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QR codes can be tampered with to redirect to fraudulent sites. Always verify the URL before entering any credentials or payment details after scanning.
No. Social media ad systems can be exploited by fraudulent advertisers using stolen brand imagery. Sponsored ads do not guarantee the seller is the real brand.
Yes. This is a variant of romance or advance-fee fraud using a military or humanitarian cover story. No genuine soldier or aid worker needs a stranger to receive packages or funds.
Yes, without exception. Sending money to receive more money from a stranger is the core mechanic of advance-fee fraud. No legitimate windfall works this way.
Treat with caution. Legitimate charities do use door-to-door fundraisers, but so do fraudsters pretending to represent charities. Never give cash — always donate through verified channels.
Almost certainly yes. This is a family emergency impersonation scam and it is one of the fastest growing fraud types targeting parents and grandparents.
Almost certainly yes. No algorithm — AI-powered or otherwise — can guarantee stock market returns. This is a fraudulent investment platform using technology buzzwords to add credibility.
Yes. Requesting gift cards to continue a gaming interaction is a scam regardless of the cover story. Gift cards are used because they are untraceable and non-refundable.
Most unsolicited mystery shopper emails are scams. They lead into cheque overpayment fraud where you deposit a fake cheque, buy gift cards, and send the codes — leaving you with a bounced cheque and lost money.
It may be a scam. Immigration fraud involves large upfront payments for services that are never delivered or for applications that are not submitted properly.
No. Regulated medicines require clinical trial evidence and regulatory approval. Supplements making disease cure claims are either illegal or unproven, and they can be dangerous.
It has strong scam indicators. Most new token launches targeting retail investors with guaranteed returns are either rug pulls or pump-and-dump schemes.
Very likely yes. Unsolicited messages claiming you have been selected for a grant or business fund are a common advance-fee fraud delivered through professional networking platforms.
Very likely yes. AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating celebrities to promote fraudulent investments are a rapidly growing scam type.
Treat with serious caution. Ghost insurance scams sell fake policies that provide no coverage, and extremely low prices may indicate stripped-down coverage or outright fraud.
Not always. Google Business listings can be edited by third parties through a process called listing hijacking, replacing real contact details with scammer numbers.
Very likely yes. Hacked social media and email accounts are used to send convincing emergency money requests to the victim's real contacts.
Most high-priced online courses making specific income promises are questionable at best. The business models they teach are real, but the promised earnings are typically not achievable by the vast majority of students.
Very likely a scam. Internet providers follow formal disconnection processes with written notices. Calls demanding immediate payment to prevent same-day disconnection are impersonation fraud.
It is likely a PayPal invoice scam. Fraudsters can send real PayPal invoices for purchases you never made, hoping you will call the number in the invoice and be manipulated into sending money.
No. The IRS and equivalent tax agencies in other countries never accept gift cards as payment and will never call demanding immediate payment this way.
No. Police officers do not collect cash or valuables from members of the public as a fraud-protection measure. This request is a scam known as a police impersonation fraud.
No. Courts communicate through formal written summons and due process. Unsolicited calls demanding instant payment to cancel an arrest warrant are always fraudulent.
No. Legitimate utility providers follow regulated disconnection procedures that require written notice and allow time to dispute or pay. A same-day shutoff threat by phone is a scam tactic.
No. Legitimate employers pay you — they never charge fees for hiring, training materials, background checks, or equipment before you start work.
No legitimate landlord requires a financial deposit before an in-person viewing. Any request for money before you have seen the property is a strong indicator of a rental scam.
Legitimate couriers may collect genuine customs duties at the door, but unexpected 'release fees' demanded by text or email — especially when you are not expecting a parcel — are almost always a scam.
No. Immigration authorities communicate through official case portals and written correspondence. Unexpected calls demanding urgent fees to save a visa are always scams.
No. Banks and financial services never ask you to read back an OTP they sent you. If someone calls asking for your OTP, they are attempting to access your account.
Only if you initiated the support call through an official channel. Unsolicited calls claiming to detect viruses on your computer and asking you to install remote-access tools are always scams.
No. Legitimate refunds from banks or financial institutions are credited directly to your account. Any request to pay a fee to receive money owed to you is a scam.
No. HMRC does not threaten arrest on a first contact, and certainly not by phone. Immediate arrest threats for tax debt are a hallmark of impersonation scams.
No. Social Security numbers cannot be suspended or deactivated. Calls claiming your SSN has been suspended are an impersonation scam.
No. Payroll direct deposit requires only your bank account number and routing number — never your online banking username or password.
No. Legitimate government grants are applied for through official portals at no upfront cost to you. Any fee to claim or activate a grant is a scam.
Legitimate landlords rarely insist on wire transfer or cryptocurrency as the only accepted method. This restriction — especially before you have met in person — is a red flag for rental fraud.
Legitimate pension providers do not cold-call you urging immediate transfers. Unsolicited contact pressuring you to move your pension quickly is a pension liberation or pension scam.
No legitimate seller on a reputable marketplace needs you to pay outside its protected checkout. Off-platform payment requests are a hallmark of marketplace fraud.
No. Legitimate charities never require donors to pay a fee before a donation is processed. Processing fees on a real donation platform are deducted from the donation itself.
No. This is a common courier fraud script. Bank fraud teams do not send agents to collect cash from customers as part of any test or investigation.
No. Debt collectors cannot have you arrested for unpaid civil debts. Threats of immediate arrest to pressure payment are illegal in most jurisdictions and a common debt collection scam tactic.
No. Legitimate lottery and prize winnings are paid in full with no upfront fee. Any notification that requires payment before you receive your prize is a scam.
No. Banks will never instruct you to convert money to cryptocurrency. This instruction is a fraud tactic used to move your funds into an untraceable form.
Legitimate employers verify identity documents after a job offer is accepted, not before an initial interview. Requests for identity documents at the application stage are a red flag.
No. Legitimate utility companies do not cold-call customers asking for full bank details. If you need to update payment details, call the number on your bill or log into your account online.
No. Medicare cards are issued free of charge. Any call asking you to pay for a new card is impersonating Medicare.
No. Mobile and phone carriers do not charge spontaneous activation fees to keep existing numbers active. This is a billing scam or impersonation tactic.
No. Legitimate insurers do not require additional premium payments as a condition of paying a valid claim. This demand is a sign of fraud or a disreputable company.
Legitimate universities collect enrolment deposits through verified official portals after an offer is formally issued. Unsolicited calls or emails requesting a fee to secure your place are a student scam tactic.
People you genuinely know might ask for help with travel costs, but someone you have only met online who asks for money before you have ever met in person is almost certainly running a romance scam.
Genuine regulators do not proactively contact scam victims to offer personal recovery services. Unsolicited offers to recover your scam losses are almost always a secondary scam called a recovery or refund scam.
No. No legitimate tax authority anywhere accepts retail vouchers or gift cards as payment. This demand is universally fraudulent.
No. Banks do not recruit mystery shoppers through unsolicited calls or emails to test branches by handling real money. Mystery shopper banking scams are a form of advance-fee and money mule fraud.
No. Government benefit payments are never conditional on recipients paying a cash fee. Any such demand is impersonation fraud.
No. Legitimate energy companies credit refunds to your account or send a cheque. Calls asking for card details to process a refund are phishing attempts.
No. Customs PINs or release codes sent by a courier and then requested back are a form of OTP phishing — the code is designed to give someone else access to your account or payment, not to release a parcel.
No. This is the defining feature of a money mule arrangement, which is illegal and can result in your bank account being closed and your facing criminal charges.
No visa agent or immigration lawyer can guarantee a visa approval — visa decisions rest solely with the government authority. Any guarantee of approval is either false advertising or a scam.
No. A genuine bank security team would never ask you to delete your banking app. This instruction is designed to remove the secure channel you could use to verify the caller's identity.
Collecting a security deposit and first and last month's rent before lease signing is a legitimate and common practice in many markets, but only after an in-person viewing and with a formal, signed agreement.
No. Couriers confirm delivery through package signatures, photo evidence, or app confirmations — not by collecting card details. Any delivery requiring card data entry at the door is fraudulent.
No. Tax authorities do not email links to click for refund collection. Refund notification emails containing links are phishing attempts regardless of how official they appear.
No legitimate government official solicits bribes. Any contact requesting an unofficial payment to expedite your application is either corruption or, more commonly, an impersonation scam.
No. Medical co-pays and appointment fees are collected at reception or through verified billing portals — never by gift card before the appointment.
Signing a lease and paying before any viewing is a serious red flag for rental fraud. No legitimate rental transaction should require financial commitment before you inspect the property.
No legitimate tech company recruits random members of the public to test payment systems using real money. This is a money mule recruitment tactic.
Legitimate regulated casinos do not charge upfront fees to release winnings. Fee demands before withdrawals are a gambling scam tactic and may also indicate the site is unlicensed.
No. Banks never ask for your full password. Legitimate security verification asks for specific characters from a memorable word — not the complete password.
No legitimate employer sends money in advance and then asks you to purchase and forward equipment or supplies. This is a cheque fraud or money mule pattern.
No legitimate investment platform withholds your funds pending an upfront tax payment from you. This is a standard exit barrier used in investment and crypto fraud.
Governments do charge registration fees, but only through official portals. Unsolicited calls or emails charging for business registration are impersonation scams targeting new entrepreneurs.
No legitimate crypto exchange withholds your funds pending an upfront tax payment. This is a standard exit barrier in crypto investment fraud.
Legitimate landlords accept standard bank transfers to business or personal accounts associated with the property. Insistence on a specific wire service to a name you cannot verify is a red flag.
No. Legitimate employers collect Social Security numbers for payroll and tax purposes after a job offer is accepted and during formal onboarding — not in the first outreach message.
No. Legitimate free trials either convert to a paid subscription or end without charge. A fee to cancel a free trial is deceptive billing practice and in many countries is illegal.
No. Police do not ask members of the public to send cryptocurrency to assist law enforcement operations. This is a law enforcement impersonation scam.
Legitimate direct sales companies do not require significant upfront purchases or fees as a condition of participation. Mandatory large buy-ins are a hallmark of pyramid schemes.
No. Any instruction to deceive bank staff is a definitive sign of fraud. Genuine fraud investigations do not require customers to mislead employees.
Official verification badges are applied through the platform's own process — never through a direct payment to someone contacting you. Anyone charging a fee to verify or restore your account is impersonating the platform.
Fake bank texts create false urgency about account problems and ask you to click a link or call a number — your real bank never needs you to verify details by text.
Fake parcel texts claim a delivery failed and ask you to pay a small fee or update your address via a link — real carriers do not charge re-delivery fees by text.
Fake IRS letters use urgent threats about arrest or immediate payment that the real IRS never makes — the IRS always allows time to question a notice and never demands gift cards.
Fake HMRC contacts threaten immediate arrest or promise a surprise tax refund and ask you to click a link or call a number — HMRC never demands same-day payment or sends refunds via text link.
Fake invoices insert fraudulent bank details into legitimate-looking bills or charge for goods and services never ordered — always verify new payment details by phone before paying any invoice.
Fake login pages copy the look of real websites but sit on different domains — always check the full URL in your browser bar before entering any password.
Fake QR codes redirect you to phishing sites or prompt app installs — always preview the URL before opening it and be suspicious of QR codes stuck over the top of official ones.
Fake apps mimic popular ones with near-identical icons and names to steal credentials or charge hidden subscriptions — check the developer name, review count, and publish date before installing.
Fake online stores lure you with prices far below market value and either never ship, send counterfeits, or steal your card details — check domain age, returns policy, and contact details before buying.
Fake charity appeals spring up after disasters and use emotional images and vague names to divert donations — verify the charity's registration number before giving.
Fake recruiters offer jobs with unusually high pay for minimal qualifications and eventually ask for fees or personal documents — legitimate employers never charge candidates to apply or onboard.
Fake romance profiles use stolen photos, claim to be abroad, quickly move to private messaging, and eventually ask for money — no legitimate partner needs funds before meeting you.
Fake crypto exchange emails mimic real platforms to steal your login or trick you into sending funds to a 'verification wallet' — legitimate exchanges never ask you to send crypto to prove ownership.
Fake PayPal emails mimic payment notifications or security alerts to steal your login — check that the sender is @paypal.com and log in directly rather than through any link.
Fake Microsoft contacts claim your computer is infected or your account is blocked and push you to install remote-access software or buy gift cards — Microsoft never contacts you unsolicited about device problems.
Fake Amazon emails claim your account is suspended or an order was placed in your name — always check your actual Amazon account rather than clicking any link in the email.
The SSA never suspends your Social Security number by phone or email — any contact claiming your number has been deactivated is a scam.
Phishing emails create false urgency, impersonate trusted brands, and contain links or attachments designed to steal your credentials or install malware — slowing down and checking the sender address protects you.
Fake energy and utility emails threaten supply disconnection unless you pay immediately through a link — real suppliers send paper bills and never cut supply without proper written notice.
Fake job offer emails promise remote roles with high pay and ask for personal data or fees before employment — a real job offer comes after an interview and never requires an upfront payment.
Fake tech support pop-ups display alarming security warnings with a phone number — legitimate security software never asks you to call a number to resolve a threat.