A B C D F G H I M O P Q R S T V W
A
- Account takeover
- When a criminal gets into one of your accounts, usually with a stolen password or a code you were tricked into sharing, and then locks you out or uses it to scam your contacts. Learn more about account takeover
- Advance-fee scam
- A promise of a large sum of money, a prize, a loan or an inheritance, as long as you first pay a fee, tax or charge. The money never arrives, and the fees keep growing. Learn more about advance-fee scam
- AI voice cloning
- Using artificial intelligence to copy someone's voice from a short recording, then calling a relative to fake an emergency and ask for money. Learn more about ai voice cloning
- When you are tricked into sending a bank transfer yourself, for example to a fake 'safe account', a fake builder or a romance scammer. Because you authorised the payment, it can be harder to get back, although some countries now require banks to reimburse many victims. Learn more about app fraud (authorised push payment)
B
- BEC (business email compromise)
- A scam where criminals pose as a boss, colleague or supplier by email, often from a hacked or look-alike address, to get a business to pay a fake invoice or change bank details. Learn more about bec (business email compromise)
- Brushing scam
- Receiving parcels you never ordered. Sellers send them to create fake 'verified' reviews in your name. It can be a sign your details were leaked, so check your accounts. Learn more about brushing scam
C
- Catfishing
- Creating a fake online identity, often with stolen photos, to start a relationship. It is the usual first step of a romance scam. Learn more about catfishing
- Clone phishing
- Copying a real email you received earlier, such as an invoice or delivery notice, and resending it with the link or attachment swapped for a malicious one. Learn more about clone phishing
D
- Deepfake
- A fake video, image or voice made with AI to look like a real person. Scammers use deepfakes of celebrities in investment ads and of bosses or relatives on video calls. Learn more about deepfake
F
- Fake invoice (renewal) scam
- An email or letter saying a subscription, antivirus or service has renewed for a large amount, with a phone number to 'cancel'. The number leads to a scammer who asks for remote access or bank details. Learn more about fake invoice (renewal) scam
G
- Gift card scam
- Any request to pay with gift cards, such as Apple, Google Play, Steam or Amazon cards. No real company, government agency or bank asks for payment this way. Learn more about gift card scam
- Grandparent scam
- A call or message to an older person pretending to be a grandchild in trouble, often with an accomplice posing as a lawyer or police officer, and a request to keep it secret. Learn more about grandparent scam
H
- Hi Mum scam
- A message from an unknown number claiming to be your child with a new phone, which soon asks you to pay an urgent bill for them. Learn more about hi mum scam
- Homograph (look-alike) domain
- A web address that uses characters that look like real letters, such as a Cyrillic 'а' instead of a Latin 'a', or swaps like 'rn' for 'm', to imitate a real site. Learn more about homograph (look-alike) domain
I
- Impersonation scam
- Any scam where the criminal pretends to be someone you trust: a bank, delivery company, government agency, police, a brand, a friend or a family member.
- Investment scam
- Fake trading platforms, crypto schemes or 'guaranteed' returns that show growing profits on screen but never let you withdraw, often promoted with fake celebrity endorsements. Learn more about investment scam
M
- Malvertising
- Malicious adverts, including sponsored search results, that lead to fake websites, fake downloads or scam support numbers. Learn more about malvertising
- Money mule
- Someone who receives and passes on stolen money through their own bank account, often recruited with fake job offers. It is a crime even if you didn't know. Learn more about money mule
O
- OTP (one-time passcode) theft
- Tricking you into reading out or forwarding a login or payment code sent by text or app. That code lets the scammer into your account or approves a payment. Learn more about otp (one-time passcode) theft
- Overpayment scam
- A buyer 'accidentally' pays you too much and asks you to send back the difference. The original payment later bounces or turns out to be fake. Learn more about overpayment scam
P
- Phishing
- Messages designed to trick you into giving away passwords, card numbers or personal details, usually through a link to a fake website. Learn more about phishing
- Pig butchering
- A long con where a scammer builds a friendship or romance over weeks, then introduces a 'can't lose' crypto or trading opportunity and takes everything invested. Learn more about pig butchering
Q
- Quishing
- Phishing with QR codes. The code leads to a fake payment or login page, and is used on parking meters, letters and emails to get past filters. Learn more about quishing
R
- Recovery scam
- A second scam that targets people who have already lost money, promising to recover it for an upfront fee. Learn more about recovery scam
- Remote access scam
- Persuading you to install a screen-sharing app such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer so the scammer can control your device and bank account. Learn more about remote access scam
- Romance scam
- A fake online relationship built to get money, usually for a crisis, travel costs, customs fees or an investment. Learn more about romance scam
S
- Safe account scam
- A caller claiming to be your bank's fraud team or the police says your money is at risk and asks you to move it to a 'safe account' that belongs to the scammer. Learn more about safe account scam
- Sextortion
- Threats to share intimate images or videos unless you pay. Don't pay and don't keep talking. Save the evidence, report it to the platform and the police, and ask for support. You are not to blame.
- SIM swap
- A criminal convinces your mobile provider to move your number to their SIM card, so they receive your calls and security codes. Ask your provider about a SIM lock or port-out PIN. Learn more about sim swap
- Smishing
- Phishing by text message (SMS), such as fake delivery, toll or bank texts. Learn more about smishing
- Manipulating people rather than hacking computers: using trust, fear, urgency or curiosity to get someone to act without thinking.
- Spear phishing
- A phishing message tailored to one person or organisation, using real names and details to seem believable. Learn more about spear phishing
- Spoofing
- Faking the phone number, email address or name that appears as the sender, so a message looks like it comes from a trusted source. Learn more about spoofing
T
- Task scam
- A 'job' that pays small amounts for simple tasks like rating products or liking videos, then requires you to deposit your own money to unlock bigger earnings. Learn more about task scam
- Tech support scam
- Pop-ups, calls or emails claiming your device is infected or your account is hacked, pushing you to call a fake support line. Learn more about tech support scam
- Two-step verification (2FA)
- An extra check when you sign in, such as a code or an app prompt. It stops most account takeovers, as long as you never share the code. Learn more about two-step verification (2fa)
- Typosquatting
- Registering web addresses with common typing mistakes, such as 'arnazon' or 'paypa1', to catch people who mistype or don't look closely. Learn more about typosquatting
V
- Vishing
- Phishing by voice call, where the caller pretends to be a bank, company or official to get details, codes or payments. Learn more about vishing
W
- Wangiri (one-ring) scam
- A missed call from an unknown international number, hoping you call back to a premium-rate line that charges you by the minute.
Got a message and not sure which of these it is? Check it free.