How to Spot and Avoid Phone Scams: Calls, Texts and Robocalls
Scam calls and texts reach Americans every day, impersonating banks, the IRS, delivery companies and even family members. This guide explains the most common phone scams, the warning signs they share, the settings that filter them out on iPhone and Android, and where to report them and get help.
Quick answer
Scam calls and texts reach Americans every day, impersonating banks, the IRS, delivery companies and even family members. This guide explains the most common phone scams, the warning signs they share, the settings that filter them out on iPhone and Android, and where to report them and get help.
In this article
The phone is now one of the main ways scammers reach Americans. Calls and texts are cheap to send in bulk, caller ID is easy to fake, and a convincing message can create panic in seconds. The scams change their stories constantly, but they rely on the same few tricks. Learn those, and most scams become easy to spot.
The warning signs every scam shares
Almost every phone scam includes at least one of these:
- Urgency or fear. Your account will be closed, a warrant has been issued, a relative is in trouble, a package can't be delivered. The goal is to stop you from thinking.
- An unusual payment method. Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps or cash couriers. Legitimate agencies and businesses don't demand payment this way.
- A request for codes or credentials. No real bank, carrier or tech company will ask you to read back a verification code or share your password.
- Instructions to keep it secret or to stay on the line while you go to the bank.
- A link or callback number in an unexpected message.
- Caller ID that looks right. Scammers can spoof caller ID to show a real company, government agency or local number.
If a call or text has any of these, stop. Hang up or don't reply, then contact the organization yourself using a number from its official website, your card or a statement.
The most common scams
Government impostors
Callers claim to be from the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare or local police and say you owe money or your benefits are suspended. The IRS generally first contacts people about tax debts by mail, and government agencies don't demand immediate payment by gift card, wire or crypto, or threaten immediate arrest over the phone.
Bank and card fraud alerts
A text or call says there's suspicious activity on your account and asks you to confirm details, read back a code, or move money to a "safe account." Real fraud alerts never ask you to transfer money to protect it. Call the number on the back of your card instead.
Delivery and toll texts
Messages claim a package is held for a small fee or you owe an unpaid road toll, with a link to pay. The link leads to a fake site that collects card details. Check deliveries in the shipper's own app or website, and toll balances through your toll agency's official site.
Tech support scams
A pop-up or caller says your computer is infected and asks you to call a number or install remote-access software. Microsoft, Apple and other tech companies don't make unsolicited support calls. Never give remote access to someone who contacted you first.
Family emergency and voice-cloning scams
A panicked call from a "grandchild" or relative who has been arrested or hurt, often followed by a fake lawyer asking for bail money. Voice-cloning tools can make the voice sound familiar. Hang up and call the family member directly, or agree on a family code word in advance.
Wrong-number and romance texts
A friendly message to the "wrong number" turns into a conversation, then a friendship, then an investment opportunity, often in cryptocurrency. Any stranger who steers the conversation toward investing is running a scam.
Prize, job and refund scams
You've "won" something, been "overcharged," or been offered an easy remote job, but you need to pay a fee or share bank details first. Real prizes and jobs don't require you to pay to receive money.
Settings that block scams on your phone
| Where | What to turn on |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Settings, Apps, Phone: Silence Unknown Callers or call filtering features; Messages: Filter Unknown Senders; Report Junk on suspicious texts |
| Android (Google Phone app) | Phone app settings: Caller ID & spam and Filter spam calls; Messages app: spam protection |
| Samsung phones | Phone app settings: Caller ID and spam protection |
| Your carrier | Free spam-blocking apps or account features from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile; check your carrier's website |
| Everyone | Register at donotcall.gov to cut legitimate telemarketing |
Exact menu names vary by software version. Silencing unknown callers sends calls from numbers not in your contacts to voicemail, so you won't miss real calls, but you may want to save numbers for doctors, schools and delivery services.
US carriers are also required by the FCC to use caller ID authentication technology known as STIR/SHAKEN, which helps flag spoofed calls. Labels such as "Spam Likely" or "Scam Likely" come from these systems and carrier analytics.
What to do in the moment
- Don't engage. Don't press numbers to "opt out" and don't reply STOP to obvious scam texts; it confirms your number is active.
- Don't click links in unexpected texts, even to "unsubscribe."
- Hang up and call back on a number you look up yourself.
- Talk to someone you trust before paying anything. Scammers isolate their targets.
- Slow down. Any legitimate problem will still be there in an hour.
If you've been scammed
- Contact your bank, card issuer or payment app immediately and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. Speed matters.
- For gift cards, contact the card's issuer right away with the card number and receipt.
- Change passwords you may have shared and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports help law enforcement spot patterns.
- Report internet-related fraud to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, especially for larger losses or cryptocurrency.
- Report unwanted calls and texts to the FCC through its consumer complaint center.
- If your identity was exposed, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan, and consider freezing your credit with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, which is free.
- Beware of recovery scams. People who lost money are often contacted by fake "fund recovery" services. Real agencies don't charge to recover your money.
Reduce how often you're targeted
You can't make your number invisible, but you can make it less useful to scammers. Keep your phone number off public social media profiles, think twice before entering it for sweepstakes or store loyalty sign-ups, and avoid answering calls from unknown numbers just to see who it is; answering can mark your number as active.
Protecting older relatives
Older adults are frequent targets, and the losses can be severe. Help a parent or grandparent turn on call filtering, add family members as trusted contacts with their bank, agree on a family code word, and make it clear they can always call you before sending money, with no embarrassment attached.
Scammers count on surprise and pressure. Knowing their playbook, filtering what you can, and making "hang up and call back" a habit removes most of their power.
Frequently asked questions
Does the National Do Not Call Registry stop scam calls?
It reduces legitimate telemarketing calls, because law-abiding companies must respect it. Scammers ignore the law, so registration won't stop them. Combine the registry with your carrier's free call-blocking tools and your phone's own filtering settings.
What should I do if I already gave a scammer money or information?
Act quickly. Contact your bank or card issuer, or the payment app or gift card company used, to try to stop or reverse the payment. Change any passwords you shared and turn on two-factor authentication. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and if your identity was exposed, follow the recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
How do I report a scam text message?
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), which reports it to your carrier, and use your phone's Report Junk or report spam option. You can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then delete it without tapping any links.
