Quick Scam Check
Scam alerts: what's going around now
The scams going around now often use the same pattern: a text, email, website, or call says something urgent is happening and asks you to act before you can think. The story changes. The pressure stays the same.
Use this page as a quick scan. If one of these sounds like the message or call you received, pause and check it safely before you reply, pay, sign in, or share information.
Download the free 2026 scam guide (PDF) Take the free course
The check to run first
What to do next
If it looks like a scam
Stop contact. Do not answer, pay, share a code, or continue the conversation. Save a screenshot or note if you may need a record. Report scam texts to 7726 and scam reports to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If money or account access is involved, contact the affected bank, card company, or account provider right away.
If it looks real
Use a separate path to handle it. Go to the official app, type the website yourself, use a number from a card or bill, or call someone you already know. A real issue should survive that separate check.
Real examples going around
Fake unpaid toll texts say you owe a small fee and may face a bigger penalty if you do not pay quickly. The point is to make payment feel easier than checking. Do not use the message. Check any toll account from a bill, official app, or state toll website you reached yourself.
Fake package texts say a delivery is delayed, your address is incomplete, or a small fee is due. This feels believable because many people are waiting for something. Check through the store account, delivery app, or tracking number from your order confirmation.
Fake renewal invoices say a service plan, security subscription, or device protection plan is about to renew. Geek Squad is a common name used in this pattern, but the scam can use many brands. The phone number in the invoice is often the trap.
Fake bank fraud calls say your account is under attack and you need to move money, send Zelle, buy gift cards, or read a one-time code. A real bank does not ask you to move money to a safe account or share a code.
Family emergency calls may say a child, grandchild, sibling, or friend is hurt, arrested, stranded, or in danger. The caller may demand secrecy. Hang up and call the person or another family member on a number you already have.
AI-voice calls can sound familiar. Treat the story, the secrecy, and the payment request as more important than the sound of the voice.
Fake website warnings may come from search results, ads, social posts, or messages. A page can look official and still be fake. Check the address, the request, and whether the site gives a clear explanation of who is behind it.
Free guide and course
The 2026 Top 5 Scams in the US
Lumoset Foundation's free 2026 scam guide gathers the main patterns in one plain-language guide. It is built for people who want to know what to watch for without reading technical security advice.
Download the free guide (PDF) →
Spot the Scam: free course
You can also take the free Spot the Scam course at lumoset.org/allcourses/. The course teaches the same calm habit across texts, emails, websites, and calls: slow down, step outside the message, and verify safely.
Other scam checks
- Checking a text? Read Is this text message a scam?
- Checking an email? Read Is this email real or fake?
- Checking a website? Read Is this website legit?
- Checking a call? Read Is this phone call a scam?
- Already paid or shared information? Read What to do if you already paid a scammer
What changes, and what does not
Scam alerts can feel overwhelming because the names change all the time. One week it is a toll text. Another week it is a package text. Another week it is a fake renewal invoice or a bank call.
You do not have to memorize every version. Look for the pattern underneath: surprise contact, pressure, a request for money or information, and a path the scammer controls.
The safest answer is usually boring, and that is why it works. Stop. Do not use the suspicious path. Check from a source you chose. If there is a real problem, you will find it there.
If someone you know sends you a warning about a new scam, thank them, then still check the details. Not every forwarded warning is accurate. The useful part is the habit it reminds you to use: pause before you act.
Lumoset keeps these pages focused on practical checks because fear alone does not protect people. Calm steps do.