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How to Spot a Scam Call or Message on Your Galaxy

Elena is 68 years old. One Tuesday morning, her phone rang. The caller said he was from her bank. He knew her first name. He spoke quickly. He said there was a problem with her account. He said money was about to be taken. He said she had to act now. He asked her to read out a code from a message on her phone. Elena felt her heart beat fast. She felt frightened. She wanted to help. She wanted to stop the money being taken. She almost read out the code. Then she remembered what her son had told her: a real bank will never ask you to read out a code on the phone. She hung up. She felt shaky. But she had done the right thing. She had hung up.

That same week, Elena got a message about a parcel. The message said she had missed a delivery. It said she had to tap a link and pay a small fee to get the parcel. Elena was not expecting a parcel. She had not ordered anything that week. She did not tap the link. She deleted the message. Later, her neighbour said she had got the same message. The neighbour had tapped the link. The neighbour's phone then asked for bank details. The neighbour closed the page and called her bank. Both women were lucky. They stopped in time. Not everyone stops in time. Scam calls and messages are made to frighten you, to rush you, and to make you act before you think.

A scam call or message is a trick. A stranger pretends to be someone you trust. They pretend to be a bank, a delivery company, the police, a phone company, or even a family member. They want your money, your passwords, or your codes. They may sound polite. They may sound official. They may know your name. That does not mean they are real. Names and numbers can be faked. A number on your screen can look like a real bank number, even when it is not. A message can look like a real delivery message, even when it is not. You cannot judge safety by how the call or message looks or sounds. You must judge it by what it asks you to do.

This guide will help you spot the warning signs. It will give you a simple plan for what to do first. The plan is short. It works for calls and for messages. It works even when you feel frightened. You do not need to be clever about technology. You only need to pause, hang up or delete, and check in a separate, safe way. No guide can guarantee safety. Scammers change their tricks. But pausing and checking separately makes you much safer. If you have already shared money, codes, or passwords, act quickly and contact your bank directly. That advice is in this guide too. Do not feel ashamed. Many kind, careful people get these calls. Telling someone quickly is strong, not weak.

Warning signs: stop and think if you see or hear these

Read these signs slowly. If one or more appear, treat the call or message as unsafe until you have checked it in a separate way.

  1. Rush and fear. The caller or message says you must act now, today, in the next ten minutes, or something bad will happen. Your account will close. The police will come. The parcel will be sent back. A real organisation will give you time. A scammer wants you to panic.
  2. A code, a password, or a PIN is asked for. The caller asks you to read out a code from a text message. Or they ask for your password, your PIN, or the numbers on your bank card. Never share these. A real bank will never ask you for a full password, a PIN, or a one-time code on a call they started. Hang up if you hear this request.
  3. Money must be moved, or paid in a strange way. The caller asks you to move money to a "safe account". Or they ask you to pay with gift cards, with cryptocurrency, or by bank transfer to a new person. A real bank will never ask you to move money to keep it safe. That request is a strong warning sign.
  4. A link you did not ask for. A message says tap a link to track a parcel, to pay a fee, to update details, or to claim a refund. You were not expecting it. You did not order a parcel. Do not tap the link. A link can take you to a fake page that looks real and asks for your details.
  5. A family emergency that feels wrong. A message or call says a grandchild or a relative is in trouble, in hospital, or in jail, and needs money at once. The voice may sound like them, or the message may use their name. Do not send money. Hang up. Call the family member on a number you already have, saved in your contacts. Call another family member too, if you can. Check the story in a separate way before you do anything.
  6. Too good to be true. You have won a prize. You have a refund. You have a free gift. You only need to pay a small fee, or share your details, to claim it. If you did not enter a prize draw, you did not win. If you did not ask for a refund, be careful. Delete the message. Do not share details to claim a surprise prize.

What to do first: the pause, hang up, check plan

Use this plan every time. It is the same for calls and for messages. Learn it by heart, if you can. Pause. Hang up or delete. Check separately.

  1. Pause. Take a breath. Do not answer questions. Do not tap a link. Do not read out a code. Scammers rely on speed. Slowing down breaks their plan. It is fine to say nothing for a few seconds. It is fine to feel unsure.
  2. For a call, hang up. Tap the red end-call button. Do not worry about being polite. Hanging up on a stranger who asks for codes or money is not rude. It is safe. Do not call back the number that called you. Do not call back a number the caller gave you. Those numbers can be fake too.
  3. For a message, do not tap the link and do not reply. Do not tap any link in the message. Do not reply with STOP unless you are sure the sender is real, because a reply can tell a scammer your number is active. Delete the message if you are sure you were not expecting it. If you are not sure, leave it, do not tap it, and show it to a trusted family member later.
  4. Check separately, using a number you find yourself. If the call claimed to be from your bank, find your bank's number yourself. Use the number on the back of your bank card, or the number on a paper statement you already have, or the number in your contacts if you saved it yourself earlier. Call that number. Tell them what happened. Ask them if there is really a problem. Do not use a number from the call or the message. Finding the number yourself is the key step.
  5. Never share codes or passwords while you check. While you are on the phone with your bank, using the number you found yourself, they may ask security questions. That is different. But if a stranger called you first and asked for a code, hang up. Codes from messages are private. Passwords are private. PINs are private. Keep them private.
  6. If money was shared, contact your bank directly, at once. If you sent money, shared card details, or read out a code, call your bank at once on a number you find yourself, as in step four. Tell them clearly what happened and when. Ask them what to do next. Do not wait until tomorrow. Do not wait to see if money leaves your account. Tell a trusted family member too, so you are not alone with the worry. Your bank can advise you. Acting fast gives the bank the best chance to help.

If you feel frightened after a call, sit down. Drink some water. Tell someone. Call a family member or a neighbour you trust. Say: "I just had a strange call. Can I tell you what happened?" Talking it through helps you think clearly. It also helps the other person learn the warning signs. You are not foolish for getting the call. Scam calls reach millions of people. The scammer is at fault, not you.

Try it slowly: Elena practises the plan twice

Let us practise with Elena. The first practice is a call. Elena's son calls her on a normal day, not during a scam. He says: "Mum, let us practise. I will pretend to be a bank caller. I will say there is a problem and ask for a code. You practise hanging up." Elena laughs. She feels silly. But she practises. Her son says the frightening words. Elena takes a breath. She taps the red button. She hangs up. She says out loud: "I hung up. I will call the bank on the number on my card." Her son says: "Well done." The practice took one minute. It made the real action feel familiar.

The second practice is a message. Elena's son shows her an old parcel message on his own phone. He points to the link. He says: "Do not tap this. What will you do?" Elena says: "I will not tap it. I was not expecting a parcel. I will delete it. If I am worried, I will check with you." Her son nods. Elena practises saying the words out loud. Saying the plan out loud helps her remember it when she feels rushed. You can practise the same way with a family member. Ask them to read you a pretend scam message. Practise pausing, not tapping, and checking separately. Practise hanging up. The more you practise when you feel calm, the easier it is when you feel frightened.

Now make your own safety card. Write on a piece of paper, in large letters: "Pause. Hang up. Call the bank on the number on my card." Put the paper near your phone. Or put it on your fridge. When a strange call comes, look at the paper. Follow it. You do not need to remember everything. The paper will remind you. Tell a family member where the paper is. If you live alone, tell a neighbour too. A simple paper plan is a real safety tool. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of planning.

Block numbers and use Do Not Disturb, step by step

Blocking a number can reduce unwanted calls. It will not stop every scam call, because scammers use many different numbers. But it can stop the same number calling again. Use these verified paths, and remember the wording may differ a little on your phone.

  1. To block a number that called you, open the Phone app. Find the number in your recent calls list. Tap the number or the details for that call. Look for a menu, often three dots, and look for the word Block, or look for an option that says Block number. Tap it. Confirm if your phone asks you to confirm. The number should now be blocked.
  2. To block unknown numbers, open the Phone app. Tap More options, the three dots. Tap Settings. Tap Block numbers. The full path is Phone app > More options (three dots) > Settings > Block numbers. Look for a switch for Block unknown/private numbers. Turn that switch on if you want to block calls from numbers that hide their identity. Think carefully before you turn this on, because some real callers, such as a doctor's office, may call from a hidden number. You can turn it off again later.
  3. To use Do Not Disturb at night, or when you need quiet, go to Settings > Notifications > Do not disturb. The wording may differ a little on your phone. You can also open the Quick settings panel by swiping down from the top of the screen with two fingers, and look for Do not disturb there. Do Not Disturb can silence calls, except for contacts you allow. Ask a family member to help you set it up once, so calls from family still come through, but unknown calls stay silent at night.

Blocking and Do Not Disturb help, but they do not guarantee safety. A new scam number can still get through. A blocked number can call from a different number. Keep using the pause, hang up, check plan for every strange call, even if you have blocked numbers before. No setting can replace pausing and checking separately.

Common mistakes

Frequently asked questions

Are all calls from unknown numbers scams?

No. Some unknown calls are real. A doctor's office, a delivery driver, or a new friend may call from a number you do not know. That is why the plan is to pause and check, not to assume every unknown call is a scam. If the caller asks for codes, passwords, or money, or rushes you, hang up and check separately. If the caller is polite, does not ask for private details, and is happy for you to call back on a number you find yourself, that is a better sign. But no sign alone guarantees safety.

What should I do if I tapped a link in a scam message?

Do not enter any details on the page that opens. Close the page at once. Do not type your password or card numbers. If you did type details, contact your bank directly at once on a number you find yourself. Tell a trusted family member. If the page asked you to download an app or a file, do not download it. Ask a family member to help you check your phone. Do not feel ashamed. Close the page, tell your bank, and tell someone you trust.

What should I do if I already shared a code or a password?

Act at once. Contact your bank directly on a number you find yourself, from your card or a paper statement. Tell them you shared a code or a password. Ask them to help you change passwords and protect your account. Change the password for that account, using the real app or website you open yourself, not a link from a message. Tell a trusted family member. Do not wait. Fast action gives the bank and you the best chance to limit harm.

Can my phone company or Samsung stop all scam calls?

No. Blocking and Do Not Disturb can reduce them. They cannot stop them all. Scammers use new numbers and new tricks. Your phone can help, but your own pause, hang up, and check plan is the most important protection. Keep that plan in mind for every strange call or message, even if you have blocked numbers before.

Should I answer calls from numbers I do not know?

That is your choice. Many people let unknown calls ring, then check if a message was left. If no message was left, and you were not expecting a call, it may not matter. If you do answer, listen for the warning signs. If you hear rush, fear, or a request for codes or money, hang up. You do not owe a stranger a long conversation. Hanging up is allowed. It is safe.

What if a message claims to be from a family member asking for money?

Do not send money at once. Call that family member on a number you already have in your contacts. Call another family member too. Ask a question only the real person would know. Wait for a real answer. Scammers can copy a name and a photo. A separate call, on a number you already have, is the check that matters. If you cannot reach the person, wait. Do not send money while you are unsure.

If the words on your screen look different

Menu words may look a little different on your phone. That is normal. Samsung makes many Galaxy models. Some are A-series phones. Some are S-series phones. They do not all show the exact same words. Your phone company, called a carrier, can also change some words. Your country or region can change words too. And your One UI version matters. In October 2026, some phones use One UI 8, some use One UI 8.5, and some use One UI 9, depending on the model and the region. No one version is "the" version for every phone.

If you do not see Block numbers, or Do not disturb, in the exact place this guide names, do not panic. Open the Phone app and look for three dots, then Settings. Open Settings and use the search box at the top. Type Block numbers, or type Do not disturb. Tap the result that matches. The search box will take you to the right place, even if the menu words on your phone are a little different. If a button in a message app says Report spam, or Block, or something similar, the exact word may differ. Look for the meaning: block the sender, or report the message as unwanted. Take your time. If you are unsure, show the screen to a trusted family member before you tap. Pausing is always safe.