Is this a scam? Check a message or name

Got a text, email, call or offer that feels off? Paste it below, or type the name of a company or website. We check it for the warning signs the FTC, FBI and FinCEN describe, and check the name against the CFTC's list of unregistered foreign trading firms. It runs on your device; nothing you type is sent to us or saved.

Important: this is not proof. A message with no red flags can still be a scam, and a flagged one may be real. When in doubt, don't pay, don't click, and contact the company using a number or website you already know.

If you think it's a scam

• Stop. Don't pay, click links, or share codes.
• If you already paid, contact your bank or the payment app right away and ask them to stop or reverse it.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for internet crime, ic3.gov (FBI).
• Check an investment firm or broker on FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC's investor alerts at sec.gov before sending money.

What we check for

• Asks for payment by gift card: The FTC says anyone who demands payment by gift card is a scammer. FTC: gift card scams
• Asks you to pay by wire, crypto, Bitcoin ATM or payment app: The FTC says scammers ask you to pay in ways that are hard to reverse: wire transfers, cryptocurrency, gift cards and payment apps. FTC: How to avoid a scam
• Pressure to act right now: The FTC lists pressure to act immediately as a sign of a scam. FTC: How to avoid a scam
• Claims to be the IRS, Social Security, police or a government agency: The FTC warns that government agencies won't call, text or email to demand money or threaten arrest. FTC: Phone scams
• Says you won something but must pay first: The FTC says real prizes don't require you to pay to collect. FTC: How to avoid a scam
• Tech support or remote access: The FTC says never give remote access to someone who contacts you out of the blue; real tech companies don't contact you that way. FTC: Tech support scams
• Guaranteed or very high investment returns: The FTC says only scammers guarantee you'll make money or promise big returns with no risk. FTC: Cryptocurrency scams
• Online friend or partner asks for money: The FTC says never send money or gifts to someone you haven't met in person. FTC: Romance scams
• Sends a check and asks you to send money back: The FTC says a check that comes with a request to send money back is a fake-check scam. FTC: Fake check scams
• Job that pays you before work or asks you to pay: The FTC warns about job offers that ask you to pay or send money back. FTC: Job scams
• Asks for a verification code, password or PIN: Real banks and companies don't ask you to read back a code they sent you. Sharing it can let someone into your account. FTC: How to avoid a scam
• Tells you to move money to a 'safe' account or send money to yourself: Your bank will never ask you to move money to protect it. A fraudster who gets you to share login details and then moves money may be an unauthorized transfer under Regulation E (CFPB); report it fast. CFPB: Electronic fund transfers FAQs
• Unexpected text about a toll, package or account with a link: The FTC says don't click links in unexpected texts; contact the company using a number or site you know is real. FTC: How to avoid a scam
• Urgent call or video from a 'family member' or boss asking for money: FinCEN warns criminals use AI deepfakes (voice and video) to impersonate people. Hang up and call the person back on a number you know. FinCEN deepfake alert (FIN-2024-Alert004)

Name check: CFTC RED (Registration Deficient) List, 284 entries, copied 2026-10-12 from cftc.gov. Not being on it doesn't mean a firm is legitimate. SEC lists aren't matched automatically yet; check sec.gov directly.