Phishing & Smishing
A message engineered to make you click — a fake toll, a stuck package, a bank alert. The link is the whole point. These now arrive by text as often as email, and the grammar is no longer a giveaway.
Payment App Scams (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App)
Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App are legitimate. The problem is their best feature: payments land instantly and are nearly impossible to claw back, which makes them a scammer's preferred exit. Americans lost close to $400 million to peer-to-peer payment scams in 2024. Treat "send it on Zelle" the way you would treat handing over cash.
Toll Road Text Scam
A text says you owe a small unpaid toll and must pay immediately to avoid fees or losing your license. The toll agency did not send it; the link harvests your card and details. Real toll systems do not collect by panic text — go to the agency's actual site if you are unsure.
Package Delivery Scam
A text claims USPS, FedEx, or UPS could not deliver your package and needs you to click to reschedule or pay a fee. The link is the point — it leads to a fake page built to take your card and login. Carriers do not charge redelivery fees by text.
Bank Alert Text Scam
A text poses as your bank's fraud alert and asks you to confirm a charge or click to "secure" your account. Replying or clicking connects you to the scammer, not the bank. If a text makes you anxious about your money, call the number on your card — never the one in the message.
Wrong Number Text Scam
A stranger texts like they have reached the wrong number, you reply to be polite, and the conversation just keeps going. That is the design. Weeks of friendly chat build trust before the pivot to a "great investment" — it is often the front door to pig butchering.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) & Wire Fraud
The costliest fraud there is, measured in dollars. A scammer impersonates an executive, vendor, or trusted partner over email and convinces an employee to wire funds or quietly change payment details. There is no malware to catch — it is social engineering aimed at whoever can move money. Verify any payment change by voice, on a number you already have.
Not sure if something is one of these?
Paste the link, number, email, or message into the free scanner and get a read in seconds.
Scan It — It's Free