Americans lost over $10 billion to phone scams in a single recent year, according to the FTC. The people who fall for these scams aren't gullible — they're often dealing with calls that are specifically designed to be convincing, urgent, and hard to question in the moment. Knowing what to look for before the call happens is your best defense.

The Most Common Phone Scam Types Right Now

Impersonation Scams

A caller claims to be from the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, your bank, or even a tech company like Apple or Microsoft. They say there's a problem with your account, a warrant for your arrest, or suspicious activity they need you to act on immediately.

The hook: creating fear and urgency so you don't think clearly before complying.

Grandparent / Family Emergency Scams

Someone calls claiming to be your grandchild (or a lawyer, doctor, or police officer representing them) saying they're in trouble — arrested, injured, or in an accident — and need money quickly. They'll often ask you not to tell other family members.

Prize and Lottery Scams

You've "won" a prize, sweepstakes, or lottery — but you need to pay a fee or tax upfront to claim it. Legitimate sweepstakes never require payment to collect a prize.

Utility and Service Shutoff Threats

A caller claims to be from your electric, gas, or internet provider and says your service will be cut off within hours unless you pay immediately — usually via gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.

Medicare and Health Insurance Scams

A caller offers a "free" medical device, supplement, or service in exchange for your Medicare number. Once they have it, they can bill Medicare fraudulently.

Red Flags to Listen For

No matter what the specific story is, most phone scams share common warning signs:

  • Urgency and pressure: You must act now. There's no time to verify. If you hang up, you'll be arrested / lose your money / miss your prize.
  • Unusual payment methods: Legitimate companies and government agencies do not ask for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, Zelle, Venmo, or cryptocurrency.
  • Requests for secrecy: "Don't tell your family." "Don't tell your bank." This is a manipulation tactic to isolate you.
  • Caller ID spoofing: The number on your screen looks like it's from a real government agency or company, but caller ID can be faked easily. Don't trust it alone.
  • Requests for personal info you wouldn't normally share: Social Security number, bank account details, or credit card numbers over the phone.

What to Do When You Get a Suspicious Call

  1. Hang up. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Legitimate callers will leave a voicemail or have a way for you to call back through an official number.
  2. Don't call back using the number that called you. Look up the official number yourself (on the company's website, the back of your card, or via Google) and call that instead.
  3. Don't pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto. If any caller insists on one of these, it's a scam — full stop.
  4. Talk to someone first. Scammers rely on isolation. If someone calls claiming to be your grandchild in trouble, hang up and call your grandchild directly before doing anything else.
  5. Report it. File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. It helps build a picture of active scam campaigns.

How to Look Up an Unknown Number

If you receive a call from an unknown number and want to know more before calling back, a reverse phone lookup can tell you whether the number has been reported by others as spam or a scam. It won't catch every scammer — especially those using fresh or spoofed numbers — but it's a useful first step.

Got a Suspicious Number?

Use our reverse phone lookup tool to check if a number has been flagged as spam or a scam by other users.

Look Up a Number

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