Online Shopping Scams

This scam uses eye-catching, heavily discounted product ads in social media feeds to lure you to fake or dishonest online stores that take your payment and deliver nothing, or send a cheap counterfeit instead.

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Fake Coupon Scam

This scam uses fake discount codes, 'spin to win' wheels, or coupon sites that look like a deal but exist to collect your personal and card details, push survey traps, or spread links across social media.

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Free Trial Subscription Trap Scam

This scam offers a 'free trial' for skincare, supplements, or similar products where you 'just pay shipping', then quietly enrols you in costly recurring charges that are difficult to cancel.

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Knockoff Brand Store Scam

This scam runs a website posing as an official brand outlet or 'clearance' store. It sells counterfeit goods, or takes your payment for heavily discounted items and never ships anything genuine.

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Fake Review Scam

In this scam, fake or paid five-star reviews and fake review websites make a dishonest seller, product, or store look trustworthy, leading shoppers to buy items that are poor quality, counterfeit, or never arrive at all.

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Gift Card Balance Scam

In this scam, a fake 'check your gift card balance' website or message asks you to enter your gift card number and PIN, which the scammer then uses to drain the card's value before you get the chance to spend it.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Dropshipping Scam

A store, often advertised on social media, sells cheap overseas goods at a large markup and ships them slowly from a low-cost supplier. Items can arrive late, look nothing like the photos, or be poor quality, with refunds made difficult.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Order Cancellation Scam

After or even without a real purchase, you get an email or text saying there was a problem and your order was cancelled or needs payment re-confirmation. A link leads to a fake page built to capture your account login and card details.

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Extended Warranty Scam

Calls, robocalls, texts, or mailers claim your product or vehicle warranty is expiring and pressure you to buy an overpriced or worthless 'extended warranty', using urgency to collect card and personal details.

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Fake Flight Booking Scam

Fake flight booking scams use lookalike travel sites or fake 'agents' to advertise unusually cheap flights. They take payment by bank transfer or card for a ticket that is never issued or is quietly cancelled, and often follow up with a fake 'your flight is cancelled, call to rebook' message designed to harvest card and passport details.

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Hotel Booking Scam

Hotel booking scams use fake listings or phishing messages that pose as a booking platform or the hotel itself. They ask you to 'reconfirm' payment off-platform, pay a deposit by transfer, or update card details for a room that may not really be available. Some come from hacked hotel chat or email accounts, making the request look genuine.

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In-Game Currency Scam

Offers of cheap or free in-game currency, coins, skins, points, or items appear on unofficial websites, adverts, and direct messages, often promising a fraction of the normal price. To 'deliver' the items, the site asks you to log in with your game account or pay through an unofficial checkout. This can hand over your account credentials or card details, leading to a hijacked account or a charge for items that never arrive. These offers frequently target younger players who may be less wary.

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Fake Tracking Update Scam

After placing an order, or sometimes out of nowhere, you receive an email or text styled as a retailer's own order-tracking update, often flagging a 'delivery exception' or 'parcel on hold'. A link leads to a page that mimics the shop's tracking area and asks for a small fee or your account login to 'release' the parcel. Unlike generic courier-impersonation texts, this version copies the retailer's branding and order flow, which can make a fake update look convincing if you are expecting a delivery.

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Cheap Software Key Scam

Some sites and listings sell software licence keys or activation codes at prices far below the official rate. The codes may be fake, stolen, generated in bulk, region-locked, or genuine keys that get deactivated soon after activation. Buyers can end up with software that stops working, fails to activate, or breaches the licence terms, and some checkout pages also exist mainly to harvest card details. The financial loss per key is often small, but the disruption and data risk can be larger.

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Product Recall Scam

In a product recall scam, a fake safety-recall notice claims a product you may own is dangerous and asks you to 'register for a refund or replacement' through a link. The page then harvests your personal and bank details. The notice borrows the look of a real manufacturer or regulator and uses safety fears to make you act quickly. Genuine recalls are published through official manufacturer and regulator channels, so checking there first is the safest way to confirm whether a recall is real.

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Unclaimed Parcel Scam

This scam plays on the idea of bargains hidden inside parcels nobody collected. You might see an advert offering boxes or whole pallets of cheap unclaimed or undelivered goods to buy in bulk for resale, or you might get a notice saying a parcel is waiting for you and a small fee is needed to release it. In reality the goods often never arrive, turn out to be near-worthless, or the only goal is to take your payment and card details. Genuine couriers and retailers do not sell off mystery parcels to the public this way, so offers like these deserve a careful second look.

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Buy Now Pay Later Scam

Buy now pay later (BNPL) services let people split a purchase into instalments, and scammers exploit how familiar they have become. A typical scam arrives as a text or email claiming to be from a BNPL provider, warning of a missed payment, an account problem, or a refund waiting to be claimed. The message links to a convincing but fake login or payment page designed to capture your account details, card, or bank information. In some cases criminals who already have access use a victim's BNPL account to buy goods. Genuine providers contact you through their app and do not pressure you to confirm details through an unexpected link.

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Liquidation Sale Scam

In this scam, ads promote a well-known shop supposedly 'closing down' with huge liquidation discounts, leading to a fake site that takes your payment and ships nothing or a cheap substitute.

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Mystery Box Scam

In this scam, ads or DMs sell a cheap 'mystery box' promising electronics or luxury items worth far more, but buyers receive worthless items, nothing at all, or get signed up to recurring charges.

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Pre-Order Scam

In this scam, a seller takes pre-orders and full payment for an upcoming or hard-to-get product, then endlessly delays, makes excuses, and never ships, often disappearing once enough orders are collected.

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Brushing Scam

In this scam, you receive parcels you never ordered, sent by a seller using your name and address to post fake 'verified' reviews; while the items are free, it can signal your personal details are being misused.

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Fake Customer Support Number Scam

In this scam, fake customer-service numbers appear in search results, ads, or pop-ups, so when you call for help with an order or account, a scammer poses as support and seeks payment, remote access, or your details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Online Pharmacy Scam

In this scam, a rogue online pharmacy advertises cheap prescription medicine with no prescription required, then takes your money and card details and ships nothing, counterfeit pills, or unsafe products.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Car Rental Booking Scam

In this scam, fake car rental websites or 'customer service' numbers offer cheap deals and take a prepayment or deposit for a vehicle, then provide no car and no refund, or harvest your card details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Custom Product Scam

In this scam, a seller advertises custom or personalised products, such as engraved gifts, art, or made-to-order items, takes full payment citing the bespoke nature, then ships nothing or a poor imitation and resists refunds.

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Grocery Delivery Voucher Scam

In this scam, fake grocery delivery vouchers, coupons, or apps promise free or cheap groceries, then phish your card and personal details or take payment for deliveries that never arrive.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Travel Money Exchange Scam

In this scam, a fake online currency exchange or 'travel money' service offers unbeatable rates, takes your payment for foreign cash or a prepaid travel card, then delivers nothing or disappears.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Ticket Website Scam

In this scam, a professional-looking ticket website advertises sold-out or discounted event tickets, takes your payment, then sends fake tickets, nothing at all, or duplicates that fail at the gate.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Repair Service Scam

In this scam, an online or mail-in repair service for phones, appliances, or computers lures you with low quotes, then overcharges, fits cheap or fake parts, holds your device hostage, or returns it unrepaired.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Solar Panel Scam

In this scam, solar panel or home energy sellers use door-to-door or online pitches with inflated savings claims, fake grants, and high pressure, taking deposits for systems that underperform or are never installed.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Fleeceware App Scam

In this scam, an app offers a short free trial for simple features, then charges large recurring subscription fees that are easy to start and hard to cancel, relying on you forgetting to cancel in time.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Christmas Club Scam

In this scam, an unregulated 'Christmas club' or hamper scheme takes regular payments through the year promising holiday goods or vouchers, then collapses or disappears with your savings before payout.

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Cashback App Scam

In this scam, a cashback or rewards app promises money back on purchases or tasks, shows a growing balance, then blocks withdrawals behind minimums and fees, or harvests your shopping and personal data.

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Subscription Cancellation Service Scam

In this scam, an app or service offers to find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, but to do so it asks for your bank or account logins, which it uses to access your finances, or it charges fees and does little.

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IPTV Subscription Scam

In this scam, a cheap IPTV or streaming subscription promises thousands of channels for a low fee, then takes your card details and money, providing a service that stops working, vanishes, or steals your data.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Holiday Package Scam

In this scam, a too-good-to-be-true all-inclusive holiday or travel package is advertised cheaply, then the seller takes a deposit or full payment by transfer and provides no booking, fake confirmations, or nothing at all.

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Online Casino Scam

In this scam, an unlicensed online casino lures players with big bonuses, lets them 'win' on screen, then blocks withdrawals behind endless verification, fees, or wagering rules, keeping their deposits.

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Betting Tipster Scam

In this scam, a tipster sells access to 'guaranteed' or 'inside' betting or trading tips for a fee or subscription, using faked results and testimonials, while most subscribers lose money.

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Pet Insurance Scam

In this scam, a fake or unlicensed pet insurer offers cheap, comprehensive cover, takes your premiums and card details, then denies all claims, disappears, or never provided real cover at all.

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Fuel Card Scam

In this scam, a fake fuel card or fuel-discount scheme promises big savings at the pump, then takes your payment and details for a card that does not work, never arrives, or enrols you in hidden charges.

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DNA Test Kit Scam

In this scam, a fake DNA, ancestry, or health test kit is offered cheaply or 'free', taking your payment and sensitive personal and health data, then sending no kit, no real results, or misusing your information.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Home Security System Scam

In this scam, door-to-door or online home security sellers use scare tactics, fake 'free' systems, or impersonate your current provider to lock you into expensive monitoring contracts or take deposits for equipment that underperforms.

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Cause Merchandise Scam

In this scam, an online store sells merchandise claiming proceeds support a charity, veteran, or cause, but the goods are poor or never arrive, and no money reaches the cause; it exists to harvest payments and details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Ghost Broking Scam

In this scam, a 'broker' sells cheap car insurance that is fake, forged, or taken out with false details, so the policy is invalid; you are uninsured, lose your premium, and risk penalties if you drive.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Pet Boarding Scam

In this scam, a fake pet boarding service, kennel, or sitter advertises great care at low prices, takes a deposit or full payment upfront, then provides no service and disappears.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Energy-Saving Device Scam

In this scam, a cheap plug-in 'energy saving' or 'power saver' device is advertised with claims it slashes electricity bills, but it does nothing useful and may be unsafe, taking your money and card details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Miracle Supplement Scam

In this scam, a supplement is marketed with miracle weight-loss or health-cure claims and a 'free trial', then traps you in costly recurring charges and ships products that do not work and may be unsafe.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Cosmetic Surgery Deposit Scam

In this scam, a clinic or 'coordinator' advertises cheap cosmetic surgery or medical tourism packages, taking deposits or full payment upfront for procedures that are unsafe, misrepresented, or never happen.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team