How to spot a scam text, email or call: the patterns that give them away

There is a comforting fact hidden inside the endless news about scams: the people running them are not creative. They have a small toolkit of psychological pressures, applied over and over in new packaging. Learn the toolkit and the packaging stops mattering.

The four pressures underneath every scam

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) lists the levers criminals pull: authority (they claim to be your bank, the tax office, the police, a doctor), urgency (“within 24 hours”, “immediately”, or there will be a fine), emotion (threats, or a loved one in trouble, or something you are teased into wanting to see), scarcity (the last tickets, a refund that expires) and current events (tax season, a big news story).

Add two tells of our own that appear in almost every case:

• You did not start the conversation. Genuine organisations rarely need you to act on a message you were not expecting.
• Payment by an unusual route. The FTC’s tech-support-scam guidance lists the classic ones: gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps. No genuine bank or company asks to be paid in supermarket vouchers.

Secrecy is the quiet fourth: “don’t tell your family”, “don’t tell the bank staff why you’re withdrawing”. A real organisation never needs you to keep a secret from the people who love you.

The costumes

The “Hi Mum / Hi Dad” message. A text or WhatsApp from an unknown number: “Hi Mum, I’ve broken my phone, this is my new number, can you help with a bill?” Which? describes the giveaways — a new number, an excuse for not being able to use their own bank, bank details that don’t match your child’s — and recommends asking a question only they could answer, ringing their usual number, or asking for a voice note. Between February and June 2022 alone, Action Fraud received 1,235 reports of this scam on WhatsApp, with losses of £1.5 million.

The parcel text. “We couldn’t deliver your parcel — pay £1.99 to rebook.” Which? notes these come from ordinary mobile numbers, use urgent language, and carry links with random letters or near-miss versions of a real courier’s address. The NCSC warns some of these links install a “banking trojan” on Android phones. Never tap the link; if you are expecting a parcel, check on the courier’s own website.

The bank call. “We’ve seen suspicious activity — we need to move your money to a safe account.” Take Five, the UK banking industry’s fraud campaign, is unambiguous: a genuine bank will never ask you to move money to a safe account, and will never ask for remote access to your device. Criminals can “spoof” the number so it looks like your bank’s. That is why the rule below exists.

The pop-up. A screaming red box on your computer: “VIRUS DETECTED — call this number now.” The FTC’s line is worth memorising: “Legitimate tech companies won’t contact you by phone, email, or text message to tell you there’s a problem with your computer”, and real security warnings never ask you to phone anyone. Close the browser. If it will not close, turn the computer off and on again.

The phishing email. The FTC lists the standard baits: suspicious log-in attempts, a problem with your account or payment, an invoice you don’t recognise, a government refund, a free coupon. Generic greetings and a link to “update your details” are the tell. Go to the company’s website yourself rather than through the email.

The one rule that beats all of them

Hang up. Wait. Call back on the number printed on your bank card.

Do not call back a number the caller gave you, and do not use a number from the text or email. In the UK you can dial 159 — a short code that, Stop Scams UK says, cannot be spoofed and connects customers of more than 99% of UK current accounts directly to their bank. Save it in your contacts now, next to your card-back number, so you are not hunting for it while someone is pressuring you.

Age gives you one advantage here that criminals hate: you are entitled to be slow. “I’ll call you back” is a complete sentence.

What to do if you’ve already clicked or paid

If you tapped a parcel link on an Android phone and installed something, the NCSC’s advice is unusually firm: don’t log into any accounts, factory-reset the phone, and do not back it up first (the backup would contain the malware). Then change the passwords for any accounts you used since.

If you have sent money, ring your bank immediately using the card-back number or 159. Banks can sometimes stop or recall a payment if told quickly.

How to report — and why it’s worth it

Reporting takes a minute and feeds the systems that get scam sites taken down.

UK - Scam texts: forward to 7726 (free). - Scam emails: forward to report@phishing.gov.uk. - If you have lost money in England, Wales or Northern Ireland: Report Fraud (which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025), at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101. - Unexpected call about your bank account: hang up and dial 159.

US - Scam texts: forward to 7726 (SPAM). - Anything else: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. - For guidance and a calm voice: the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern.

If you would like these numbers on a card for the fridge, along with the patterns above in checklist form, they are in our Tech Confident guide.

This week

None of this requires you to become suspicious of the world — just one habit, pause then call back, and a little familiarity with the costumes. For the wider picture of settings, passwords and getting help, start with the complete guide to tech confidence after 50. And since a reused password is what turns a phishing email into a real loss, Passwords and two-factor authentication, made simple is the natural next read.

Updated 6 October 2026: added the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov) as a second US reporting route.

Corrected 7 October 2026: the UK’s fraud reporting service is now Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025.