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Quick answer
Paste the inquiry and have the AI list red flags, such as a check for more than the price with a request to send money back, a fee to get started, or a rush to move off-platform. The FTC says paying to get a job and depositing a check to send money back are signs of scams.
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At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Read-only
Only reads, researches, or summarizes. It never drafts outbound content or changes anything.
- Time saved (estimate)
- About 10 minutes per suspicious inquiry.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Tools needed
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Typical cost
- Free tiers work. Prices: Not stated in sources.
Reviewed Nov 2, 2026
Basis (estimate): Estimate only: based on the steps above, not timed.
What does this setup do?
Paste a new client inquiry that feels off and get a red-flag check, such as overpayment, pay-to-start or odd payment requests, plus safe questions to ask before you do any work.
Who is it for?
Freelancers, designers and small service businesses getting new-client emails that seem too easy, too vague or too rushed.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- ChatGPT or Claude
- The inquiry email, with your own details removed
Steps
- Copy the inquiry. Remove your own phone number and address before pasting.
- Run the prompt below. It checks the message against common scam patterns and lists what is normal.
- Read the red flags. The FTC says if someone asks you to pay to get a job, that is a scam, and if they want you to deposit a check and send money back, that is a sign of a fake check scam.
- Ask the safe questions it suggests before you start work or accept any payment.
- Never send money back from a payment that has not fully cleared, and never pay to start a job.
- If it is a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the platform it came through.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- Red flag: 'I will send a check for $2,400 and you refund the extra $1,800' (overpayment)
- Red flag: 'please reply only on WhatsApp' (moves off your normal channel)
- Normal: project scope is described
- Ask: Who is your company and what is the website we are designing for?
Where to paste this prompt
ChatGPT → Project instructions, or ChatGPT Tasks for scheduled reminders (once a day on Free)
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
A new client sent me this inquiry. Check it for scam warning signs. Use only the message text.
Inquiry: [PASTE, WITH MY DETAILS REMOVED]
My service and usual price: [E.G. LOGO DESIGN, $600]
List:
1. Red flags, each with the exact words that triggered it (overpayment or refund requests, pay-to-start fees, gift cards or crypto, rush to move off-platform, vague or copied brief, mismatched names or email domains).
2. Things that look normal.
3. Three polite questions I can ask that a real client would answer easily.
Do not tell me it is definitely a scam or definitely safe. Say what the message shows.Newsletter
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What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- Trusting a check because the bank made funds available; that is not the same as cleared.
- Letting urgency rush you past normal steps.
- Pasting your own personal details into the chat.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).
- ChatGPT
- Claude
Common questions
- How do I know if a client inquiry is a scam?
- Watch for overpayment with a request to send money back, fees to start, and pressure to move off-platform. The FTC flags pay-to-start and fake check patterns.
- Can AI tell me for sure?
- No. It lists warning signs from the message. You decide, and you can ask questions a real client would answer.
- Where do I report a scam?
- In the U.S., at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to the platform where you met the sender.
What tips make it smoother?
- A real client answers simple questions about the project; scammers push for payment steps.
- Keep payment on the platform or your own invoicing tool.
- Search the sender's company name and email domain yourself.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read FTC’s write-up (consumer.ftc.gov)
FTC: Job scams: if someone asks you to pay to get a job, it is a scam; depositing a check and sending money back is a sign of a fake check scam (read 2026-11-02 from a search result excerpt of the page)
- Read FTC’s write-up (reportfraud.ftc.gov)
FTC: Where to report fraud and scams in the U.S.
Related setups
- Qualify leads with five questions
Score incoming leads against five qualifying questions so you quote the real buyers and politely pass on the rest.
- Scam text checklist before you click
Run a suspicious text through a short checklist before you tap the link: match it to known scam patterns, verify it safely, and report it.
- Review a Freelance Contract with ChatGPT or Claude
You upload a client contract or NDA, ChatGPT or Claude explains each clause in plain English, flags terms worth questioning, and drafts polite questions or suggested edits.