"Is this a scam?" DFW edition: How to evaluate suspicious offers and messages

The DFW-specific scam evaluation checklist. Run any suspicious situation through this framework.

THE CHECKLIST:

1. Urgency. Are they pressuring you to act NOW? Legitimate businesses give you time to decide. Scammers create artificial deadlines.

2. Payment method. Are they asking for gift cards, wire transfer, Zelle, or crypto? These are non-reversible payment methods. That's the point.

3. Contact method. Did they contact you first? Unsolicited calls, texts, DMs, or door knocks are high-risk.

4. Too good to be true. Apartment $600/month below market? Job paying $80/hour for data entry? iPhone 15 for $200 on Marketplace? If the deal seems impossible, it is.

5. Verification. Can you independently verify who they are? Google the company. Call the company's official number (not the one they gave you). Check TDLR, SOS, BBB.

6. Information request. Are they asking for SSN, bank account, or credit card number? Legitimate businesses rarely ask for this over phone/text.

DFW-specific scams circulating right now (Q1 2026):

• Fake TxTag toll notices via text
• "Dallas Water Utilities" shutoff threats by phone
• Fake HOA fine letters with a QR code payment link
• Facebook Marketplace vehicle sales with "title in another state"
• Fake OfferUp buyers sending counterfeit cashier's checks

When in doubt:

• Google "[company name] + scam"
• Check FTC scam alerts: consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts
• Call Texas AG consumer protection: 800-621-0508

RECEIPTS REQUIRED: If reporting a scam, include screenshots, phone numbers, email addresses, website URLs. The more detail you provide, the more people you protect.

Sources:

• FTC — Scam Alert database (consumer.ftc.gov)
• Texas AG Consumer Protection Division
• BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker)

When in doubt, slow down. No legitimate opportunity evaporates if you take 24 hours to think about it.

Is it just me?