OUR APPROACH

Useful information.
A calmer response.

Think Smarter About Scams is an independent resource by Kit Harlow for North American families.

What we cover

Practical scam recognition and recovery, with a focus on phone calls, texts and online impersonation. The English-language first edition draws primarily on Canadian and U.S. sources and includes Mexican reporting resources. Source-country labels make those limits visible.

How we check information

We prioritize official consumer-protection agencies, law enforcement and first-party account-security guidance. Every scam explainer links to its source. Warning dates and our check dates are separate: an old scam can receive a new warning.

Daily reviews look for material changes and verified additions. A quiet news day does not require a new article. Update notes record actual changes; publication is not a claim that every example has recently emerged.

Examples and illustrations

Stories are fictional teaching examples. Illustrations are AI-generated and are not evidence of an actual incident. Brand names identify organizations being impersonated; this resource is not affiliated with them.

Privacy

This first edition has no sign-up form, comments, advertising scripts or analytics installed by us. Search runs in your browser. The hosting provider may process routine operational logs, and external source links follow their own privacy policies.

Corrections and commercial independence

Corrections are recorded in the update log. No sponsors, paid placements or affiliate recommendations are included in this edition. Any future commercial relationships should be clearly disclosed and should not determine safety guidance.