Tool

Is it a scam? Check a message or call

Eleven yes/no questions about a text, email or call: see if it has the signs of a scam and what to do next. Nothing you tick leaves your browser.

Got a text about a parcel, a call from "your bank", a message from a friend asking for money? Answer the questions you can about it. Each one is a sign that official anti-fraud bodies, such as the UK's NCSC, the US FTC and the Banca d'Italia, tell people to watch for, and each links to the page that says so.

What this check cannot do. It never sees the message, the link or the number, so it cannot tell you a message is genuine. There is no text box: nothing you tick is sent anywhere or saved. The check that settles it is the one you do yourself, through the official app or website of the organization, or a phone number you already have.

If you have already paid or shared a code, go straight to what to do in the first 30 minutes.

Last checked 1 November 2026. The signs and steps come from official pages opened on that date; the way they are combined into a result is our own. Every fact on this page links to its primary source. If something has changed, write to us and it will be corrected and logged on the editorial policy page.

Answer what you can. "Not sure" counts as no answer. The result appears below the questions and changes as you answer.

  1. Did they contact you out of the blue, about something you were not expecting? Warning sign

    A parcel you did not order, a refund you did not ask for, an investment, a problem with an account.

    Many scams start with a message or call you did not ask for, often tied to the news or the time of year so that it looks relevant. NCSC: how to spot a scam

  2. Do they say they are your bank, the police, a government office or a well-known company? Warning sign

    Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, and they can make the name, email address or phone number on your screen look like the real one. FTC: how to avoid a scam

  3. Are they rushing you, or threatening a fine, a blocked account, arrest or another penalty if you don't act now? Warning sign

    Pressure is meant to stop you from thinking and checking. An honest organization gives you time to decide. FTC: how to avoid a scam

  4. Did they ask for a code you got by text, a PIN, a password or your card details? Strong sign

    Your bank and other real services never ask for these. With them a scammer can get into your account or approve payments as if they were you. FTC: calls about fraud on your bank account

  5. Do they want you to pay with gift cards, crypto, a money transfer service or a top-up, instead of a normal payment? Strong sign

    For example: read them the numbers on the back of a gift card, use a crypto ATM, top up a prepaid card or a phone.

    Scammers ask you to pay in ways that make it hard to get your money back. FTC: fake emergencies

  6. Does someone who says they are from your bank or the police tell you to move your money to keep it safe? Strong sign

    To a "safe account", at a bank branch or ATM while they stay on the phone, or by withdrawing cash or buying gold or crypto.

    Your bank and the police never ask you to move money to another account to protect it. The "safe account" belongs to the scammer. FTC: never move your money to "protect it"

  7. Did they ask you to install an app or program, or to let them see or control your phone or computer? Strong sign

    With remote access a scammer can steal your data or install harmful software. Banca d'Italia: payment scams

  8. Did they tell you to keep it secret, or to lie to your bank or your family about why you are paying? Strong sign

    Secrecy keeps away the people who could warn you. Talk to someone you trust, even if they told you to keep it secret. FTC: fake emergencies

  9. Is there a link that opens a page asking you to log in, enter card details or pay? Warning sign

    Also a QR code that does the same.

    Real companies don't email or text you a link to update your payment details. Contact the company through a website or phone number you know is real, not through the link. FTC: phishing

  10. Is the offer too good to be true: a prize, a refund, easy money, or high returns with no risk? Warning sign

    A prize, a refund or easy money is bait to make you act before you think. Banca d'Italia: payment scams

  11. Is a family member or friend asking you for money urgently, by message or by phone? Strong sign

    Even from their usual account: accounts get stolen, and voices can be faked.

    Scammers pose as relatives, write from stolen accounts or even use cloned voices. Before you pay, call the person on the number you already have. FTC: fake emergencies

The three results and what to do

It has the signs of a scam: stop

Shown when you answer yes to a strong sign, or to three or more warning signs.

What you describe matches signs that official anti-fraud bodies list. Do not pay, do not share anything, and check it yourself first. Anyone can be fooled by these messages.

  1. Stop. Hang up, don't reply, don't tap the link and don't call the number in the message. NCSC: how to spot a scam
  2. Check it yourself: call your bank on the number printed on your card or statement, or open its official app. Never use the number the caller gave you. FTC
  3. If you already shared a code, card details or your banking login, or if you paid: call your bank now and ask it to block the card or stop the payment. FTC
  4. If you paid with a gift card, a payment app or crypto: contact the company that issued the card, the app or the crypto exchange right away and ask for the money back. FTC
  5. If you installed an app they asked for or let them into your device: run a full scan with your security software, then change your passwords and turn on two-step verification. FTC
  6. If you gave a password: change it, and change it on every other account that uses the same one. NCSC
  7. Tell someone you trust what happened. FTC: how to avoid a scam
  8. Report it: see where to report in your country.
  9. Be wary of anyone who later offers to get your money back for a fee: that is another scam. FTC

Some warning signs

Shown when you answer yes to one or two warning signs and to no strong sign.

Some of what you describe is common in scams, though it can also happen with a real message. Don't act from the message: check it first.

  1. Don't tap the link, don't call the number in the message and don't reply to it. NCSC: how to spot a scam
  2. Check with the organization or the person yourself, through the official app or website, or a phone number you already have. NCSC: how to spot a scam
  3. Take your time. A real organization will wait while you check. FTC: how to avoid a scam
  4. Whoever asks, never share a code you received, a PIN or a password. FTC
  5. If it turns out to be a scam, report it: see where to report in your country.

None of the signs we know: if in doubt, check through the official channel

Shown when you answer no to every sign you answered.

That does not prove the message is real: this check cannot see the message, and a scam can show none of these signs.

  1. If you have any doubt, contact the organization directly, with the details on its official website or app. NCSC: how to spot a scam
  2. A name or number that looks right is not proof: it can be faked. FTC: how to avoid a scam
  3. Never share a code, a PIN or a password, even if everything seems fine. FTC
  4. If they later ask for money, a code or an app, run this check again.

How the check decides

  • 6 of the questions are strong signs: requests that official anti-fraud bodies say you should never act on without checking first, such as sharing a code, moving your money or sending money in a hurry to a relative who asks for it. One "yes" is enough for the first result.
  • The other 5 are warning signs: they are common in scams but also happen with real messages. One or two give the second result; three or more give the first.
  • "Not sure" counts as no answer. If you answer no to everything you answered, you get the third result, which is not a guarantee.
  • This rule is our own, written to be cautious. No official body publishes a score for scams.

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