Editorial policy

Our guides exist to help people recognize phone and text scams and protect themselves. This page explains how we research, write, review and update them, and how to tell us if we got something wrong.

What we write about

We cover topics that help people make decisions about unknown calls and messages: how common scams work, what to do if you’ve been targeted, how to use your phone’s built-in protections, and how phone numbers, line types and caller ID work. We choose topics based on the questions people ask, the patterns we see in community reports, and warnings issued by official consumer protection and fraud agencies.

How guides are researched

• Primary sources first. We rely on official sources where possible: government consumer protection and fraud reporting agencies, telecom regulators, and the official help documentation of phone makers and carriers.
• No invented figures. We don’t publish statistics, quotes or case studies we can’t attribute to a reliable source. Where we’re not certain of a detail, such as an exact settings menu that varies by device or version, we describe it in general terms rather than guess.
• Practical focus. Each guide should leave the reader knowing what to do, with clear steps.
• Community patterns, not personal data. When we describe how a scam works, we may draw on common themes in moderated reports. We never publish personal information from reports.

How guides are reviewed

Before publication, each guide is checked by [reviewer role or name] for accuracy, clarity and completeness. Reviewers confirm that safety advice is consistent with guidance from official sources and that steps are accurate for the platforms described. Guides are written in plain English for a general audience.

AI tools may be used to assist with drafting or editing. Any such content is reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a person before it is published, and the same standards apply to it as to everything else we publish.

Keeping guides up to date

Scams change, and so do phone settings and official resources. We review each guide at least every [review interval, e.g. 12 months], and sooner when an operating system update, regulatory change or new scam pattern makes it necessary. Each guide shows the date it was last updated.

Corrections

If you spot an error, please tell us through our contact page, including the page address and what you believe is wrong. We review every correction request. When we correct a factual error that could affect a reader’s decisions, we update the guide and note the change on the page. Minor fixes, such as typos or formatting, are made without a note.

Independence and advertising

MobileTracking is supported by advertising. Advertisers do not review, approve or influence our guides, and we don’t accept payment to cover or recommend products. We are not affiliated with the companies, carriers or agencies we mention. References to official resources are included because they are useful to readers, not because of any commercial relationship.

Our limits

Our guides provide general information and are not legal, financial or professional security advice. If you’ve lost money or your accounts are at risk, contact your bank and the relevant authorities in your country. See all our guides, or read more about MobileTracking.