Tick the warning signs you see, describe the offer, and get a risk reading and next steps.
Reviewed by Associate Professor Charles Lo, CPA, PhD · Updated October 13, 2026Free
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No. It reviews the information you supply; it does not verify the public record.
This tool reviews only the description and warning signs you enter. It does not look up companies, websites or regulator registers, and it cannot determine whether a business is legitimate.
A result here is not an accusation and not a finding of wrongdoing. Some legitimate firms show warning signs. Some scams show none.
The checks that actually matter, before you send anyone money: SEC Action Lookup, FINRA BrokerCheck, Investor.gov. Use those, not this.
If your business appears here and the information is wrong, email support@stockeducation.com. We review within 5 business days and publish corrections.
Use it to organise your thinking, not to make the decision.
StockEducation uses OpenAI and Perplexity across different AI tools. The provider and method depend on the tool; check its page for details. AI is good at structuring information and explaining what a figure means. It can be wrong about facts, out of date, or confidently invent things that are not true.
It knows nothing about your finances, goals or tax position. Everyone who enters the same information gets the same output.
Before you act on anything here, check it against the company's own filings on SEC EDGAR. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell.
Educational scam-awareness tool only. This does not provide legal, financial, fraud recovery or investment advice. If you have already sent money, contact your bank and local authorities immediately.
An investment scam checker helps you compare an offer you have received with the warning signs that most investment frauds share.
Most scams follow a script. Someone contacts you first, promises returns that are high or guaranteed, rushes you, and asks for payment that is hard to reverse, such as crypto, gift cards or a wire. Later, the profits on screen cannot be withdrawn unless you pay a fee.
This tool has two parts. A checklist counts the warning signs you select; it does not calculate a fraud probability. An AI check reads your description and ticked signs, then writes a verdict, a list of red flags and next steps.
Darius gets a LinkedIn message from a “portfolio manager” offering a guaranteed 15% a month. She wants $1,000 in Bitcoin by Friday. He ticks four boxes: contacted first, big promised returns, crypto payment and urgency. The checklist shows four selected warning signs, each a reason to pause and verify independently. He searches her name on FINRA BrokerCheck, finds nothing, and blocks her.
For anyone who has been offered an investment by a stranger, a new online friend or a social media ad, and for family members helping someone check an offer. New to a term on this page? The investment glossary defines it in a sentence.
Watch for four signs: they contacted you first, they promise returns that are high or guaranteed, they push you to act today, and they want crypto, gift cards or a wire. Then search the firm and the person on FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC’s Investor.gov. If profits show on screen but you must pay a fee to withdraw, stop sending money and call your bank.
The bar shows how many of the twelve warning signs you selected. Each selected sign is a reason to pause and verify. The count is not a risk score or fraud probability.
A qualitative review, a short summary and a longer analysis. It comes from an AI model, can be wrong or out of date, and only knows what you typed.
Red dots mark warning signs, green dots mark anything that looks normal or unclear. The numbered steps are what to do now, such as stop paying, verify the firm and keep evidence.
Some scams show only one or two of the twelve signs at first, and the AI only knows what you typed. Few selected signs do not establish that an offer is safe. Before paying, search the firm and the person on FINRA BrokerCheck before you pay.
The checklist counts the warning signs you select and displays the count. It does not weight them, calculate a fraud probability or establish whether an offer is legitimate.
When you press Run Full Scam Analysis, your name or website, your description and your ticked signs go to an AI model through StockEducation’s server. The tool’s disclosure says the AI comes from OpenAI. It does not search regulator databases or the web for the firm. If the AI does not answer, the tool shows an unavailable notice and a checklist summary using only your selected signs.
| Contacted me first | 1 selected sign |
| Promised big returns | 2 selected signs |
| Crypto, gift cards or wire | 3 selected signs |
| Fee to access my money | 4 selected signs |
Each selected sign is a reason to pause and verify independently. The count is not a fraud probability.
A high reading is not a legal finding, and some scams show few signs at first. Verify through official sources every time.
It does not look up the firm, read its website or check regulator lists, and it can be wrong or overconfident. Treat it as a second opinion.
If you have lost money, contact your bank and report the fraud quickly. Our investor anti scam guide walks through the steps and the warning signs in more depth.
Crypto trading platforms introduced by a new online contact, fake celebrity videos selling AI trading bots, impersonation of real brokers and advisers, and recovery scams aimed at people who already lost money. In recent FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center reports, investment fraud has been the category with the largest reported losses, and most of it involved crypto.
It is a relationship scam, often starting with a wrong number text, a dating app or social media. The scammer builds trust over weeks, then introduces a crypto or trading platform. Early small withdrawals may work, so you deposit more. When you try to take out a large amount, the fees start and the money is gone.
Search the firm and the individual on FINRA BrokerCheck, which shows registration and any disciplinary history. The SEC’s Investor.gov also has a search for investment advisers and firms. If a firm is not listed, or its website differs from the registered one, treat it as a warning.
Contact your bank, card issuer or crypto exchange immediately. Fast action gives the best chance of stopping a payment. Keep all records, then report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the SEC. Ignore anyone who offers to recover the money for an upfront fee.
No. The checklist records your selections and the AI only reads what you type. Neither checks regulator records or the company itself. Use the result as a prompt to verify, not a final answer, and rely on FINRA BrokerCheck and the SEC for official records.
Describe the situation, but leave out passwords, account numbers, Social Security or ID numbers and wallet recovery phrases. Your text is sent to an AI model through StockEducation’s server to produce the analysis, so share only what the check needs.
Lesson 1 explains how stocks make money, so fake promises stand out. Free, about six minutes.
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