Most of the millions of scam attempts that hit inboxes, phones, and dating apps every day are variations on a small number of underlying patterns. This page walks through the most common categories so that the next time something suspicious lands in front of you, you can place it on a map you already know.
Categories overlap. A romance scammer often pivots into an investment scam. A phishing email is also an impersonation scam. A fake online store may direct you to chat on WhatsApp where social engineering takes over. The boundary between "types" is fuzzy — the value of categorisation is recognising the dominant tactic so you can apply the right defence.
Each type below has the same shape: a one-paragraph summary of how the scam works, the most reliable red flags, and links to the deeper guide and the relevant reports feed for that scam family. You do not need to remember any of this in detail. The point is to feel a friction the moment a real example arrives — and to know where to go to verify it.
Already received something suspicious? Run it through the free scam checker before you read further. The tool will flag the obvious patterns and give you space to think. If you have already clicked, replied or paid, jump to the damage-control checklist for scam victims.
Phishing is the broad category of scams that try to trick you into handing over passwords, card details, or one-time codes by impersonating an organisation you trust. Most arrive via email or SMS and direct you to a fake login page.
A scammer poses as your bank, a delivery company, the tax office, the police, or a tech-company support team. The goal is the same as phishing — credentials, money, or remote access — but the framing is built around authority instead of urgency alone.
Fake trading platforms, "guaranteed return" investments, rug-pull tokens, and pig-butchering long cons. These scams often start on dating apps or social media with a friendly contact who eventually offers an "investment opportunity."
A long-running emotional con where the scammer builds a relationship over weeks or months on a dating app or social network, then introduces a financial emergency or an investment opportunity. Often overlaps with investment fraud.
Buyer- and seller-side fraud on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay, Craigslist and similar platforms. Includes overpayment scams, fake shipping companies, "send the item before payment clears," and item-never-arrives cons.
A website that looks like a legitimate retailer — sometimes copied wholesale from the real brand — selling popular items at unrealistic discounts. The store either takes your money and ships nothing, or harvests your card details for resale.
Fake antivirus pop-ups, cold calls claiming to be from Microsoft or Apple, and "recovery agents" who promise to get your money back from a previous scam — usually by stealing more from you.
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