Is This a Scam?
What is a scam? A scam is a fraudulent message designed to trick you into sending money, sharing personal information, or clicking malicious links. Whether you're trying to figure out if a message is safe, checking whether a link is legit, or wondering if that suspicious text is a phishing attempt — look for urgency, impersonation, threats, or requests for unusual payments.
That weird text, email, or DM sitting in your phone — paste it below and we'll show you exactly how they tried to manipulate you.
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Works on any message — email, text, DM, or any of the 85+ scam types we detect. Analyzed in real time. Not retained.
How do you know if something is a scam?
According to the FBI IC3 2024 report, scams resulted in $16.6 billion in reported losses last year. The FTC reports that text messages have become one of the fastest-growing contact methods used in fraud schemes in the United States. A message is likely a scam if it:
- •Creates urgency or a fake deadline
- •Asks for money, gift cards, or personal information
- •Contains misspelled or unfamiliar website links
- •Impersonates a bank, government agency, or delivery service
- •Pressures you to act before you can verify
Not sure if a text, email, or DM is legitimate? Wondering whether a link is safe to click or if a message is a phishing attempt? Legitimate companies never demand secrecy, urgency, or payment in gift cards. Paste the message to check instantly →
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$16.6 billion in reported losses in the U.S. in 2024
|859,532 complaints filed in 2024(IC3)
|It takes seconds to check
Experts estimate actual losses are significantly higher due to underreporting. Figures reflect complaints submitted to IC3 and may not represent all incidents.
How to Check if a Message is a Scam
Three steps. Seconds to check. You'll know what to look for next time.
Paste the suspicious message
Copy any text, email, or DM you want to check. Upload a screenshot if you prefer.
Our engine analyzes the patterns
We check against 85+ documented fraud patterns derived from FBI IC3 reporting.
See the manipulation tactics used
Get a verdict plus a full breakdown of every trick — so next time, you spot it yourself.
7 Signs That Message is a Scam
Scammers follow a playbook. Here's what to look for.
The message creates panic or a deadline
"Your account will be locked in 24 hours" — scammers want you to act before you think.
They ask for gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers
No legitimate company or government agency asks for payment in gift cards. Ever.
The link doesn't match the real company
"usps-resch3dule.com" instead of usps.com. Always check the actual URL before clicking.
A stranger is unusually friendly or romantic
Unsolicited affection from someone you just met online — especially if they mention investing.
They threaten arrest or legal action
The IRS, police, and courts do not threaten people by text or phone. That's not how it works.
The offer is too good to be true
$65/hr remote work with no interview. Guaranteed 300% crypto returns. You know better.
They ask you to keep it secret
"Don't tell your bank" or "this is confidential" — secrecy protects the scammer, not you.
If you're wondering "am I being scammed right now?" — that hesitation is a signal. If a message makes you feel rushed, pressured, or confused — pause. Scammers rely on emotional momentum. Legitimate companies rely on verification. The fact that you're here means you're already ahead.
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How to Verify a Message is Legitimate
Not every unexpected message is a scam. But in 2026, verifying takes more than gut feeling. Here's what cybersecurity professionals actually check.
These verification steps apply to emails, texts, DMs, phone calls, and QR codes.
Inspect the sender — not just the display name
Scammers set display names like "Amazon Support" or "Chase Bank" while the actual address is something like [email protected]. On mobile, tap the sender name to reveal the full address. On desktop, hover.
🔬 Pro check — SPF, DKIM & DMARC▼
Verify every URL before clicking — HTTPS alone means nothing
Hover over links (don't click) to preview the actual destination. Scammers use homograph attacks (paypaI.com with a capital I instead of lowercase L), subdomain tricks (chase.com.secure-login.xyz), and URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) to mask malicious destinations.
🔬 Pro check — How to read a URL▼
Caller ID and phone numbers can be spoofed in seconds
Scammers clone real phone numbers using VoIP services. Your phone may display "Chase Bank" or your local police department — that proves nothing. If you receive an urgent call or text about your accounts, hang up and call back using the number on your card or the company's official website.
🔬 Pro check — The callback test▼
AI can clone any voice from a few seconds of audio
A panicked call from your "son" saying he's in jail, your "boss" requesting an urgent wire transfer, your "daughter" crying and asking for help — all can be generated in real time using AI voice cloning trained on public social media audio.
🔬 Pro check — Safe word & multi-party auth▼
QR codes are links you can't read — treat them the same way
Quishing (QR phishing) is surging: fake QR codes on parking meters, restaurant menus, mail packages, and even pasted over real ones on ATMs. A QR code is just a URL you can't visually inspect.
🔬 Pro check — QR preview▼
The payment method tells you everything
Gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers to personal accounts, Zelle/Venmo/CashApp to strangers, or "refund" overpayments — these are scam-exclusive payment methods. No government agency, bank, or legitimate business uses them.
🔬 Pro check — Legitimate payment methods▼
Verify through a different channel — every time
This is the single most effective anti-scam habit. Received an email from your bank? Open a new browser tab and go to the bank's website directly. Got a text from a delivery service? Go to the carrier's app. Boss emailing from a new address asking for a wire? Call them on their known phone number.
🔬 Pro check — The universal rule▼
Secrecy is a weapon — legitimate companies never use it
"Don't tell your bank." "Keep this between us." "The investigation is confidential." These are manipulation tactics designed to isolate you from the people who would immediately recognize the scam.
🔬 Pro check — The secrecy red flag▼
The universal test: If a message creates urgency, asks for money or credentials, and discourages independent verification — it fails all three checks.
Works against phishing, smishing, vishing, quishing, AI voice cloning, deepfake video, BEC, romance scams, and investment fraud.
Typical scam checkers
- ✗Match keywords like "urgent" or "verify"
- ✗Check URLs against known blocklists
- ✗Miss sophisticated manipulation tactics
ZeroScam
- ✓Analyzes manipulation patterns — urgency, impersonation, emotional pressure
- ✓Cross-references 85+ documented fraud patterns from IC3 data
- ✓Shows you how the scam works — so you spot the next one yourself
Keyword matching catches yesterday's scams. Pattern analysis catches tomorrow's.
What Scams Can We Detect?
Our detection engine analyzes messages against 85+ documented fraud patterns derived from FBI IC3 reporting and real-world scam data.
Cryptocurrency Scams
4 patterns
Payment & BEC Scams
9 patterns
Tech Support Scams
5 patterns
Personal Data Breach
2 patterns
Online Purchase Scams
5 patterns
Romance Scams
3 patterns
Government Impersonation
6 patterns
Corporate Data Breach
3 patterns
Job & Employment Scams
6 patterns
Crypto ATM & Kiosk Scams
3 patterns
Gold Courier Scams
2 patterns
Identity Theft
3 patterns
Rental Scams
2 patterns
Extortion & Blackmail
1 patterns
Prize & Lottery Scams
1 patterns
Phishing & Smishing
3 patterns
Delivery & Shipping Scams
4 patterns
Impersonation Scams
4 patterns
AI-Powered Scams
5 patterns
Social Media Scams
2 patterns
Telemarketing Scams
1 patterns
Healthcare Scams
1 patterns
Financial Service Scams
2 patterns
Service Provider Scams
2 patterns
Charity Scams
1 patterns
Election & Civic Scams
2 patterns
Synthetic Identity Fraud
2 patterns
Recovery Scams
1 patterns
Browse all patterns in our scam database or learn about the most costly scam types.
Analyzed in real time. Never stored. Never sold. Never used for training.
Only anonymized security signals are retained to strengthen protection for everyone.
Common Scam Questions
Here are the messages people ask us about most.
Is this USPS delivery text a scam?
Almost certainly. USPS does not send redelivery links by text.
Is this "wrong number" text a scam?
It's likely the opening move of a pig butchering scam — designed to start a conversation that leads to a fake investment pitch weeks later.
Is this job offer text legitimate?
If it came unsolicited with high pay, no interview, and no company name — it's a scam.
Is this bank fraud alert real?
Your bank will never ask you to click a link or reply to a text. Call the number on the back of your card instead.
Is this crypto investment opportunity real?
If someone you met online is recommending a "guaranteed" crypto platform — it's pig butchering. Investment fraud resulted in $6.57 billion in reported losses in 2024 (IC3).
Can't find your exact situation? Paste the message — your first scans are free.
The Psychology Behind Every Scam
Every scam exploits the same 4 psychological triggers. Once you see them, you can't unsee them.
⏰Urgency
▼"Act now or lose your account."
Urgency
▼Fake deadlines bypass your rational brain. Real companies give you time. If a message says "24 hours" or "immediately" — that's the scammer talking, not your bank. Urgency is designed to prevent you from verifying through an independent channel.
Examples: account lockouts, expiring offers, warrant threats, missed delivery windows
😨Fear
▼"You will be arrested."
Fear
▼Panic stops you from verifying. That's the point. When you're scared, your prefrontal cortex (rational thinking) shuts down and your amygdala (fight-or-flight) takes over. Scammers know this. They engineer fear so you comply before you think.
Examples: arrest threats, account compromise alerts, family emergency calls
🤝Trust
▼"This is Chase Bank calling."
Trust
▼They impersonate your bank, the IRS, USPS, even family members. Familiar logos, official-sounding language, and spoofed caller IDs make you lower your guard. The more an entity is trusted, the more effective it is to impersonate.
Examples: bank alerts, government calls, boss emails, family voice clones
💰Greed
▼"You won $10,000!"
Greed
▼The promise of easy money overrides common sense. Every time. Whether it's a fake lottery, a guaranteed crypto return, or a too-good-to-be-true job offer — greed-based scams work because wanting something makes you less likely to question it.
Examples: lottery wins, crypto returns, fake job offers, inheritance claims
ZeroScam analyzes psychological manipulation patterns — and shows you which triggers a message is using, so you understand why it's dangerous, not just that it is. Learn more →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if a text message is a scam?▼
Look for urgency ("act now"), requests for money or personal info, links to unfamiliar domains, and senders you don't recognize. Scammers manufacture panic so you act before thinking. Paste the message into ZeroScam to see a full breakdown of the manipulation tactics used.
What should I do if I think I received a scam message?▼
Do not respond, click any links, or send money. Block the sender. Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you already sent money, contact your bank immediately.
Can scammers text you from a real phone number?▼
Yes. Scammers routinely spoof phone numbers to appear as your bank, a government agency, or even someone in your contacts. The number alone is never proof that a message is legitimate.
What types of scams are most common in 2025?▼
According to FBI IC3 2024 data, the fastest-growing scams include AI voice cloning, investment fraud including pig butchering ($6.57B in reported losses), business email compromise ($2.77B), package delivery phishing, and crypto recovery fraud.
Is it safe to paste my message into a scam checker?▼
With ZeroScam, yes. No external AI calls. Your message is analyzed in real time and not retained. Never stored. Never sold. Never used for training. Only anonymized security signals are retained to strengthen protection.
Can scammers steal my money just from me replying to a text?▼
Replying confirms your number is active, which leads to more targeted attacks. Some scams use replies to build rapport over weeks (pig butchering) before asking for money. Never engage with suspicious messages.
How do I report a scam?▼
File with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI IC3 at ic3.gov. If it involved a phone call, also report to the FCC. If you lost money, contact your bank or payment provider immediately — speed matters for recovery.
How do I know if a message is legitimate?▼
Verify through an independent channel: if an email claims to be from your bank, open a new browser tab and go directly to the bank's website instead of clicking the link. Check the sender's full email address (not just the display name). No legitimate company will ask for gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers, demand secrecy, or pressure you with artificial deadlines. For phone calls, hang up and call back on the official number.
Don't guess. Know.
That message you're not sure about? Seconds to check it.
You'll see the exact tricks they used — and you'll know what to look for next time.
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