Hang Up. Look Up. Call Back.

There are hundreds of scams and they change every month. You don't need to memorize them. You need one habit.

The habit

Why this works on every scam at once

A scam only works while the scammer controls the conversation. Hanging up ends their control. They cannot follow you to the real phone number.

Notice what this habit does not require. You don't have to be a technology expert. You don't have to tell a good story from a bad one. You don't have to argue. You just have to stop and check.

The three traps to avoid

Don't use a number they gave you. Not the one they read to you, not the one in the email, not the one on the pop-up on your screen. Those go straight back to them.

Don't let them “stay on the line while you check.” That's not help, that's supervision. Hang up completely.

Don't be talked out of hanging up. “If you hang up, you'll be arrested.” “If you hang up, the transfer can't be stopped.” Any sentence that punishes you for hanging up confirms what you're dealing with.

What if it was real?

Then you'll reach them at the real number and sort it out in two minutes. No real bank, agency, or company has ever been offended by a customer who called back to verify. Many will thank you.

Practice the words

It helps to have a sentence ready so you don't have to think of one under pressure:

Then hang up. You don't need permission and you don't need to wait for a reply.