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The highest-harm scams — large or irreversible losses, organised operations, or severe personal impact. (104 scam types.)
Fraudsters gain unauthorised access to your existing accounts — email, banking, social media — using stolen credentials, phishing, or SIM swaps, then exploit or sell the access.
Tech ScamsAttackers position themselves between you and a legitimate website to harvest authenticated session tokens in real time, bypassing two-factor authentication without needing your password.
AI-Era ScamsAI tools that scrape your public data to generate personalised, convincing phishing messages that reference real details from your life.
AI-Era ScamsScammers use AI voice cloning to simulate a panicked loved one and demand ransom before the 'victim' can be reached.
Finance ScamsScammers trick you into authorising a bank transfer or mobile payment to an account they control, using social engineering, fake emergencies, or impersonation.
Tech ScamsMalicious software secretly installed on a device intercepts banking sessions, captures saved passwords, steals cryptocurrency wallet files, and exfiltrates personal data — often without any visible symptoms.
Business ScamsCompromised or spoofed business email accounts used to redirect payments and steal data.
Business ScamsImpersonation of senior executives to pressure staff into urgent, confidential payments.
Identity Theft & Data ScamsA child's Social Security Number or national identifier is used to open credit accounts, take out loans, or commit tax fraud — sometimes going undetected for years until the child applies for a student loan or their first credit card as an adult.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsMalware that silently replaces a cryptocurrency address you have copied with the attacker's address, redirecting your transfer.
Health & Medical ScamsCriminal supply chains that distribute counterfeit, adulterated, or substandard branded medicines through unofficial channels, causing direct health harm alongside financial loss.
Mail & Courier FraudFraudsters impersonate police or bank fraud teams by phone, claim your card is compromised, and send a fake courier to your door to collect your card and PIN.
MLM, Pyramid & Hustle ScamsSchemes combining cryptocurrency with multi-level or matrix recruitment structures, where participants buy in with crypto and are paid only when they recruit others — obscuring money flows and complicating recovery.
Finance ScamsFraud built around cryptocurrency — fake exchanges, wallet-draining links, giveaway scams and bogus trading platforms.
Extortion & Blackmail ScamsCriminals claim to have stolen an organisation's or individual's sensitive data and threaten to publish it unless a ransom is paid. The threat may be genuine or fabricated.
Romance & Relationship ScamsRomantic interest used to draw you into a fake crypto trading platform (a form of pig butchering).
Extortion & Blackmail ScamsScammers generate AI-fabricated intimate images using the victim's real photographs and threaten to distribute them unless money is paid, despite the images being entirely artificial.
AI-Era ScamsAI-generated intimate images created without consent and used to extort payment or compliance through threats of exposure.
AI-Era ScamsLive deepfake video used to impersonate executives or loved ones and authorise transfers.
AI-Era ScamsCloned voices of family members or executives used to authorise urgent payments or 'rescues'.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsPhishing sites mimicking DeFi protocols or wallet interfaces that steal connected wallet funds through malicious contract approvals during 'flash loan' or yield interactions.
Legal & Immigration ScamsCriminals who threaten to report someone to immigration authorities unless a payment is made, exploiting fear of deportation as leverage.
Government Impersonation ScamsCallers posing as immigration enforcement officers threaten imminent deportation or detention to coerce migrants and visa holders into making urgent payments or surrendering identity documents.
Government Impersonation ScamsScammers impersonate law-enforcement officers on a live video call, tell the victim they are under a fictitious 'digital arrest', and demand immediate payment to avoid prosecution.
Insurance ScamsFraudsters who target people after floods, fires, or storms — posing as insurers, public adjusters, or contractors to steal claim payouts or personal data.
Identity Theft & Data ScamsOlder adults are disproportionately targeted for identity theft due to stronger credit histories, consistent income streams, and the assumption that they check financial accounts less frequently. Fraudsters open credit lines, redirect benefits, and drain retirement accounts.
Romance & Relationship ScamsSudden 'crisis' stories — accidents, arrests, stranded abroad — engineered to rush money out of you.
Housing & Rental ScamsScammers persuade homeowners facing foreclosure to sign over their property under a sale-leaseback or rescue scheme, then strip the equity and evict the family.
Telecom & Account ScamsAttackers exploit carrier eSIM provisioning processes to transfer your phone number to a digital SIM they control, achieving the same account-takeover outcome as a physical SIM swap without needing a SIM card.
Health & Medical ScamsFraudulent rehabilitation centres and programmes that exploit people seeking help for substance use — taking payment without providing proper care.
AI-Era Scams'AI trading bots' promising automated, guaranteed profits — a wrapper for investment fraud.
AI-Era ScamsEntire platforms branded around 'AI trading' that are fake from end to end.
Government Impersonation ScamsCalls claiming a warrant is out for your arrest unless you pay a 'fine' immediately.
Legal & Immigration ScamsOperators who charge fees to file asylum applications, promising to expedite or guarantee the outcome of a process that is free when filed directly.
Imposter & Emergency ScamsA caller claiming to be from your bank's fraud department says your account has been compromised and you must take urgent action — usually moving money to a 'safe account' or providing security credentials. Both requests are fraudulent.
Insurance ScamsUnregulated 'brokers' who sell fabricated, voided, or cancelled motor insurance policies — leaving drivers unknowingly uninsured at serious legal and financial risk.
Government Impersonation ScamsFraudsters pose as senior investigators from elite law-enforcement agencies such as the CBI, FBI, or NCA and conduct fake 'interrogations' to coerce victims into paying bribes or providing personal data.
Mail & Courier FraudCriminals recruit victims as 'package managers' or home-based couriers, using them to receive, repackage, and reship fraudulently purchased goods to conceal the crime trail.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsImposters posing as exchange customer support trick you into revealing credentials, seed phrases, or approving withdrawals.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsFraudulent services targeting people who have already lost money in crypto scams, promising to trace and recover funds in exchange for upfront fees.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsCounterfeit or tampered hardware wallets — or phishing via fake manufacturer sites — that steal seed phrases and drain funds.
Health & Medical ScamsFraudulent policies that collect premiums but provide no real coverage, leaving victims with large medical bills.
Insurance ScamsFraudulent policies that look like comprehensive health cover but pay out nothing — or far less than promised — when you need care.
Insurance ScamsUnregulated 'health benefit' memberships sold as insurance that have no obligation to pay claims — leaving members unprotected when they need care.
Legal & Immigration ScamsIndividuals posing as qualified immigration attorneys who take fees, provide incompetent or fraudulent services, and disappear before clients realise the harm done.
Government Impersonation ScamsThreats of deportation or visa problems used to extort payment from migrants and visitors.
Government Impersonation ScamsCriminals impersonate Interpol officers and claim the victim is the subject of a Red Notice — an international wanted alert — for serious crimes, demanding payment or information to have the notice withdrawn.
Housing & Rental ScamsImpostors posing as property owners who have no right to rent the property, leaving tenants homeless and out of pocket.
Home Services & Contractor ScamsImposters claiming to be from the utility company arrive to inspect or upgrade a meter, gain access to the home, and commit theft, identity fraud, or charge for false electrical work.
Home Services & Contractor ScamsContractors fabricate or greatly exaggerate mold or asbestos findings to sell expensive remediation services that are unnecessary, inadequate, or both.
Romance & Relationship ScamsInvented romantic identities built to win trust and then request money.
Health & Medical ScamsWebsites posing as licensed pharmacies that sell counterfeit, substandard, or entirely absent medications — and harvest payment details.
Government Impersonation ScamsImposters posing as police who claim your identity or accounts are compromised and demand action.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsPlatforms promising unrealistically high staking or yield returns that are either exit scams or Ponzi schemes.
Government Impersonation ScamsCallers and messages posing as the tax authority demanding urgent payment to avoid penalties or arrest.
Tech ScamsCallers posing as Microsoft, Apple or your ISP who claim a problem and request remote access.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsFraudulent token launches collect presale funds then abandon the project, leaving investors with worthless or non-existent tokens.
Finance ScamsSlick websites and apps that simulate trading and show fake profits to keep you depositing.
Legal & Immigration ScamsFraudulent companies and individuals who charge fees to prepare visa or green card applications but provide worthless or non-existent services.
Legal & Immigration ScamsFraudulent job offers, agencies, or services that charge for work permits or visas that are never obtained, or that are forgeries.
Housing & Rental ScamsFraudsters who target homeowners facing foreclosure with fake 'rescue' services that take fees and accelerate financial ruin.
MLM, Pyramid & Hustle ScamsSchemes presenting foreign exchange trading as a wealth-building opportunity while deriving income primarily from recruiting new members rather than from actual profitable trading.
Insurance ScamsFraudsters who sell cheap car insurance policies that are forged, cancelled after purchase, or taken out in your name with false details — leaving you uninsured and potentially liable.
MLM, Pyramid & Hustle ScamsSchemes framed as community gifting or mutual aid where participants pay cash to those above them in a chain, with the promise of receiving larger payouts when they recruit enough new members — a pyramid structure dressed as generosity.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsAttackers trick users into signing off-chain permission messages that authorise a malicious contract to spend or transfer their tokens — without any transaction gas or obvious on-chain action.
Insurance ScamsFraudulent or rogue brokers collect insurance premiums from clients but never pass them to the insurer — leaving clients uninsured while believing they are covered.
Education & Student ScamsFraudsters impersonate universities or education agents to intercept large international tuition deposits from overseas students, leaving them without a university place or their money.
Extortion & Blackmail ScamsSomeone who holds real intimate images of a victim — obtained through a relationship, deception, or hacking — threatens to share them publicly unless demands for money, more images, or continued contact are met.
Finance ScamsFake or manipulated investment opportunities that promise high, guaranteed returns and pressure you to deposit quickly.
Business ScamsFraudsters change supplier bank details so legitimate payments are diverted to them.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsFake DeFi protocols promise high yields for providing liquidity, then drain your wallet when you connect and approve.
Tech ScamsFraudsters trick Android users into installing malware-laced app files from outside the official store, granting attackers remote access, banking interception, or surveillance capabilities.
Identity Theft & Data ScamsCriminals use your health insurance details, Medicare number, or NHS number to fraudulently receive medical care, prescription drugs, or insurance payouts — leaving you with corrupted medical records that can endanger your health.
Tech ScamsAttackers flood your phone with authentication-approval requests until you accept one by mistake, then impersonate support staff to confirm the 'error'.
Finance ScamsFraudsters pose as mortgage brokers or lenders, collect large upfront fees and sensitive personal data, then disappear — leaving victims with no mortgage, empty bank accounts, and compromised identity documents.
Telecom & Account ScamsFraudsters transfer your mobile number to a different carrier without your consent, redirecting your calls and texts to intercept security codes.
Finance ScamsSchemes that pressure you to transfer or unlock your pension into high-risk or fake investments.
Finance ScamsLong-con investment fraud that blends romance or friendship with a fake crypto trading platform.
Finance ScamsInvestment frauds that pay 'returns' to early investors using new investors' money until they collapse.
Housing & Rental ScamsScammers intercept property sale communications and substitute fake wiring instructions to divert closing funds.
Finance ScamsFraudsters who target people who were already scammed, charging upfront fees to 'recover' lost money.
MLM, Pyramid & Hustle ScamsSchemes where participants earn money solely by recruiting new members, with no real product or service — mathematically guaranteed to collapse, leaving the vast majority of participants at a loss.
Tech ScamsAny scam that persuades you to install screen-sharing or remote-control software to seize your device.
Job & Income Scams'Jobs' that use you to reship goods bought with stolen cards or move criminal money.
Romance & Relationship ScamsThreats to expose a relationship, real or fabricated, unless payment is made to keep it secret.
Romance & Relationship ScamsFollow-up scams targeting romance fraud victims with promises to recover lost money for a fee.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsDevelopers launch a token or NFT project, attract investor funds, then abandon it and vanish with the liquidity.
Finance ScamsSomeone posing as your bank tells you your account is compromised and instructs you to move your money to a 'safe' account — which they control.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsScammers use fake support, fake wallets, or alarming prompts to trick you into revealing your wallet's recovery phrase.
Social Media & Account TakeoverMalware and malicious browser extensions that steal active session cookies, bypassing passwords and two-factor authentication entirely.
Romance & Relationship ScamsIntimate images obtained or faked, then used to threaten and extort the victim.
Telecom & Account ScamsFraudsters take over your mobile account by impersonating you to your carrier, then use your phone number to bypass two-factor authentication on banking and other accounts.
Tech ScamsAttackers convince your mobile carrier to transfer your phone number to a SIM they control, then use it to bypass SMS-based authentication and take over your accounts.
Telecom & Account ScamsFraudsters hijack your phone number by convincing your carrier to transfer it to a SIM they control, bypassing SMS-based two-factor authentication.
Job & Income ScamsGame-like 'task' or 'commission' jobs that pay small amounts early, then demand escalating deposits.
Education & Student ScamsFraudulent payment portals, impersonated institutions, and misdirected wire transfers targeting students paying tuition or accommodation fees.
Social Media & Account TakeoverMulti-step attacks that manipulate victims into disabling or handing over their two-factor authentication to complete an account takeover.
Utility & Energy ScamsScammers impersonate electricity, gas, or water companies and threaten imminent service disconnection unless you pay immediately by gift card or transfer.
Utility & Energy ScamsCallers and texts claiming your electricity, gas, or water is about to be cut off unless you pay immediately.
Auto & Vehicle ScamsFake escrow or payment-protection services used in online vehicle sales to collect full payment for a vehicle that is never delivered.
Business ScamsAttackers infiltrate or impersonate a supplier's email account to intercept and redirect legitimate invoice payments to accounts they control.
Imposter & Emergency ScamsA caller claims to have kidnapped a family member and demands an immediate ransom, but no one has actually been taken. The scam relies entirely on fear and the brief window before the victim can verify their relative is safe.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsMalicious smart contracts trick you into signing a transaction that transfers all your tokens and NFTs to a scammer.
Crypto & Web3 ScamsFake yield farming platforms advertise impossibly high annual percentage yields to attract deposits, then prevent withdrawals until victims have deposited substantially more funds.