Resources / SMS Scam Checker

Is this text message a scam?

Paste the message below. The checker looks for the red flags scammers rely on — and explains the persuasion tactic behind each one.

🔒 Checked entirely in your browser — the message is never uploaded
Tip: real companies usually text from 5–6 digit short codes, not regular phone numbers or email addresses.
Try an example:
Paste the message first — a few words is enough.

This is a pattern-based checker, not a verdict from your bank or carrier. A clean result does not guarantee a message is safe — new scams appear daily, and the most targeted ones avoid common tells. When in doubt, contact the company or person directly using a number you already have, never one from the message. Already clicked or paid? Use our what-to-do-now tool.

Want deeper checks? This free tool runs entirely in your browser, so it only sees what's pasted. The text checks included with paid Family plans go further: forward any suspicious text to your ScamDrill number and our servers also expand shortened links to reveal the real destination and flag links to newly registered domains — the freshly minted websites scam campaigns run on.

Next time, spot it without a checker.

ScamDrill sends safe practice texts and emails to your family so the instincts are there before the real scam arrives. Paid plans also include forward-a-text verdicts with link expansion and new-domain detection built in. Free plan available — and you've just seen exactly which tactics need practice.

Start practicing free →
Protecting a team instead? ScamDrill for organizations runs SMS drills company-wide.

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Text scam questions, answered

How can I tell if a text message is a scam?
Be suspicious of any text that creates urgency, threatens a consequence, or asks you to tap a link, reply, or call a number — especially about a package, a toll, a bank alert, or a "wrong number" that turns friendly. Real companies usually text from 5–6 digit short codes, and they won't ask for codes, passwords, or gift cards. The checker above scores a text instantly. For more, see how to spot common scams.
Is it safe to paste a text into this checker?
Yes. The analysis runs entirely in your browser — nothing you paste is uploaded to a server. The message never leaves your device.
What is smishing?
Smishing is phishing carried out by SMS text message instead of email. The goal is the same — to make you tap a malicious link, hand over personal details or codes, or send money — but it arrives as a text, where short links and urgency slip past your guard more easily. The scam glossary defines the terms.
I tapped a link or replied to a scam text — what now?
Don't enter any information on the page that opened. If you already did, change that password from a device you trust and turn on two-factor authentication; if you shared card or banking details, call your bank. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) and report it. Our what-to-do-now tool gives you the exact steps.
Does a clean result mean the text is safe?
No. A clean result means none of the common scam patterns matched — but targeted scams are written to look legitimate. Always verify any request to tap, pay, or share information through a channel you already trust.