Free scam checker
Is this a scam? Check before you tap.
Paste a text, email or link, or upload a screenshot. In seconds you'll see the warning signs, who's really behind the link, and exactly what to do next.
Screenshots can be pasted or dropped here too. Remove your own name, address or account numbers first.
We look at who really owns it, how old it is, and where it really leads. We don't open it on your device.
or drag it here, or paste it with Ctrl/Cmd + V
For ads, social posts and chats you can't copy. PNG or JPG, up to 8 MB.
Your recent checks
Saved only in this browser and never sent anywhere. We keep the verdict, not the message.
- Messages, links and screenshotsTexts, WhatsApp, email, ads and websites
- Plain answersA clear risk level, not jargon
- Any language, any countryChecked wherever the message came from
- PrivateWe don't store what you paste
Prefer to talk it through? Ask our AI assistant. Prefer email? Forward suspicious emails to check@tapsafely.com. On Android? Install TapSafely and share texts straight to it. New every day: Scam or legit?
New on TapSafely
What's new this week
Methodology: how TapSafely checks messages
How TapSafely scores a message: pattern rules, link checks, AI review and risk levels, what it can't do, and how the Scam Index is made.
Added NewOpen scam data: live Scam Index, reporting directory and statistics
Free scam data under CC BY 4.0: a live weekly Scam Index, where to report in 34 countries, official fraud figures. JSON, CSV, API.
Added Share itScam of the week
This week's scam, ready to send to your family group.
Added Scam WeatherRising this week
See which scams are being flagged most where you live.
See Scam WeatherHow it works
What the checker sees that a busy person misses
Scam texts are written to be read in two seconds, on the bus, with one thumb. The checker reads them slowly: the wording, the sender, and where the link really goes.
Paste or upload
A text, an email, a chat, a link, or a screenshot of an ad or post.
We check it several ways
Dozens of known scam patterns, look-alike brand names, the real owner and age of any link, where it redirects, and an AI review.
You get a clear answer
A risk level, the exact warning signs, and what to do now, including how to report it.
Parcel Service: your parcel is held at our depot due to an unpaid customs fee of £1.99. Pay within 12 hours or it will be returned: parcel-redelivery-help.top/pay
- A small fee you didn't expect. Couriers bill the sender, and a real customs charge comes with a tracking number you can check yourself.
- A deadline. Pressure stops you checking. A real parcel waits.
- A web address that isn't the courier's. Registered days ago, on a cheap domain ending.
Free tools: Scam text checker · Link checker · Scam email checker · Screenshot checker · QR code checker · All tools
Scam guides
The scams we see most
Real patterns, red flags and what to do, in plain language.
DeliveryFake delivery texts and customs-fee scams
A text says a parcel couldn't be delivered, or is stuck at customs, and you need to pay a small fee or confirm your address.
How to spot it
Tolls and parking“Unpaid toll” and parking-fine texts
“You have an outstanding toll of $6.99. Pay by tomorrow to avoid a $50 late fee.”
How to spot it
FamilyThe “Hi Mum, this is my new number” scam
“Hi Mum, I dropped my phone, this is my new number.” The chat feels normal at first.
How to spot it
BankingBank impersonation and “safe account” scams
Someone calls from what looks like your bank's number. They know your name and maybe your last purchase.
How to spot it
InvestmentCrypto and investment scams
An ad shows a famous person “revealing” a trading platform. A friendly stranger on social media shares their crypto profits.
How to spot it
JobsTask-based job scams
An unexpected message offers flexible remote work, often “optimising apps” or “boosting products”, for a surprisingly good daily wage.
How to spot it
$7.748 billion
reported lost to online crime by people over 60 in the United States in 2025 alone. Most losses are never reported at all.
Photo: Sweet Life / Unsplash
Scam Weather
What scammers are trying this week
Built from anonymous check results, with no messages stored. Know what's going around before it reaches your phone.
Loading this week's trends…
This has strong signs of a scam.
• Website created 3 days ago
• Pressure to act within 24 hours
Check by email
Just forward it to us
Forward any suspicious email to check@tapsafely.com. You'll get a reply with the verdict in about a minute, with nothing to install. It works from any phone or email app, which makes it the easiest option for a parent.
Family safe-word kit
AI can copy a voice. It can't copy your family's safe word.
Scammers now clone voices from short videos to fake emergencies. A private safe word, agreed in person, stops them. Make one in 30 seconds.
Already lost money or shared details? Acting in the first hour matters. Our step-by-step plan shows who to call first and where to report in your country.
Questions
Is the scam checker free?
Yes. Checking messages, links and screenshots is free for everyone, including a daily allowance of AI-assisted checks. We're funded by advertising on our guides and by partners we recommend, which we always label. A paid Family Shield plan with unlimited checks is planned.
Do you store the messages I paste?
No. First, an instant check runs on your own device. Then the full check sends the message to our server, where our rules and an AI model review it, and the message is discarded straight after. We keep only anonymous counts (for example “one high-risk delivery scam checked in Brazil today”) to power Scam Weather. See our privacy notice for details.
Can the checker prove a message is safe?
No. No automated tool can. “No common scam signs found” means our checks didn't match known warning signs, but brand-new scams can slip through. If a message asks for money, codes or personal details, check with the sender directly using contact details you already trust.
Does it work in my country and language?
Yes. TapSafely is free worldwide. You can paste messages in any language: the AI review understands most major languages, and our pattern checks cover English plus common scam wording in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Indonesian and more. When you get a risky result we show official places to report it in your country.
What kinds of scams can it spot?
Fake delivery and toll texts, “Hi Mum” new-number messages, bank and “safe account” calls, verification-code theft, phishing links and look-alike websites, fake shops, investment and crypto scams, task-based job offers, romance scams, tech support and remote-access scams, QR code scams, prize scams and fund-recovery scams.
I already clicked or paid. What now?
Act quickly: call your bank using the number on your card, stop contact with the scammer, change any password you shared and turn on two-step verification. Our step-by-step plan on the “Been scammed?” page shows who to call first and where to report in your country.
What to do if you have already clicked or paid
TapSafely is an independent service run by an IT company. We are not a government agency, police force or bank, and we can't investigate cases or recover money.