47 useful answers · Page 2 of 2
Practical ways to protect accounts and recognize suspicious messages.
Search this topicPause if the employer sends a check and directs you to buy gift cards, pay a supposed supplier, or return part of the money. Fake-check job scams can leave you owing the bank after funds appeared available. Verify the employer independently before spending or sending any of that money.
That is a major task-scam warning. Fake platforms display growing commissions, then demand your own money to unlock tasks or withdrawals. Paying does not make those displayed earnings real. Stop sending funds, preserve relevant messages and payment records, and report the scheme rather than paying another release fee.
No. The FTC describes task scammers making small payments to build confidence before demanding larger deposits. Treat the entire payment arrangement as evidence, not just the first payout. A platform requiring you to pay to obtain supposed wages remains a serious warning even when an earlier transfer arrived.
They may be trying to register Google Voice using your phone number, not verifying that you are a genuine seller. Do not share a code sent for an action you did not initiate. The same trick targets lost-pet posts. If you already shared it, follow Google’s account-recovery guidance linked by the FTC.
No. Open the payment service or selling platform independently and verify the transaction in your actual account. Scammers can send convincing payment notices without transferring money. Do not ship because a buyer sends a screenshot or urges you to trust an email instead of checking your own account.
Do not send a separate payment or gift card to cover the supposed difference. An overpayment can be part of a fake-check or fake-payment scheme. Contact your bank or the payment platform through its genuine support channel and verify the original transaction before taking any refund action.
Do not transfer money in response to that unexpected call. The supposed protective account may belong to the scammer. End the conversation and contact your bank through its known app, website, or number. Instructions to buy gold, use a crypto ATM, or conceal the transfer are further warning signs.
No. HTTPS protects the connection, but a fraudulent seller can use it too. Check the seller’s reputation across independent sources, read the product and return terms, and understand the payment protections. A padlock or encrypted address does not prove that goods exist or that the seller will deliver them.
Read the platform’s policy before paying: eligible products, covered problems, required evidence, and reporting deadlines can differ. Check whether that particular seller and purchase qualify. A familiar marketplace name does not mean every listing carries identical protection, and its protection may be separate from the seller’s own return policy.
Ask for clear photographs of the actual item and written answers about its condition, missing parts, and any defects. Stock photographs may show the model without showing what you will receive. Check descriptions such as refurbished or as-is, plus the return terms, before deciding whether the price makes sense.
Read comments from several sources and consider how recent, detailed, and consistent they are. Some reviews are fake or influenced by incentives, while others reflect a different product version. Compare the substance of complaints and praise instead of treating a high average or a large review count as proof.
Match the exact model, size, color, and included components, then compare the total including shipping and other stated charges. A cheaper listing may describe a different version or bundle. Check delivery timing and return costs too, so the lowest displayed item price does not hide an unsuitable purchase.
Keep the order confirmation, receipt, promised delivery information, return terms, and messages with the seller. These records help explain what you bought and what was promised if a problem develops. Save them somewhere you can retrieve independently rather than relying entirely on a listing that might change or disappear.
Do not use its payment link. Open the carrier’s known website or app and check your actual shipment there, using tracking information from the genuine order. An unexpected delivery message can impersonate a real company to collect card details. A familiar carrier name in the text is not verification.
Use your messaging app’s report-junk option, or forward the unwanted message to 7726, which spells SPAM. Then delete it without replying or following its links. If you need to check the message’s claim, contact the company separately through a known website or number rather than through the sender.
Go directly to the real toll agency’s website or use contact details you already know are genuine. Check for a balance there instead of entering payment or driver’s-license details through the text. Urgency and a small claimed amount do not establish legitimacy; report and delete a fraudulent message.
Be wary of unsolicited promises requiring an upfront fee or sensitive financial information. Recovery scammers target people who have already lost money and may claim official connections. Contact the original payment provider directly about possible remedies; do not assume paying another stranger guarantees that the earlier loss will be recovered.
No. Scammers may have information about prior victims, including names and amounts lost. Those details can make a new recovery offer sound convincing without proving authority or access to your funds. Verify any organization independently and do not pay an unsolicited caller simply because their story matches your experience.
Yes. The card number and PIN can let someone take the balance while the physical card remains with you. Do not send photos or read those details to a caller demanding payment. Requests to buy specified gift cards to settle taxes, support charges, or an emergency are scam warnings.
Contact the gift-card issuer immediately through its genuine support channel, explain the fraud, and ask whether the funds can be frozen or refunded. Keep the card and purchase receipt for your report. Report the scam to the FTC too; recovery may be possible, but it is not guaranteed.
Go to the genuine service and change the compromised password immediately, plus any other accounts using it. Enable two-factor authentication where available. If you can no longer sign in, follow that provider’s account-recovery process. Do not return to the suspicious page to change the password there.
Update your security software and run a scan, following its instructions for detected problems. Change affected passwords and enable two-factor authentication. If you need help removing unwanted software, use the device manufacturer or a trusted technician. Contact the payment provider promptly if the incident also involved a fraudulent payment.
Use IdentityTheft.gov if your information has been used; it provides a recovery plan based on the situation. If you are unsure or it has not been used, visit its data-breach guidance for protective steps. Reach the site directly instead of following a supposed helper’s unsolicited recovery link.
Source checks for these answers: September 22, 2026. Product instructions and local requirements can vary.