Scam Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. After losing money to a scam, you are contacted by an agent who guarantees full recovery if you first pay a processing fee. What is the best interpretation?
This is a common recovery-scam pattern that can target people who have already lost money
A guarantee indicates that the agent has already located the money
The request is trustworthy if the processing fee is much smaller than the original loss
Recovery services normally require payment before they can check whether funds exist
2. Someone met online quickly becomes romantic, avoids meeting or live video, and then requests emergency travel money while asking for secrecy. What is the clearest red flag?
The combination of rapid trust, avoidance of verification, a money request, and pressure for secrecy
The person lives far away and communicates mostly through messages
The claimed emergency involves travel rather than a household expense
The person uses affectionate language before an in-person meeting
3. Your bank’s known official domain is examplebank.com. Which address is outside that domain and most clearly resembles a lookalike?
www.examplebank.com
security.examplebank.com
examplebank-security.com/login
examplebank.com/help
4. Why do scammers often create urgency, such as saying an offer expires in minutes or an account will be closed immediately?
Urgent wording allows payments to clear more quickly
Urgency makes electronic messages harder for filters to detect
Urgency pressures people to act before independently checking the claim
Urgency proves that the sender has access to a live account system
5. A remote employer sends you a check for equipment and asks you to transfer the unused amount to its supplier. What should you do?
Deposit the check and transfer only the amount that appears as available
Send the supplier a small test payment while waiting for the check to settle
Ask the recruiter to email a photograph of company identification before transferring anything
Do not send money; verify the job and employer through independently located contact details
6. Which statement about QR codes is accurate?
A printed QR code is trustworthy because printed content cannot be altered
QR codes are safer than typed links because they cannot contain web addresses
A QR code can direct you to a phishing site, so its destination and context should be checked before proceeding
Phone cameras automatically verify the organization behind every QR code
7. You entered a reused password on a site reached through a suspicious email. What is the most appropriate response?
Use the official site to change that password, replace it anywhere else it was reused, enable multifactor authentication, and review account activity
Delete the email, because removing the original link invalidates submitted information
Wait to see whether the account sends an unfamiliar-login alert
Sign back in through the suspicious link to check whether the password still works
8. A browser pop-up says your device is infected and tells you to call a support number immediately. What is the safer response?
Call the number but refuse to provide payment information
Close the pop-up without calling and use trusted device tools or independently found official support
Keep the pop-up open while searching the displayed number in another tab
Download the recommended scanner if the page displays a familiar technology logo
9. A text claiming to be from your bank says your account is locked and provides a link. What is the safest first step?
Open the link only long enough to check whether the page looks professional
Call the phone number included in the message to verify the warning
Reply to the text and ask the sender to confirm your account number
Open the bank’s official app or type its known website address yourself to check the account
10. Which investment pitch contains the strongest established scam warning sign?
Returns may vary, and the seller provides documents for independent review
High returns are guaranteed with little or no risk, but you must invest immediately
The investment has fees and may lose value during market changes
The seller encourages you to compare the offer with regulated alternatives
11. Which payment instruction is a particularly strong scam warning sign?
A local shop accepts a card through its usual checkout terminal
The caller insists that you buy gift cards and read the redemption codes aloud
A contractor provides an itemized invoice after completing agreed work
An established retailer offers several standard payment methods at checkout
12. A social-media post requests donations after a disaster and links to an unfamiliar fundraising page. What is the strongest way to reduce scam risk?
Trust the page if friends have reposted it without reporting problems
Donate a small amount first to see whether a confirmation email arrives
Research the organization independently and donate through its verified official channel
Use the link if the page includes photographs and a specific fundraising target
13. At work, an email that appears to come from a regular supplier announces new bank details for an upcoming invoice. What is the best verification step?
Contact the supplier using a previously verified phone number or established channel before changing payment details
Pay a small amount to the new account and ask the supplier to confirm receipt
Approve the change if the message includes an earlier invoice number
Reply to the email and ask whether the new details are correct
14. A marketplace buyer sends a check for more than your asking price and asks you to forward the difference to a shipping agent. What is the most likely explanation?
The buyer is using an escrow arrangement to protect both parties
The extra amount is a refundable deposit for possible shipping damage
The marketplace automatically adds shipping funds to checks from new buyers
It is an overpayment scheme in which the check may later be rejected while your forwarded money is lost
15. A person claiming to be technical support asks for a one-time verification code that just arrived on your phone. What should you do?
Share it only if the caller already knows your email address
Do not share it; end the contact and reach the company through an official channel
Share the first half so the caller can confirm that the account exists
Wait for a second code and use whichever one expires later
16. A caller’s number appears to match a government agency’s published number. What does this establish?
The caller is genuine if the displayed area code is also correct
The call is genuine unless the caller requests a card payment
The agency’s telephone system directly authenticated the caller
Very little, because caller ID information can be spoofed