# Signs a message is a scam: the red flags

> The red flags of scam emails, texts and calls, each with the official source: urgency, codes, gift cards, payment links, unknown invoices, refunds and secrecy.

- Canonical URL: https://threatvetting.com/signs-a-message-is-a-scam/
- Source: [FTC, how to recognize and avoid phishing scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams)
- Checked: 2026-10-26
- Structured data: https://threatvetting.com/data/signs-a-message-is-a-scam.json

This page includes a free interactive tool that runs in the browser and sends no data. The figures and rules it uses are the ones stated on this page, with their sources.

## What the message claims

Scam stories change; the claims underneath them do not. The FTC lists seven, each with the reality next to it ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams)):

| The message says | The FTC's answer |
|---|---|
| Suspicious activity or log-in attempts were noticed | They were not |
| There is a problem with your account or payment details | There is not |
| You need to confirm personal or financial information | You do not |
| Here is an invoice (one you do not recognise) | It is fake |
| Click to make a payment | The link carries malware |
| You can register for a government refund | It is a scam |
| Here is a coupon for free things | It is not real |

## What it asks you to do

These requests matter more than the story, because they are where the money or the account is lost.

| The request | Why it is a red flag | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Read out or forward a code sent to your phone | The code is the second key to your account; Apple's rule is never to share verification codes with anyone | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102568) |
| Pay with a gift card, crypto, a wire transfer or a payment app | Scammers choose payments that are hard to trace; crypto lacks the legal protections of card payments | [FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed) |
| Read out a gift card's number and PIN | That is how the money is taken; Apple says never use its gift cards to pay other people | [FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed), [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102568) |
| Update your payment details through a link | Legitimate companies will not email or text a link for that | [FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams) |
| Act now or lose the account | Scammers create urgency so you do not have time to think | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102568) |
| Open an attachment or follow a link you did not expect | Unsolicited links and attachments are the delivery route | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102568) |
| Keep it secret, do not call anyone | Our reading: isolation stops you checking with someone who would spot it | Explanation by this site |

The checker above turns these into ticks: tick what the message asks, and it gives a verdict with the reason.

## Calls and voice messages

A phone call is a message too. Apple's advice for an unexpected call claiming to be Apple Support is simply to hang up ([Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102568)); the same works for any "bank" or "delivery" call. Call back on a number you already have, such as the one on the back of your card.

## Opening, replying and unsubscribing

Opening a scam email is rarely the problem; following its links, opening its attachments or replying is. Do not use an "unsubscribe" link in a message you think is a scam: it confirms that your address is read, which is our reasoning rather than an official rule. Report it instead (see [where to report](https://threatvetting.com/how-to-report-a-scam-email-or-text/)) and delete it.

## When it comes from someone you know

Accounts get hacked, so a familiar name is not proof. If a friend or colleague suddenly asks for money, gift cards or a code, contact them through details you already had, which is the FTC's general rule for any message that asks for action ([FTC](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams)).

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