Scammers are good at one thing: finding you when you're already confused. A charge you didn't recognize. A product that stopped working. A situation where you need help and can't find it. That's when they show up, sounding exactly like the company you're looking for. So, we’ve put together our best practices to stay safe from scams online.
Start here: the three things that protect most people
| 1 |
Always go to the company's official website directly. Type the address into your browser yourself, or use a bookmark you saved earlier. Don't click links in emails claiming to be from the company without cross-referencing the email it came from. Don't trust the first result in a Google search. Paid ads and fake sites can appear above the real one. |
| 2 |
Never call a number you found in a search result. If you need a phone number, find it on the company's official website. Not from Google, not from a banner ad, not from a pop-up. Scammers pay to appear at the top of search results for phrases like "Guardio phone number" or "Guardio customer service." |
| 3 |
No legitimate company will ever ask you to pay by gift card or wire cash. This is the clearest signal that something is wrong. If anyone asks you to buy gift cards and read them the codes, stop the call immediately. It doesn't matter how official they sounded or how urgent they said it was. |
How these scams actually work
Most online scams follow the same pattern. Understanding it makes it much easier to spot.
| Step 1 |
You have a billing question or a problem with a product. A charge you didn't expect. Something that stopped working. You want to talk to someone. |
| Step 2 |
You search for the company's phone number. A fake site appears at the top of the results. It's built to look real, with a phone number in the header. It ranks there on purpose. |
| Step 3 |
Someone answers, sounds helpful, and builds trust. They may claim to be from the company you called about. Just like legitimate support agents, they are patient, polite, and professional. They ask for access to your computer or your bank account to "process the refund." |
| Step 4 |
Money moves. Usually in a way that can't be reversed. Cash shipped via UPS. Gift cards with the codes photographed and sent. Wire transfers. By the time the person realizes what happened, the money is gone. |
Warning signs to stop everything for
If any of these happen during a call or chat, end the interaction and contact the company directly through their official website.
Stop if anyone:
- Asks you to give them remote access to your computer
- Says money was accidentally deposited into your account and asks you to send it back
- Asks you to pay them with gift cards, any kind, any amount
- Asks you to send cash by courier or shipping service
- Tells you not to tell your bank, your family, or the police
- Pressures you to act immediately and says there's no time to think
- Claims to be from the FBI, police, or a government agency calling about fraud
- Says a typo or mistake sent too much money to your account
Things scammers say and what they actually mean
| If someone says... | It means... |
|---|---|
| "I accidentally sent you too much money." | They didn't. This is a trick to get you to send your own money to them. |
| "I need to connect to your computer to process the refund." | Nobody needs remote access to your computer to give you a refund. This is how they take control of your accounts. |
| "Don't tell your bank. They'll flag it and hold up the refund." | They don't want your bank to catch this. Your bank is your first line of defense. |
| "Pay with gift cards and send us the codes. It's faster." | Gift card codes are untraceable and irreversible. No legitimate company accepts payment this way. |
| "This is the FBI. We've frozen your accounts for your protection." | The FBI does not call people to tell them their accounts are frozen. This is a scam. |
What to do if you think it's happening right now
| 1 |
Hang up or close the chat. You don't owe anyone an explanation. You don't need to be polite about it. Just end it. |
| 2 |
Don't send anything. No gift cards. No cash. No bank transfer. Even if they say it's already started, stop. |
| 3 |
Call your bank directly. Use the number on the back of your card. Tell them what happened. They can freeze the account and, in some cases, stop a transfer. |
| 4 |
Tell someone you trust. A family member, a neighbor, a friend. Scammers rely on isolation. Saying it out loud to someone you know breaks that. |
| 5 |
Report it. Call your local police and file a report with the FBI at ic3.gov. You can also report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The report helps protect other people. |
If you're worried about someone else
- If an elderly parent or relative is on a long call with someone they don't know, it's okay to interrupt.
- If they've received a message saying money was deposited in their account by mistake, call their bank with them.
- If they've already sent money by any method, start with the bank and then the police. Act fast.
What's next
Make sure Guardio is installed on all your devices. The more devices you have covered, the more Guardio can catch before it reaches you.
If you've received an email, call, or message you're not sure about, reach out to Guardio directly. If you believe you've been scammed, call your bank first, then file a report with the FBI at ic3.gov.
You can also reach Guardio directly at support@guard.io or by calling our official support line at (771) 249-8378.
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