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🚨 21 questions · answers and explanations · free

Scam and fraud awareness quiz

Free scam awareness questions with answers and explanations: urgency and fake authority, phishing texts, gift-card demands, AI voice clones, romance and pig-butchering scams, rug pulls, seed phrases, pump-and-dumps, and what to do if you've been scammed.

Tap an answer to check it, or open "Show the answer" under each question. Every question comes from a free 3-minute lesson, linked under its answer. Educational content, not financial advice.

Question 1 of 21

What do scams primarily exploit?

  1. Your age — mostly seniors who live alone
  2. Your tech — weak passwords, old software, open Wi-Fi
  3. Your emotions — urgency, fear, authority, greed
  4. Your knowledge — people who don't know finance
Show the answer

Answer: C · Your emotions — urgency, fear, authority, greed

Scammers manipulate emotion to make you act before you think — that's the real attack.

📚 Learn it: Why Scammers Win

Question 2 of 21

You get a text from 'your bank' with a link to fix a problem. Best move?

  1. Tap it only if the web address shows your bank's real name and a lock icon
  2. Call the number in the text so you're talking to a real person
  3. Tap it, but only enter your username and never your password
  4. Don't tap it — open your bank's real app or call the number on your card
Show the answer

Answer: D · Don't tap it — open your bank's real app or call the number on your card

Never use links from the message; verify directly through the real app or your card's number.

📚 Learn it: Phishing, Smishing & Vishing

Question 3 of 21US

Someone claiming to be the IRS demands payment in gift cards. This is...

  1. 100% a scam — no agency takes gift cards
  2. Likely real if they know your full SSN
  3. Legit if they give you a badge number
  4. A new IRS option for paying back taxes
Show the answer

Answer: A · 100% a scam — no agency takes gift cards

No real agency or company accepts gift cards — it's an unmistakable scam signal.

📚 Learn it: Imposter & AI Voice Scams

Question 4 of 21

Which combo is the classic scam fingerprint?

  1. Patience, transparency, normal payment
  2. A written contract and time to think it over
  3. Urgency, fake authority, and secrecy
  4. A refund at the store with your receipt
Show the answer

Answer: C · Urgency, fake authority, and secrecy

Pressure to act NOW, someone claiming authority, and 'keep it quiet' — that's the scam playbook.

📚 Learn it: Spot the Scam Before It Spots You

Question 5 of 21

Biggest red flag in an online romance?

  1. They want to video chat within the first week of talking
  2. They want to take it slow and meet only in a public place
  3. They ask lots of questions about your hobbies and family
  4. They refuse to ever video chat or meet, then ask for money
Show the answer

Answer: D · They refuse to ever video chat or meet, then ask for money

Always-an-excuse to avoid video or meeting, combined with money requests, is the classic pattern.

📚 Learn it: The Romance Scam

Question 6 of 21

In a crypto 'pig butchering' scam, the early small 'withdrawal' you're allowed is...

  1. Your real profit, which means it's safe to add more
  2. A test the site runs to confirm your bank account
  3. Bait to build trust before a bigger deposit vanishes
  4. Proof the platform is real, since scams never pay out
Show the answer

Answer: C · Bait to build trust before a bigger deposit vanishes

Letting you withdraw a little is a trick to earn confidence before the real money disappears.

📚 Learn it: Investment & Crypto Scams

Question 7 of 21

Someone DMs you a 'guaranteed 100x crypto'. What is it?

  1. A scam — always
  2. Worth investigating
  3. A friend
  4. An opportunity
Show the answer

Answer: A · A scam — always

Guaranteed returns don't exist in legitimate investing. If someone DMs you a sure thing, you are the product, not the investor.

📚 Learn it: How to Spot a Crypto Scam

Question 8 of 21

What does your wallet's seed phrase control?

  1. Just your login, which support can reset if lost
  2. Only read access to view your balance
  3. Full access to the crypto in that wallet
  4. Your network fees and transaction speed
Show the answer

Answer: C · Full access to the crypto in that wallet

Whoever holds the seed phrase controls the funds — that's why losing or sharing it means losing the crypto.

📚 Learn it: Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins

Question 9 of 21

A strong defense against account takeover is...

  1. Two-factor authentication plus unique passwords
  2. One long, complex password used on every site
  3. Saving all your passwords in a note on your phone
  4. Sharing login codes only with close family
Show the answer

Answer: A · Two-factor authentication plus unique passwords

Unique passwords and 2FA make it far harder for thieves to access your accounts.

📚 Learn it: Lock Down Your Identity

Question 10 of 21

First financial step after realizing you've been scammed?

  1. Contact the scammer and demand your money back
  2. Contact your bank or card company immediately
  3. Hire a recovery service that promises to get it back
  4. Wait for your next statement to confirm the charge
Show the answer

Answer: B · Contact your bank or card company immediately

Speed matters — contacting your bank fast gives the best chance to reverse or dispute charges.

📚 Learn it: If You've Been Scammed

Learn it in the app: Scams & Fraud lessons, free →

3-minute lessons with a quiz, XP and streaks in the free app. No sign-up needed.

Question 11 of 21

Where do most pump-and-dump scams happen?

  1. S&P 500 stocks
  2. NYSE blue chips
  3. Pink Sheets
  4. NASDAQ-100
Show the answer

Answer: C · Pink Sheets

Pink Sheets are barely regulated, making them the favorite hunting ground for scams. Tread very carefully.

📚 Learn it: NYSE, NASDAQ, OTC & Pink Sheets

Question 12 of 21

A friend pitches a 'hot' stock trading on Pink Sheets. Smart move?

  1. Be very skeptical and research hard
  2. Trust it if your friend made money
  3. Buy if the chart is trending up
  4. Buy a bit before the price jumps
Show the answer

Answer: A · Be very skeptical and research hard

Pink Sheet stocks lack regulation and transparency. Extreme caution — most 'hot tips' there are traps.

📚 Learn it: NYSE, NASDAQ, OTC & Pink Sheets

Question 13 of 21

A message makes you feel you must act IMMEDIATELY. You should...

  1. Slow down — urgency is a classic red flag
  2. Call the number in the message to check
  3. Pay now and dispute it later if it turns out fake
  4. Act fast — emergencies need quick action
Show the answer

Answer: A · Slow down — urgency is a classic red flag

Manufactured urgency is a hallmark of scams. Pause and verify independently.

📚 Learn it: Why Scammers Win

Question 14 of 21

A company that calls or texts YOU out of the blue will legitimately ask for which of these?

  1. Your security answers, to unlock your account
  2. Your one-time code, to confirm it's really you
  3. Your PIN, so they can verify it's your account
  4. None of those — legit companies never need them
Show the answer

Answer: D · None of those — legit companies never need them

Legitimate companies never need your password or one-time codes — that request is a scam.

📚 Learn it: Phishing, Smishing & Vishing

Question 15 of 21

You get an urgent call from a 'relative' in trouble asking for money. Best move?

  1. Call back the same number that just called you to confirm it's them
  2. Hang up and call them back on their real number; use a safe word
  3. Send a small amount right away, then check the story once they're safe
  4. Send it right away if the voice sounds exactly like your relative
Show the answer

Answer: B · Hang up and call them back on their real number; use a safe word

Voices can be AI-cloned — verify by calling back directly and using a pre-agreed safe word.

📚 Learn it: Imposter & AI Voice Scams

Question 16 of 21

A 'bank rep' calls demanding you fix fraud by buying gift cards. What do you do?

  1. Offer a bank wire instead, since gift cards seem sketchy
  2. Buy the gift cards fast so your account isn't locked
  3. Ask for their employee ID first, then do what they say
  4. Hang up, find the real bank number, and call back yourself
Show the answer

Answer: D · Hang up, find the real bank number, and call back yourself

No real bank asks for gift cards. Hang up and verify through an official number you look up yourself.

📚 Learn it: Spot the Scam Before It Spots You

Question 17 of 21

Someone you met online but never in person asks for money. You should...

  1. Ask for a photo of their ID first, then send money
  2. Refuse — never send money to someone you haven't met
  3. Send it only if they've proven themselves over several months
  4. Send it by gift card so your bank details stay safe
Show the answer

Answer: B · Refuse — never send money to someone you haven't met

Money requests from someone you've never met in person are a hallmark of romance scams.

📚 Learn it: The Romance Scam

Question 18 of 21

What's a 'rug pull'?

  1. A sudden market-wide dip that recovers in a few days
  2. When developers abandon a project and run with the money
  3. A trading strategy where you sell before a coin drops
  4. A wallet feature that pulls your coins back after a bad transfer
Show the answer

Answer: B · When developers abandon a project and run with the money

Rug pulls happen when project creators dump their holdings and disappear, leaving investors with worthless tokens.

📚 Learn it: How to Spot a Crypto Scam

Question 19 of 21

A 'support agent' asks you to enter your 12 words to 'verify' your wallet. What is this?

  1. How you earn interest
  2. Standard security
  3. Required by law
  4. A scam — always
Show the answer

Answer: D · A scam — always

Legitimate wallets NEVER ask for your seed phrase. Anyone who does is trying to drain your wallet.

📚 Learn it: Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins

Question 20 of 21US

Where do you report a scam in the U.S.?

  1. A post on social media warning your friends
  2. ReportFraud.ftc.gov (and IC3.gov for online crime)
  3. Only your bank — government sites don't take scam reports
  4. The app or site where it happened, nowhere else
Show the answer

Answer: B · ReportFraud.ftc.gov (and IC3.gov for online crime)

File with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for internet crime, the FBI's IC3.gov.

📚 Learn it: If You've Been Scammed

Question 21 of 21

What's a major red flag in crypto projects?

  1. Anonymous team + huge promises
  2. Audited code + major exchange listings
  3. Public code + regular updates
  4. Public roadmap + named team
Show the answer

Answer: A · Anonymous team + huge promises

Anonymous teams with huge promises and no track record = the scam playbook. Always check who's behind the project.

📚 Learn it: How to Spot a Crypto Scam

Learn it in the app: Scams & Fraud lessons, free →

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