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The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why the real programme name is the disguise
Scammers borrow the credibility of an actual assistance programme. The reader's own memory of a real rebate or credit makes the message feel like a follow-up rather than a fraud.
A real agency does not send payment links by text, and every programme has an official portal you can reach without touching the message.
The protocol
- Do not tap the link, and do not reply — including to say 'stop'.
- Note the programme name, claimed amount, sender number, and the domain in the link (without visiting it).
- Search the programme on an official site you type yourself, or call the number on a prior official letter.
- Check whether the programme is active, closed, or was never real, and record what the official source said.
- Report the text to the FCC (7726 from your phone) and to the programme's own fraud contact.
What the tool does
Build a rebate-text verification record It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a preparation and verification aid, not fraud investigation, financial or legal advice. It cannot recover money, confirm an identity, or prove that a message, call, or payment request is fraudulent.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Automated decision this documents: AI-personalised message using a real programme's name
Free path, in order (no cost):
- FCC consumer complaint centre for the text itself
- FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov for the scheme
- The real programme's official portal, reached by typing the agency address yourself
What this cannot do: It cannot recover money, confirm an identity, or prove that a message, call, or payment request is fraudulent.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Forward the message to 7726 to report it to your carrier, then file the pattern with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov so the programme's name is on record.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is scam-fraud-defense; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.