Scam signals
Learn how urgency, impersonation, payment pressure and engineered confusion work together, and how to pause without losing a legitimate opportunity.
Make better trust decisions online
Check messages, websites, sellers and high-pressure requests using evidence you can verify yourself. No uploaded inputs, paid rankings or one-number safety verdicts.
Inputs stay privateNo paid rankingsLimitations stated
Pause
Name the request and consequence.
Verify
Move to an independent channel.
Decide
Prefer reversible action and recourse.
Choose what you need to verify
Identity & accounts
Practical guides for authentication, impersonation, recovery and the decisions that keep one compromised account from becoming five.
Privacy choices
Understand what you share, who can infer more, and which settings meaningfully reduce exposure without making everyday technology unusable.
Money & marketplaces
Evaluate sellers, payment routes, guarantees and pressure tactics before money moves, and preserve the evidence you may need later.
Social proof
Separate useful reputation signals from copied testimonials, coordinated hype, synthetic media and popularity that proves less than it appears.
Work & professional trust
Check recruiters, invoices, vendors and authority claims using independent channels that do not depend on the message being genuine.
Private tools for messages, links, websites and sellers
Message red-flag checker
Review pressure, channel and requested action without uploading your message.
Link safety preview
Break down a URL locally and inspect the hostname before visiting it.
Website trust checklist
Score the evidence behind a site without pretending a single number proves safety.
Email authenticity checklist
Work through sender, context, link and consequence checks in a disciplined order.
Practical guides for the next decision
How to tell if a text message is a scam
A suspicious text is a decision problem, not a grammar test. Use context, channel and consequence together.
Parcel delivery scam checklist
Check a delivery message without rewarding urgency or exposing payment details.
What to do during a bank impersonation call
Control the channel, protect credentials and verify the claimed incident independently.
Romance scam warning signs without victim blaming
Focus on the pattern of control, isolation and money, not on whether the relationship feels emotionally real.
QR code scam safety
Treat a QR code as an unseen link and inspect the destination before continuing.
Close a fake tech-support popup safely
A browser warning cannot diagnose your whole device or require a telephone call to fix it.
Why trust.you does not label something safe
HTTPS, design polish, a familiar voice and a visible profile are weak signals on their own. We prioritise independent verification, transaction recourse and the cost of being wrong. A useful result explains what is known, what remains uncertain and which action is easiest to reverse.
Read the full methodology →What a useful check should tell you
A parcel message is a simple example. The same method works for payment requests, account alerts and seller claims.
Evidence
The message creates urgency and asks you to follow a supplied link. Those are warning signals, but they do not identify the sender by themselves.
What remains unknown
A familiar logo, sender name or matching parcel reference does not prove who controls the message or linked page.
Safer next action
Leave the message. Open the courier's known app or type its official address yourself, then check the delivery there.
Questions about trust.you
What can trust.you help me check?
trust.you helps you examine suspicious messages, links, websites, sellers, payment requests, account incidents, privacy choices and professional requests before you act.
Browse the guide libraryDoes trust.you certify that a website or person is safe?
No. A real account can be compromised and a legitimate platform can host a risky seller. trust.you organises evidence and safer next steps without presenting a score as proof.
Understand the scoring methodDo the trust.you tools upload what I enter?
No. The interactive launch tools process messages, URLs and checklist answers in your browser. You should still remove passwords, codes, bank details and other secrets before using any website tool.
Choose a private browser toolWhat should I do if money moved or an account was compromised?
Stop further contact, protect the email and recovery channels that unlock other accounts, and contact the relevant bank, platform or official reporting service through a verified route.
Follow the scam response planWho publishes trust.you?
trust.you is an independent English-language publication and browser-tool library. Its guidance follows a documented research method, editorial policy and public corrections process. Questions can be sent through the contact page.
Continue with a related guide
Use the pause, verify, decide checklist
Apply the pause, verify and decide method to the current situation.
Digital trust glossary
Check plain-language definitions for digital trust terminology.
Find trusted incident reporting resources
Find the right institution or reporting route for an active incident.