IS THIS A SCAM?
The leader in vetting scams.
Got a message that feels off? Paste it in. ScamVet reads it for known scam patterns and tells you the risk, the red flags, and exactly what to do — for free, right on your device.
PASTE A MESSAGE · CHECK IT FREE, ON YOUR DEVICE
High risk — this looks like a scam
4 red flags ▾
- Pressure to act immediately. Scammers manufacture urgency so you act before thinking. Real organizations give you time.
- Asks you to 'verify' via a link. Messages telling you to click a link to verify or unlock an account often lead to fake login pages that steal passwords.
- Asks for passwords, SSN, or codes. Never share passwords, your Social Security number, card PINs, or one-time codes. No legitimate agent will ask for them.
- Shortened or odd link. Shortened links (bit.ly, tinyurl) and look-alike domains hide where you're really going. Hover before you tap, or don't tap at all.
What to do
- Do not reply, click any links, call any numbers, or send money or gift cards.
- If it claims to be a company or agency, contact them directly using a number from their official website.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov, then delete the message.
This resembles
WHAT’S INSIDE
Two ways to stay ahead of a scam
A private checker that reads a message the moment you’re unsure, and a library of 56 plain-language explainers for when you want to recognise one on sight. Every explainer names the authority that documents the pattern — never a guess.
START HERE
The scams people meet most
The 'family in trouble' call
A panicked message claims a grandchild or relative is in jail or stranded and needs money now.
How to spot it →
The gift-card demand
Someone insists you pay a bill, fine, or fee with gift cards. It's always a scam.
How to spot it →
The 'verify your account' email
A message warns your account is locked and tells you to click a link to verify.
How to spot it →
The delivery-fee text
A text says your package is held and needs a small fee or address confirmation via a link.
How to spot it →EVERY FAMILY OF SCAM
Browse by category
Impersonation 13
Someone pretends to be a name you trust — an agency, a company, your bank, even family.
See 13 explainers →Money & payment 18
Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, fake refunds — moves designed so the money can't come back.
See 18 explainers →Phishing & links 10
Links and look-alike login pages built to capture your password or card the moment you type it.
See 10 explainers →
Buying & selling 5
Too-good listings, fake shops, and payment tricks when you're buying or selling online.
See 5 explainers →
Relationships 4
Slowly built trust — romance or friendship — that always turns into a request for money.
See 4 explainers →
Threats & blackmail 3
Fear as the lever: arrest, exposure, or a locked account unless you pay right now.
See 3 explainers →Deliveries 3
A 'held package' needing a small fee or a confirmed detail — a link to a look-alike page.
See 3 explainers →HOW IT WORKS
Private by design, never alarmist
On your device
The checker runs in your browser. We never see, store, or send the message you paste.
Pattern-based
It matches your text against 22 documented red-flag patterns and explains each one it finds — no black box.
Defensive only
Every explainer teaches you to recognise and avoid a scam. We never describe how to run one, and never accuse a named person or business.
ScamVet is an educational tool, not legal or financial advice, and can’t catch every scam — trust your instincts and, when money is involved, slow down and verify. Patterns are drawn from public guidance by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the FBI’s IC3, and other consumer-protection authorities, each cited on its explainer. Already lost money? Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
