Scam Text and Email Checker: Paste a Message, See the Red Flags

How do I know if a text is legit?

Often you can't tell from the message alone. Scammers pretend to be companies you know, sometimes with the real logo (FTC), and they can change the name and number that show up on your caller ID (FTC). So don't use anything in the message to check it. Contact the company, bank or agency using a phone number or website you know is real, not the information in the text (FTC).

A few rules from the agencies hold every time:

• Anyone who asks you for your account verification code is a scammer (FTC).
• Government agencies will never call, email, text or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information (FTC).
• Only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency (FTC), and no real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them (FTC).
• USPS doesn't text or email you unless you first asked for tracking with a tracking number, and those messages won't contain a link (U.S. Postal Inspection Service).

Common scam text red flags

People reported losing $470 million to text scams in 2024, more than five times as much as in 2020. The five most reported types were fake package delivery problems, phony job offers, fake fraud alerts, bogus notices about unpaid tolls and "wrong number" texts (FTC).

Most scams share four signs: they pretend to be from an organization you know, say there's a problem or a prize, pressure you to act immediately and tell you to pay in a specific way (FTC). In a text, that usually looks like this:

• A link (FTC) or a QR code (FTC) in a message you weren't expecting.
• A deadline, a "final notice," a late fee or a threat of arrest (FTC).
• A demand to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, a payment app or a wire transfer (FTC).
• A request for a code, a password, a PIN or your Social Security number (FCC).
• A request to reply "Y" to get a link (New York State), or a job offer that moves to WhatsApp or Telegram (FTC).

Scam email checker: what to look for

Phishing emails use the same tricks as texts. The sender might say they've noticed suspicious activity or log-in attempts, claim there's a problem with your account or payment information, include an invoice you don't recognize, or say you're eligible to register for a government refund. Real companies won't email or text you a link to update your payment information (FTC).

CISA, the federal cybersecurity agency, lists signs that are easier to spot in an email: a generic greeting like "Dear Valued Customer," a sender address that closely resembles a real company's, poor grammar and misspellings, an unexpected attachment, and shortened links that hide where they really go (CISA).

Fake invoices deserve their own warning. Emails saying you were charged for a Geek Squad, McAfee or Norton renewal, and that you must call a number within 24 hours to dispute it, are a known tech support scam. If you think the charge might be real, contact the company using a number you know is real, and check your card or bank account for it (FTC).

What this checker can and can't do

The checker looks for 53 common warning signs in 21 groups, taken from official guidance by the FTC, the FBI, the FCC, CISA, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and state agencies. Every sign it finds links to the official page it comes from. It runs entirely in your browser: what you paste isn't sent to us or to anyone else, and it isn't saved, not even on your device.

It can be wrong in both directions. A real message from your bank, a store or your doctor can use one of these phrases, and a scam can use words the checker doesn't know: scammers change their wording all the time. It also doesn't open links, look up phone numbers or check anything against a database of known scams. Treat the result as a second opinion, never as a verdict, and check with the company or agency through a channel you choose.

Already lost money or shared information? Start with the scam recovery checklist. Not sure who to tell? See where to report a scam.