The scams we write about, grouped by who they’re pitched to, each with its tell and one thing to do. This week’s three sit on top. We refresh the page every week, and every entry says when we last checked it.
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On this page: This week’s threeA parent’s phoneA kid’s job huntThe ones pitched to you
Oct 29 to Nov 4. Read that issue.
Someone calls about a “new” or “updated” Medicare card and already seems to know a little about you. To sort it out, they ask for your Medicare, bank or credit card number.
The tell: Medicare says it never calls to sell you anything or turns up at your home.
One thing to do: Hang up, type medicare.gov yourself, and use the number you find there.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
During Marketplace enrollment, ads and calls promise a full plan and deliver thin benefits, or sell a medical discount card that isn’t a health plan. Some are dressed up to look like the government or a company you’d recognize.
The tell: The FTC says it’s illegal to robocall prerecorded messages marketing health plans.
One thing to do: Start at HealthCare.gov, typed in yourself, or call the Marketplace Call Center.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A recruiter from a company you might know offers remote work, names the pay and says little about the job, then asks you to reply YES or INTERESTED. Once you’re talking, there’s a check to deposit or a reason to send money.
The tell: The FTC says real employers don’t reach people through generic, unexpected texts or WhatsApp and Telegram messages about jobs.
One thing to do: Before you answer, search the company’s or recruiter’s name plus scam, review or complaint.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A caller asks about a medical equipment claim you don’t remember making, and needs your Medicare number to go ahead. That number can then be used to bill for things like a back brace you never got or needed.
The tell: Medicare’s own list of things not to do includes taking money or gifts for free medical care.
One thing to do: Lay your Medicare statement next to your calendar and check that you really got each item on it.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone says your benefits are about to end, or that your number is suspended, unless you pay right now. The only fix on offer is a gift card, a wire, crypto or a payment app, and you may hear you’ll be arrested if you don’t.
The tell: The FTC on this one: “The real Social Security Administration won’t threaten you or suspend your Social Security number.”
One thing to do: Hang up, type oig.ssa.gov yourself, and use the fraud hotline listed there.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone offers to activate your yearly Social Security raise or bump up your payment, for a fee, a change to your direct deposit or your personal details. Some send a link or ask you to download software.
The tell: The raise is automatic, so there is nothing for anyone to activate.
One thing to do: Report the contact at ssa.gov/scam, typed in yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A caller says you owe back taxes and must pay now or face arrest, deportation or losing your license. The softer version is a text or email saying your refund is approved, if you tap a link to verify yourself.
The tell: The IRS says it never calls to demand payment on the spot, threaten arrest or tell you about a refund.
One thing to do: Hang up and look at your tax account at irs.gov, typed in yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A caller reads out a badge number, says your name is tied to a crime and threatens arrest unless you pay or help with the case. You may get handed to a fake police officer and told to keep it all secret.
The tell: The FTC says a real employee never tells you to keep the call secret, and that being told to is always a scam.
One thing to do: Hang up, find the agency’s number yourself and call it to check.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A caller who says he is a U.S. Marshal or a local officer tells you that you missed jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay. A text or email with a fake warrant may follow.
The tell: The FTC: “Real law enforcement will never text or email you an arrest warrant.”
One thing to do: Hang up, look up the court’s real number and call it yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A voice says it’s your grandson and he’s in trouble, sometimes with a fake lawyer or police officer on the line. The money has to go right now and the family can’t know, and the voice may be cloned from a clip online.
The tell: Being told to pay fast and keep it from the family is the tell, even when the voice sounds right.
One thing to do: Hang up and call your grandson on the number you already have for him.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A message fills the screen with a number to call, or a caller says your computer has a problem. They ask for remote access, pretend to scan it and charge to remove what they found.
The tell: The FTC: “Real security pop-up warnings and messages will never ask you to call a phone number.”
One thing to do: Close the browser without calling (Microsoft suggests Alt+F4), and restart the computer if it won’t close.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
An email says you were just charged hundreds of dollars to renew a tech support subscription, and you have 24 hours to call and dispute it. Whoever answers asks for remote access, then your bank or card details.
The tell: The trap is the number in the message, so the only one to call is one you already know is real.
One thing to do: Before you call anyone, look for the charge on your card or bank statement.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A call, letter or text says you’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery, sometimes one the government supposedly runs. Before you can collect, you owe taxes or a fee, or you hand over your bank details.
The tell: The FTC: “no real sweepstakes company will contact you asking for money to claim a prize.”
One thing to do: Look up the company’s contact details yourself and ask it directly.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone from your bank’s fraud team or a government office says your account is in danger and your money has to move. They may stay on the line for hours and walk you through every step.
The tell: The FTC: “Someone who says you have to move your money to protect it is a scammer.”
One thing to do: Hang up and call your bank on the number on your statement or in its app.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
After a scare about a hacked account or a crime in your name, a “government agent” tells you to buy gold or pull out cash to protect it. A courier then comes to your home or meets you somewhere to collect it.
The tell: The FTC: “no one from the government will ever tell you to buy and deliver gold bars”.
One thing to do: Stop, hang up, tell someone you trust, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone from your gas, electric or water company says your service goes off today unless you pay on the spot. They want a wire, crypto, a payment app or a gift card.
The tell: The FTC: “real utility companies won’t demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection”.
One thing to do: Hang up and call the number on your bill.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
After a disaster or at the end of the year, calls, texts and posts ask for money under a name that sounds like a charity you know. There’s a lot of feeling, few details and a push to give today.
The tell: The FTC: “If the charity doesn’t accept checks or credit cards, it’s likely a scam.”
One thing to do: Get the charity’s exact name and look it up with your state’s charity regulator.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A letter from a “law firm” says a client with your last name died and left a life insurance fortune with no heir. Answer it and they go after your personal and financial details.
The tell: The FTC: “Never send money or information to a stranger who promises big rewards.”
One thing to do: Leave it unanswered and report the letter at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A stranger offers easy money for tasks like rating products in an app, which shows your earnings piling up and may even pay out $5 to $20 at first. To unlock the rest you’re told to put in your own money, most often crypto, and it’s gone.
The tell: The FTC: “Never pay anyone to get paid, or to get a job.”
One thing to do: Leave the message unanswered and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A work-from-home job with a fancy title has you take in packages, throw out the box and receipt, and send the goods on to a new address. The goods were bought with stolen cards, and payday comes and goes.
The tell: The FTC: “Reshipping goods is never a real job.”
One thing to do: Report the offer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and at uspis.gov/report.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A freelance gig pays you to take in laptops at home and keep them online. The FBI says these setups, often called laptop farms, help North Korean IT workers pass as US job holders.
The tell: The FBI names hosting laptops at home and interviewing on someone’s behalf as the simple requests in these job posts.
One thing to do: Report the offer at ic3.gov, typed in yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A new employer or a mystery shopping gig sends a check and tells you to deposit it, keep a cut and send the rest on or buy gift cards with it. Weeks later the check turns out to be fake and the bank wants its money back.
The tell: The FTC: “No honest potential employer will ever send you a check to deposit and then tell you to send on part of the money”.
One thing to do: Before you deposit anything, search the company’s name plus scam, review or complaint.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A listing shows a great place, copied from a real ad or made up outright, and the owner has a reason to hurry you. The application fee, deposit or first month’s rent has to go by wire, gift card or crypto, and then the owner disappears.
The tell: The FTC says the same address showing up under a different owner or rental company is a sign of a scam.
One thing to do: Search the address along with the owner’s or rental company’s name and compare what comes up.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A buyer for something you’re selling online sends a check or money order above the asking price, then wants the difference returned. The payment is counterfeit, and the money you sent was your own.
The tell: The FTC: “Don’t accept a check for more than the selling price.”
One thing to do: Tell your bank and the marketplace, and send nothing back.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A seller has a great price, only stock photos, and a reason you should pay outside the marketplace’s own checkout. That takes you outside the site’s protection, and the item may never come.
The tell: The FTC: “Don’t buy from anyone who wants you to pay outside the marketplace’s payment system.”
One thing to do: Before you pay, read the site’s refund policy and check that it covers this seller.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A text says you owe for unpaid tolls and have to pay right away, sometimes with a dollar amount and a link. The link goes to a page that takes your bank or card details.
The tell: It comes out of the blue whether you’ve driven a toll road or not, with a balance and a link.
One thing to do: Check with your state’s toll agency on a number or site you know is real, then use your phone’s report junk option and delete the text.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A text or email says a package is out for delivery, stuck, or held for unpaid postage or a bad address. The link goes to a look-alike page that asks for your card and personal details.
The tell: The Postal Inspection Service says USPS only texts about a package after you ask it to with a tracking number, and that text has no link.
One thing to do: Look up the order on the site where you bought it.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone threatens to share intimate images of you unless you pay. While you look for help, companies may offer a quick fix for a price and not deliver it.
The tell: The FTC calls this a serious crime and says not to pay, so the way out runs through people you trust and the police.
One thing to do: Stop answering, block the account, and report it to local police and the FBI, or to the CyberTipline if a minor is involved.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A caller says your loans can be forgiven now, for a fee, and that you’ll miss out on a repayment plan if you wait. They may ask for your Federal Student Aid ID.
The tell: The FTC: “It’s illegal for companies to charge you before they help.”
One thing to do: Start at StudentAid.gov, typed in yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone you met on a dating app or social media writes all the time and says it’s love, but can’t meet because of an oil rig, the military or work abroad. Then there’s a medical bill, a ticket or a fee to pay, by wire, gift card or crypto.
The tell: The FTC: “Never send money or gifts to a sweetheart you haven’t met in person.”
One thing to do: Run a reverse image search on the profile photo.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A stranger builds a friendship or romance, then shows you how they make money investing in crypto. FinCEN’s name for it, pig butchering, comes from fattening a hog before slaughter: the trust comes first, and then the money goes.
The tell: The FTC: “Never mix online dating and investment advice.”
One thing to do: Stop answering and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A so-called investment manager appears out of the blue and promises to grow your money if you buy crypto and move it to their platform. The site looks real, the balance climbs, and you can’t get anything out.
The tell: The FTC: “Only scammers will guarantee profits or big returns.”
One thing to do: Search the company’s or person’s name and the coin’s name plus review, scam or complaint.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
An “accidental” text or a social media ad invites you to an investment club on a messaging app, supposedly run by a well-known adviser. You’re pushed to buy a cheap stock fast, in what the FBI calls a ramp-and-dump.
The tell: The FBI lists rushed pitches for cheap stocks, with promises of big jumps or covered losses, among the signs.
One thing to do: Report it at ic3.gov, typed in yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
An ad in your feed offers a designer bag at half price for a limited time. The seller may be posing as a real brand or selling knock-offs.
The tell: The FTC says a seller who will only take a gift card, wire, payment app or crypto is probably a scam.
One thing to do: Before you buy, search the seller’s name and the site’s address plus review, complaint or scam.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
An ad promises one product that cures a long list of things, with patients or doctors saying the results are miraculous. There’s a money-back promise and a reason to act now.
The tell: The FTC says a single product that claims to cure lots of different diseases won’t.
One thing to do: Ask your doctor about it before you buy.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
After you’ve lost money to a scam, someone gets in touch to say they can recover it, sometimes posing as a government agency or a law firm. They bought your name on a list, and the help comes with a fee up front.
The tell: The FTC: “Never pay upfront for a refund or help with a refund.”
One thing to do: Search their name plus complaint, scam or review, and find any agency’s number yourself.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A text from a number you don’t know just says hi, or seems meant for someone else. Tell them so and they apologize and keep chatting, and once there’s trust the talk turns to investing.
The tell: Even a one-word reply tells the sender your number works.
One thing to do: Use your phone’s report junk option, then delete it.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A caller says there’s a problem with your account or that your money is at risk, and tells you to take out cash. You’re sent to a Bitcoin machine at a gas station or grocery store to feed it in and scan a code they give you.
The tell: The FTC: “Never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message.”
One thing to do: Hang up and call your bank on a number or app you know is real.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
After a storm someone turns up promising quick repairs, says they don’t need a license and asks for cash up front. Others say they can get you FEMA money for a fee.
The tell: The FTC: “If they want cash up front, walk away.”
One thing to do: Ask to see the license and insurance, and get the contract in writing before anyone starts.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
Someone posing as a company you trust says there’s a problem with an account and asks you to read back the code that just reached your phone. With that code they can log in and move your money out.
The tell: The FTC: “Anyone who asks you for your account verification code is a scammer.”
One thing to do: Hang up and call the company on a number from your statement or app.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
A stranger lets slip the password to a crypto wallet that seems to hold a fortune. Getting it out takes a small payment of your own first.
The tell: The FTC hasn’t described this exact setup, but it says no real business demands crypto in advance.
One thing to do: Leave the wallet alone and report the message at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
If the message you got isn’t on this page, that doesn’t make it fine. We can’t see yours from here, and the page covers what’s been going around lately, which is a long way from all of them. The checks at the top work on any message.
One email a week: the three going around, ranked, each with its tell and one thing to do, plus three messages to practice on. What We Check First lands before any of it does.
Your own address, nobody else’s. A confirmation email from Same Old Trick comes first, and nothing arrives until you click the link in it. It’s free, every issue has an unsubscribe link, and your address is held by Kit, the company that sends the email for us, and nobody else.