Is this real? · Texts and calls
Is that text about an unpaid toll real?
You cannot tell from the text. Do not pay or tap the link in it. Check with the toll agency yourself, on a phone number or website you know is real.
A text says you owe a small toll and must pay now to avoid a late fee. Do not pay through the text, and do not ignore a bill that might be real. Here is how to check safely.
Is this real?
Someone asked me to pay with a gift card. Is that real?
No. Only scammers tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers.
Is that text about a package real?
Do not tap the link. USPS says its tracking texts never contain one. If you are expecting a package, track it on the carrier’s or the store’s own website.
A relative called in trouble and needs money now. Is that really them?
Do not trust the voice. Hang up and call your relative on a number you know is theirs.
Do these once
How to freeze your credit at all three credit bureaus
A credit freeze stops anyone from opening a new credit account in your name. It is free, and you place it yourself with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Here is how to place it, how to lift it, and what it does not do.
I clicked a scam link or typed in my details. What to do in the next hour
What to do right after you click a link in a scam email or text, in order of what you gave away. Covers a click, a password, card or bank details, a Social Security number, and a payment.
This week, on one sheet
Everything going around this week on a single page, with the three things to do about each. Made to print and put on the fridge, or to send to someone who should see it.
How this is made
Software writes these pages from official government warnings. A second program checks every claim against the source and can refuse a page. Each page lists where it came from.