Scam call guides: plain answers to phone scam questions
Short, sourced answers to the questions people ask after a strange call: who really called, whether the number can be trusted, what the caller wanted and what to do next. Every guide follows the advice of the FTC, the FBI or the FCC.
Latest guides
New guides are added as people ask new questions about scam calls, cloned voices and fake caller ID. The newest come first.
-
What is a spoofed call? How scammers fake caller ID
A spoofed call shows a fake name or number on caller ID. How spoofing works, when it is illegal, why scammers use it and what to do when one rings.
Start here if a call worried you
These are the pages most readers need first. Each one is short enough to read while you decide what to do.
- What to do after a scam call. A three-step box for the first few minutes, then where to go next depending on what you shared or paid.
- If you only answered the call. What can and cannot happen just because you picked up or said a few words, and what to watch for afterwards.
- If you already sent money. Who to contact for each payment method, in the order that gives you the best chance of getting money back.
- Reporting the call. Where to report in the United States and other countries, and the details to have ready when you do.
Learn how the calls work
Most scam calls follow a handful of scripts. Once you know the script, the call is much easier to end.
- The common voice scam types. Cloned relatives, fake banks, fake officials, virtual kidnapping and boss fraud, with the tell for each one.
- Voice phishing explained. The plain meaning of vishing and why a phone call is such an effective way to steal money or details.
- The numbers behind scam calls. What reported losses look like, from official sources, with every figure linked.
Habits that stop most scam calls
The stories change, but a few habits beat almost all of them. None of them need any special app.
- Hang up and call back on a number you already have, never one the caller gives you or one shown on caller ID.
- Agree a family safe word so a cloned voice cannot pass as a relative in trouble.
- Refuse unusual payments. The FTC says only scammers insist on gift cards, crypto, payment apps or wire transfers.
- Talk to older relatives early. Our guide to protecting elderly parents from phone scams has a script for that conversation.
If a guide here does not answer your question, the safest default is always the same: end the call, look up the real number of the person or organisation yourself, and call them back. A genuine caller will understand, and a scammer loses the one thing they need, which is your attention in the moment.
The guides here are written by the VoiceScam.com editors from consumer-protection and law-enforcement guidance, and each one lists its sources. Read our editorial standards for how we check them.