10 Warning Signs of a Scam
Essential 2026 Household Safety Guide
Print this guide and keep it near your phone or on your refrigerator. If a caller, text, or email shows any of these signs, Slow Down, Hang Up, and Verify.
1
Extreme Urgency
Claiming you must act "immediately" or "within minutes" to avoid arrest, a lawsuit, or a relative in danger.2
Demand for Secrecy
Telling you not to speak to your spouse, children, or your bank about the transaction.3
Unusual Payment Methods
Asking for payment via Gift Cards, Wire Transfers (like Zelle or Western Union), or Bitcoin.4
Threats of Consequences
Claiming your Social Security number will be suspended or that the police are on their way to your home.5
"Relative" in Trouble
A panicked voice (often sounding like a grandchild) claiming to be in a foreign jail or hospital needing money.6
Too Good to Be True
Announcing you won a lottery, sweepstakes, or government grant that you never applied for.7
Remote Computer Access
A "technician" from Microsoft or Apple claiming they found a virus and need to log into your computer.8
Generic Greetings
Addressing you as "Valued Customer" or "Dear Sir/Madam" instead of using your actual name.9
Refusal to Let You Hang Up
Trying to stay on the line with you while you go to the store or the bank so you can't talk to anyone else.10
Something "Feels Off"
Trust your intuition. If the caller sounds strange, aggressive, or suspicious, they probably are.🔒 The Golden Rule of Safety
Independent Verification: If you receive a call that worries you, hang up. Find the official phone number for that person or agency yourself (from a bill or official website) and call them back directly. Never trust the number on your caller ID.