Daily practice · Free, no account needed
Spot the tactic
One short message a day: a text, an email, an ad or a sales chat. Pick the pressure tactic in it, then see the exact words that give it away and what to say back. Every message is made up. Every tactic is real.
How it works
- Read the message.
A new one every day, set in the US, India or the UK. Some are scams, some are pushy sales, and some are perfectly calm.
- Pick the tactic.
Choose every pressure tactic you can see from four options, or say it's calm. Some messages use two.
- See what gives it away.
The words that show each tactic are highlighted, with a link to the full guide and a sentence you can say back.
Why practise?
Pressure works best when you don't notice it. A deadline, a stranger in uniform or a "was" price feels like information in the moment. Once you've named a tactic a few times, it starts to stand out, and a message that once felt urgent becomes one you can calmly check. A minute a day is enough.
An example, explained
From Delivery Notice
Your package is on hold at our depot due to an unpaid $1.99 redelivery fee. Pay within 12 hours or it will be returned to sender: link
The answer: Impersonation + False urgency
- Impersonation
Your package is on hold at our depot due to an unpaid $1.99 redelivery fee.
Pretending to be someone you trust: a bank, an agency, a company or a relative.
- False urgency
Pay within 12 hours or it will be returned to sender
A deadline invented to stop you comparing or thinking it over.
Couriers don't text payment links for tiny fees. The 12-hour limit is there so you pay before you check your real orders.
What to say back
“Don't click. Check your orders on the shop's own app or site.”
The 12 tactics you'll practise
Each one has a full guide with how it sounds, how to spot it and what to say back.
- False urgency
A deadline invented to stop you comparing or thinking it over.
- Manufactured scarcity
Claims that something is about to run out, used to make you grab it.
- Fear framing
Turning a decision into a threat, so that saying no feels dangerous.
- Social-proof pressure
Using what "everyone" supposedly does to replace your own judgment.
- Authority pressure
Borrowing the weight of an expert, official or brand so you won't question it.
- Price anchoring
An inflated first number that makes the real price look like a bargain.
- Hidden costs (drip pricing)
A low headline price that grows as fees appear step by step.
- Bait and switch
Advertising one thing, then steering you to something more expensive.
- Guilt and obligation
Making you feel you owe them a yes.
- Too good to be true
Promises of outsized returns, prizes or savings with little apparent risk.
- Impersonation
Pretending to be someone you trust: a bank, an agency, a company or a relative.
- Isolation and secrecy
Telling you not to check with anyone else.
No streaks, no reminders
There's a new message each day, and you can try as many as you like with Try another. There are no streaks to keep, nothing resets and we won't send reminder emails. If you sign in, we count the messages you've practised, and after 10 you earn the Sharp learner badge.
Got a real message you're unsure about?
Paste it into the free Pressure Check. It names the tactics and quotes the exact words, like this quiz does.
Run a free Pressure CheckQuestions
Are these real scam messages?
No. Every message is written for practice. Names are invented, and links and phone numbers are shown as [link] and [number]. The tactics in them are real, and common in the US, India and the UK.
How is today's message chosen?
Everyone sees the same message on the same date, in a fixed order through a bank of more than 70. Tap Try another for more practice.
Do I need an account?
No. It's free and works without signing in. If you sign in, we keep count of the messages you've practised so you can earn the Sharp learner badge after 10.
What happens to my answers?
We count how many people spotted each message, to show figures like "62% spotted this one". If you're signed in, we also store which messages you've practised, and nothing else. It's deleted with your account.
I got a real message like this. What should I do?
Paste it into the free Pressure Check. It names the tactics in your message, quotes the words that show them and suggests a calm next step.