How to Tell If Something Is a Scam: The Is-This-a-Scam Checklist

Scams no longer look like badly spelled emails from a "prince". Today's scammers use polished English, AI tools, fake profiles and scripts tested on thousands of people. The UN estimates that at least 300,000 people work in scam centres in Southeast Asia alone, part of an industry worth around $64 billion a year. So instead of hunting for typos, it is better to look for patterns. Almost every scam, whether it is a text, a call, a job offer or an investment, follows the same few moves.

Use the checklist below whenever something feels off. If you tick even one box, stop and verify before you pay, click or share anything.

The quick "is this a scam?" checklist

1. Did they contact you first, out of the blue? A random text, wrong-number message, friend request, or job offer you never applied for.
2. Is there a problem or a prize? Your account is blocked, a parcel is held, you owe a fine, a family member is in trouble, or you won something.
3. Are they rushing you? "Act now", "within 30 minutes", "don't hang up", "your account will be closed today".
4. Are they asking for an unusual payment? Crypto, gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, or sending money to a "safe account".
5. Are they asking for codes or access? OTPs, PINs, passwords, seed phrases, or installing a screen-sharing app.
6. Do they say "keep it secret"? Don't tell your bank, your family or the police.
7. Is it too good to be true? Guaranteed returns, easy money for simple tasks, a high salary for little experience.
8. Are they pretending to be someone official? A bank, police, courier, tax office, a big company or a celebrity.
9. Do they want to move the chat? From a dating app or social media to WhatsApp or Telegram.
10. Do you have to pay to get paid? A fee to withdraw profits, unlock a salary, release a parcel or recover lost money.

The US Federal Trade Commission sums it up in four signs: scammers pretend to be from an organisation you know, say there is a problem or a prize, pressure you to act immediately, and tell you to pay in a specific way.

Messages and texts

Red flags in SMS, WhatsApp, email and social media messages:

• A link to "verify", "update" or "pay a small fee". Never log in through a link in a message.
• A sender name that looks right, but a strange number or email address.
• A "wrong number" message that turns into a friendly chat. Read about the wrong number text scam.
• A message from "a friend" with a new number asking for urgent money.

What to do: Do not click. Contact the company or person through a number or app you already trust. In the UK you can forward scam texts to 7726. In India, report suspected fraud messages on the Chakshu facility of the Sanchar Saathi portal. In Singapore, call the ScamShield Helpline 1799 to check.

Phone and video calls

• The caller ID shows a bank or police number. Caller ID can be faked.
• They threaten arrest, a legal case, or a frozen account.
• They ask you to stay on the line, or to keep a video call running for hours.
• "Police" or "CBI officers" say you are under "digital arrest". Real police do not arrest people over video calls. See the digital arrest scam.
• A video call that feels slightly off. Scammers use deepfakes and hired models.

What to do: Hang up. Call back on the official number from the company's website or the back of your card. In the UK, you can call 159 to reach many banks safely.

Job offers

• A job you never applied for, offered on WhatsApp or Telegram.
• Very high pay for simple "tasks" like liking videos or rating products. Read about Telegram task scams.
• You must pay for training, a visa, a deposit or to "upgrade your level".
• An overseas job with a vague company, where you are told to fly to one country and be driven across a border to another.
• The "interview" is just a quick typing or English test.

Fake overseas jobs can lead to human trafficking. Indian job seekers should check that recruiting agents are registered on the government's eMigrate system. See fake job offers abroad and our fake jobs page.

Investments and crypto

• Guaranteed or very high returns with "no risk".
• A new online friend or romantic partner who teaches you to trade. This is the classic pig butchering scam.
• A trading app or website you cannot find in official app stores or on regulator lists.
• Your balance grows fast, but you must pay "tax" or a "fee" before you can withdraw. See fake crypto trading platforms.
• Someone offers to recover money you lost, for a fee. This is a recovery scam.

Investment fraud caused the biggest losses in the FBI's 2025 report: about $8.6 billion, including about $7.2 billion from crypto investment fraud.

Romance and online friends

• A very attractive, successful person who is unusually interested in you.
• They share a perfect lifestyle: yoga, travel, luxury dinners, family time.
• They always have a reason not to meet in person.
• Small "dramas" (an accident, a blocked account) that slowly lead to talk about money.

More signs are in our guide to romance scam red flags.

Don't rely on these "safety signs"

These things used to suggest something was real. Today, scammers fake all of them:

• Perfect grammar and friendly, patient messages.
• A professional-looking website or app.
• Small early payouts or profits you can "see".
• A person who warns you about scams.
• A video call with a real-looking face.

What to do if you're not sure

1. Pause. A real bank, employer or friend will let you take time.
2. Verify independently. Use contact details you find yourself, not ones in the message.
3. Talk to someone you trust. Saying it out loud often makes the scam obvious.
4. Never share OTPs, PINs, passwords or seed phrases with anyone.
5. Report it: ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, Report Fraud in the UK, 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in in India if you lost money, and the police or 1799 in Singapore.

Already sent money? Go straight to what to do if you've been scammed. Want to practise spotting scams? Try our scam quiz.