← All Safety Checkers
Is This Payment Request Safe?
Last reviewed: April 2026 • Updated for current scam tactics
Paste the message, link, or description into our free tool below for an instant AI-powered verdict.
Check It Now →
Quick answer
Unexpected payment requests — especially those asking for wire transfer, gift cards, or crypto — are nearly always scams. Legitimate bills and invoices come with verifiable contact information and match something you ordered or agreed to.
What Our Tool Checks
- Payment method requested (gift cards and crypto are high-risk)
- Urgency and threat framing ('pay now or face consequences')
- Sender identity and verifiability
- Whether the request matches any service you actually ordered
- Authority impersonation (IRS, police, tech support)
Common Warning Signs
- Payment demanded in gift cards, wire transfer, or crypto
- Claim you owe money to avoid arrest, account suspension, or utility cutoff
- Invoice from a company you do not recognise
- Pressure to pay immediately before verifying
- 'Confidential' — told not to discuss with anyone
What Not to Submit
To protect your privacy, never paste these into any tool — and never submit passwords, OTPs, card numbers, bank logins, or private IDs.
- Credit or debit card numbers
- Bank account or routing numbers
- Crypto wallet seed phrases
- Your account password or login credentials
What to Do If Something Looks Suspicious
- Verify payment requests through the official app or website before sending money.
- Call the sender using a number from their official website — not the one in the message
- Verify the invoice against your own purchasing records
- Never pay a 'fine' or 'debt' in gift cards — no legitimate entity asks for this
- Report payment scams at reportfraud.ftc.gov