An observable warning sign that an offer or message may be fraudulent.
A red flag is any signal that should raise suspicion — a request for payment, a push off-platform, urgency, a mismatched domain. No single flag proves a scam, but they cluster, and two or more together warrant stopping.
Learning the common red flags is the fastest way to build reliable scam instincts.
Frequently asked questions
How many red flags mean it's definitely a scam?
There's no fixed number, but scams rarely raise just one. If you notice two or more — say, urgency plus a payment request plus a personal email — stop and verify before doing anything.