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Lessons

Short, plain-language guides to the most common scams. Check them off as you go.

The gift card call An ordinary evening. The phone rings. A calm, official voice. It's the tax office, they say, and you owe money. It has to be today. Stay on the line. Don't tell anyone. Now go and buy gift cards. This is the moment it stops being real — no tax office on earth is paid this way. You read the numbers off the back, and the money is gone before you hang up. Real people don't get paid in plastic. Nobody real will ever ask you to.

Gift Card Payment Requests

If someone asks you to pay them using gift cards — iTunes, Google Play, Steam, Amazon, or any other kind — it's a scam. Real companies, government agencies, and law enforcement never ask you to pay with gift cards. Scammers like gift cards because once the code is used, the money is gone and can't be traced or returned. If anyone asks for a gift card code over the phone, by text, or by email, stop and don't share it — even if they claim to be from the IRS, tech support, or a family member in trouble.

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The one-way door A message, or a voice: send it this way, it's quicker. Wire it, or send crypto, or use a payment app. And do it now. It leaves in seconds, and it arrives somewhere nobody can name. Then you try to bring it back, and find there is no door on this side. If it can't be undone, slow down. That is exactly why they chose it.

Wire Transfers, Crypto, and Payment Apps

Wiring money (through Western Union or MoneyGram), sending cryptocurrency, or sending money through apps like Cash App are ways scammers ask to be paid because these payments are hard or impossible to reverse. If someone you don't know well — or someone creating urgency — asks you to send money this way, treat it as a major warning sign, no matter how convincing the story is.

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The badge that isn't The phone rings, and the screen says it's the government. Your account is suspended, they say. There is a warrant. Stay on the line. But anyone can say they're the tax office. Saying it costs nothing at all. So you hang up, and you find the number yourself — on a letter, on the back of your card. Hang up, look it up, call back. A real office will still be there in ten minutes.

Impersonating the Government or a Company

Scammers often pretend to be the IRS, Social Security Administration, or well-known companies like Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple. They might say your account is suspended, you owe back taxes, or there's a security problem with your computer. Real agencies and companies don't call, text, or email out of the blue demanding immediate payment or remote access to your computer. If you're worried it might be real, hang up and call the organization back using a number you look up yourself — not one given to you in the message.

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The prize you never entered A letter, a text, a call: you've won. A prize, a lottery, a sweepstake. There's just a fee first. Taxes, they call it, or shipping, or a release charge. The fee is real and it leaves. The prize never existed to begin with. Real winners don't pay to win. If you have to send money first, it isn't a prize.

Prize and Lottery Scams

If a message says you've won a prize, lottery, or sweepstakes you don't remember entering, be very suspicious — especially if you're asked to pay a fee, taxes, or shipping to receive it. Real prizes don't require you to pay anything upfront. This is one of the oldest scams, and it's designed to feel exciting so you act before you think it through.

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The voice that sounds like family Late in the evening, the phone rings. It's your grandchild. They're frightened, and the line is bad, and they need help. Don't tell Mom, they say. Don't tell anyone. Please. And it has to be now — a wire, or cards, or an app, before anything else happens. So you put the phone down and ring your grandchild on the number you already have. They're at home, and they're fine. When in doubt, call another family member. The secrecy is the tell.

The "Grandkid in Trouble" Scam

A caller or emailer pretends to be a grandchild, claiming they're in jail, in an accident, or stranded, and need money right away — often asking you to keep it secret from the rest of the family. This scam works by combining panic and secrecy. If you get a message like this, hang up and call your grandchild or another family member directly, using a number you already have, before doing anything else.

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The code that stays with you A code arrives on your phone. Six digits, and a line saying not to share it. Then somebody on the line asks you to read it out. Just to confirm it's you, they say. That code is the key to your account. Reading it out is handing over the key. Codes and passwords stay with you. Nobody legitimate has ever needed to hear one.

Requests for Personal Information

Be cautious of any message asking you to "verify your account," confirm a password, share a one-time code, or provide your Social Security or bank account number. Legitimate companies almost never ask for this information by email or text. A one-time code, in particular, is often used by scammers trying to break into an account you already have — never share one with anyone who contacts you first.

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The three tells Hurry. Right now. Before it's too late. Almost every scam is in a rush. And don't tell anyone — not your daughter, not the bank, not the police. And pay in a way that can't be undone: cards, a wire, an app, crypto. Fast and secret? Stop and reflect. Any one of the three is worth a pause.

Red Flags to Remember

Three patterns show up in almost every scam: urgency ("act now," "within 24 hours," "before it's too late"), secrecy ("don't tell anyone," "just between us"), and a way of paying that cannot be undone — gift cards, a wire, a payment app, or cryptocurrency. Real organizations and real family emergencies rarely need any of the three. Any one of them on its own is reason to slow down and check with someone you trust — or paste the message into Check a Message.

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