Scam Types & Guides
Browse scams by category. Each guide explains what the scam looks like, the red flags to watch for, and exactly what to do. We currently have 100 detailed guides, with more added regularly.
Scam texts (also called smishing) try to push you into clicking a link, calling a number, or sending money using urgency and fake alerts.
Wrong Number Text Scam
This scam starts with a friendly 'wrong number' text, builds a casual conversation over time, and eventually steers you toward a fake investment.
Fake Toll Road Text Scam
This scam texts you about a small unpaid toll and threatens late fees, linking to a fake page that collects your card and personal details.
Fake Voicemail Text Scam
This scam sends a text or email claiming you have a new voicemail or missed call, with a link to 'listen' that leads to a phishing page or prompts you to install an app.
Two-Factor Code Text Scam
In this scam a fraudster triggers a genuine two-factor or one-time code to your phone, then poses as support staff or a contact to pressure you into reading it back so they can take over your account.
Amazon Prime Text Scam
This scam sends a text claiming your Amazon Prime membership has auto-renewed or that a payment failed, with a number to call or a link to 'cancel' that is used to harvest your login and card details.
SIM Swap Scam
In a SIM swap scam, a fraudster persuades your mobile carrier to move your number to their SIM, then intercepts your calls and one-time codes to break into your accounts.
Utility Disconnection Scam
This scam uses a text or call posing as your electricity, gas, or water company, threatening to cut off service within the hour unless you pay immediately by an unusual method.
Family Emergency Text Scam
This scam sends a text from an unknown number claiming to be your child or relative who lost their phone, then urgently asks you to pay a bill or send money.
QR Code Scam
This scam uses a malicious QR code, often a sticker over a real one or sent by text, that leads to a fake payment or login page or prompts a harmful app install.
Lottery Winner Scam
This scam tells you that you have won a lottery or prize draw you never entered, then asks for an upfront fee, tax payment, or personal details to release the supposed winnings.
Text From Your Own Number Scam
This scam sends a text that appears to come from your own phone number, often posing as your mobile carrier with a reward or account-issue link, using the spoofed sender to seem trustworthy.
Fake Phone Carrier Text Scam
This scam sends a text posing as your mobile network, claiming a loyalty reward, overdue bill, or account problem, and links to a fake login or payment page that harvests your details.
Customer Survey Scam
This scam invites you to complete a short customer satisfaction survey for a reward from a known brand, then asks for card details to cover 'shipping' on the prize or harvests your personal data.
Email scams (phishing) imitate companies you trust to trick you into logging in on a fake page, paying a fake invoice, or downloading an attachment.
Fake Invoice Email Scam
This scam emails an invoice or receipt for something you did not buy, hoping you call a fake 'support' number or click a link to dispute it.
Fake Amazon Order Email
This scam emails a fake order confirmation for an expensive item, hoping you click a link or call a number to dispute a charge you never made.
Fake Netflix Payment Email
This scam warns that your Netflix payment failed and your account is on hold, linking to a fake page that steals your login and card details.
Fake Apple ID Locked Email
This scam claims your Apple ID has been locked for security reasons and links to a fake sign-in page that captures your Apple ID and password.
Fake Refund Email Scam
This scam emails that you are owed a refund and asks you to confirm bank or card details, or to accept a refund that is really designed to steal your money.
Fake Subscription Renewal Email
This scam emails that a subscription is renewing for a large amount, hoping you call a fake support number or click a link to cancel and hand over details.
Fake PayPal Email Scam
This scam sends an email claiming your PayPal account is limited or shows unusual activity, urging you to 'confirm' your details through a link that leads to a fake login page designed to steal your password.
Microsoft Account Email Scam
This scam sends a fake Microsoft or Outlook email about an unusual sign-in or an account about to be closed, linking to a fake Microsoft login page that captures your email and password.
Fake DocuSign Email Scam
This scam sends a fake 'you have a document to review and sign' email with a 'View Document' link that leads to a credential-harvesting page or to malware instead of a genuine document.
Fake LinkedIn Email Scam
This scam sends fake LinkedIn notification emails, such as a new message, appearing in searches or a job offer, with links to phishing pages that steal your login or push you toward fake recruiters.
Inheritance Scam
This scam emails you out of the blue claiming you are the beneficiary of a large inheritance or unclaimed estate, often from a distant relative or stranger, then asks for fees, bank details, or documents to 'release' the money that never exists.
Fake Tech Support Scam
This scam uses a pop-up, email, or phone call warning that your computer is infected or your account is compromised, urging you to call a number or allow remote access, after which the fake 'technician' charges fees, installs software, or takes your data.
Google Docs Sharing Scam
This scam sends an email saying someone shared a Google Doc or file with you, with an 'Open' link that leads to a fake Google login page or asks you to grant risky account permissions, aiming to capture your password or access your account.
Marketplace scams target buyers and sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, using fake payments, overpayment tricks, and pressure to move off-platform.
Facebook Marketplace Buyer Email Scam
A fake buyer claims to have paid through an email service and asks you to confirm a fee or send the 'difference' before any real money arrives.
Google Voice Verification Code Scam
On a marketplace, a supposed buyer or seller asks you to share a verification code texted to your phone to 'prove you are real'. The code is actually used to set up a Google Voice number linked to you, which the scammer then uses for further fraud.
Concert Ticket Scam
Scammers advertise resale tickets for sold-out or popular events on social media and marketplaces. After you pay, often by a method that is hard to reverse, you receive no valid ticket, or a duplicate that will not scan at the door.
Puppy Sale Scam
This scam advertises pets at attractive prices, then asks for a deposit before you can meet the animal and keeps adding fees for shipping, crates, or insurance, while the pet does not actually exist.
Car Deposit Scam
This scam uses an underpriced vehicle listing where the seller claims to be away and asks for a deposit or full payment through gift cards, wire transfer, or a fake escrow service before you can inspect the car.
Fake Escrow Scam
In a high-value marketplace deal, the other party insists on a specific 'escrow' or 'secure payment' website to hold the funds, but the site is fake and simply collects your money or card details.
Vehicle History Report Scam
When buying or selling a vehicle, the other party insists you first get a history report from one specific website, which is set up to harvest your card details or charge hidden fees.
Electronics Deposit Scam
This scam advertises a cheap phone, games console, or laptop, then asks you to send a deposit to 'hold' or 'reserve' the item before you can meet or before it ships. After you pay, the seller disappears.
Marketplace Gift Card Payment Scam
This scam involves a buyer or seller on a marketplace insisting on paying or being paid with gift card codes. Once the codes are shared they are drained almost instantly and are extremely difficult to recover.
Fake Shipping Label Scam
This scam targets sellers when a 'buyer' sends a prepaid shipping label or claims to have overpaid for shipping and asks for the difference back, or sends a fake label so the parcel is redirected. The underlying payment is usually fake or later reversed.
Bait and Switch Listing Scam
This scam uses an attractive, underpriced listing as bait. Once you enquire, the seller says the item is gone and pressures you toward a different, inferior or overpriced item, or to pay a deposit on a 'similar' one.
Job scams offer easy, high-paying or remote work to collect your personal details, charge fake fees, or recruit you into moving money.
Fake Job Offer Scam
This scam offers a job with little or no interview, then asks for upfront fees, personal documents, or bank details to 'set you up.'
WhatsApp Job Scam
This scam contacts you on WhatsApp with an easy paid-task job, shows small early 'earnings,' then asks you to deposit money to unlock bigger payouts.
Fake Remote Data Entry Job Scam
This scam advertises easy remote data entry work, then asks for upfront fees, personal documents, or bank details, or routes you into money handling.
Mystery Shopper Scam
This scam offers a fake secret or mystery shopper job, sends you a cheque to deposit, and asks you to 'evaluate' a money-transfer service by wiring most of it back or buying gift cards, after which the cheque bounces and you are left owing the money.
Reshipping Job Scam
This scam advertises a work-from-home 'package processing' or 'quality control' role where you receive parcels and reship them abroad, but the goods were bought with stolen cards, making you an unwitting money mule with real legal risk.
Car Wrap Scam
This scam offers to pay you for wrapping your car in advertising, then sends a check for more than agreed and asks you to forward part of it to a 'wrap installer'. The check later bounces, leaving you responsible for the money you sent on.
Envelope Stuffing Scam
This long-running scam promises easy money for stuffing envelopes at home, charges an upfront fee for a 'starter kit', then reveals the only way to earn is by recruiting others into the same scheme.
Virtual Assistant Job Scam
In this scam, a remote 'personal or virtual assistant' role offers good pay for simple tasks, then sends a fake cheque to buy supplies or gift cards and forward money, or asks for upfront fees or bank details, leaving you out of pocket.
Modeling Agency Scam
In this scam a 'scout' or agency contacts an aspiring model promising big opportunities, then asks for upfront payment for a portfolio, classes, registration, or a 'starter package'. The promised work rarely appears.
Bank and payment scams impersonate your bank or a payment service to trigger panic, then push you to share codes, move money, or log in on a fake page.
PayPal Payment Pending Scam
This scam shows a fake 'payment on hold' message claiming funds will be released once you ship an item or confirm details, but no real payment exists.
Fake Bank Alert Text Scam
This scam sends a text claiming suspicious activity on your account, then steers you to a fake login page or a 'fraud agent' who pressures you to move money.
Fake E-Transfer Scam
This scam sends a fake e-transfer notification linking to a phishing page that imitates your bank's login to steal your online banking details.
Zelle Payment Scam
In this scam someone posing as your bank's fraud team contacts you about 'suspicious activity' and pressures you to send money through Zelle to 'reverse' a charge or 'protect' your account. Zelle transfers are usually instant and hard to recover.
Cash App Scam
These scams use fake Cash App 'giveaways' or 'blessings', people pretending to be Cash App support who ask for your PIN or sign-in code, and 'accidental payment' refund tricks to take your money or take over your account.
Overpayment Scam
A buyer, employer, or 'client' sends you a payment or cheque for more than they owe, then asks you to send the extra back. The original payment is fake or is later reversed, leaving you out of pocket for the refund you sent.
Venmo Scam
Venmo scams take several forms, including fake 'accidental payment' refund tricks, people posing as Venmo support to get your codes, stranger payments that later reverse, and prize or giveaway messages.
Payroll Direct Deposit Scam
In this scam, a fraudster emails an employer's HR or payroll team while pretending to be an employee and asks to update their direct-deposit bank details, diverting the next paycheck to the scammer's account.
Bank Impersonation Phone Scam
In this scam a caller pretends to be your bank's fraud team, claims your account is under attack, and pressures you to move money to a 'safe account', read out one-time codes, or grant remote access so they can steal your funds.
Card Skimming Scam
In a card skimming scam, criminals attach hidden devices to ATMs, fuel pumps, or shop card readers, often with a tiny camera or fake keypad, to copy your card details and PIN and later make fraudulent transactions or card clones.
Delivery scams impersonate couriers and postal services with fake 'missed delivery' or 'customs fee' messages that lead to phishing pages.
Canada Post Text Scam
This scam sends a fake Canada Post delivery notice asking you to click a link or pay a small redelivery fee, then collects your card and personal details on a fake page.
Fake Delivery Text Scam
This scam impersonates a courier with a missed-delivery text and a link to a fake page that asks for a fee or your personal and card details.
Fake Customs Fee Text
This scam texts that a parcel is held in customs and a fee is due, linking to a fake page that collects your card and personal details.
USPS Text Scam
This scam sends a fake USPS message about a missed delivery or an address that needs confirming, with a link to a phishing page that collects your card and personal details, sometimes after a small redelivery fee.
UPS Text Scam
This scam sends a fake UPS message claiming a delivery failed or that your address is needed, with a link to pay a small fee or confirm details on a fake page that harvests your card and personal information.
DHL Text Scam
This scam sends a fake DHL message about a held parcel or unpaid customs fee, pushing you to a phishing page that collects your card and personal details.
FedEx Text Scam
This scam sends a fake FedEx text about a held or undeliverable parcel, asking you to pay a small fee or confirm details through a link that leads to a phishing page.
Evri Text Scam
This scam sends a fake Evri courier text about a missed delivery or a needed address or small fee, with a link to a phishing page that collects your card and personal details under the guise of rescheduling your parcel.
Rental scams advertise homes that are not available, then pressure you to pay a deposit or holding fee before you can view the property.
Rental Deposit Scam
This scam advertises a desirable rental at a low price and demands a deposit before any viewing, then disappears once you pay.
Rental Application Fee Scam
This scam uses a fake landlord or agent who asks for an upfront application, holding, or background-check fee, often by e-transfer or gift card, before any viewing, then disappears once the money is sent.
Vacation Rental Scam
This scam uses a fake or hijacked holiday rental listing, often with copied photos and a below-market price, to pressure you into paying a deposit off-platform by bank transfer for a property that is not actually available.
Cloned Rental Listing Scam
In this scam, someone copies a genuine rental listing's photos and description and reposts it at a lower price under their own contact details. They then ask for a deposit or first month's rent before any viewing, then disappear once paid.
Rent-to-Own Scam
In this scam a fake or deceptive rent-to-own offer collects an upfront option fee or deposit and inflated rent toward a 'future purchase' that never happens, often for a property the scammer does not own or cannot sell.
Social media scams use DMs, fake giveaways, verification offers, and romance messages to steal logins, money, or personal information.
Instagram Verification Scam
This scam offers a blue verification badge or warns your account is at risk, then links to a fake login page that steals your password.
Fake Giveaway Scam
This scam tells you that you won a prize or giveaway, then asks for a fee, your login, or personal details to 'claim' it.
Facebook Account Recovery Scam
This scam uses a hacked friend's account to ask you to be a 'recovery contact' or share a code, which actually hands your own account to the scammer.
Romance Scam DM
This scam builds an online romantic relationship through messages, then invents an emergency or investment to ask for money, while always avoiding meeting in person.
Facebook Copyright Violation Scam
This scam sends a message or email claiming your Facebook page broke copyright or community rules and will be deleted within 24 hours unless you 'appeal' through a link, which leads to a fake login page built to steal your password.
Hacked Friend Help Scam
A message arrives from a friend's account asking for money, a verification code, or to click a link. In reality the friend's account has been taken over, and the scammer is using your trust in them to reach you.
Cloned Account Friend Request Scam
A scammer copies a real person's name and profile photo, then sends friend requests to that person's contacts and messages them asking for money, verification codes, or to click a link.
Instagram Collab Scam
A DM posing as a brand offers a paid collaboration or ambassador deal, then steers you toward a phishing link, an upfront 'starter kit' fee, or a request for your login or banking details.
Fake Charity Donation Scam
Fake charity appeals, often tied to disasters or medical causes, spread through social posts and DMs and push donations via untraceable methods to a cause that does not exist or never receives the money.
Is This You Video Scam
This scam sends a message from a friend's hacked account asking 'is this you in this video?' with a link that leads to a fake login page; if you enter your details, your account is taken over and used to send the same message to your contacts.
Celebrity Impersonation DM Scam
This scam uses a direct message from an account posing as a celebrity or public figure to build a personal connection with a fan, then asks for money, gift cards, a 'membership fee', or details for a fake meet-and-greet or giveaway.
Social Media Quiz Scam
This scam uses fun-looking quizzes and 'which X are you' posts to collect answers that double as security-question information, such as your first pet or the street you grew up on, which can later be used to guess passwords or account recovery answers.
Online shopping scams use fake stores, too-good-to-be-true deals, and fake order emails to take your money or card details.
Fake Online Store Scam
This scam sets up a convincing but fake store with very low prices, takes payment, and delivers nothing, a counterfeit, or a cheap substitute.
Social Media Shopping Ad Scam
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Crypto and investment scams promise high or guaranteed returns to lure you into fake platforms, then block withdrawals once you deposit.
Crypto Investment Scam
This scam promises high or guaranteed crypto returns through a fake platform, shows paper profits to encourage bigger deposits, then blocks withdrawals.
Crypto Recovery Scam
This scam targets people who already lost money, promising to recover lost crypto or funds for an upfront fee. The recovery is never delivered, and the victim loses even more money to the second scammer.
Celebrity Crypto Giveaway Scam
This scam uses fake posts, videos, or live streams that impersonate a celebrity or company and promise to 'double' any crypto you send to a wallet address, but anything sent is simply taken.
Fake Crypto Exchange Scam
A fake crypto exchange or trading app shows convincing balances and profits to encourage more deposits, then blocks withdrawals and demands 'fees' or 'taxes' before you can take any money out.
Rug Pull Scam
In a rug pull, developers heavily promote a new crypto token or project to attract investment and push the price up, then suddenly sell their holdings and abandon it, leaving investors with tokens they cannot sell.
Government and tax scams impersonate agencies to threaten fines, arrest, or deportation, then demand urgent payment by unusual methods.
IRS Tax Scam
This scam uses a call, voicemail, text, or email pretending to be the IRS or another tax agency, claiming you owe back taxes and threatening arrest, lawsuit, or deportation unless you pay at once by gift card, wire, or crypto.
Social Security Scam
This scam uses a call, robocall, or voicemail claiming your Social Security number has been 'suspended' over suspicious activity, then pressures you to confirm your number or pay to 'reactivate' it.
Jury Duty Scam
This scam involves a call, voicemail, or text claiming you missed jury duty and now face a fine or arrest unless you pay immediately, often by gift card or prepaid card. The caller uses fear and urgency to push you into paying before you can check.
CRA Tax Scam
This scam uses a call, text, or email posing as the Canada Revenue Agency to claim you owe tax or are due a refund, then threatens arrest or demands payment by e-transfer, gift card, or crypto. The goal is to frighten you into paying or handing over personal details.
Immigration Scam
This scam involves a caller or message posing as an immigration or border agency that threatens deportation, visa cancellation, or arrest over a supposed problem with your status. The aim is to frighten you into making an immediate payment or handing over passport and personal details.
Government Grant Scam
This scam uses a message, call, or social media post claiming you qualify for a free government grant, then asks for a processing fee or your bank details to 'release' money that does not actually exist.
Medicare Scam
In this scam a caller or message poses as Medicare or a health insurer, offering a new card, refund, or free equipment, then asks you to confirm your Medicare or personal ID number, which is later used for fraud.