Purpose, who it is for and how to use it
Purpose: stop, check and report a suspicious text without using anything in the text itself.
Who it is for: anyone with a cell phone, and family members or neighbors who help someone else with theirs. It is written for U.S. readers. Lines marked "California" apply only there.
How to use it:
- Print this page. Fill in the "My real numbers" box now, before you need it, using the back of your cards, your paper statements or an app you already use.
- When a text arrives, go through Step 1. If any answer is "yes," do not tap, reply or call back.
- Check through Step 2, report through Step 3, then delete the text.
- If you already tapped, typed or paid, go straight to Step 4.
Do not write on this card: account numbers, card numbers, passwords, PINs, your Social Security number or your Medicare Number. Phone numbers and website names only.
Step 1: Stop and ask
- I was not expecting this text.
- It wants me to tap a link to pay, "update" a card or log in.
- It asks for a code, password, PIN, Social Security number, driver's license number or Medicare Number.
- It has a deadline or a threat: a late fee, a suspended license, a returned package, a locked account.
- The web address looks a little off.
- It came from an unknown number or an email address.
One box checked = do not tap, reply or call the number in the text.
Step 2: Check it yourself
| The text says it is from… | What they or officials say | Check this way instead |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | USPS texts only if you asked for updates with a tracking number, and those texts have no link (U.S. Postal Inspection Service). | Type usps.com and enter your tracking number. |
| A toll agency | California: toll agencies do not text people without an account, and FasTrak does not ask for payment by text with a link (California Attorney General). | Log in through your toll app or a site you typed or saved. |
| The DMV (California) | The DMV says it will never text you asking for personal or financial information. | Type dmv.ca.gov, or call 1-800-777-0133. |
| My bank or card company | Companies generally do not contact you to ask for your username, password or one-time code (FBI). | Call the number on the back of the card. |
| Medicare | Real Medicare representatives won't call, text or email out of the blue for your numbers or a payment (FTC). | Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). |
Never move money because of a text or call, even into a "safe account," no matter who they say they are.
My real numbers (fill in now)
| Who | Phone number or website I already trust |
|---|---|
| My bank (from the back of my card) | |
| My credit card company | |
| My toll account, if I have one | |
| My phone company | |
| Medicare | 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) |
| Someone I call before I pay anything a text asks for |
Step 3: Report, then delete
- Use my messaging app's "report junk" or "report spam," or forward the text to 7726.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Fake USPS text: email spam@uspis.gov with the message text (copied, not clicked) and a screenshot showing the sender and date.
- Fake toll text: report at ic3.gov with the sending number and the website in the text.
- Fake Medicare text: call 1-800-MEDICARE.
- Delete the text. Do not reply.
Step 4: Already tapped, typed or paid? Act today
| What I did | What to do now |
|---|---|
| Tapped the link, typed nothing | Close it. Tell my bank or card company anyway. If something downloaded, delete it, stop logging in on that device until I run a security scan, then change passwords. |
| Entered a card number or paid a fee | Call the number on the back of the card. Say "fraud." Ask for a block, a new card and a reversal. |
| Entered a bank login or a one-time code | Call my bank now. Change the password (typing the bank's address myself) and anywhere I reused it. Turn on two-step login. |
| Sent money by transfer, Zelle, wire, app, gift card or crypto | Call the bank, app or company right away and ask them to reverse it. |
| Gave my Social Security number, license number or birth date | Go to IdentityTheft.gov. Think about a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. |
| Gave my Medicare Number | Call 1-800-MEDICARE. Check my Medicare statements. California: Senior Medicare Patrol, 1-855-613-7080. |
Debit cards and bank accounts: tell the bank within two business days of learning your details were stolen. Federal rules give the most protection when you report fast.
Watch for a second scam: anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee. The FBI says its complaint center will never contact you directly or ask for payment to recover money.
California Medicare help: HICAP free counseling, 1-800-434-0222.
Limitations
- This card covers common text scams. It cannot tell you whether a particular message is real. When in doubt, check through Step 2.
- Agency statements are as of October 2026 and can change. The California toll and DMV lines apply only in California.
- Banks decide disputes case by case. A payment you made yourself, even because you were tricked, may be handled differently from a charge you never made. Ask your bank.
- This card is general information, not legal or financial advice. For help with a loss, contact your bank, the agencies listed or a legal aid office.
- The full guide, with sources: Fake delivery, toll and bank texts: how to spot them and what to do.
Sources
- Smishing — U.S. Postal Inspection Service, updated May 19, 2025.
- Tell Everyone: Attorney General Bonta Warns Consumers of Surge in Text-Based Toll Scam Activity — California Attorney General, January 2, 2025.
- DMV Warns of Fraudulent Text Scam Asking for Toll Payments — California Department of Motor Vehicles, April 29, 2025.
- Account Takeover Fraud via Impersonation of Financial Institution Support (Alert I-112525-PSA) — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, November 25, 2025.
- Smishing Scam Regarding Debt for Road Toll Services (Alert I-041224-PSA) — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, April 12, 2024.
- FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3 (Alert I-041825-PSA) — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, April 18, 2025.
- This Medicare Open Enrollment season, learn how to protect yourself from scams — Federal Trade Commission, September 30, 2025.
- How to Recognize and Report Spam Text Messages — Federal Trade Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
- What To Do if You Were Scammed — Federal Trade Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
- False alarm, real scam: how scammers are stealing older adults' life savings (Data Spotlight) — Federal Trade Commission, August 7, 2025.
- What To Know About Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts — Federal Trade Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
- 12 CFR 1005.6 — Liability of consumer for unauthorized transfers (Regulation E) — Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, accessed October 21, 2026.
- Senior Medicare Patrol — California Department of Aging, accessed October 21, 2026.
- Medicare Counseling (HICAP) — California Department of Aging, accessed October 21, 2026.
Printed from kpsgill.com. Check the page online for the latest version.