# ScamEncyclopedia

> The world's scam warning library. ScamEncyclopedia is the global public scam warning library. Identify scams, understand red flags, protect family members, preserve evidence, report fraud, and recover safely without falling into recovery scams.

## Library size
- Scam categories: 38
- Scam types: 959
- Country guides: 211
- Scam scripts: 117
- Recovery guides: 49
- Comparisons: 148
- Questions answered: 1609
- Family-safety guides: 63
- Glossary terms: 868
- Platform guides: 25
- Payment-method guides: 23
- Brand-impersonation guides: 73
- Statistics pages: 52
- Scam alerts: 37
- Focused guides (scam × platform/payment/country): 4021
- Flagged firms (regulator warning lists): 11118 across 8 regulators
- Reporting & support resources: 48

## Main sections
- [Scam Types](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams)
- [Scam Scripts](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scripts)
- [Recovery Guides](https://scamencyclopedia.org/recovery)
- [Scam Risk Checker](https://scamencyclopedia.org/risk-score/scam-risk-checker)
- [Country Guides](https://scamencyclopedia.org/countries)
- [Family Safety](https://scamencyclopedia.org/family-safety)
- [Scam Taxonomy](https://scamencyclopedia.org/taxonomy)
- [Questions & Answers](https://scamencyclopedia.org/questions)
- [Comparisons](https://scamencyclopedia.org/compare)
- [Glossary](https://scamencyclopedia.org/glossary)
- [Scams by Platform](https://scamencyclopedia.org/platforms)
- [Scams by Payment Method](https://scamencyclopedia.org/payments)
- [Brand Impersonation](https://scamencyclopedia.org/impersonation)
- [Scam Statistics](https://scamencyclopedia.org/statistics)
- [Scam Alerts](https://scamencyclopedia.org/alerts) (RSS: https://scamencyclopedia.org/alerts/rss.xml)
- [Recent Data Breaches — what leaked and what to do](https://scamencyclopedia.org/data-breaches)
- [Live Threat Snapshot](https://scamencyclopedia.org/threat-feed)
- [Focused Guides](https://scamencyclopedia.org/guides)
- [Free Tools — message checker, report finder, quiz, triage](https://scamencyclopedia.org/tools)
- [Scam Message Library — searchable example messages](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scam-messages)
- [Flagged & Unauthorised Firms — regulator warning lists](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings)
- [Scams by Target group](https://scamencyclopedia.org/targets)
- Browse by risk level: [Critical-risk scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/risk/critical), [High-risk scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/risk/high), [Medium-risk scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/risk/medium), [Lower-risk scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/risk/low)
- [Resources](https://scamencyclopedia.org/resources)

## Regulator warning lists (flagged & unauthorised firms)
Public warnings issued by financial regulators, attributed per source with collection method and licence (currently OpenSanctions CC-BY-NC 4.0 for all lists). Searchable directory: https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings
- [US SEC (PAUSE list)](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/sec-pause) — United States, 1,671 flagged entries
- [Swiss FINMA warning list](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/finma) — Switzerland, 2,325 flagged entries
- [Securities Commission Malaysia (Investor Alert List)](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/malaysia-sc) — Malaysia, 1,895 flagged entries
- [France AMF (unauthorised financial services)](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/france-amf) — France, 3,453 flagged entries
- [Philippines SEC advisories](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/philippines-sec) — Philippines, 913 flagged entries
- [Malaysia Financial Consumer Alert List](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/malaysia-fca) — Malaysia, 612 flagged entries
- [Lithuania (illegal financial services)](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/lithuania) — Lithuania, 80 flagged entries
- [Lithuania Gaming Control Authority (illegal gambling operators)](https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/lithuania-gaming) — Lithuania, 169 flagged entries
Browse every flagged firm alphabetically: https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/a, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/b, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/c, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/d, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/e, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/f, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/g, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/h, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/i, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/j, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/k, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/l, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/m, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/n, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/o, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/p, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/q, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/r, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/s, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/t, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/u, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/v, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/w, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/x, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/y, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/z, https://scamencyclopedia.org/warnings/browse/0-9

## Scam categories
- [Gambling & Betting Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/gambling-betting-scams): Rigged casinos, fake sportsbooks, tipster cons and betting-recovery scams that take stakes and winnings.
- [Bereavement & Inheritance Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/bereavement-inheritance-scams): Fake inheritances, funeral-cost cons, obituary phishing and estate-fee scams that exploit grief and loss.
- [Benefits & Welfare Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/benefits-welfare-scams): Fake benefit applications, grant approvals, rebate texts and reactivation cons that harvest data and fees.
- [Faith & Religious Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/faith-religious-scams): Prosperity-gospel investments, fake tithing portals, pilgrimage cons and clergy-impersonation scams.
- [Ticket & Event Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/ticket-event-scams): Fake concert, festival and sports tickets, duplicate barcodes and resale cons that leave you locked out.
- [Adult & Creator-Platform Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/adult-creator-platform-scams): Creator-economy and adult-platform cons: fake subscriptions, payout-verification fees and management scams.
- [Finance Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/finance-scams): Investment, crypto, loan, pension and recovery scams designed to take your money and then take it again.
- [Online Shopping Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/online-shopping-scams): Fake stores, fake delivery texts, counterfeit goods and non-delivery scams that take payment and vanish.
- [Romance & Relationship Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/romance-relationship-scams): Emotional manipulation used to extract money, often blended with crypto investment grooming.
- [Job & Income Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/job-income-scams): Fake recruiters, task scams, work-from-home traps and pay-to-get-paid schemes targeting job seekers.
- [Travel Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/travel-scams): Fake booking sites, hotel phishing, fake visa services and rental scams aimed at travellers.
- [Government Impersonation Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/government-impersonation-scams): Fake tax, police, immigration and court demands using fear and urgency to force payment.
- [Tech Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/tech-scams): Fake support calls, phishing, malware popups, QR-code and remote-access scams.
- [AI-Era Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/ai-era-scams): Deepfake voices, cloned websites, AI trading bots and synthetic endorsements raising the stakes.
- [Business Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/business-scams): Invoice redirection, CEO fraud, business email compromise and fake suppliers targeting organisations.
- [Health & Medical Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/health-medical-scams): Fake pharmacies, miracle cures, bogus health insurance and medical identity theft that risk your money and health.
- [Housing & Rental Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/housing-rental-scams): Fake rental listings, deposit theft, foreclosure-relief fraud, moving-company scams and real-estate wire fraud.
- [Crypto & Web3 Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/crypto-web3-scams): Rug pulls, wallet drainers, fake airdrops, seed-phrase phishing and bogus staking that exploit irreversible crypto.
- [Lottery & Prize Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/lottery-prize-scams): Fake lottery wins, prize notifications and sweepstakes that demand an upfront fee for a prize that doesn't exist.
- [Charity & Disaster Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/charity-disaster-scams): Fake charities, disaster-relief appeals and bogus crowdfunding that exploit generosity, especially after tragedies.
- [Utility & Energy Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/utility-energy-scams): Fake shut-off threats, bogus energy brokers, solar and rebate scams that impersonate your utility company.
- [Auto & Vehicle Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/auto-vehicle-scams): Fake vehicle listings, escrow and shipping fraud, VIN cloning, title washing and bogus extended warranties.
- [Telecom & Account Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/telecom-account-scams): SIM swapping, number porting, account takeover and hacked-friend scams that hijack your phone and logins.
- [Insurance Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/insurance-scams): Fake health, auto, life and travel insurance, ghost brokers, and bogus claims-settlement schemes.
- [Education & Student Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/education-student-scams): Student-loan-forgiveness, scholarship, diploma-mill, tuition-payment and study-abroad scams.
- [Gaming Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/gaming-scams): Free-currency generators, account takeovers, fake marketplaces and item-trading scams targeting players.
- [Identity Theft & Data Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/identity-theft-data-scams): Synthetic identity, account-opening fraud, credential theft and data-breach exploitation that hijack who you are.
- [Mail & Courier Fraud](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/mail-courier-scams): Courier 'card collection' fraud, mail theft, check washing and parcel-redelivery scams that exploit post and deliveries.
- [Legal & Immigration Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/legal-immigration-scams): Fake visa, green-card and legal services, deportation-threat extortion and bogus settlement or lawsuit claims.
- [Subscription & Billing Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/subscription-billing-scams): Negative-option billing, free-trial traps, cramming and hard-to-cancel subscriptions that drain accounts quietly.
- [Pet & Animal Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/pet-animal-scams): Puppy-deposit and fake-breeder scams, escalating pet-shipping fees, and bogus adoption or lost-pet schemes.
- [MLM, Pyramid & Hustle Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/mlm-pyramid-scams): Recruitment-only pyramid schemes, product-based MLM traps, gifting circles and 'passive income' hustle schemes.
- [Social Media & Account Takeover](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/social-media-account-scams): Verification-badge phishing, hacked-friend impersonation, account-recovery cons and content-monetization traps.
- [Home Services & Contractor Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/home-services-scams): Door-to-door and contractor cons — driveway paving, storm-chaser roofing, fake locksmiths, and disappearing-deposit handymen.
- [Extortion & Blackmail Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/online-extortion-scams): Sextortion-spam emails, intimate-image blackmail, ransom-DDoS and doxxing threats that demand payment for silence.
- [Imposter & Emergency Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/imposter-emergency-scams): Grandparent and family-emergency cons, fake-boss gift-card requests, and 'your relative is in trouble' calls that manufacture panic.
- [Street & In-Person Scams](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/street-in-person-scams): Classic confidence tricks and street cons run face to face — three-card monte, the pigeon drop, change-raising, distraction theft, and tourist-targeted scams.
- [Payment Card & ATM Fraud](https://scamencyclopedia.org/scams/payment-card-fraud): Physical and digital theft of card data — ATM and gas-pump skimmers, chip shimmers, card cloning, and web-skimming (Magecart) checkout attacks.

## Open data & API
Licensed, downloadable datasets and a free API. Hub: https://scamencyclopedia.org/data
- Regulator warnings (CSV): https://scamencyclopedia.org/data/regulator-warnings.csv — licence CC-BY-NC 4.0 (OpenSanctions), updated 2026-09-21
- Regulator warnings (JSON): https://scamencyclopedia.org/data/regulator-warnings.json — licence CC-BY-NC 4.0 (OpenSanctions), updated 2026-09-21
- Scam taxonomy (CSV): https://scamencyclopedia.org/data/scam-taxonomy.csv — licence CC-BY 4.0
- Scam statistics (CSV): https://scamencyclopedia.org/data/scam-statistics.csv — licence CC-BY 4.0
- Threat aggregates (JSON): https://scamencyclopedia.org/data/threat-aggregates.json — licence CC-BY 4.0, updated 2026-09-22
- Firm-check API (GET, JSON, CORS, 60 requests/min): https://scamencyclopedia.org/api/v1/firm-check?q= — no match is not a clean bill of health
- Firm Check tool: https://scamencyclopedia.org/tools/firm-check

## Full index & machine-readable data
- Full content map: https://scamencyclopedia.org/llms-full.txt
- JSON index of all content: https://scamencyclopedia.org/api/index.json
- Full FAQ corpus (all Q&A pairs): https://scamencyclopedia.org/api/faqs.json
- Full scam Q&A (question + explanation + steps): https://scamencyclopedia.org/api/questions.json
- Full scam-type reference (with cited sources): https://scamencyclopedia.org/api/scams.json
- Sitemap: https://scamencyclopedia.org/sitemap-index.xml

## Policies
- [Editorial Policy](https://scamencyclopedia.org/editorial-policy)
- [Source Policy](https://scamencyclopedia.org/source-policy)
- [Legal Disclaimer](https://scamencyclopedia.org/legal-disclaimer)