Scam Warning-Sign Checker

Warning signs of a scam phone call:

• Caller claims to be Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, or your bank and says your account or computer has a problem they detected remotely.
• Caller ID shows a number that looks official but you didn't recognize or expect the call.
• You're asked to go to your computer right now and download software, or read numbers from a screen.
• The caller becomes pushy, raises their voice, or refuses to let you call back on a number you look up yourself.

What to do: Hang up. Real companies don't cold-call about problems they "detected" on your device. If you're worried it might be genuine, look up the company's official number yourself (not one the caller gave you) and call that instead.

Warning signs of a scam pop-up:

• A full-screen warning claims your computer is infected and shows a countdown timer or a phone number to call "immediately."
• It may play a loud alarm sound or lock your screen so it feels hard to close.
• It's often styled to look like Microsoft, Apple, or your antivirus software, but isn't.

What to do: Don't call the number on the pop-up and don't click anything inside it. Close the browser tab or window (or use your task manager to close the browser entirely). Restarting your device usually clears it completely. Genuine security software never asks you to call a phone number.

Warning signs of a scam text or email:

• Urgent language about a package, a "failed payment," a locked account, or a prize.
• A link that doesn't quite match the real company's website when you look closely.
• Poor grammar, an unfamiliar sender address, or a generic greeting like "Dear Customer."
• An attachment you weren't expecting, especially one that asks you to "enable" something to view it.

What to do: Don't click links or open attachments you weren't expecting. If it claims to be from a company you use, open a new browser tab and go to that company's website directly, or call the number printed on your actual account statement.

This is the most urgent situation. Warning signs it's a scam and not a real technician:

• You didn't schedule this session, or the "technician" reached out to you first.
• They're asking you to open your online banking, Venmo, or investment accounts "to check something."
• They ask you to buy gift cards or show them a code from a card.

Warning signs of an impersonation scam:

• A call, text, or email claims to be a grandchild, relative, or friend in an emergency and asks for money quickly, often by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency.
• The voice or writing "feels a little off," or they avoid answering specific personal questions.
• They ask you not to tell other family members.

What to do: Hang up and call that family member back directly on a number you already have for them — not a new number they gave you. Verifying by a second channel almost always resolves this in a minute or two.