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72 specific situations12 everyday contextsCompiled October 2026

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.scam-pages-module__jGfRLG__loadingFeedback{display:none}Browse the situations below. Search and interactive filters require JavaScript.Investment & crypto Jobs & side income Shopping & payments Impersonation Romance & relationships Digital security & AI Loans & credit Property & large purchases Business & invoices Health & retirement Everyday life & services Recovery scams & threats

Fake investment offers

An attractive investment pitch disguises a nonexistent product and diverts deposits to personal accounts.

Confidence-based crypto fraud

A trusted online contact directs you to buy crypto and send it to a fraudulent platform.

Stock-tip and trading-group scams

A group adviser and apparently successful members may coordinate a pitch to secure your deposits.

Ponzi and recruitment-driven schemes

New deposits fund earlier payouts, or earnings mainly depend on recruiting more participants.

Fake finance apps and platforms

Polished screens and familiar logos do not prove legitimacy; a displayed balance may be fabricated.

Inheritance and advance-fee offers

An unexpected inheritance or large funding offer requires fees or sensitive personal details first.

Order-boosting commission scams

A supposed side job rewards small purchases, then locks your money into larger prepaid orders.

Fake recruitment and hiring fees

An impersonated employer requests deposits, training charges, or equipment payments during hiring.

Remote task and top-up scams

A fake work dashboard shows commissions but demands deposits to complete special tasks.

Paid-like and follow scams

Small payments for likes lead to prepaid tasks or paid membership demands.

Parcel-reshipping job scams

A supposed logistics job asks you to receive and forward goods potentially bought with stolen payment details.

Money-mule and account-lending jobs

High-paid payment processing may move criminal proceeds through your personal account.

Fake shops and discount ads

Stolen product photos and steep discounts lure payments for missing or misrepresented goods.

Second-hand and fake-payment scams

Buyers may receive fake goods; sellers may ship after seeing fabricated payment screenshots.

Fake refund-service calls

A fake merchant representative uses order details to request transfers or account access for a refund.

Parcel-loss and compensation scams

A fake courier claims a lost parcel and sends a phishing link for compensation or address correction.

Ticket and travel-booking scams

Concert tickets, flights, and cheap stays lure buyers; confirmation images may not represent valid bookings.

Pet-sale and adoption scams

Stolen pet photos attract deposits, followed by demands for transport or insurance payments.

Police and court impersonation

Threats of criminal involvement or arrest create panic before fake officials demand secrecy and transfers.

Bank safe-account scams

A fake bank employee claims fraud and asks you to move savings to a supposed safe account.

Family emergency impersonation

A fake relative, hospital worker, or companion requests secret urgent payments for an accident.

Boss and familiar-contact impersonation

Copied profiles or a claimed new number exploit familiar relationships to request payments.

Tax, benefits, and welfare impersonation

Threats of tax debt or suspended benefits, or promised subsidies, solicit identity details and payments.

Membership-charge and platform impersonation

A fake support agent claims an automatic membership or insurance charge and demands payment to cancel.

Long-term romance confidence scams

A fabricated romantic identity offers sustained attention before asking for loans, housing money, or joint investments.

Overseas romance emergency scams

An overseas partner invents emergencies and asks for medical, visa, or travel payments.

Dating-led investment scams

Romantic trust becomes financial access through privately recommended trading or betting platforms.

Fake matchmaking and staged dates

Invented matches or staged dates generate repeated fees; ordinary service disputes require separate evidence-based assessment.

Sextortion and intimate-image threats

Real or fabricated intimate images are used for threats; payment does not guarantee deletion.

Wrong-number friendship scams

An apparently mistaken message may deliberately start a relationship leading to an investment pitch.

Smishing and fake logins

Billing, rewards, or login alerts lead to fake pages that capture passwords and payment details.

QR phishing and swapped payment codes

A QR code is only a link or instruction; a replaced code can send you to a fake site or wrong payee.

Fake tech support and virus pop-ups

Scare pop-ups claim an infection to sell fake repairs or obtain device access.

Remote-access and screen-sharing theft

Fake support requests remote software or screen sharing, exposing your banking activity.

Verification-code account takeover

Requests to verify identity or recover an account obtain codes for unauthorised logins or registrations.

AI voice and video impersonation

Synthetic voices, faces, and meetings make impersonation convincing; familiar media still needs payment verification.

Advance-fee loan scams

A loan offer promises easy approval, then demands deposits, insurance or repair fees before releasing funds.

Credit repair scams

A service claims insider access to erase genuine late payments, collects fees and may encourage false disputes.

Credit limit increase scams

An impersonated bank sends a credit limit link to steal card details, passwords or one-time codes.

Debt relief scams

A broker promises major debt reductions and collects fees without delivering creditor negotiations.

Fake checks and overpayment refunds

A buyer or employer claims to overpay and asks for a refund. An available balance does not prove the funds are genuine.

Prize and lottery advance-fee scams

An unexpected prize requires taxes, delivery or registration fees first, while the promised prize does not exist.

Fake rental listings

Copied property photos and low prices attract deposits from renters, although the recipient cannot rent out the home.

Fake owners and property deposits

A fake owner offers discounted property for a quick sale, misleading buyers and agents into paying a deposit.

Home improvement and repair scams

An unfamiliar contractor offers a discount or urgent repair, then disappears with an advance payment or keeps adding charges.

Timeshare resale and exit scams

A broker claims to have a buyer or an exit solution, collecting fees while the promised resale or release never happens.

Fake vehicle sales

A cheap vehicle listing uses fake platform escrow paperwork, blocks inspections and demands payment plus shipping fees.

Franchise and business opportunity scams

A franchise or business opportunity promises easy profits and quick returns, then keeps charging for training, equipment or agency rights.

Business email compromise

A fake executive, colleague or partner uses a spoofed or compromised mailbox to request urgent payments or confidential data.

Payment redirection scams

A fake supplier changes bank details near a real payment deadline. The project and invoice are real; the recipient is not.

Fake purchase orders

An impersonated company or school sends a large order with forged paperwork, requesting credit terms and fast delivery.

Fake invoices and unordered services

An unfamiliar supplier sends an official-looking bill for advertising, listings, supplies or a subscription you did not order.

Fake domain renewal notices

A fake registrar or authority sends an expiry notice that directs administrators to payment or credential theft pages.

Trademark and patent service scams

Application records fuel fake authority or agent messages about invented deadlines, renewal fees or low-cost filing services.

Miracle health product scams

A product promises to cure many conditions quickly, supported by fake medical endorsements and pressure to buy.

Health insurance impersonation

A text claims health coverage is suspended and sends the insured person to a fake verification page for identity and bank details.

Retirement and elder care investment scams

An elder care apartment, wellness project or bed investment promises repayments and dividends without verifiable operations or fund use.

Fake checkups and medical services

A free checkup attracts visitors, while fake medical expertise exaggerates illness to sell expensive products or packages.

Gift seminars and purchase rebates

Free gifts, trips or talks attract attendees, while personal attention and rebate promises sell overpriced products.

Elder care prepayment traps

Lifetime discounts or priority beds attract years of advance fees without clear service capacity, fund safeguards or refund arrangements.

Charity and disaster donation scams

Disaster, illness or community appeals misuse charity names and emotional images to redirect donations to private accounts.

Education and training refund scams

A fake training provider or authority offers tuition refunds, then requests investment, tasks or fees before processing.

Study, visa and immigration scams

A supposed insider guarantees admission or visas, using fake official sites, agents or documents to collect fees and identity papers.

Game account and item trading scams

An attractive account or item offer moves players to a fake platform that repeatedly demands unlock, verification or protection fees.

School fee impersonation scams

A school lookalike email or stolen student account demands urgent tuition payment outside the official student system.

Free trial and hidden subscription traps

A free or low-cost trial collects card details while obscuring renewal and cancellation terms, leading to unexpected recurring charges.

Refund and recovery agency scams

An unsolicited agency targets previous scam victims, claiming it can recover losses after file, tax or processing payments.

Fake lawyers and enforcement recovery

A fake law firm or enforcement partner presents forged credentials and reports to request fees and identity data for fund recovery.

Fake hackers and crypto recovery

A supposed specialist claims to break into wallets or reverse transfers, charging tracing fees and seeking more money or wallet access.

Frozen funds and withdrawal fees

An account displays funds but blocks withdrawals until additional tax, deposits or top-ups are paid.

Victim list and reimbursement phishing

A message knows previous loss amounts and dates, claims access to an official victim list and requests reimbursement registration.

Threatened debt and virtual kidnapping

A caller claims a loved one is kidnapped or owes a debt, using threats and continuous contact to prevent checks and force payment.

Browse all situation guides

These types are organised from public prevention guidance. A name alone cannot establish what happened. Each guide links to original sources; procedures differ by location.

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