Scam-prevention guides
Plain-language guides to spotting and avoiding the scams people actually meet. Each one links to the specific situations it covers.
- How to Spot a Fake Recruiter
Fake recruiters pose as NVIDIA, Microsoft and other big names to steal your data, money, or login. Learn the red flags and how to verify a recruiter before you reply.
- The Signs of a Scam: Red Flags That Show Up Again and Again
Learn the universal red flags that appear in almost every scam, urgency, unexpected contact, payment or verification demands, and lookalike domains.
- How to Spot a Fake Job Offer
Fake recruiters, MLM pitches, task scams, and crypto jobs all target job seekers. Learn the red flags and how to verify an offer before you engage.
- How to Spot a Phishing Email in the Age of AI
AI now writes clean phishing emails, so bad grammar is no longer a reliable tell. Learn the modern red flags and how to verify a suspicious email safely.
- How to Spot a Scam Text Message
Fake toll, parcel, and bank texts are everywhere. Learn to spot smishing red flags and what to do if you clicked or replied to a scam text.
- How to Check if a Link Is Safe
A step-by-step guide to inspecting a link before you click, reveal the real URL, check the domain, spot lookalikes, and verify when in doubt.
- How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams
Learn to spot fake online stores, dodgy marketplace sellers, and too-good-to-be-true deals, plus a simple checklist to tell if a website is legit before you pay.
- How to Recognize a Bank Impersonation Scam
Fake bank texts, calls, and emails all use the same trick. Learn the "did you make this charge?" scam and one rule that beats it: call the number on your card.
- How to Secure and Recover a Hacked Account
A plain-language guide to locking down your accounts with strong passwords, 2FA, and passkeys, and exactly what to do to recover Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Gmail if you're hacked.
- How to Spot an Investment or Crypto Scam
Pig-butchering, fake trading platforms, "you can't withdraw without a fee," and mentor DMs, learn the patterns behind investment and crypto scams before you send money.
- How to Spot a Romance Scam
Romance scams follow a pattern: never meet, can't video, eventually ask for money, or pivot to a crypto "opportunity." Learn the signs and how to protect yourself.
- How to Protect Elderly Parents From Scams, Without Taking Away Their Independence
A practical, dignity-preserving guide for adult children: how to talk with aging parents about scams, set a family safe word, and add account protections.
- What to Do If You Got Scammed: A Calm, Step-by-Step Recovery Plan
Just realized you were scammed? Follow these ordered first steps, then branch by situation, plus exactly how and where to report the fraud.
- How to Spot an AI Voice Scam: When a Cloned Voice Fakes an Emergency
Scammers can clone a loved one's voice from seconds of audio to fake an emergency. Learn the red flags, why to hang up and call back, and set a family safe word.
- Why Scammers Ask for Gift Cards: Why That Alone Is a Scam
Gift cards, wires, and crypto are demanded because they're fast and irreversible. Learn why no real agency or company takes gift cards, and what to do.
- Can You Reverse a Wire Transfer?
Wire transfers are hard to undo, but a fast recall can sometimes work. Here is exactly what to do in the first hour, who to call, and the recovery trap to avoid.