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Genuine new-payee confirmation texts do exist, but fraudulent texts designed to confirm a payee the scammer already set up are also sent. Never use a number or link in the text — call your bank's official number.
Bank detail change requests by email are a top vector for business payment fraud. Always verify any bank detail change by calling your supplier on a known number before making any payment.
Facebook ads featuring doctor endorsements for weight-loss products are frequently fraudulent. The doctor may not exist, the endorsement may be fabricated, and the product rarely delivers its claims.
Yes. Invoice fraud involves sending convincing fake invoices using legitimate company names and branding, counting on busy accounts teams to pay without checking.
Cheap OBD diagnostic tools from unknown sellers may be counterfeit, non-functional, or in rare cases designed to harvest data from your vehicle's systems via a paired app.
You may be able to chargeback the payment if you paid by credit or debit card. Act quickly — contact your card issuer within days of realising the store is fake.
No. Fraudsters purchase Google Ads using brand names that closely resemble legitimate banks, investment platforms, or brokers. Always verify the URL before entering any details.
Unsolicited partnership emails can be advance-fee fraud, a pretext for data harvesting, or fake business opportunity scams. Verify independently before engaging.
Yes — texts about Amazon orders you did not place are phishing attempts designed to get you to click a link or call a number and hand over your account credentials.
Almost certainly yes. 'Accidental' transfers to strangers are a well-known scam opener: the money comes from a stolen account, and when you refund it, you are out of pocket.
Fake eBay emails are a major phishing category. They aim to trick sellers into shipping goods before payment is confirmed or buyers into entering credentials on a fake login page.
Unsolicited doorstep quotes for home improvements often use high-pressure selling, inflated prices, or upfront deposits that disappear. Always get multiple written quotes and check contractor credentials.
No trading bot can guarantee profit. Any service promising guaranteed positive returns from an automated crypto bot is either lying about its performance or is an outright scam.
Permanent absence from in-person meetings is one of the most consistent red flags in romance scams. Legitimate partners find ways to meet or at minimum do live, verifiable video calls.
Yes — 'wangiri' or one-ring scams use numbers in premium-rate ranges. Calling back can result in a large charge appearing on your phone bill.
Social media ticket sellers are a high-risk category — fake pages proliferate ahead of popular events. Always buy from the official venue, promoter, or a recognised secondary ticketing platform.
Some data removal services genuinely submit opt-out requests to data brokers, but many are ineffective, overpriced, or outright scams. Understand what you are buying before paying.
Many online psychic platforms exploit vulnerable people with vague 'personalised' readings, subscription traps, and escalating offers that extract large amounts of money over time.
Many unofficial websites charge facilitation fees to process applications you could submit directly to the government for free or at the official fee. Always use your national government's official passport portal.
Full upfront payment for coaching with no contract or trial period is a risk. Ghost coaching scams — where payment is collected and the coach disappears — are increasingly common online.
Seed phrase recovery services are almost exclusively scams. Anyone asking for your seed phrase will use it to steal your entire wallet — no legitimate service needs it.
Toll authority smishing texts are among the most reported fraud types. Genuine toll agencies send notices by post, not by unsolicited text with a payment link.
Cold call debt consolidation loan offers are a significant fraud risk — advance-fee fraud and phishing for financial details are both common in this category.
Genuine charities do use SMS donation campaigns, but disaster phishing texts impersonating charities appear within hours of major events. Always donate through the charity's verified official channels.
Unexpected negative balance notifications are often phishing attempts. Log in directly to your account to verify any real balance issue — do not act on a text or email link.
Most legitimate cashback sites are free to join. Portals charging an upfront membership fee should be researched carefully — some are pyramid-style schemes or simply collect fees with minimal real cashback.
Microsoft 365 payment and billing emails are heavily cloned by phishers. Always verify billing issues by logging in to your Microsoft account directly — never through a link in an email.
Phishing emails impersonating crypto exchanges with KYC (know your customer) verification requests are very common. Always log in to the exchange directly — never upload documents via an email link.
Yes — receiving an unexpected 2FA code means someone has your username and password and is actively trying to log in to your account. Change your password immediately.
Work-from-home medical billing jobs are frequently used as a vehicle for advance-fee fraud or to recruit money mules. Verify any offer through a credentialed healthcare staffing agency.
A random money transfer from an unknown person is almost always the first step in a scam — usually an overpayment or money-mule scheme.
Legitimate landlords communicate by various means, but a landlord who refuses any phone or video call and pushes for a deposit before you view the property is a major warning sign.
Fake DocuSign and Adobe Sign emails are a common phishing method. Verify the sender domain and log in directly — do not click the email link.
Texts prompting delivery feedback that include a link to claim a reward are often phishing attempts designed to steal card details.
Yes. No UK government body will call you to say your National Insurance number is compromised and demand you verify it or make a payment.
No. Celebrities do not contact members of the public directly on WhatsApp to give away prizes. This is a scam.
Texts claiming a benefits payment is waiting and asking you to click a link or confirm details are phishing scams imitating government benefit agencies.
Yes — receiving a second friend request from someone already on your friends list almost always means a scammer has cloned that person's account.
Unsolicited tutor job offers via email are frequently scams involving upfront fees, fake cheques, or money-mule recruitment.
Unofficial ticket resale sites vary widely in legitimacy. Some are licensed secondary marketplaces; others are outright scams that sell fake or non-existent tickets.
Most Instagram DMs claiming you won a brand giveaway are scams run from fake accounts imitating genuine brands.
Yes. This is the classic structure of pig-butchering — a romance relationship engineered to introduce you to a fake investment platform.
Legitimate lenders always conduct some creditworthiness checks. A 'no credit check' loan offer — especially one requiring an upfront fee — is almost always a scam.
Yes. QR codes on printed flyers can point to phishing pages, fake payment portals, or malware downloads just like digital QR codes.
No. Legitimate antivirus software and operating systems never display phone numbers to call. This is a tech-support scam pop-up.
In most countries it is illegal for a recruitment agency to charge job seekers fees. Any agency asking for payment upfront is a major red flag.
The password was obtained from a data breach. It does not mean your device is hacked — but you should change that password immediately.
Cold calls promising to cut your energy bill are often scams or high-pressure sales for overpriced switching services. Genuine tariff switching is done through regulated comparison sites.
Some vehicle history check sites are legitimate but charge per report. However, fake or misleading sites exist — verify the provider's credentials before paying.
Probably not. This is a variant of the grandparent scam using spoofed or cloned numbers. Verify directly before sending any money.
Not necessarily. An exclusively positive review profile — especially on a newly launched site — is a common feature of fake online stores.
Only if you initiated the action it authorises. One-time passcodes you did not trigger indicate someone else is trying to access your account.
Not always a fraud, but high-pressure door-to-door sales tactics are common and in some countries heavily regulated. Never feel obliged to buy on the spot.
Income-replacement claims attached to online courses are almost universally misleading marketing. Genuine education providers do not make financial guarantees.
Only use Facebook's built-in checkout for Marketplace purchases. External payment links sent by sellers are a common fraud vector.
Yes. Texts with voicemail notification links are a widespread phishing method — the link leads to a credential-stealing page or malware download.
Unsolicited emails claiming a distant relative named you in a will are an advance-fee fraud. Legitimate estate solicitors do not contact beneficiaries by cold email.
Yes. Sharing that code allows the scammer to create a Google Voice number linked to your phone, which they then use for fraud.
Not until verified independently. Fraudulent invoice redirection — also called BEC or APP fraud — is one of the most costly scams targeting businesses.
Possibly — but charity impersonation and crowdfunding fraud are common. Verify any charity's registration before donating.
It could be real but is more likely a scam. Always hang up and call your bank back using the number on your card — never use a number from the call.
Ads for crypto exchanges deserve extra scrutiny — fake or unregulated exchanges are advertised widely and can disappear with your funds.
Legitimate housing assistance is applied for through government agencies — not through social media ads, private websites, or individuals selling 'slots'.
Clicking alone is usually low risk if your device is updated, but some links can deliver malware silently. Check your device and monitor your accounts.
No. Pharmacies that supply prescription medication without a valid prescription are operating illegally and the products may be counterfeit or dangerous.
Yes. LinkedIn job listings are not all verified and fake postings are used to harvest personal data, collect fees, or recruit money mules.
Free home security system offers are almost always a high-pressure sales tactic involving long-term monitoring contracts or are outright scams.
No. HMRC does not send texts about council tax. Council tax is administered by local councils, and neither body initiates rebates by text with a link.
Almost certainly yes. Escalating transport and insurance fee requests for a pet that has not arrived are the signature of an online puppy scam.
No legitimate automated trading system is distributed through Telegram bots with profit guarantees. These are almost always investment fraud.
Emails claiming you have won a mystery prize from a major retailer are almost always phishing or lead-generation fraud using the brand's name without permission.
Almost certainly yes if it was unsolicited. Genuine broadband providers notify you by email or letter, not automated calls threatening immediate disconnection.
Free online competitions frequently collect email addresses to sell to marketers, enter you into subscriptions, or send phishing emails — read the terms carefully.
No. Allowing someone to use your account to receive or hold funds makes you a money mule — which is a criminal offence in most countries.
No. Cashier's checks can be convincing fakes that appear to clear initially but are later reversed, leaving you responsible for any funds you withdrew or forwarded.
Resale and arbitrage job offers that ask you to use your own money and accounts are usually fronts for money laundering or advance-fee schemes.
No. Bank employees are prohibited from sharing investment tips through private messaging groups. This is a common set-up for insider-tip investment fraud.
If you were not expecting a payment, treat it with caution — it may be a phishing email impersonating PayPal, or the start of an overpayment scheme.
Texts about traffic fines demanding immediate online payment via a link are almost always phishing scams. Genuine fines arrive by post.
Almost certainly not. Legitimate government grant programmes are not advertised through social media ads and never require upfront fees to apply.
Guaranteed debt clearance claims are false — no company can legally guarantee debt write-off. Many debt relief companies are scams that take fees while resolving nothing.
Almost always yes. Sending money to a new match is a recruitment technique — the money may be stolen and your account used to launder it.
Unsolicited scholarship offer emails are almost always scams designed to collect personal data or advance fees.
No. Legitimate exchanges deduct fees from your balance — they never require you to pay a separate tax or fee from outside the platform before withdrawing.
Texts about health-related government payments are frequently used as phishing lures. Verify any payment claim through official government portals only.
New coin launches carry extremely high fraud risk — rug pulls and pump-and-dump schemes are common and most new tokens fail or disappear.
No. Deepfake videos of news anchors promoting cryptocurrencies are AI-fabricated fraud — no legitimate investment is marketed this way.
Yes. No legitimate private seller or dealer requires a deposit before you view a car. This is a standard vehicle fraud tactic.
Likely yes. Student loan servicers are assigned by your loan authority — calls from unknown companies claiming to manage or refinance your student debt are often fraud.
Yes. No legitimate landlord requires cryptocurrency as a tenancy deposit. This is always a fraud.
Very likely yes. Domain renewal scams send invoices mimicking the look of official notices to trick website owners into paying an unknown registrar.
Almost certainly yes. Amazon does not make unsolicited calls about account issues. These calls are impersonation scams designed to steal your credentials or payment details.
Not necessarily. Fraudsters run sponsored ads on Facebook using cloned bank branding. Always verify investment offers directly through the bank's official website.
Unexpected tax refund texts are almost always phishing scams. Tax authorities communicate through your tax account or by post — not via SMS links.
Cold calls about urgent meter upgrades are often scams using utility company names to gain access to your home or financial details.
Paid tournaments exist on legitimate platforms, but many tournament scams collect fees and cancel the event or disappear with the prize pool.
No. Genuine delivery companies do not ask for card details by text. This is a delivery phishing scam.
Unsolicited emails advertising above-market savings rates from unfamiliar banks deserve verification before any deposit. Some are fraudulent clone firms.
No — accepting payment outside the platform's checkout removes all seller protection and is against the platforms' terms of service.
Not always, but many guest post outreach emails are link-buying operations or content spam campaigns that may harm your site's search reputation.