End the contact
Close the page, hang up or stop replying. Do not follow recovery instructions from the same person.
A calm second opinion
Before you click,
pay or reply—pause.
Run a private 60-second check for the pressure tactics and warning signs commonly used in modern online scams.
Quick risk check60 sec
No uploadsNo accountNo tracking
Your answers stay on this page. We do not ask you to paste messages, links, passwords or personal information.
The three-step rule
Pressure loses power when you slow it down.
- 01
Stop
Do not click, pay, reply or approve anything yet.
- 02
Verify
Use a number, app or website you already trust.
- 03
Then act
Continue only after the request is independently confirmed.
Private by design
Check the situation, not the message.
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Answer all six questions for a practical next step.
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Know the pattern
Six high-risk patterns worth learning first.
This is a starting set, not a frequency ranking. Scams change their costumes, but the underlying pressure tactics repeat. Open the full library for all 14 source-backed guides.
01AI impersonation
The voice sounds familiar. The request is not.
Voice cloning and generated video can imitate a relative, manager or public official. The safest test happens outside the call.
AI impersonation
The voice sounds familiar. The request is not.
Voice cloning and generated video can imitate a relative, manager or public official. The safest test happens outside the call.Look for
- A sudden emergency, disciplinary threat or confidential business request
- Instructions to stay on the line, keep the situation secret or avoid colleagues and relatives
- A payment by wire, cryptocurrency, gift card or a newly supplied account
Safer response
Read the full guide End the call or video. Contact the person through a number or account you already trusted before this message arrived.
02QR phishing
A QR code can hide the destination.
Unexpected QR codes can open copied login or payment pages before you have a useful chance to inspect the real address.
QR phishing
A QR code can hide the destination.
Unexpected QR codes can open copied login or payment pages before you have a useful chance to inspect the real address.Look for
- A code in an unexpected email, calendar invitation, document or parcel
- A warning that an account, subscription, delivery or payment expires immediately
- Instructions to scan with a personal phone to bypass a work computer
Safer response
Read the full guide Do not scan an unexpected code. Open the organisation’s official app or type its known address yourself.
03Bank impersonation
Your money is never moved to a ‘safe account.’
Scammers create panic about an account, then offer to fix it by collecting codes, remote access or a transfer.
Bank impersonation
Your money is never moved to a ‘safe account.’
Scammers create panic about an account, then offer to fix it by collecting codes, remote access or a transfer.Look for
- A caller asks for a one-time password, PIN, full password or card security code
- Instructions to transfer money to protect it, reverse fraud or help an investigation
- A request to install screen-sharing or remote-access software
Safer response
Read the full guide Hang up and contact the bank through its official app or the number printed on your card or statement.
04Delivery messages
A tiny fee can open the door to a larger theft.
A missed-delivery message uses a small believable problem to collect payment details, passwords and personal information.
Delivery messages
A tiny fee can open the door to a larger theft.
A missed-delivery message uses a small believable problem to collect payment details, passwords and personal information.Look for
- An unexpected text with a shortened, misspelled or unfamiliar link
- A small redelivery, customs, address-correction or unpaid-postage fee
- A threat that the parcel will be destroyed or returned immediately
Safer response
Read the full guide Ignore the message link. Check the order or tracking number in the retailer’s or carrier’s official app or website.
05Job scams
Real work does not begin with paying your employer.
Unexpected remote-job messages turn into fake cheques, paid tasks, equipment fees or requests to deposit your own money.
Job scams
Real work does not begin with paying your employer.
Unexpected remote-job messages turn into fake cheques, paid tasks, equipment fees or requests to deposit your own money.Look for
- A generic unexpected text with no specific role, location or relevant experience
- An interview conducted only by text on WhatsApp, Telegram or another messaging app
- Payment for liking, rating, reviewing or ‘optimising’ products
Safer response
Read the full guide Do not reply, deposit a cheque or pay to unlock work. Find the company’s real careers page and confirm the vacancy there.
06Investment fraud
Guaranteed returns are a warning, not a benefit.
Fake platforms, advisers and AI-generated personalities manufacture trust, profits and urgency before blocking withdrawals.
Investment fraud
Guaranteed returns are a warning, not a benefit.
Fake platforms, advisers and AI-generated personalities manufacture trust, profits and urgency before blocking withdrawals.Look for
- Guaranteed, risk-free or unusually consistent returns
- An unexpected adviser or romantic contact who quickly introduces investing
- Celebrity, government or news branding that cannot be confirmed at the original source
Safer response
Read the full guide Do not add more money. Verify the firm and contact details with the financial regulator for your country before communicating further.
Practise before it is real
Rehearse the pause.
A decision you have already made in a calm moment is easier to repeat under pressure. Try realistic situations and learn to read the part of a web address that actually matters.
Built for trust, not certainty
A checklist cannot declare something safe.
Stop & Verify is an independent educational project. It helps you notice pressure tactics and choose a safer next step; it does not authenticate people, websites, investments or transactions.
No accounts, uploads, message analysis or behavioural tracking
Clear answers
Privacy and limitations.
Do you save my answers?
No. The checklist and practice exercises run in your browser, and this website has no account, database, analytics or tracking system.
Can this prove a message is genuine?
No. It identifies common warning signs only. Always verify important requests through a separate channel you already trust.
Should I paste a suspicious link here?
No. Stop & Verify deliberately does not accept links, files, screenshots, passwords or personal messages. The web-address exercise teaches you to read a link yourself instead.
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