Focused Scam Guides
Page 36 of 42.
Real Estate Wire Fraud via Phone Calls
How fraudsters telephone real estate transaction parties to provide false wire instructions verbally, exploiting the trust placed in a familiar-sounding professional.
PlatformEquity Stripping Foreclosure Scams via Email
How fraudulent emails targeting homeowners with equity and financial distress propose deceptive sale-leaseback or refinance arrangements that strip home equity without delivering promised benefits.
PlatformRogue Mover Quote Inflation Scams via Email
How fraudulent moving company emails provide attractively low quotes, then dramatically inflate the final bill on moving day by manufacturing additional charges.
PlatformFake Estate Agent Holding Deposit Scams via Phone Calls
How fraudulent callers posing as estate agents or their representatives pressure buyers and renters into transferring holding deposits by phone under the threat of losing a desired property.
PlatformSynthetic Identity Fraud: How Phone Calls Harvest the Data
How fraudulent phone callers pose as government agencies, banks, and healthcare providers to collect Social Security numbers and personal details used to construct synthetic identities.
PlatformElder Identity Theft via Email
How phishing emails targeting older adults exploit Medicare, Social Security, and banking credentials to commit identity theft and benefits fraud.
PlatformChange of Address Redirect Fraud via Email
How fraudsters use email-based account takeover and online address change forms to redirect digital financial correspondence and enable account fraud.
PlatformEmployment Identity Theft via Phone Calls
How fraudulent callers posing as employers and HR representatives harvest Social Security numbers and banking details for employment tax fraud and unemployment benefit theft.
PlatformWork-From-Home Scams on WhatsApp
How fraudulent work-from-home job offers spread through WhatsApp groups and direct messages, using personal messaging context to lower victim scepticism before extracting fees.
PlatformPay-to-Get-Paid Scams via Phone Calls
How fraudulent callers pose as recruiters to pressure job seekers into paying registration or training fees over the phone with the false promise of immediate employment.
PlatformReshipping Mule Scams on Facebook
How Facebook job postings and Marketplace listings recruit victims as package reshippers, turning them into unknowing participants in stolen-goods trafficking operations.
PlatformFake Interview Scams via WhatsApp
How fraudulent job interviews conducted entirely over WhatsApp use the personal messaging format to build trust before extracting fees, harvesting data, or delivering malicious links.
PlatformFake Employment Contract Scams via WhatsApp
How fake job contracts shared over WhatsApp create a false sense of official commitment used to justify requests for personal data, upfront fees, or banking details.
PlatformData Entry Job Scams on Facebook
How fake data entry job advertisements on Facebook and in community groups target job seekers with portal access fees and personal data collection under the guise of genuine remote work.
PlatformApp Review Job Scams via SMS
How SMS-delivered fake app and product review job offers use short urgent text messages to recruit victims into cryptocurrency deposit schemes.
PlatformMLM Recruitment Scams on Instagram
How multi-level marketing schemes use Instagram lifestyle content and direct message outreach to recruit followers into buying starter kits and building recruitment downlines.
PlatformFake Government Job Scams via SMS
How fraudulent government job notifications delivered by text message impersonate official recruitment agencies to extract fees and identity documents from applicants.
PlatformModeling and Acting Scams on Facebook
How fake talent scouts post casting calls and agency notices in Facebook community groups to recruit victims into paying for portfolio shoots and registration fees.
PlatformFake Caregiver and Nanny Job Scams via Email
How fraudulent nanny and caregiver job offers delivered by email use formal employment correspondence and cheque overpayment fraud to steal from caregiving job seekers.
PlatformFake Internship Fee Scams on LinkedIn
How fraudulent internship listings on LinkedIn target students and graduates with placement fees and professional development charges for non-existent positions at credible companies.
PlatformFake Data Annotation Jobs via WhatsApp
How WhatsApp-based fake AI data labelling job offers use group chats and personal messaging to draw victims into cryptocurrency deposit schemes with fake earnings dashboards.
PlatformFake Package Reshipping Jobs on Facebook
How fraudulent logistics coordinator job postings on Facebook Marketplace and in community groups recruit victims to handle stolen goods at their home address.
PlatformCommission-Only Bait Jobs on Facebook
How misleading commission-only job advertisements on Facebook attract applicants with implied salaries before revealing no base pay while extracting starter kit costs.
PlatformNotario Immigration Consultant Fraud on WhatsApp
How unlicensed notarios and fake immigration consultants use WhatsApp to reach Spanish-speaking immigrants with unofficial immigration help, collecting fees for services they cannot legally provide.
CountryFake Immigration Lawyer Scams in the US
How fraudulent immigration attorneys operating in the United States exploit the complexity of US immigration law to collect large retainers for applications they never file or file incorrectly.
PlatformFake Citizenship Test Services via SMS
How fraudulent citizenship test preparation services reach immigrants through text messages impersonating official government notifications about naturalisation requirements.
PlatformFake Work Permit Scams via Email
How fraudulent emails impersonating immigration authorities demand fees for fake work permit approvals, renewals, or expedited processing that do not exist.
PlatformFake Legal Settlement Payout Scams via SMS
How fraudulent text messages claim recipients are owed a settlement payment, directing them to links that harvest personal data or charge processing fees.
PlatformFake Class Action Claim Scams via Phone Calls
How fraudulent callers impersonate settlement administrators to walk consumers through fake class action claim processes, extracting personal data and processing fees over the phone.
PlatformFake Debt Lawsuit Threat Scams via Email
How fraudulent emails impersonating law firms or debt collectors threaten recipients with imminent legal action to coerce payment for fabricated debts.
CountryFake Notarization and Apostille Scams in the UK
How fraudulent UK notarisation and apostille services target individuals and businesses needing documents authenticated for international legal, immigration, and commercial purposes.
PlatformFake Asylum Application Fee Scams on WhatsApp
How WhatsApp-based fraudsters target asylum seekers through community networks, demanding fees for case processing, legal representation, or application acceleration.
PlatformFake Competition Scams on Instagram
How fraudulent brand giveaway posts and fake competition accounts on Instagram collect follows, data, and fees from users who believe they have won prizes from impersonated brands.
PlatformFake Mystery Shopper Prize Scams via SMS
How text messages offer recipients a mystery shopper assignment delivered as a prize notification, leading to cheque fraud and gift card extraction.
PlatformRaffle Scams on WhatsApp
How fraudulent raffle and charity draw tickets are sold through WhatsApp community groups and personal messages, collecting payments for prizes that are never drawn.
PlatformPublishers Sweepstakes-Style Scams via Email
How email versions of deceptive sweepstakes notifications use prominent prize announcements and urgency to pressure recipients into purchasing products or subscriptions.
PlatformSocial Media Lottery Winner Scams on Instagram
How fraudulent Instagram direct messages claim recipients have won celebrity giveaways or social media lotteries, then extract fees and personal data to release non-existent prizes.
CountryPremium Bond Prize Scams in the UK
How Premium Bond prize fraud specifically targets UK savers, exploiting the wide public familiarity with NS&I bonds to impersonate official prize notifications across multiple channels.
PlatformSecond-Chance Lottery Scams via SMS
How fraudulent text messages impersonate state lottery second-chance programmes to harvest player credentials and charge entry fees for draws that do not exist.
PlatformWinner Notification Call Scams via SMS
How fake prize winner notifications delivered by text message direct recipients to call-back numbers where fees are extracted by live operators or automated systems.
PlatformFake Raffle Text Scams on WhatsApp
How fraudulent raffle prize winner notifications sent via WhatsApp use personal messaging context to lower victim scepticism before collecting fees and personal data.
PlatformInternational Sweepstakes Advance Fee Scams via Phone Calls
How phone calls impersonating foreign lottery commissions and international prize authorities extract escalating advance fees from targets told they have won international sweepstakes.
PlatformPrize Claim Processing Fee Scams via Email
How fraudulent prize claim emails use official-looking correspondence and escalating fee sequences to extract payments from recipients who believe they are processing genuine prize claims.
CountryMail Theft Identity Fraud in the US
How mail theft in the United States enables identity fraud through stolen bank statements, tax correspondence, and pre-approved credit offers, and what US-specific protections apply.
CountryCheck Washing Fraud in the UK
How cheque washing fraud operates in the United Kingdom, where cheque usage is declining but high-value cheques for legal, property, and business transactions remain a target.
PlatformGifting Circle and Cash Gifting Schemes on WhatsApp
How WhatsApp group-based cash gifting circles exploit community trust and private messaging to spread pyramid structures among friends, families, and colleagues.
PlatformForex MLM Recruitment Schemes on Telegram
How Telegram channels and groups promote multi-level forex trading recruitment schemes using signal subscriptions and group membership to disguise pyramid income structures.
PlatformTravel Club MLM Schemes via Email
How email-based travel club membership offers disguise pyramid recruitment structures as discounted holiday packages, using professional correspondence to reach a broad audience.
PlatformInventory Loading MLM Traps on Instagram
How Instagram-based MLM distributors use product lifestyle content and income posts to pressure downline members into purchasing more inventory than they can sell.
PlatformChain Letter Money Schemes on WhatsApp
How WhatsApp-based chain letter money schemes spread rapidly through personal and community networks, using group forwarding to recruit new victims from trusted social circles.
PlatformFake Affiliate Network Pyramid Scams on Instagram
How Instagram-promoted fake affiliate marketing programmes use income screenshot content and lifestyle posts to recruit followers into pyramid schemes disguised as digital business opportunities.
PlatformSubscription Trap Scams via SMS
How scammers use text messages to enrol victims in unwanted recurring charges through fake prize claims, missed-delivery notices, and short-code billing fraud.
PlatformFake Browser Coupon Extension Scams on Facebook
How Facebook ads and posts are used to push malicious coupon extensions that steal credentials and inject fraudulent checkout pages.
PlatformFake Flash Sale Countdown Scams on TikTok
How TikTok videos and live streams use manufactured urgency through countdown timers and limited-stock warnings to push fraudulent purchases.
PlatformFake Wholesale Liquidation Scams via WhatsApp
How WhatsApp groups and direct messages are used to pitch fraudulent wholesale or liquidation deals that result in lost payments and undelivered goods.
PlatformFake Pre-Order Scams via Email
How fraudulent pre-order confirmation emails collect upfront payments for products that will never be manufactured, shipped, or refunded.
PlatformFake Warranty Registration Scams via Phone Calls
How cold calls impersonate warranty registration services to extract payment card details and personal information under the guise of completing a product warranty.
PlatformSocial Commerce Livestream Scams on Instagram
How Instagram Live shopping sessions are used to sell counterfeit, misrepresented, or non-existent products to viewers who pay through DMs or external links.
PlatformMarketplace Counterfeit Luxury Scam on Instagram
How Instagram accounts sell counterfeit designer goods using aspirational content, influencer aesthetics, and DM-based sales that bypass buyer protections.
PlatformFake Charity Product Scams on Facebook
How Facebook pages and sponsored posts sell merchandise under a charitable banner, keeping almost all proceeds while donating little or nothing.
PlatformFake Instagram Boutique Scams Migrating to TikTok
How fraudulent boutique sellers who built credibility on Instagram now replicate the same tactics on TikTok to reach new victims through short-form video.
PlatformFake Concert Merch Store Scams via Email
How fraudulent artist merchandise stores use email campaigns to sell fake or non-existent concert merchandise to fans, timed around tour announcements.
PlatformGroup Buy Social Commerce Scams via WhatsApp
How WhatsApp groups are used to organise fake group purchasing schemes that collect upfront payments from multiple participants before the organiser disappears.
PlatformTriangulation Fraud via Email
How phishing emails and fake order confirmations are used in triangulation fraud schemes where stolen card details fund legitimate purchases shipped to unknowing buyers.
PlatformFake Pet Shipping Fee Scams via Email
How fraudulent pet sellers use email to request repeated shipping fees, insurance costs, and customs charges for pets that do not exist.
PlatformLost Pet Reward Scams via SMS
How scammers text pet owners who have posted lost-pet notices to extract money under the pretence of having found or being able to return the animal.
PlatformExotic Pet Sale Scams on Instagram
How Instagram profiles post curated content of rare and exotic animals to attract buyers, collect deposits, and disappear without delivering any animal.
PlatformFake Stud Service Scams via Email
How fraudulent breeding service operators use email correspondence to collect deposits for stud services, then provide excuses, delay indefinitely, and disappear with the money.
PlatformFake Veterinary Crowdfunding Scams via Email
How email campaigns solicit donations for fabricated pet medical emergencies, using compelling stories and fake invoices to extract charitable donations.
PlatformFake Emotional Support Animal Registration Scams via Email
How email marketing promotes fraudulent ESA registration services that issue meaningless certificates, charge annual fees, and leave consumers without legitimate accommodation rights.
PlatformFake Pet Microchip Registry Scams via Phone Calls
How cold callers claiming to represent official microchip registries charge pet owners renewal or transfer fees for services that have no official standing.
PlatformFake Travel-to-Meet-You Scams via WhatsApp
How romance fraudsters migrate from dating apps to WhatsApp to request travel funds for meetings that will never take place.
PlatformRomance Recovery Scams via Email
How fraudsters target recent romance scam victims by email, posing as investigators, law firms, or recovery specialists who charge fees to retrieve lost funds.
PlatformWidow and Widower Romance Scams via Email
How scammers use email to sustain long-running romantic relationships with recently bereaved individuals, building emotional dependency before making financial requests.
PlatformOnline Matchmaking Agency Scams via Phone Calls
How phone-based matchmaking services charge high upfront fees for premium introductions that are either fabricated profiles or matches who were never informed.
PlatformVisa Sponsorship Romance Scams via WhatsApp
How romance scammers use WhatsApp to sustain a relationship before requesting sponsorship funds, visa application fees, or immigration costs from overseas partners.
PlatformPsychic Romance Guidance Scams via Phone Calls
How telephone psychic lines exploit loneliness and romantic hopes to charge premium rates for romantic guidance, soulmate identification, and spell-casting services.
PlatformMilitary Deployment Leave Fee Scam via WhatsApp
How scammers posing as deployed military personnel use WhatsApp to request fees for leave passes, communications access, or equipment deposits before asking to meet.
PlatformOnline Marriage Visa Fee Scam via WhatsApp
How scammers maintain WhatsApp-based romantic relationships and request successive marriage visa fees that are never applied toward any genuine immigration process.
PlatformFake Medical Emergency Scams via WhatsApp
How WhatsApp contacts — impersonating romantic partners, family members, or stranded acquaintances — fabricate medical emergencies to solicit urgent fund transfers.
PlatformHard-to-Cancel Subscription Scams via SMS
How SMS-based subscriptions enrolled through text messages are deliberately made impossible to cancel, cycling through looping cancellation processes that extend billing.
PlatformGrey Charge Recurring Scams via Email
How confirmation and renewal emails obscure the true nature of recurring charges, using deceptive framing to maintain billing that consumers did not intend to authorise.
PlatformAuto-Renewal Surprise Scams via SMS
How text message notifications are used to give the appearance of renewal notice while ensuring most consumers cannot act in time to cancel before the charge is taken.
PlatformFake Unsubscribe Link Scams via Phone Calls
How phone-based cancellation lines claim to process unsubscribe requests while instead enrolling callers in new subscriptions or harvesting payment details.
PlatformMembership Club Billing Scams via Phone Calls
How cold callers enrol consumers in fictitious membership clubs or loyalty programmes with recurring billing, using verbal consent scripts that obscure the financial commitment.
PlatformMalicious Browser Extension Scams via Email
How phishing emails push malicious browser extensions under the guise of security updates, productivity tools, or essential plugin upgrades.
PlatformMFA Push Bombing via Email Phishing
How email phishing campaigns are used to harvest credentials that then trigger MFA push bombardments, combining email and push-notification attacks to bypass two-factor authentication.
PlatformFake Data Removal Service Scams via Phone Calls
How cold callers claim to have found your personal data on the dark web or data broker sites and charge for removal services they cannot or do not perform.
PlatformCredential Stuffing Attacks Signalled via SMS
How SMS notifications — both legitimate and fraudulent — are exploited during credential stuffing campaigns to either assist attackers or misdirect victims.
PlatformBanking Trojan Distribution via Fake Support Calls
How vishing calls impersonating banks or tech support trick victims into installing banking trojan software under the guise of resolving a fraudulent transaction.
PlatformMalicious APK Sideload Scams via Telegram
How Telegram groups and direct messages are used to distribute malicious Android APK files disguised as exclusive apps, games, or investment tools.
PlatformAdversary-in-the-Middle Session Theft via Vishing Calls
How vishing calls are used to extract session cookies or one-time codes that allow attackers to hijack authenticated web sessions without ever knowing the victim's password.
PlatformData Breach Extortion Scams via SMS
How text messages deliver sextortion, password extortion, or data exposure threats to mobile numbers, exploiting the personal nature of SMS to extract payments.
PlatformPhone Upgrade Contract Scams via Email
How phishing emails impersonating mobile carriers offer irresistible upgrade deals that harvest personal and payment details or enrol victims in fraudulent contracts.
PlatformLost Phone Insurance Claim Fraud via Email
How phishing emails impersonate phone insurance providers to harvest claim details, or how fraudulent claims are coached through email to extract false compensation.
PlatformTelecom Cramming Charges via Email Sign-Ups
How email-based sign-up flows and account portals are used to enrol consumers in third-party telecom add-ons that result in cramming charges on their phone bills.