Scammers want one thing: your money, fast, before you have time to think. Almost every scam uses the same handful of tricks. Learn these three rules and you will catch most scams before they cost you anything.
Rule one: never pay someone who contacted you first by buying a gift card, wiring money, sending cryptocurrency, or using a payment app like Venmo or Zelle. Real companies do not ask for these.
Rule two: if a call, text, or email worries you, hang up or close it. Then call a number you already know and trust, like the one on your card or statement. Never the number they gave you.
Rule three: no real company, bank, or government office will ever ask for your password or a code sent to your phone. That code proves it is you, not them. If anyone asks for it, that is the clearest sign of a scam there is.
These three rules work on almost every scam in this course: fake tech support, fake family emergencies, romance scams, and more. When you feel rushed or scared, stop. Scammers create urgency so you will not stop to check.
Rule to remember: never pay someone who contacted you first, always hang up and call a number you already know, and never share a password or a code sent to your phone.