Starbound Academy

Spotting Scam Messages

Starbound Academy · Module 1 · About 10 minutes of reading

Welcome! This short lesson is for everyone in the family, from grandchildren to grandparents. No fear here. Just a few simple habits that keep your money and your heart safe.

What is a scam message?

A scam message is a text, chat or phone call from someone who pretends to be a person or a company you trust. They want your money, your passwords or your personal details. They often sound friendly, or they sound very urgent. The good news: scammers use the same few tricks again and again. Once you know the tricks, they are easy to spot. All examples below are made up for practice.

The 8 red flags

1. "Grandma, I'm in trouble!" (a relative in trouble)

A message or call says a grandchild or relative is in trouble and needs money right now. They beg you to keep it secret.

WhatsApp, unknown number: "Hi Grandma, it's me! I lost my phone, this is my new number. I had a small car accident. Please send $900 today. Don't tell Mom!"

Tip: Hang up. Call your relative on the number you already know.

2. "Your bank account is locked" (fake bank or Zelle alerts)

A text says your bank account or Zelle (inside your bank's app) has a problem. It asks you to tap a link or "send money back" to fix it.

Text message (SMS, Short Message Service): "SunnyBank ALERT: Suspicious Zelle payment of $1,250. If this was NOT you, reply NO and our agent will call you."

Tip: Your real bank will never ask you to send money to "protect" it. Call the number on the back of your card.

3. "Your package is waiting" (fake delivery texts)

A text pretends to be from USPS (the United States Postal Service). It says a package is stuck and asks for a small fee.

Text: "USPS: Your parcel cannot be delivered. Address incomplete. Update here within 12 hours: usps-redelivery-help.top"

Tip: The real USPS website ends in usps.com. Weird endings like ".top" are a warning sign. USPS texts you only if you signed up, and those texts have no links.

4. "You won!" (prizes and lotteries)

You "won" a prize, a lottery or a gift card, but you must pay a fee first.

Telegram: "Congratulations! You won $50,000 in the Florida Grand Lottery! Pay the $199 processing fee to claim."

Tip: You cannot win a contest you never entered. Real prizes never ask you to pay.

5. "The pastor needs help" (fake charity or church donations)

Someone pretends to be your pastor, a church leader or a charity. They ask for gift cards or a quick transfer.

Viber, new account with the pastor's photo: "Brother, I am in a meeting and cannot talk. Please buy four $100 gift cards for a family in need. Send me photos of the codes. God bless."

Tip: Real pastors do not ask for gift card codes by text. Call the church office or speak to the pastor in person.

6. "Pay now or be deported" (immigration or government threats)

A caller says they are from USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) or the IRS (Internal Revenue Service, the tax office). They threaten arrest, deportation or fines.

Phone call: "This is Officer Brown from Immigration. There is a problem with your documents. Pay $2,000 in gift cards today or your status will be cancelled."

Tip: Real agencies never demand payment by gift card, crypto (cryptocurrency) or wire, and never threaten arrest or deportation over the phone. Hang up and call the agency's official number.

7. "Help for family in Ukraine" (money transfers to Ukraine)

Someone asks you to send money to Ukraine through a "special" service, a stranger's card or cryptocurrency. They may pose as a volunteer, a relative or an aid group.

Telegram: "Your nephew in Odesa needs $500 for medicine. Our volunteer fund can deliver it today. Send to this card number fast, the pharmacy closes soon!"

Tip: Call your family in Ukraine directly. Give only to aid groups you know and can check: look them up on Give.org or Charity Navigator, or give through the official Ukrainian platform UNITED24 (u24.gov.ua).

8. "It sounds just like my son!" (AI voice cloning)

AI (artificial intelligence) can copy a voice from a short video online. A call may sound exactly like someone you love.

Phone call: A voice just like your son's cries, "Mom, I've been arrested, please send bail money, my lawyer will call you."

Tip: Agree on a family code word. If the caller can't say it, hang up and call back on the number you know.

Tip: No real lawyer or officer sends a courier to collect cash, gold or bail. Never pay through a crypto ATM (a Bitcoin machine).

Quick list of warning signs

Hurry ("today!", "in 1 hour!"). Secrecy ("don't tell anyone"). Strange payment (gift cards, crypto, wire transfers). Strange links or new numbers. Feelings pushed hard: fear, excitement, pity.

The golden rule: Stop, Check, Ask

  1. STOP. Don't tap, don't pay, don't reply. A real problem can wait 10 minutes.
  2. CHECK. Call the person or company back on a number you already have: the back of your card, your contacts, an official website.
  3. ASK. Talk to someone you trust: a family member, a friend from church, your bank. Two heads are better than one.

Oops, I already clicked or paid. What now?

Don't be ashamed. Scammers fool smart people every day. Act quickly:

  1. Call your bank using the number on the back of your card. Tell them what happened.
  2. Freeze or lock your cards (in your bank app or by phone).
  3. Change your passwords if you typed one in, starting with email and bank.
  4. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov (the Federal Trade Commission). This helps protect others. For crypto or large losses, also report to the FBI's IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) at ic3.gov. Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM). Elders can call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. For scams involving Ukraine, report to the Ukrainian Cyberpolice at cyberpolice.gov.ua.
  5. Tell your family. Talking about it protects everyone.

For our elders

Scripture gives us good advice for the phone, too. Jesus said: "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). We can be kind and trusting in heart, and still be careful with our money.

The apostle John wrote: "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). It is right to test a message before we trust it.

And Proverbs teaches: "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going" (Proverbs 14:15). Taking a moment to stop and check is not rudeness. It is wisdom.

Simple habits: - If an unknown number calls, let it go to voicemail. - Never give codes that come to your phone to anyone. - Keep a paper list of family and bank phone numbers by the phone. - It is always okay to say: "I will call you back," and hang up.

For the tech-savvy

Young Defenders corner

You are the family's scam detective! Grandparents are wise about life. You are fast with phones. Together you are a great team.

Activity: Find the 5 red flags. Read this fake message and find what's wrong:

"URGENT!!! Grandpa, this is Misha, new number. I'm in trouble. Send $300 in gift cards in the next 30 min. Don't tell anyone!! Tap here: bit.ly/help-misha"

Answers 1. "URGENT" and "30 min": hurry. 2. "New number": unknown sender. 3. Gift cards: strange payment. 4. "Don't tell anyone": secrecy. 5. A short mystery link.

Bonus mission: Ask a grown-up to show you a real text with a link. Long-press it and read the real web address out loud. Is it the real company?

Checking messages like this is exactly how real cybersecurity work starts. Today, the family's detective. Tomorrow, maybe a cybersecurity pro!

Printable checklist

**BEFORE YOU PAY OR TAP: STOP · CHECK · ASK** ☐ Is someone rushing me? ☐ Are they asking me to keep a secret? ☐ Do they want gift cards, crypto or a wire transfer? ☐ Is it a new number or a strange link? ☐ Did I call back on a number I already know? ☐ Did I ask family or a church friend? **If I already paid:** call my bank, freeze my cards, report at **reportfraud.ftc.gov**. *"Be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Matthew 10:16*

Quiz

  1. Your "grandson" texts from a new number asking for money and secrecy. What do you do first? Answer: Stop. Call your grandson on his old number or call his parents.
  2. A text says your USPS package needs a $1.99 fee at a ".top" link. Real or scam? Answer: Scam. The real site is usps.com, and it won't text you to pay fees like this.
  3. Your caller ID shows your bank's real number. Can you trust the call? Answer: No. Caller ID can be faked. Hang up and call the number on your card.
  4. You already sent money. Name two things to do. Answer: Call your bank and freeze your cards. Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

With care, the Starbound team