# Staying Safe: Spotting Fraud and Scams (https://terac.com/docs/experts/support/staying-safe)

How to recognize scams, protect your account, and report anything suspicious on Terac.

Terac is a safe place to do research work, and keeping it that way is a shared effort. This page helps you recognize scams, protect your account, and report anything that looks wrong.

## Terac Will Never Ask You For [#terac-will-never-ask-you-for]

* **A password.** You sign in through LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or GitHub, so there is no Terac password for anyone to ask for.
* **A code, by email, chat, or phone.** You only ever enter a code on terac.com, or send the pre-filled text that terac.com opens for you when you verify your phone. Nobody from Terac will ask you to read out or forward a code.
* **A payment to participate.** Taking studies is always free. You never pay to apply, to unlock studies, or to receive your earnings.
* **Your bank details anywhere outside the payout flow.** Terac itself never collects them. Our payout partner Whop does ask for a government ID and a payout method, but only inside flows you start yourself on Terac: identity verification from your [Earnings page](https://terac.com/me/earnings) or **Profile → Identity & Security**, and adding a payout method in the **Payout balance** panel when you withdraw. Anyone asking for that by email, chat, text, or phone is not us.
* **Identity documents in a message.** Identity verification happens only inside a flow you opened yourself on Terac, from **Profile → Identity & Security** or your Earnings page, never by email request.

## Red Flags in a Study or Message [#red-flags-in-a-study-or-message]

Be cautious if you are ever asked to:

* **Pay money, send a deposit, or buy gift cards** as part of a study
* **Share sensitive details that were not disclosed upfront**, such as your full bank details, government document numbers, passwords, or login codes
* **Download an unexpected file** or visit an unfamiliar website that feels off
* **Move to a channel or payment method that Terac didn't give you**, such as a personal email address, a messaging app, or an outside payment service
* Accept an offer that **seems too good to be true**

Legitimate studies only use the channels Terac sets up for them: the opportunity's own page, texts or chats from Sophia, a project Slack or other link shown on your opportunity's page, Insightful for time tracking, and our payout partner. Legitimate payouts never require a fee.

## Protecting Your Account [#protecting-your-account]

* **Secure your sign-in provider.** Because you sign in through LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or GitHub, turning on two-factor authentication with that provider also protects your Terac account.
* **Turn on Terac two-factor authentication** under **Profile → Identity & Security**.
* **Never share access** to your account. Account sharing violates our [Terms of Service](https://terac.com/docs/experts/policies/terms).
* **Watch for phishing.** Scammers may send emails that imitate Terac. Genuine Terac email comes from terac.com or one of its subdomains, such as notifications.terac.com, and our support address is `support@terac.com`. Partners such as Whop and Insightful email from their own domains. We will never ask for your credentials by email.

> Unsure whether a message is really from us? Ask Sophia at
> [terac.com/help](https://terac.com/help). She can see the texts she has sent
> you.

## How to Report Something Suspicious [#how-to-report-something-suspicious]

* If a **study or message** looks like a scam, [tell Sophia](https://terac.com/docs/experts/support/contact) with details and screenshots.
* If you think your **account has been compromised**, [tell Sophia](https://terac.com/docs/experts/support/contact) straight away, or email [support@terac.com](mailto:support@terac.com) if you can't sign in, so we can help secure it.

## What's Next? [#whats-next]

* Review [Account Standing, Holds, and Appeals](https://terac.com/docs/experts/policies/account-standing)
* See how we protect your information in [How Terac Uses Your Data](https://terac.com/docs/experts/policies/data-usage)
* Browse the full [FAQ](https://terac.com/docs/experts/support/faq)