Guides
Spot the scam before it costs you.
Plain-English guides to scam texts, fake payment emails and risky orders, with links to the FTC and FBI advice behind them.
Scam texts and calls
Toll, bank, delivery and “new number” texts: what they look like and how to check them safely.
Scam texts · 5 minute read
How to tell if a text message is a scam
The signs that show up in most scam texts, how to check a link or number without replying, and what to do if you already tapped.
Scam texts · 4 minute read
Got a text about an unpaid toll? How to tell if it’s a scam
What the unpaid-toll text looks like, why it works, and how to check whether you really owe anything without using the link.
Scam texts · 4 minute read
“Hi Mom, this is my new number”: how the family text scam works
Why the “new number” family text is so convincing, how to check it in a minute, and what to do if you already sent money.
Scam texts · 4 minute read
Real or fake? How to handle a bank “fraud alert” text
Banks do send fraud alerts by text. Here’s how the real ones differ from fakes, and the one safe way to respond.
For sellers and small businesses
Fake payments, overpayments, code requests and risky orders.
Business · 5 minute read
How to research a new customer or vendor before you commit
A practical checklist for small businesses checking an unfamiliar order, client or supplier before money or goods move.
Sellers · 5 minute read
The fake Zelle or Venmo payment email: a scam aimed at sellers
How fake buyers use “payment pending” emails and “business account upgrades” to take money from sellers, and how to confirm a real payment.
Sellers · 4 minute read
Why you should never refund a buyer’s “overpayment”
How overpayment scams work with checks and payment apps, why the money can look real for days, and the simple rule that stops them.
Sellers · 4 minute read
The verification code scam: why a buyer wants you to read them a code
Fake buyers ask sellers to “prove they’re real” by sharing a code. Here’s what that code really does, and what to do if you already shared one.
Sellers · 5 minute read
How to spot a stolen-card order before you ship
For small online stores: the signals that often come with stolen-card orders, what to check before shipping, and how to protect yourself against chargebacks.
Checking a phone number or email
What a lookup can and can’t tell you, and how to read the results.
Email · 3 minute read
What an email lookup can tell you
Separate the address from the story, inspect public sources, and choose a safer next step.
Phone · 3 minute read
What a phone lookup can and cannot establish
Understand what a public phone lookup can tell you—and what it cannot tell you about a caller.
Research workflow · 3 minute read
How to research an unfamiliar online contact
A focused workflow for checking a contact’s claims without collecting more personal information than you need.
Research skills · 3 minute read
How to interpret conflicting or missing information
Compare conflicting claims, recognize missing checks, and keep uncertain identity matches unresolved.
Original ContactCheckup guidance, with links to the primary sources behind specific advice. A lookup does not verify identity.