Text Us First Check a message free

Before your parents click, pay or share anything, they text us.

One number for anything that looks off: a text, an email, a link, a caller. They get a straight answer. You get a heads-up.

Start the family plan or check one message free
Not sure it's real? Don't click, pay or share anything. Text this number first. (314) 472-2150

What happens when a strange text shows up

Your parent forwards it

"Your account is locked. Verify now at secure-bank-login.co or lose access." Is this real?

Text Us First answers

Scam. Don't tap the link. Your bank will never text a link like this. Delete it. If you're worried, call the number on the back of your card.
Text to you from Text Us First Your dad just checked a fake bank text. He didn't click it. Nothing you need to do.

An example of a check.

  1. They send it to us. By text or by email. A screenshot is fine. There is no app to install and no password to remember.
  2. They get a straight answer. "Scam," "safe," or "not sure, don't pay yet," with one thing to do next.
  3. You hear about it. When something turns out to be a scam, we text you so you can call them.

Getting a lot of spam calls? Here's what to know.

Caller ID can be faked
A call can show your bank's name or a local number and still come from a scammer.
Let unknown numbers go to voicemail
Real callers leave a message. Most scam callers don't.
Nobody official demands payment by phone
The IRS, Social Security, Medicare and your bank won't call asking for gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or a code they just texted you.
Hang up and call back yourself
Use the number on your card, bill or statement, never the one the caller gives you.
Don't press a button to be removed
It tells the caller your number is active, and the calls increase.
Turn on the blocking you already have
iPhone, Android and most phone carriers can silence or label suspected spam for free. Adding your number at donotcall.gov cuts sales calls, though scammers ignore the list.
Send us the number
Text us any number that called and we'll tell you what we find.

A payment, a bank login, a code, a link to "claim your money": text us before any of it.

Some scams ask for money. Others promise to send you money and ask for your bank details to "deposit" it. Either way the damage is done in one step that can't be undone. So the family agrees on one rule, and we send a printable note for the fridge so the rule is in sight when a scammer is on the phone.

What the family plan covers

Unlimited checks
For up to four relatives, by text or email.
Alerts to you
A text whenever one of their checks comes back as a scam.
The fridge note
A printable "text us first" note for each household.
If money was already sent
A guide to the first hour: who to call, what to freeze, where to report it.
A monthly family report
How many checks were made and what was caught.
Scams going around
A weekly text on what to watch for right now.
$89 a year

Covers up to four relatives. Cancel any time.

Start the family plan

Rather pay monthly? It's $12 a month. Start monthly

Checkout is handled by Whop.

Check one message free

Paste the text, email or link you're unsure about, or attach a photo or screenshot of it. You'll get an answer here in a few seconds.

Leave out passwords, card numbers and account numbers. We don't store what you paste or attach. It is read by our AI service to produce the answer, and we look at the wording and the link address without opening the link.

Questions

Does my parent need a smartphone or an app?

No. Any phone that can send a text works, and so does any email account.

How fast is the answer?

Between 8am and 9pm Central, every day, most checks are answered within minutes. Outside those hours the reply says to wait and not pay until we answer.

What if you aren't sure?

We say so. The answer will be "not sure, don't pay yet," with a safe way to find out, such as calling the company on a number you already trust.

What happens to the messages we send?

They are used only to give the answer. Website checks are not stored, and checks sent by text or email are deleted within 30 days. We never sell them. See our Privacy Policy.

Can you get money back after a scam?

No. We can't recover money. The plan includes a guide to the steps that give you the best chance, such as contacting the bank right away.