Suspicious Call Simulator
Practice hanging up. Practice saying the right things. No real scammer on the line.
Try it with audio
Lets your browser read the caller’s lines out loud so you can hear the pressure in a scam call. You can turn it off any time.
Freeze and verify — the 4-step rule
- 1. Say you’ll call back.
- 2. Hang up.
- 3. Look up the real number yourself.
- 4. Call that number and verify.
Pick a scenario to practice
Each scenario is based on a real scam script. Nothing here costs money or reveals your information — you’re rehearsing for the day an actual call lands.
"Grandma, it's me — I'm in trouble!"
A frantic young voice claims to be your grandchild in jail and needs bail money fast.
"This is the IRS — you owe back taxes"
A stern caller claiming to be an IRS agent threatens arrest unless you pay immediately.
"Your Social Security number has been suspended"
A robotic voice claims your SSN is suspended due to suspicious activity at the border.
"Microsoft Support — your computer is infected"
A caller with a strong accent insists your Windows computer is infected and offers to fix it.
"You won the sweepstakes — pay the processing fee"
A cheerful caller says you won a prize and only need to pay a small fee before it can be released.
"Your Medicare number has expired"
A caller says your Medicare card is expiring and you need to confirm your number to keep coverage.
"This is [your carrier] Fraud Department"
A caller claims to be from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile fraud and wants to verify a charge.
"The person from your online profile is calling"
Someone you met on a dating or social app calls for the first time — and quickly brings up a money problem.
Red-phrase cheat sheet
If a caller says any of these, hang up — even if everything else sounded normal.
- •“Don't tell anyone else about this call.”
- •“Act now or your account/benefits/warranty will be canceled.”
- •“Pay with gift cards.”
- •“Wire the money.”
- •“This is not a scam, I promise.”
- •“I'm legally required to tell you this.”
- •“Your grandson/daughter said not to call you.”
- •“Read me the 6-digit code I just sent.”
- •“Stay on this line, do not hang up.”
- •“You won — just pay the processing fee.”
Legit vs. scam — quick call ID
Real organizations behave very differently from scammers. These rules catch most calls.
- Government agencies never cold-call asking for money. They send paper letters first.
- Banks never ask for your password, PIN, or full card number on the phone.
- Tech support from Microsoft, Apple, or Google never calls you first.
- Real utility companies never demand gift cards — ever.
- The real Medicare never calls asking for your Medicare number. They already have it.
- A real police officer arrests you in person, not by phone or gift card.
AI voice cloning is real
Pick a family code word
Agree on a private word with your family — something silly is fine, nothing obvious. If someone calls claiming to be your grandchild in trouble, ask for the code word. No scammer will know it. Pick it the next time you see family in person and don’t write it on social media.
After the call — block and report
Block the number on iPhone
Open Phone → Recents → tap the info (i) icon next to the number → scroll to the bottom → tap Block this Caller.
Block the number on Android
Open Phone → Recents → long-press the number → Block / Report spam.
Silence Unknown Callers (iPhone)
Settings → Apps → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers. Real callers can leave voicemail; robocalls go quiet.
Call Screen (Android)
Phone app → Settings → Spam and Call Screen → turn on automatic screening.
Report fraud to the FTC
Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and fill out the plain-English form. Takes about 5 minutes.
Add your number to Do Not Call
Register at donotcall.gov. It doesn't stop scammers, but it cuts out legitimate telemarketers so you can tell the difference.