Scam Library
Scammers reuse the same tricks over and over. This library explains the most common ones in plain English: how each scam works, the red flags to watch for, and exactly what to do. If you recognize a trick before it starts, it loses its power.
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Check it now — freeWhy this matters: the FBI’s IC3 2025 report found that Americans 60 and older reported $7.75 billion in fraud losses — 201,000+ victims, up 37% in a year.
Texts & Phone Calls
Scams that arrive as a text message or a phone call, often pretending to be a company you know.
- Unpaid toll textA text message says you owe a small unpaid toll and threatens a big late fee or trouble with your license unless you pay right away through a link.
- Package delivery textA text claims a package could not be delivered and asks you to confirm your address or pay a small 'redelivery fee' through a link.
- Utility shut-off threatA caller or text claims your electric, gas, or water service will be shut off within the hour unless you pay immediately — often by prepaid card, gift card, or a payment app.
- Fake bank fraud alertA text or call that looks like your bank warns you about a suspicious charge and asks you to reply, tap a link, or 'verify' your account.
Government & Official Impersonation
Callers and letters pretending to be the IRS, Social Security, Medicare, or the courts.
- IRS impersonationA caller, text, or email claims to be the IRS collecting back taxes and threatens arrest, a lawsuit, or license trouble unless you pay today.
- Social Security suspension callA robocall or live caller says your Social Security number has been 'suspended' because of suspicious activity, and that you must confirm your number or move your savings to keep them safe.
- Medicare card and enrollment callsCallers claim to be from Medicare offering a 'new card,' a plan upgrade, or free medical equipment or genetic testing — they just need to 'verify' your Medicare number.
- Jury duty warrant callA caller claiming to be a sheriff's deputy or court officer says you missed jury duty and there is a warrant for your arrest — but you can clear it right now by paying a fine over the phone, usually with gift cards or a prepaid card.
Money & Investments
Scams built around prizes, investments, checks, and unusual ways to pay.
- Crypto investment ('pig butchering') scamA friendly stranger texts you 'by accident' or connects on social media, chats warmly for weeks, then mentions how much money they make trading cryptocurrency.
- Lottery and sweepstakes prizeA call, letter, or email says you have won a big prize — but you must pay taxes, insurance, or a processing fee before you can collect it.
- Check overpaymentSomeone paying you — for something you are selling, a part-time job, or a 'mystery shopper' gig — sends a check for more than they owe and asks you to send back the difference.
- Gift card payment demandNo matter what the story is — taxes owed, a grandchild in trouble, a computer problem, a boss who needs a favor — the call ends the same way: buy gift cards and read the numbers off the back.
Email & Online
Scams that reach you through email, websites, dating sites, and QR codes.
- Fake tech support renewalAn email, invoice, or computer pop-up claims a subscription — often Geek Squad, Norton, or McAfee — is about to auto-renew for hundreds of dollars, with a phone number to call to cancel.
- Romance scamSomeone you met online — through a dating site, social media, or even a word game — builds a warm relationship over weeks or months, then starts asking for money.
- Fake QR code paymentsScammers place their own QR code stickers on parking meters, gas pumps, and public notices, or put codes in emails and letters.
Home & Family
Scams that target your family ties, your home, and your generosity.
- Grandparent emergency callA late-night caller sounds exactly like your grandchild — sometimes because scammers cloned their voice with AI from a short clip posted online.
- Storm-chaser home repairAfter a storm, hail, or flooding, crews go door to door offering roof, driveway, or tree work at a 'today only' discount — often claiming they have leftover materials from a job nearby.
- Fake charity appealAfter disasters and around the holidays, fake charities call, mail, text, and email asking for donations.
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