Scam text examples, and what to do about each

1. A small amount you can't place.⁴
2. A late fee, to push you to pay now and check later.^4,5
3. The link borrows a toll agency's name but isn't the agency's site.⁴

What to do Don't tap the link or reply. Forward the text to 7726, then delete it.⁵

1. Threats to your license, registration or credit, to rush you.⁶
2. The "35% service fee" and the "DMV violation database" appear in the scam texts the FTC describes.⁶
3. A payment link in a text you didn't expect.⁶

What to do Don't tap or reply. If you're worried about a ticket, contact your DMV using a phone number or website you know is real.⁶

1. An ordinary phone number. The Postal Inspection Service says USPS uses 5-digit short codes for its texts.⁷
2. A small "redelivery fee". Many people who paid one found it was a trick to get their card number or even their Social Security number.¹
3. The link leads to a site made to look like USPS. Real USPS texts contain no link.^1,7

What to do Check the tracking number at usps.com, typed in yourself, and report the text to spam@uspis.gov.⁷

1. An out-of-the-blue message, seemingly meant for someone else.¹
2. When you say it's the wrong number, they keep the chat going.¹
3. Talk turns to investing. The FBI says crypto investment scams use fake platforms that show fake profits.⁸

What to do Don't reply. Block the number and report the text.^5,9

1. Vague tasks such as "product boosting" or "optimization".¹⁰
2. Easy money for little work. Later, the platform asks you to deposit money, usually crypto, to unlock tasks or withdraw your "earnings".¹⁰
3. Real employers don't recruit by unexpected text or WhatsApp message.¹⁰

What to do Ignore it. Never pay to get a job or to get paid: the FTC calls that "a sure sign of a scam".¹⁰

1. A scary purchase you never made, often in the name of a bank or Amazon.¹
2. Replying connects you to the scammers, not your bank.¹
3. Being told to move money out of your account to keep it safe is the scam itself.¹

What to do Don't reply or call back. Contact your bank using the number on the back of your card, or sign in through its app.^5,11

1. The sender's address isn't the company's own. Anyone can write any name into the From line.¹²
2. A large charge for something you don't recall buying.¹³
3. A phone number and a 24-hour deadline. The "refund" that follows is a way to get your bank details or into your computer.¹³

What to do Don't call the number. Check your card or bank statement, or contact the company using a phone number you know is real.¹³

1. A claim that there's a virus or other problem with your computer.¹³
2. A fake warning made to look like it comes from a well-known company.¹³
3. Real security warnings never ask you to call a phone number.¹³

What to do Don't call. Update your security software and run a scan.¹³

1. An unexpected claim that you're in legal trouble.¹⁴
2. Pressure to act right away, with threats of arrest.¹⁴
3. Being told to keep it secret.¹⁴

What to do Hang up. Look up the court or agency's number yourself and call it.¹⁴