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Spot the scams · Lesson 6 of 11

How to Spot Scam Texts and Emails: Three Quick Checks

Spot scam texts and emails with three checks: who sent it, what it rushes you to do and where its link goes. Then report it and delete it.

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THE WRITTEN LESSONFollow along at your pace

In this lesson, you will learn to spot scam texts and emails. They are one of the main ways into your accounts and your money. You don’t need to memorize every scam: a few scripts and three quick checks catch most of them.

The same few scripts

Many scam texts follow the same few scripts. The wording changes all the time, but the story at the end usually does not. Here are the ones to know:

  • A parcel fee: a delivery failed, so pay a small fee through a link.
  • An unpaid toll or fine: you owe a charge and must pay by link.
  • A bank alert: a suspicious payment, so reply or call a number.
  • “Hi Mum”: your child has a new number and urgently needs money.
  • A job offer: easy paid work, but you must pay in first.
  • A friendly wrong number: a chat that turns into a new friend with an investment tip.
  • A request for a code: someone needs the code that was just sent to you.
A heading, Same few scripts, above seven example message cards, each with an icon: Parcel fee, Unpaid toll or fine, Bank alert, Hi Mum, new number, Job offer, Wrong number, and Code request.(opens the full-size picture)
Learn the stories, not the wording.

Good spelling proves nothing

You may have heard that scams are full of spelling mistakes. That used to be a useful clue. Scams are more polished now, partly because criminals use AI to write them. A message can be well written, polite and still be a scam.

So instead of looking for mistakes, check three things.

An example email marked AI, from Your Bank, with the subject Account notice: Your account is locked. Sign in now to unlock it. Thank you. A red tag says Good spelling proves nothing. Beside it, three checks: 1 Who sent it? 2 What's the rush? 3 Where does the link go?(opens the full-size picture)
A polished message can still be a scam, so use the three checks.

Check 1: who really sent it?

Anyone can put any name on an email. The name you see, like “Your Bank”, is just a label the sender typed. The real address is underneath.

To see it, tap the name on your phone, or rest your pointer on it on a computer. If the name and the address don’t match, stop. A matching address is not proof on its own, so carry on with the other two checks.

An example email from Your Bank, with the pointer on the name. The real address below it is at a web-mail service ending in example.com. A red tag says Doesn't match, and a red button says Stop. Check 1, Who sent it?, is highlighted.(opens the full-size picture)
The name says one thing, the address says another: stop there.

Check 2: what does it rush you to do?

Does the message push you to pay, tap, reply or share a code, right now? That hurry is the trick. A rushed reader skips the checks, which is exactly what the scammer wants.

For example, “Pay today or your parcel goes back” gives you a deadline so you act before you think. A real bank, or a real courier, can wait while you check.

An example text from an unknown number says Pay today or your parcel goes back. Faded red tags read Pay, Tap a link, Reply and Share a code, next to a clock. A blue pill says A real bank can wait. Check 2, What's the rush?, is highlighted.(opens the full-size picture)
The hurry is the trick: slow down.

The words on a link and the place it really goes can be different. On a computer, rest your pointer on the link without clicking, and read the address that appears.

Watch for lookalikes, like a zero instead of the letter O, or an extra word added to a real name. If the address is not the one you know, don’t click.

A laptop shows an example email with a Sign in to Your Bank button and the pointer resting on it, marked No click. The address that appears is circled where a zero replaces the letter o and tagged Lookalike, above the real address. Check 3 is highlighted.(opens the full-size picture)
Rest your pointer on the link and read the real address first.

When in doubt, check another way

When in doubt, never use the message’s link or phone number. Both lead back to the sender. Instead, open the official app, type the website address yourself, or call a number you already trust, such as the one on your bank card.

For a “Hi Mum” text, call your child on the number saved in your phone. It takes a minute, and it reaches the real person.

An example message from an unknown sender, Check your account now, with its link and call button crossed out in red. In the middle, a phone with Your bank and a blue tick, labelled Official app. On the right, A number you already trust, and a Hi Mum, new number example next to a saved contact, Sam, with a call button.(opens the full-size picture)
Use a route you found yourself, not the one the message gave you.

Your one-time code is yours

A one-time code is the short code you get when you sign in. Nobody genuine needs it. The US Federal Trade Commission says anyone who asks for it is a scammer, whoever they say they are.

So if a message or a caller asks for that code, don’t send it. The request itself is the scam.

A phone shows an example message, Your sign-in code, with the code hidden behind a padlock and a note: The short code you get when you sign in. An example text from an unknown number asks Can you send me that code? and is marked with a red cross. A pill says Nobody genuine needs your code, credited to the US Federal Trade Commission.(opens the full-size picture)
Your sign-in code is for you alone.

Report it, then delete it

When you spot a scam, don’t reply: a reply can start the conversation the scammer wants. Use your app’s report option first, such as Report Spam in your messages or Report Junk in your email, then delete it.

The order matters. Your report can help block the scam for other people, and on some phones you can no longer report a message once you have replied to it.

Two menus: a Message menu with Copy, Report Spam highlighted, and Delete, and an Email menu with Forward, Report Junk highlighted, and Delete. Beside them, 1 Report, 2 Delete, a bin, and three people with a shield, labelled Helps block it for others.(opens the full-size picture)
Report first, then delete.

YOUR TURN

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Read the full lesson script

In this lesson, you will learn to spot scam texts and emails. They are one of the main ways into your accounts and your money.

Many scam texts follow the same few scripts. A parcel fee, an unpaid toll or fine, or a bank alert. A Hi Mum text from a new number. A job offer, a friendly wrong number, or a request for a code.

Scams are more polished now, partly because criminals use AI to write them. So good spelling proves nothing. Instead, check three things.

First, who really sent it? Anyone can put any name on an email. Tap the name, or rest your pointer on it, to see the real address. If the two don't match, stop.

Second, what does it rush you to do? Pay, tap, reply, or share a code, right now? That hurry is the trick. A real bank can wait while you check.

Third, where does its link go? On a computer, rest your pointer on it, without clicking, and read the address that appears. Watch for lookalikes, like a zero instead of an O.

When in doubt, never use the message's link or number. Open the official app, or call a number you already trust. For a Hi Mum text, call your child on the number saved in your phone.

Nobody genuine needs your one-time code, the short code you get when you sign in. The US Federal Trade Commission says anyone who asks for it is a scammer.

When you spot a scam, don't reply. Use your app's report option first, then delete it. Your report can help block it for other people.

So, check who sent it, what it rushes you to do, and where its link goes. Before the next lesson, find the Report Junk or Report Spam option in your messages and email apps. Next, you will learn to spot scam calls and fake voices.