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How to tell if a text message is a scam, and how to report it

How to tell whether a text message is a scam, what to do if you tapped the link, and how to report it: forward to 7726 in the US, or use your national scam service.

Check yourself or someone else

See what’s online about a photo, phone number or email. Check your own to see what others can find, or check someone you’re talking to.

See what’s online about a phone number: yours, or one that’s contacting you.

We look up the number type, carrier and country, and any scam reports from other people. We don’t save what you enter. Up to 10 checks a day.

Got a suspicious email? See where it really came from

Paste the email’s headers to see the real sending server, country and sender checks.

✉️ Check email headers

Most scam texts follow a pattern: an unexpected message, a reason to act, and a link or number to contact. Once you know the pattern, you can check a message in a minute or two without tapping anything.

Seven signs a text is a scam

  1. You weren’t expecting it: a parcel you didn’t order, a toll you don’t recall, a prize you never entered.
  2. It claims a problem with your account or payment details (FTC).
  3. It pushes you to act fast, often with a fee or a cut-off date.
  4. It asks for personal details, a password, or a code sent to your phone.
  5. The link is shortened, misspelled, or doesn’t match the company’s real website.
  6. It asks you to pay in an unusual way, such as gift cards or crypto.
  7. It comes from someone claiming a new number, asking for money.

Government services give similar lists: see Scamwatch in Australia, Stop! Think Fraud in the UK and the FCC in the US.

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How to check a text without tapping it

  1. Look up the sender with the phone check above.
  2. Open the company’s app, or type its web address yourself, and look for the same alert there.
  3. Call the number on your card, bill or the official website, never one in the text.
  4. If it says it’s from family, call them on the number already saved in your phone.

How to report a scam text

  • US: forward it to 7726 (SPAM), use your messaging app’s report junk option, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC).
  • UK: forward it to 7726 as well.
  • Australia: report it to Scamwatch.

If you tapped the link or paid

  1. If you paid, call your bank or card issuer on the number on your card and ask them to stop or reverse it (FTC).
  2. If you typed a password, change it, and anywhere you reuse it, then turn on two-step sign-in.
  3. Read our guide to what to do if you gave a scammer your information.

Related: fake delivery texts, unpaid toll texts, fake bank fraud alerts and “Hi Mum” texts.

Questions

Can I tell a scam text just from the number?

Not reliably. Senders can change the name or number that shows, so judge the message by what it asks you to do, then confirm through a channel you already trust.

What is 7726?

It spells SPAM on a keypad. In the US the FTC says copying a scam text and forwarding it to 7726 helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages.

Would my bank ever text me for my details?

The FTC says legitimate companies won’t ask for information about your account by text. If in doubt, call the number on the back of your card.

I tapped the link but didn’t type anything. Am I OK?

Usually the risk is lower if you entered nothing, but close the page, keep your phone updated and watch for follow-up messages. If you entered details, see our guide on what to do if you gave a scammer your information.

Not sure about the sender?

Paste the number into the phone check above before you reply. ImposterWatch Personal (US$9/month, cancel anytime) adds AI-powered checks, breach alerts for up to three email addresses and account recovery help.

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General information only, not legal or financial advice. ImposterWatch is operated by Cloud Investments FZE (UAE) and is not a background check or private investigator service.