2026: where to report internet crime in the US.
  4. GOV.UK: Report Fraud, new service from City of London Police, 4 December 2025: Report Fraud replaces Action Fraud; 0300 123 2040 unchanged.
  5. NCSC: Report a scam text message, reviewed 5 September 2022, read 7 November 2026: forward texts to 7726; Report Fraud, or Police Scotland on 101.
  6. NCSC: Report a scam email, read 7 November 2026: forward emails to [email protected].
  7. Scamwatch: Report a scam, read 7 November 2026: report online; contact your bank; IDCARE.
  8. Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Report fraud and cybercrime, modified 27 November 2025: report online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca.
  9. Get Cyber Safe: Reporting spam text messages to 7726, modified 23 January 2026: forwarding scam texts to 7726 in Canada.