The 3 Early Warning Signs of a Scam

Read time: 2 minutes and 15 seconds

The internet is full of advice about scams e.g.

• 47 recent scams
• 63 of the most popular scams
• 95 different scams to avoid

Do all these scams have something in common? Instead of learning hundreds of variants, what if we had one rule to prevent hundreds of scams?

The 3 early warning signs of a scam:

1. You're in dialog ...

2. ... which you did not start ...

3. ... and the topic turns to money (or anything valuable) …

It's a scam!

Let's take a deeper dive:

1. You're in a dialog ...

That's any back-and-forth communication: text message, direct message, instant message, phone call, email, snail mail, face-to-face conversation, pop-up window, etc.

Some info sources add a restriction "... with someone you do not know". Let’s ignore this limitation. It's ridiculously easy for a scammer to impersonate (spoof) a message, email, phone call, etc. You think you’re talking to a friend but it’s actually a scammer in disguise.

2. ... which you did not start ...

This can sometimes be tricky. Who started the interaction?

If you call your bank to check your balance, you started the conversation. But if you receive a text message "This is your bank. Call us at ..." then someone else started the conversation.

If you’re shopping online at a well-known site such as eBay or Amazon, you started the conversation. But if you see an online post "Item for sale, message me …” then someone else started the dialog and their post is a trap. Will you take the bait?

3. ... and the topic turns to money (or anything valuable) …

Scammers want your money and/or your valuable info such as account number or login credential or security code or physical address.

It's a scam!

Some info sources add yet another step: “... and you’re pressured to act quickly”. Yes, after a scam is under way, you’ll get pressured to act fast. Fortunately, a scam doesn't start if we can recognize the early warnings:

1. You're in a dialog ...

2. ... which you did not start ...

3. ... and the topic turns to money (or valuable info) ...

Bad news: It's a scam!

Good news: You can get an expert second opinion for free!

Simply contact ScamAvoid. Fast, secure, easy, confidential, free! Even if you are urgently pressured to act quickly, hit the pause button and tell us what's going on. Send as many or as few details as you're comfortable sharing:

- Who are you interacting with?

- How do you know this person?

- Where did the dialog start?

- When did the topic turn to money (or valuable info)?

- What do they want you to do?

- Why is this urgent?

We will reply to you privately with an informed opinion as to whether it's a known scam, or perhaps even a brand-new scam.

The world is full of scammers. Let's make their lives more difficult and less profitable, by recognizing the early warning signs of a scam.

Don't get scammed! Get a second opinion: fast, secure, easy, confidential, free! Contact ScamAvoid on (we're everywhere: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, ScamAvoid.com, email)