When in doubt, hang up.
If an unexpected caller is pressuring you, demanding money, or asking for sensitive information, you can end the call.
🛡️ BentleyPlayz Project
When in doubt,
hang up.
Scammers want you to panic, rush, and make decisions before you have time to think. ScamShield helps you recognize warning signs, slow down, and protect yourself.
If something feels wrong, stop first. Verify independently.
The Golden Rules
Simple rules can stop a scam.
You don't need to be a cybersecurity expert. You just need to know when to stop.
Don't let urgency control you.
A demand to act immediately is a warning sign. Stop, breathe, and verify the situation through a trusted source.
Ask someone you trust.
If you're unsure, ask a family member, friend, or another trusted person before you continue.
Urgency is a warning sign.
Scammers often try to keep you from having enough time to think, verify, or ask someone else for help.
⚠️
"Call us immediately about your account."
⚠️
"Your payment is overdue. Pay now."
⚠️
"You were accidentally refunded too much."
⚠️
"Your computer is infected. Call this number."
⚠️
"Your family member is in trouble."
⚠️
"Don't hang up while we transfer you."
Know the Tricks
Common scams have familiar patterns.
Learning the patterns makes it easier to recognize suspicious situations before they become dangerous.
💸
Fake Refunds
Someone claims you were accidentally refunded too much and demands that you send money back.
🎁
Gift Card Scams
Someone tells you to buy gift cards and provide the numbers or codes as payment.
🔐
Verification Code Scams
Someone asks for a security or verification code that was sent to your phone or email.
📧
Suspicious Emails
An unexpected email tells you to call immediately, click a link, or resolve an urgent problem.
🖥️
Fake Tech Support
A pop-up or caller claims your computer is infected and tells you to call a number for help.
👤
Impersonation
Someone pretends to be your bank, a company, a government agency, a family member, or someone you know.
ScamShield Detector
Not sure what you're looking at?
Use the ScamShield Detector to submit a suspicious message, email, screenshot, or other content for an AI-powered warning-sign analysis.
🔎 Open ScamShield DetectorThe detector provides an analysis of potential warning signs. It cannot guarantee that something is or is not a scam. Always verify important situations independently.
Don't enter the scam
just to see if it's real.
If you think something might be a scam, stop before you click, call, pay, reply, or provide information. You don't have to investigate a suspicious situation from the inside. Verify it independently instead.
It's Okay to Ask
Not sure? Ask someone you trust.
There is nothing wrong with asking for help. A legitimate company can wait.
👨👩👧 Family
Ask a family member to look at the message or situation with you before you take action.
🧑🤝🧑 A Trusted Friend
Sometimes another person can spot a warning sign that is easy to miss when you're under pressure.
🏦 Verify Independently
Use an official website, app, statement, or phone number you already trust instead of contact information provided by a suspicious message.
Protect Someone You Love
Share ScamShield with someone who needs it.
Know a parent, grandparent, elderly family member, friend, or anyone else who could benefit from simple scam-safety advice? Send them this site.
❤️ When in doubt, hang up.
Credits & Attribution
ScamShield is a BentleyPlayz Project created by Bentley. Credit is also given to the generation tool used in the project. The tool did not require or request attribution; we chose to give credit anyway as a thank-you.