Know the scripts
The scams families ask about most
Every scam below runs on a script — the same openings, the same pressure, the same asks. Read the ones aimed at you and your family. Once you’ve seen the script, it loses its power.
Already responded to one of these? Skip straight to What to Do Now.
Bank impersonation scams
Text & phone
What it looks like
A text or call that looks exactly like your bank: “Suspicious charge detected — did you authorize $487 at Walmart? Reply NO or call now.” When you respond, a calm “fraud specialist” offers to help you “protect” your money — by moving it or reading them a code.
The pressure tactic
Fear for your savings, plus a helpful-sounding rescuer.
Biggest warning signs
Any request to move money to a “safe account,” read back a verification code, or share your PIN or password. Banks never do any of these.
What not to do
Don’t call the number in the text, don’t click the link, don’t read anyone a code — even if caller ID says it’s your bank. Caller ID is easily faked.
How to verify safely
Hang up. Call the number on the back of your card or on a paper statement, and ask about the alert.
If you already responded
Call that same real number now, ask for the fraud department, then see What to Do Now.
Government impersonation scams
Phone & letter
What it looks like
“This is the IRS / Social Security / your local sheriff. There’s a warrant for your arrest” — or your benefits are “suspended” — unless you pay or confirm your number today.
The pressure tactic
Authority plus fear of arrest or losing benefits.
Biggest warning signs
Demands for immediate payment, threats of arrest by phone, and payment by gift card, wire, or crypto. Real agencies contact you by mail first and never take gift cards.
What not to do
Don’t confirm your Social Security number, don’t pay anything, don’t stay on the line “while you go to the store.”
How to verify safely
Hang up and call the agency directly — SSA is 800-772-1213; the IRS initiates contact by letter. Look the number up yourself.
If you already responded
If you shared your SSN, freeze your credit at all three bureaus and visit IdentityTheft.gov — steps in What to Do Now.
Grandchild & family-emergency scams
Phone
What it looks like
A late-night call: “Grandma? It’s me. I’ve been in an accident / arrested. Please don’t tell Mom and Dad. I need money for bail — a man will explain.” Sometimes it genuinely sounds like your grandchild.
The pressure tactic
Love, panic, and secrecy — the three strongest levers there are.
Biggest warning signs
Urgency + secrecy + money, and instructions to pay by wire, gift cards, crypto, or a courier picking up cash.
What not to do
Don’t send anything, don’t hand cash to a courier, and don’t keep the secret — the secret is the scam.
How to verify safely
Hang up and call the family member directly on their known number, or ask your family code question. A real emergency survives a five-minute callback; a scam doesn’t. (Set up a code word tonight — see Protect Your Family.)
If you already responded
Call your bank immediately if money moved, then follow What to Do Now. This scam works on loving people — that is nothing to be ashamed of.
Romance scams
Online
What it looks like
Weeks or months of genuine-feeling connection — often with someone “working overseas” or “on an oil rig” — and then an emergency: a medical bill, a customs fee, a plane ticket, an investment opportunity. The relationship is real to you; that’s exactly what makes it work.
The pressure tactic
Emotional attachment, patiently built and then spent.
Biggest warning signs
They can never video call or meet, the story escalates, and every path eventually leads to money — often secrecy too: “our business.”
What not to do
Don’t send money, crypto, or gift cards to someone you haven’t met in person — and don’t “invest” on a site they recommend.
How to verify safely
Reverse-image-search their photos, ask for a live video call, and talk to one person you trust before any money moves. Real love survives a second opinion.
If you already responded
Stop further payments first, then see What to Do Now. If it’s a parent involved, see how to have that conversation with respect — shame makes it worse.
Technology-support scams
Pop-up & phone
What it looks like
A full-screen pop-up with an alarm sound: “Your computer is infected — call Microsoft now.” Or a call out of the blue from “Windows support.” They ask to connect remotely to “fix” it, then show you fake problems — and sometimes fake refunds that require gift cards to “correct.”
The pressure tactic
Technical confusion plus fear of losing your files or savings.
Biggest warning signs
Pop-ups with phone numbers (always fake), unrequested calls about viruses, and any request for remote access or payment in gift cards.
What not to do
Don’t call the number, don’t install anything they name, don’t let anyone remote in.
How to verify safely
Close the browser (hold the power button if you must). Real security warnings never include a phone number. If worried, have a local shop you chose yourself take a look.
If you already responded
Disconnect the computer from the internet, change passwords from a different device, and follow What to Do Now.
Investment & cryptocurrency scams
Online
What it looks like
Often starts as a “wrong number” text that becomes a friendship, or a tip from an online contact. You’re shown an investment site where your balance grows impressively — until you try to withdraw and there are “taxes” and “fees,” forever. Sometimes called pig-butchering.
The pressure tactic
Excitement, FOMO, and social proof from someone you’ve come to trust.
Biggest warning signs
Guaranteed returns, pressure to move fast, platforms you’ve never heard of, and withdrawal fees. Real investments never guarantee returns.
What not to do
Don’t send more money to “unlock” your funds — that’s the scam’s second act. Don’t pay “recovery agents” either.
How to verify safely
Check any platform at FINRA and SEC.gov; verify the person exists outside the app. Talk to your real bank or advisor first.
If you already responded
Stop all further payments, save every message and receipt, and report at ic3.gov — full steps in What to Do Now.
Gift-card payment scams
Any channel
What it looks like
Whatever the story — IRS, tech support, a boss, a grandchild — the payment instruction is the same: “Go buy gift cards and read me the numbers.” Sometimes they stay on the phone while you drive to the store.
The pressure tactic
Urgency, plus keeping you on the line so you can’t think or ask anyone.
Biggest warning signs
This one is simple: gift cards as payment = scam, 100% of the time. No company, agency, or court accepts them.
What not to do
Don’t buy the cards, and never read numbers over the phone — the numbers are the money.
How to verify safely
Nothing to verify. The request itself is the proof.
If you already responded
Contact the gift-card company immediately with the card and receipt — some cards can be frozen if you’re fast. Steps in What to Do Now.
Package & delivery scams
Text
What it looks like
“USPS: Your package is held — confirm your address and pay a $1.25 redelivery fee.” The link opens a convincing fake site that harvests your card details.
The pressure tactic
Low stakes on purpose — a tiny fee feels harmless, and everyone is waiting on a package.
Biggest warning signs
Delivery services don’t text payment links for tiny fees, and the sender is often an email address or foreign number.
What not to do
Don’t tap the link or enter card details — the fee isn’t the theft; your card number is.
How to verify safely
Track packages only on the carrier’s real site or app, typed yourself, using the tracking number from your original order.
If you already responded
Call your card issuer, report the card stolen, and watch statements — see What to Do Now.
Toll-road & unpaid-fee texts
Text
What it looks like
“Final notice: unpaid toll of $6.99. Pay now to avoid a $50 late fee and license suspension.” Sent to millions of numbers at once — including people who don’t drive.
The pressure tactic
A small bill plus a big threatened penalty.
Biggest warning signs
Toll agencies bill by mail or through your transponder account — not by text with a payment link.
What not to do
Don’t tap, don’t pay, don’t enter your card.
How to verify safely
Log into your actual toll account (typed by hand) or call the number on a paper bill. No account? You have no toll.
If you already responded
Card issuer first, then report the text at ReportFraud.ftc.gov — see What to Do Now.
Social Security & Medicare scams
Phone
What it looks like
“Your Social Security number has been suspended due to suspicious activity” — or someone offering “new Medicare cards” who just needs to confirm your number.
The pressure tactic
Fear of losing benefits you rely on.
Biggest warning signs
SSNs are never “suspended.” Medicare doesn’t call to confirm numbers. Threats and urgency from a benefits agency are the giveaway.
What not to do
Never confirm or read out your SSN or Medicare number to an incoming caller.
How to verify safely
Hang up; call SSA at 800-772-1213 or Medicare at 800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE) — numbers you looked up, not numbers they gave you.
If you already responded
Freeze your credit and visit IdentityTheft.gov — steps in What to Do Now.
Online shopping scams
Web & social
What it looks like
A social media ad with an unbelievable price, a look-alike store site, or a marketplace seller who wants payment by Zelle or wire “to skip fees.” The goods never arrive, or a counterfeit does.
The pressure tactic
Excitement — a deal too good to sit on, with a countdown timer.
Biggest warning signs
Prices far below everyone else, brand-new store sites, and sellers who move you off-platform or refuse card payment.
What not to do
Don’t pay strangers by wire, Zelle, Venmo, or crypto — those payments have no purchase protection.
How to verify safely
Search the store name plus “scam” or “reviews,” check for a real address and phone, and pay by credit card — it’s the only method with strong dispute rights.
If you already responded
Dispute the charge with your card issuer right away — see What to Do Now.
Business email & payment-change scams
Email
What it looks like
An email that appears to be from a vendor, contractor, title company, or your boss: “Our banking details have changed — please send this payment to the new account.” Often perfectly written, sent from a compromised or look-alike address.
The pressure tactic
Routine. It hides inside a normal business task, often near a real deadline like a closing.
Biggest warning signs
Any change to payment details by email, subtle address misspellings, and “please handle this quietly/urgently.”
What not to do
Never change payment instructions based on an email alone — no matter how legitimate it looks.
How to verify safely
Call the vendor at a number you already have on file (not one in the email) and confirm by voice. Make it a standing rule for every payment change.
If you already responded
Call your bank immediately and request a wire recall, then file at ic3.gov the same day — speed matters enormously. See What to Do Now.
AI voice & video impersonation
Phone & video
What it looks like
A call in a voice you’d swear is your child or grandchild — crying, in trouble, needing money fast. A few seconds of audio from social media is enough to clone a voice convincingly. Video can be faked too.
The pressure tactic
Your own ears telling you it’s real, plus panic.
Biggest warning signs
The voice is right but the situation is off: urgency, secrecy, money, and instructions not to call anyone.
What not to do
Don’t trust the voice alone — not anymore. Don’t send money on the strength of a phone call.
How to verify safely
Hang up and call the person back on their known number. Better: agree on a family code word now — one question defeats a cloned voice in five seconds. Set one up tonight.
If you already responded
Bank fraud line first, then What to Do Now. This scam beats people’s ears, not their intelligence.
Sweepstakes, lottery & prize scams
Mail, phone & email
What it looks like
“Congratulations — you’ve won!” A sweepstakes you don’t remember entering, Publishers Clearing House, a foreign lottery. To claim it, you just need to pay taxes, fees, or “insurance” first — sometimes with an official-looking check to deposit that later bounces.
The pressure tactic
Excitement and hope, often aimed at people on fixed incomes.
Biggest warning signs
Any upfront payment to receive winnings, and checks you must partially wire back. Real prizes are free — taxes come later, through the IRS, not by gift card.
What not to do
Don’t pay a cent to claim a prize, and don’t deposit-and-forward checks from strangers.
How to verify safely
Did you enter? If not, you didn’t win. If yes, contact the sweepstakes through its official site — real winners are never asked to pay.
If you already responded
Bank first if money or a bounced check is involved, then What to Do Now.
Not sure which one you’re looking at?
Walk through the two-minute scam check — it asks what happened and points you to the right script and next steps.
Check a Possible ScamOr, if you have the message in hand: paste it into the Scam Detector — know in 15 seconds →
Reading is step one
Knowing the scripts protects you. Rehearsing them protects your family.
The Parent Protection Playbook ($39) turns these pages into the actual conversation — word-for-word scripts, printable question cards, and a signable family agreement. And when you want every protection installed and verified, the Family Wealth Shield ($147) walks your family through all six — one sit-down, one call, one family dinner — with a 14-day completion guarantee.
Last reviewed July 2026 · Sources: FTC consumer alerts, FBI IC3 public reports, AARP Fraud Watch Network. Agency numbers verified July 2026.