Swipe to survive
Your inbox is filling up. What gets through?
Block the scams, allow the real ones. Then see which ones caught you out.
Scams need you to do something
Most real messages just tell you things. Your parcel’s on its way, your code is 712 994, dinner’s ready. A scam needs you to do something, and it usually wants it done now. Two warning signs tell you when to stop and check.
Pressure is a reason to check, not to skip checking
Pay within 24 hours. Your account will be locked. Appeal in the next 12 hours. The deadline is there to stop you thinking. The moment a message rushes you, slow down.
Scams often rush you, but some sound calm and friendly, and some chat for a while before they ask. Look at what you’re being asked to do, not just the tone.
What do they want from you?
An unexpected request for money or information is a reason to pause:
- A fee to release a parcel, a prize or a payment
- Your card or bank details, to "release" money or "cancel" a charge
- Your password, or a login typed into a page they sent you to
- A code that just arrived on your phone
- Money, fast, from a name you know on a number you don’t
Some genuine messages need action too. The rule is never to do it through the message. Nobody who’s actually paying you needs your card details. No real app asks for your password by DM. A code you asked for is fine to use; anyone asking you to pass it on is after your account. Check the request by opening the official app or website yourself, or contacting the organisation using details you already trust.
What real messages look like
Most messages from people and apps you already use are boring. A delivery slot, a receipt, a login code you just requested, a mate asking about homework. Nothing to pay, nothing to confirm, nothing to type in.
A link on its own isn’t a red flag, and a real-looking one isn’t proof either. If a message says something’s wrong with your account, a parcel or a payment, don’t tap. Open the official app or website yourself, or contact them using details you already trust. In the game, blocking a real message because of its link never costs you a life.
The habit Unexpected request for money, details or a code? Pause. Check through the official app or contact them using details you already trust.
Three lives and a clock that gets faster. The clock is a game challenge. In real life, take your time.
No timer, no lives, every card explained.
got past you
false alarms
ran out of time
blocked a real link