Suspect that something is a scam?

Scams are everywhere. You probably come across multiple scams every day. The mission of Scam Sentry is to help you to know if something is a scam or not, and what to do when you come across a scam. Our moto is Suspect, Detect, and Protect. It is the process that you should use whenever you come across a scam. Whenever you find something that seems suspicious, this is what you should do:

1. Suspect: You come across something that you suspect could be a scam. It could be anything: an email, letter, phone call, job posting, text message, business opportunity, social media post, advertisement, item listing, etc. Always be aware that something may be a scam; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Detect: Now you need to determine if what you came across is a scam or not. Luckily, we have many tools that can help you to detect if something is a scam. Click here to learn more about the tools we have. We also have many articles that go over different kinds of scams in detail, click here to learn more.
3. Protect: Once you have determined that something is a scam you need to protect yourself and others from it. One of the best ways to do this is to stay away from the scam. Do not contact scammers, they are criminals and are potentially dangerous. Never share personal information with strangers over the phone or internet. Do not send money to strangers over the internet. Legitimate companies will never ask for personal information, passwords, or payments over email, phone, text, or other similar means. If someone asks you for those things, it is a scammer who is pretending to work for the company. Be sure to also help protect others from scams. If you see a scam posted on social media, comment that it is a scam. If someone you know describes something that sounds like a scam, send them to this website. If you come across a scam, you can report it to the FTC by clicking this link.

Words of wisdom

Here are some important tips to keep in mind. These can potentially save you or someone you know from being scammed.

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Trust the warnings from your phone, web browser, email provider, etc. If they tell you that something is a scam, it most likely is.
• Don't share personal information with strangers over the internet. Especially information like your address, bank account information, passwords, etc.
• Don't click links that come from strange emails or text messages. They could steal your information or infect your system with malware. Sometimes it may take just one click for a scammer to get access to your account.
• If someone asks you to pay money to get a larger amount of money, it is probably a scam.
• If anyone asks for payment in gift card, bitcoin, or wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, it is probably a scam.
• If you come across something that says it is urgent, don't panic. Take time to think and examine it more closely. It is easier for you to be scammed if you panic.
• If someone threatens you in any way it is probably a scam. For example, if someone threatens to shut down your account or charge you with a large fee unless you pay them money, it is probably a scam. A reputable company will not threaten you.
• If you receive a message that has a lot of grammatical and spelling errors and/or is written in all capital letters, it may be a scam. An official company email will not be filled with typos, unprofessional fonts, threats, swear words, or demands for money. It be professionally written and formatted.

To learn more about scams and how to know if something is a scam or not, read more about our tools and articles below: