Example result
A sample written for this page: "Hello friend, you have been selected to receive a $20,000 grant. To release the money you must first pay a $150 processing fee by gift card and keep this confidential. Message me on WhatsApp to continue."
- Assessment
- high risk
- Confidence
- high (4 kinds of signal)
- Signals matched
- 6, score 13
- Signal 1
- Asks for payment or codes from gift cards: pay a $150 processing fee by gift card
- Signal 2
- Asks for a fee up front before money or a loan is released: pay a $150 processing fee
- Signal 3
- A prize, refund, inheritance or unclaimed money: you have been selected
- First step
- Do not click any link, call any number in it, open any attachment, or send codes, money or personal details.
Captured 2026-10-19.
How it works
- Paste the message or offer into the box, or describe what happened in your own words. The limit is 4,000 characters.
- Press the button. The checker reads the text against every rule and adds up the weight of each pattern it finds.
- Read the risk band, the signals behind it and the steps for your result. The table below shows one sensible next step for each common scam type.
What the checker looks for
Pressure and threats: urgency or a short deadline; threat of arrest, legal action or a shutdown.
Impersonation: package delivery problem or a small fee to release it; unpaid toll, fine or violation; names a well-known organization and carries a link; generic greeting instead of your name.
Account problems: account problem, suspicious activity or an expiring password.
Requests for codes and details: asks for a password, card number or other personal detail; asks you to send or read out a one-time code or PIN.
Payment demands: asks for payment or codes from gift cards; asks for a wire transfer, crypto or a payment app; asks for a fee up front before money or a loan is released; a charge or renewal you did not make, with a number to call; invoice, receipt or payment notice you did not expect.
Prizes, refunds and job offers: a prize, refund, inheritance or unclaimed money; a job that pays well for little or no experience.
Investment promises: guaranteed or very large investment returns.
Romance and wrong-number openers: a "wrong number" or "do I know you" opener; a romance story that ends in a request for money.
Moving you elsewhere: asks you to continue on WhatsApp, Telegram or another app; asks you to keep it secret; a "reply Y" or "reply STOP" prompt tied to a charge or a link; tells you to call a number about a charge, order or account.
Tech support and remote access: asks you to install or allow remote access software; a virus or hacking warning with a number to call.
Link tricks: a shortened link that hides the real address; a link that goes to a number address instead of a name; a link written with look-alike international characters; a link with an "@" that shows a trusted name before the real site; a link ending in an uncommon domain ending such as .top or .xyz; a link whose domain is spelled like a well-known brand; link text that shows one site but points to another.
Risky attachments: mentions a program, script or disk image file; mentions an archive, web page or macro file.
How the result is worked out
Every rule that matches adds its weight, 1 to 3, to a total. A total of 0 reads "no indicators found", 1 to 2 reads "low risk", 3 to 5 reads "medium risk", and 6 or more reads "high risk".
A few rules carry a floor. Asking for gift card payment, an up-front fee to release money, or remote access to your device lifts any result to at least medium risk. Asking you to read out a one-time code does the same when the message also contains a link.
Confidence is a band, not a percentage. It counts how many different kinds of signal matched: one kind is low, two is medium, three or more is high. A result of "no indicators found" always has low confidence, because patterns cannot prove who sent a message.
The text is matched with fixed rules and runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere, and the same text always gives the same result.
The pattern behind most scams
The FTC lists four signs: the sender pretends to be from an organization you know, says there is a problem or a prize, pressures you to act immediately, and tells you to pay in a specific way, such as cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app or a gift card. A message with several of these together is the strongest signal this checker can give.
A result of "no scam indicators found" only means none of the rules matched. A scam told in plain words can match nothing, so the result never settles the question. If someone asks for money, a code or personal details, check with them through a number or site you already know.
Common scam types, how they work, and one sensible next step
| Scam type | How it works | One sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| Imposter | Someone pretends to be a government office, a company you use or a charity, and says there is a problem or a prize. | Hang up or close the message and contact the organization on a number or site you already know. |
| Delivery or toll notice | A message about an unpaid fee or a failed delivery sends you to a payment page. | Look up the balance or the package on the real site or app, typed in yourself. |
| Account problem or phishing | A message says your account is locked or has suspicious activity and asks you to sign in or verify details. | Open the app or site yourself instead of using the link. |
| Advance-fee loan or grant | You are promised a loan, grant or credit but must pay a fee first, and nothing arrives. | Do not pay a fee to receive money. Check any lender with your state regulator. |
| Romance | A new online partner, often far away, builds trust and then asks for money for a ticket, a visa or a medical bill. | Do not send money to anyone you have not met in person, and tell someone you trust. |
| Investment | Guaranteed or very large returns, often on crypto or a trading platform, with pressure to deposit more. | Do not move money. Check the firm with your state securities regulator first. |
| Tech support | A pop-up, call or text says your device is infected and asks for remote access or a fee. | Close the page, do not call the number shown, and never allow remote access. |
| Fake job offer | High pay for simple tasks, then a check to deposit or a fee or purchase to make first. | Apply only through the employer's own site and never move money for an employer. |
| Prize or refund | You are told you won something or are owed a refund but must pay a fee or share details to get it. | Do not pay to receive a prize. Ignore the message. |
Sources
- FTC Consumer Advice: How To Avoid a Scam read 2026-10-19
- FTC Consumer Advice: What To Know About Romance Scams read 2026-10-19
- FTC Consumer Advice: What To Know About Advance-Fee Loans read 2026-10-19
- FTC Consumer Advice: How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams read 2026-10-19
This tool is run by LookValid. It is not connected to any agency, company or service named on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Can this tell me for sure whether something is a scam?
No. It reads the text you paste for patterns that scams share and tells you which it found. It cannot see who sent the message or check a business, so a clean result is not an all-clear. Check any request for money or details through a number or site you already know.
Does the checker use AI or send my text anywhere?
No. It is a fixed set of rules that runs inside your browser, and the page makes no request with your text. The same text always gives the same result, and every rule is described on this page.
What if I lost money or shared a code already?
Contact your bank or card company right away and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. For gift cards, call the card company. Change the password on any account involved, and report what happened at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How do I use it for a direct message or a call?
Type or paste what the person said, or describe it in a few sentences. The rules read wording such as requests for fees, gift cards, codes or remote access, and offers to move the chat to another app.
Why does the result show only a few signals?
The page shows up to six of the heaviest signals so the answer stays readable. The count in the heading includes every rule that matched, and all of them add to the risk band.