Simple, named moves that shut scams down.
Most scams are beaten by a habit, not a purchase. These are the free moves we teach — short enough to remember, strong enough to stop the scam cold. Learn one, share it with the people you love.
Start with these five
The core moves that cover the most common — and most costly — scams.
Family Safe Word
A voice can be cloned in seconds. Hearing a familiar voice is not proof of who is calling.
"Relative in trouble" calls — a panicked family member who needs money right now.
Agree a private word with your family in advance. If an emergency caller cannot say it, hang up and call the real person back on a number you already have.
Call-Back Rule
Never trust the number that called you. Verify by calling the official line yourself.
Unexpected calls from your "bank", a government office, or "support".
Hang up. Then call back using the number on your card or the official website — never a number the caller gave you.
Go Direct
Do not act on links in messages. Reach the company through its official app or a bookmark.
Fake texts (redelivery, unpaid toll, refund) and phishing emails.
When a notice arrives, ignore its link. Open the company’s real app, or type its address yourself, and check there.
3-Second Voice Rule
A few seconds of audio from social media is enough to clone a voice. "It sounds like them" is not safety.
Any impersonation that leans on a familiar-sounding voice.
Do not trust a voice on its own. Confirm with a safe word and a call-back on a known number.
The Pause on Money
Pressure to send money "right now" is the single biggest red flag.
Any urgent request to send money, gift cards, or crypto.
When someone rushes you to move money, stop. Talk it through with someone you trust first. The more they rush you, the more you should doubt them.
The rest of the playbook
More named moves for specific situations — building toward the full set.
Two-Channel Verification
Confirm a request through a second, independent channel before acting.
Business email compromise; "CEO" or supplier payment-change requests.
Got a payment or bank-detail change by email? Verify it by phone on a number you already trust before you act.
Never Pay to Get Paid
A real job, prize, or investment never needs an up-front fee from you.
Job offers, lottery "wins", advance-fee scams.
If you are asked to pay a fee, buy "training", or "release" winnings before you receive anything, walk away.
Too Good = Gone
Returns, prices, or deals far outside the norm are bait.
Investment pitches and fake online stores.
Treat a too-good return or price as a scam until proven otherwise. Pay only with methods that offer buyer protection, and search the name plus "scam" first.
Freeze & Report
If you are hit, act fast: stop the bleeding, keep the evidence, report it.
The moment you realise you have been scammed.
Freeze the affected card or account, save every message and receipt, and report to your bank and the relevant authority (FTC, FBI IC3, Action Fraud).
Lock the Front Door
Harden the basics so account takeover and identity theft cannot get a foothold.
Everyday baseline protection.
Turn on 2-factor authentication, use a password manager, and lock your mobile account against SIM-swaps.
Never Be the Middle
A real job never routes other people’s money or packages through you. If you’re the middle step, you’re the one left holding the crime.
Reshipping, “payment agent”, and “money transfer” job offers.
Refuse any job whose real task is to receive and forward packages or money, or to let pay flow through your own account. Verify the employer independently before anything moves.
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