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It looked real and you caught it late.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to spot a scam before it gets you
Recognize a scam before you act.
Pause before acting on an unexpected request for money, credentials or account changes. Verify through a channel you already know is genuine. Urgency and branding are clues to examine, not a complete fraud test. The example below shows an independent check.
Want new features first?
A starting goal
I want to recognize scams and manipulation online and on the phone before I act. Teach me how these schemes work, the signs they share, and what to do when something feels off.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Three things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Identify the requested action
Original fictional message: "Your parcel is held. Pay a small redelivery fee through this link within 20 minutes." The request combines payment, an unfamiliar channel and time pressure. Do not open the link or provide details just to investigate it.
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Verify through an independent route
If you expect a parcel, open the delivery service's known app or use contact details from a trusted source, not the message. Check the order or shipment there. A real parcel does not authenticate the separate message, and a familiar logo or caller ID can be copied.
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Choose a next step from what you know
If you cannot verify the request, do not pay through it. If information or money has already been sent, promptly use the relevant provider's verified support and local reporting route. The check is whether your evidence came independently of the suspicious request, not whether the message felt convincing.
Sources: FTC: independent verification of suspected phishing; FTC: scam warning signs and spoofed caller ID. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- AI & technology
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons
- Pace
- Yours. One lesson at a time, as often as you like.
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Have you or someone close to you been targeted before?
- Which channels worry you: calls, texts, email, social media, or marketplaces?
- Do you want to protect yourself, or help someone else stay safe?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You worry about a relative
Someone you love is a target and will not listen.
The scams keep getting better
Old advice about spelling mistakes no longer helps.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06How scams work
How impersonation and pressure can influence a decision, without blaming the person targeted.
The common shapes
Impersonation, romance, investment, tech support and marketplace scams.
The tells
Examining requests, channels and evidence rather than relying on spelling or branding.
Verifying
Using a known genuine channel and allowing time to resolve uncertainty.
In the moment
What to do when you feel pressure to act now.
Protecting others
Offering practical, respectful support without promising how a person will respond.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
See the pattern
Recognize common warning signs without treating them as an exhaustive list.
Verify before acting
Use independent channels to check a request before acting.
Talk to someone at risk
Help a relative or friend without lecturing them.
Ideas this course corrects
Good spelling and a familiar name prove a message is genuine
Those details can be imitated. Verify the requested action independently.
Only a careless person can be targeted successfully
Avoid blame. Focus on the actual request, safe verification and appropriate help.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to spot a scam before it gets you: what can I do today?
Identify the requested action. Original fictional message: "Your parcel is held. Pay a small redelivery fee through this link within 20 minutes." The request combines payment, an unfamiliar channel and time pressure. Do not open the link or provide details just to investigate it. Verify through an independent route. If you expect a parcel, open the delivery service's known app or use contact details from a trusted source, not the message. Check the order or shipment there. A real parcel does not authenticate the separate message, and a familiar logo or caller ID can be copied. Choose a next step from what you know. If you cannot verify the request, do not pay through it. If information or money has already been sent, promptly use the relevant provider's verified support and local reporting route. The check is whether your evidence came independently of the suspicious request, not whether the message felt convincing.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Pause before acting on an unexpected request for money, credentials or account changes. Verify through a channel you already know is genuine. Urgency and branding are clues to examine, not a complete fraud test. The example below shows an independent check. It sits under AI & technology in the Work & ambitions part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Most courses run 7 to 30 lessons. The course length is sized to what you asked for. You set the pace: one lesson at a time, as often as you like. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
A starting goal
I want to recognize scams and manipulation online and on the phone before I act. Teach me how these schemes work, the signs they share, and what to do when something feels off.
Want new features first?