Phone scams keep changing, but most rely on the same small set of pressure tactics. Learn them once and you'll recognize nearly every variation.
1. Manufactured urgency. Real organizations rarely demand action within minutes. A caller insisting you act right now wants to stop you from thinking.
2. Requests for secrecy. 'Don't tell your bank' or 'keep this between us' is a major red flag.
3. Unusual payment methods. Gift cards, wire transfers and crypto are favorites because they're hard to reverse.
4. Caller ID that looks official. Numbers can be spoofed. Hang up and call the organization back on a number you find yourself.
5. Prizes you never entered for. If you didn't buy a ticket, you didn't win.
6. Requests for one-time codes. No legitimate company will ask you to read back a verification code.
7. Emotional hooks. Scammers pose as relatives in trouble to bypass your judgment.
When in doubt, run the number through a reverse lookup before calling back. It takes seconds and can save a lot of money.