Avoiding scams & financial fraud
Spot the trap before it springs
Scams are engineered by professionals to defeat smart, careful people — being targeted says nothing about you. This track teaches the universal red-flag pattern behind almost every scam, tours the big ones (phishing, fake checks, romance and 'guaranteed return' investment scams, impersonation, job scams) and their tells, lays out the free layered protections that lock down accounts and identity, and walks the calm response when fraud happens. Warm, judgment-free, never pushy.
4 lessons · about 28 minutes total · 100% free
Saved on this device only — no account needed.
1. The anatomy of a scam
Nearly every scam runs the same play: manufactured urgency, demanded secrecy and an unusual way to pay. Learn the pattern, how real institutions behave, and the filter that stops it.
7 min read
2. Common scams and how they work
Phishing, fake checks, romance and investment pitches, impersonation, job offers: learn the tell that gives each family of scam away, even when the story is new.
7 min read
3. Protecting your accounts and identity
Layer your defenses: unique passwords in a manager, app-based two-factor codes, a free credit freeze, a monthly statement check, and the strongest lock on your email.
7 min read
4. What to do if it happens
Fraud happened. Act fast: stop contact, document, call the bank, freeze your credit, report at IdentityTheft.gov and IC3, dispute the charges — and know your liability limits.
7 min read