1. Explain the pattern instead of copying everything
Three details are useful: who does the sender claim to be, what do they want the recipient to do, and how can that claim be checked independently? For example, explain that a supposed delivery message demands an extra payment and suggest checking the delivery in the provider’s already familiar app.
Avoid unsupported claims such as “This new scam affects every bank today”. One message establishes neither its reach nor its origin. Date your own observation, distinguish uncertainty, and mention an official warning only when it actually addresses the pattern you are describing.
2. Leave out addresses, codes and private details
Do not paste the complete suspicious address into your warning. Some messaging services automatically turn it into a clickable link or preview. A screenshot does not reliably solve the problem: visible QR codes can still be scanned, and addresses can be copied manually or extracted using text recognition.
A plain-text description without the original address is usually simplest. If an image is genuinely useful, create a separate edited copy and fully remove addresses, QR codes, names, phone numbers, customer numbers and other private information. Inspect the finished image before sending it. Keep the unchanged original separately if it may be needed as evidence.
3. Include a practical alternative in the warning
Fictional example: Amir receives a text about an allegedly failed delivery. He writes to his family: “Today I received a suspicious delivery text asking for a payment. Please check expected deliveries directly in the app you already know or on the provider’s website that you open yourself. I am leaving out the message’s link.”
This describes an observed pattern without presenting the impersonated company as the offender. It does not ask anyone to reply with account information. The practical alternative matters: a message that only says “Be careful!” leaves recipients wondering what to do if something similar arrives.
4. Distinguish a warning from an official report
A family chat and an official reporting service have different purposes. An official phishing report may require the original message or suspicious address. Use only the reporting route described on the relevant authority’s or provider’s official website, and follow its instructions for submitting information.
Switzerland’s National Cyber Security Centre, for example, distinguishes phishing reports from reports where the sender would like a response. That does not mean the original belongs in a private group. Reporting also does not replace contacting the bank or account provider when money has already been sent or credentials disclosed.
5. Correct mistakes and keep the warning proportionate
Common mistakes include chain-message demands, dramatic capital letters, identifying affected relatives and opening the suspicious link again “just to test it”. Your warning does not need to become an investigation. Share what you can establish and visibly correct a mistaken assessment in the same conversation.
A warning cannot reliably prevent every scam and does not replace individual technical or legal advice. If someone has already responded, calmly establish what they actually did and arrange suitable help. A useful next step is to save a short, neutral family template that you review again each time you use it.
Your checklist
The checkboxes are for your own reference. No entries are sent to us. To keep a copy, print the page or save it as a PDF using your browser menu.
Common questions
Is adding spaces to the link enough?
Leaving it out is simpler for a private warning. An altered address can be reconstructed, and some recipients may still try to visit it.
Can I forward a screenshot?
Only after carefully checking and, where needed, editing a separate copy. QR codes, notifications at the edge and contact names can also matter. A text summary usually needs less cleanup.
Should I delete the original message immediately?
If evidence may be needed by a bank, provider or authority, preserve it privately first. Do not open suspicious attachments to do this, and do not distribute it to uninvolved people.
Sources and further information
Primary sources from public authorities, consumer organisations and providers. A source may be in another language; follow the guidance that applies to your service and where you live.
- BACS: Phishing, Vishing, SmishingSource review date:
- FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scamsSource review date:
