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 to look for phishing patterns, lookalike domains and known fraud signals.
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.
Free printable practice
Practise spotting scam texts together
Two fictional messages, three discussion questions and answers on one A4 page. Read online or print it for an offline discussion. No account, real inbox or checker needed.
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.
PayID Scams in Australia: Fake Overpayments and Upgrade Fees
Spot fake PayID payment messages, overpayment requests and business account upgrade scams when selling online.
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
What to check before you sign in, pay or download, and what to do if you have already shared details or opened a suspicious file.
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.
Is Google down? Scam warning (2026-10-08)
Reports suggest Google may be down. Check official updates and avoid fake compensation, support and service-restoration messages.
Cloudflare outage scam warning (2026-10-07)
Cloudflare has a confirmed disruption. Check official updates and avoid fake compensation, support and service-restoration messages.
Who Called Me? How to Check if a Phone Number Is a Scam
Check warning signs in an unknown call, understand phone-number lookup limits, and find independent contact and recovery steps before you act.
Is Meta down? Scam warning (2026-09-21)
Reports suggest Meta may be down. Check official updates and avoid fake compensation, support and service-restoration messages.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Apple event 2026 summary
Apple event 2026 summary: iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Australian prices, official photos, iPhone Duo launch dates, and checks for preorder and delivery scams.
CommSec warns about app requests on social media
CommSec's 4 September alert warns of fake social posts requesting app downloads. Check the source and find official help if you clicked or paid.
Is Google down? Scam warning (2026-09-06)
A dated account of Google access reports, the scoped YouTube notice, and how to verify unexpected support or restoration messages.
Berlin government data leak: what is confirmed
Berlin confirmed a government-network incident and publication of stolen data. Read the official updates, unresolved details and practical next steps.
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.
Stay Ahead of Scammers
Scams evolve daily. Bookmark this page and check back whenever you receive something suspicious.