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GUIDE · SCAM WATCH
The red flags every phone owner should know.
Photo: Dennis Cortés cortes / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
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§ 1 · SCAM WATCH
Americans reported losing $470 million to text scams in 2024, according to the FTC.
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§ 2 · SCAM WATCH
"Pay within 24 hours or else." Real companies rarely threaten you by text.
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§ 3 · SCAM WATCH
A link you never asked for is the biggest warning sign. Do not tap it.
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§ 4 · SCAM WATCH
Gift cards, crypto or Zelle to a stranger: scammers want payments you cannot reverse.
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§ 5 · SCAM WATCH
Fake unpaid-toll and delivery alerts top the list. Check the official app instead.
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§ 6 · SCAM WATCH
A friendly "wrong number" chat can become a crypto investment pitch weeks later.
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§ 7 · SCAM WATCH
Change passwords, call your bank, and freeze your credit if you shared your SSN.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
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§ 8 · SCAM WATCH
Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and report them at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Photo: Kurt Kaiser / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
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§ 9 · SCAM WATCH
Turn on spam filters together and agree on a family code word for emergencies.
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All 12 red flags and exactly what to do if you clicked, in our full guide.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (credits on each page)