Is this text a scam?

It might be: an unexpected text that asks you to tap a link, pay, or share personal or financial details fits the patterns the FTC warns about. Don't reply or tap anything; check the number, then contact the company or person through a number or website you know is genuine.

What do scam texts have in common?

They show up when you weren't expecting them, and they want you to act before you stop to check: tap a link, pay a fee, reply, or send personal or financial details. The FTC's rule of thumb: if a text you weren't expecting asks for personal or financial information, don't click on any links.

The FTC's own examples of unexpected-text scams include:

• a fraud alert about a suspicious charge, supposedly from your bank
• a problem with a package delivery
• an unpaid toll
• a job offer
• a "wrong number" text
• a prize or a gift card

The FTC also warns about people pretending to be a relative who's in trouble. They say it's urgent, ask you to keep it secret, and want money by wire transfer, crypto, or gift card.

What should you do with each kind of text?

A fraud alert from "your bank." Something like "Unusual charge detected. Tap to confirm or dispute." Don't tap, and don't call any number written in the message. The FTC says to contact your bank using a phone number or web address you know is genuine, not the details from the text.

A delivery or package text. Something like "Your package is on hold. Pay the redelivery fee here." The US Postal Inspection Service is clear that USPS won't text you unless you asked it to: tracking updates by text come only after you sign up with the tracking number. Don't tap the link. Forward the text to 7726.

An unpaid toll. Something like "You have an unpaid toll balance. Pay now." Don't tap. The FTC says to contact the state tolling agency through a website or phone number you already know is real, rather than anything in the text.

"Hi Mom, this is my new number." Before you reply or send anything, contact your child on a number you know is theirs. That's the FTC's advice for family emergency scams, which lean on hurry and secrecy.

A text from your own number. The FTC's alert on these is titled plainly: "That's a scam." The sender changed (spoofed) the caller ID so the text appears to come from you. Don't reply, and don't tap the link.

How do you report a scam text?

The FTC lists three ways:

1. Forward a copy of the message to 7726 (SPAM). That helps your wireless provider catch and block similar texts in the future. 2. Tap the report-junk or report-spam option in your messaging app. 3. File a report with the FTC through ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What does a number lookup add?

A lookup is an extra check if you want more to go on before you delete the text. It gives you details the sender didn't put in the message: which carrier handles its texts and calls today, the line type (mobile, landline, or internet), the name on file for its caller ID if it has one, and whether people have reported it for scams or spam.

Say a text claims to be your bank, and the lookup shows an internet line that people have reported. That doesn't prove the text is fake, but it's a reason to be careful, and you know it before tapping anything. Now say nothing comes back. An empty report history just means no one has reported the number so far. That is not the same as safe, so your next step stays the same: go through a number or website you know is genuine.

One limit matters here. If the number was spoofed, as with a text from your own number, the lookup describes the number on your screen, not the real sender.

Reporting the number in the Lookup Pass app takes one tap, and your report counts: once several different people have reported a number, it carries a label everyone sees.