How to Identify Scams: Free Guides for Phishing, SMS & Online Fraud
Plain-English guides on identifying scams, recovering from fraud, and protecting your identity online. Every guide walks through real examples — the messages, emails, and websites scammers actually use — and tells you what to do next.
Start here if you just received something suspicious
Pick the situation that matches yours. These five guides cover the cases people land on this site for most often.
- "I got a scam text — what does a real one look like?"
- "Someone messaged me on WhatsApp with a job offer / investment / OTP request"
- "Is this website legit before I enter card details?"
- "Is this email a phishing attempt?"
- "I think I've already been scammed — what now?"
- Or run the message through the free scam checker →
Have a suspicious message right now?
Don't guess. Paste it into the free scam checker — it analyses for phishing patterns, lookalike domains, and known fraud signals in seconds.
Emergency Recovery
I Think I've Been Scammed — Now What? Immediate Recovery Steps
Step-by-step recovery guide if you clicked a link, sent money, or shared personal details. If you've clicked a link, sent money, or shared your password, start here immediately.
Technical Deep Dives
Common Scam Types
Job Scam Checker: How to Spot a Fake Job Offer Before You Reply
Verify a job offer, recruiter, and employer — red flags for fake jobs, task scams, equipment purchase frauds, and check-cashing setups.
Scam Text Message Examples: SMS Fraud Patterns Explained
Real SMS scam templates: parcel delivery, bank alerts, and urgency tactics used worldwide.
WhatsApp Scams: Real Messages, Job Offers, Investment Groups & OTP Tricks
Real examples of WhatsApp scam messages — fake job offers, investment groups, OTP requests, romance and family-impersonation chats — plus what to do next.
Email Phishing Examples: Spot the Fakes
Invoice scams, login alerts, and attachment traps targeting Australians.
Payment Platform Scams: Overpayment Fraud on PayID, Zelle and Similar Services
How scammers exploit instant payment platforms with fake overpayments and upgrade tricks.
Tax Authority Impersonation Scams: Fake Refunds and Debt Threats
Tax refund scams, fake debt notices, and government portal impersonation tactics.
Bank Impersonation Scams: How Fraudsters Pose as Financial Institutions
Fake bank calls, texts, and spoofed caller IDs explained.
Marketplace Scams: Fraud on Facebook, eBay and Classified Sites
Fake payment emails, courier pickup scams, and payment platform pending tricks.
Parcel Delivery Scams: Fake Tracking Links and Fee Traps
DHL, FedEx, UPS and postal service SMS scams with fake tracking links and card fee traps.
Is This Website Safe? How to Check a Site Before You Trust It
Seven fast safety checks to verify any website before you buy, sign up or download — the padlock myth included.
Latest scam alerts and news
Real scams reported in the last few weeks. Each article breaks down the tactic, who is being targeted, and what to do if you have been hit.
Does a Padlock Mean a Website Is Safe? What HTTPS Isn't
The padlock only proves your connection is encrypted, not that the seller is honest. What HTTPS really shows and the checks that work.
Apple zero-day exploit (2026-08-20): what to know
Reports point to a zero-day exploit involving Apple. What's claimed, how to verify it, and how to dodge the scams that follow.
CareCloud data breach (2026-08-20): what to know
Reports point to a data breach involving CareCloud. What's claimed, how to verify it, and how to dodge the scams that follow.
Oz Hair and Beauty data breach (2026-08-20): what to do
Reports of a data breach at Oz Hair and Beauty are emerging. What is claimed so far, how to verify it, and the steps to protect yourself from follow-up scams.
Quest Apartment Hotels data breach (2026-08-20): what to do
Reports of a data breach at Quest Apartment Hotels. What is claimed, how to verify it, and how to avoid follow-up scams.
RingCentral data breach (2026-08-20): what to know
Reports point to a data breach involving RingCentral. What's claimed, how to verify it, and how to dodge the scams that follow.
Nick Scali data breach (2026-08-13): what to do
Reports of a data breach at Nick Scali are emerging. What is claimed so far, how to verify it, and the steps to protect yourself from follow-up scams.
Taiwan AI-security incident (2026-08-13): what to know
Reports point to an AI-security incident involving Taiwan. What's claimed, how to verify it, and how to dodge the scams that follow.
Is Telstra down? Scam warning (2026-08-13)
Reports suggest Telstra may be down. Check official updates and avoid fake compensation, support and service-restoration messages.
Trezor data breach (2026-08-13): what to do
Reports of a data breach at Trezor are emerging. What is claimed so far, how to verify it, and the steps to protect yourself from follow-up scams.
Stay Ahead of Scammers
Scams evolve daily. Bookmark this page and check back whenever you receive something suspicious.