Scam Types & Fraud Prevention
Learn how to recognize and avoid common scams including romance scams, tech support fraud, government impostor calls, and investment schemes.
24 articles
Red Flags in Product Listings That Signal Low Quality or Fraud
A product listing contains several distinct types of information. Some are verifiable; others are marketing claims that require independent confirmation. Knowing which is which helps buyers focus on the parts of a listing that carry factual weight.
Counterfeit Products Online: How to Identify and Report Them
Counterfeiting is the manufacture and sale of fake goods bearing a trademark or brand name without authorization. It is a federal crime under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act (18 U.S.C. § 2320). Buyers who unknowingly purchase counterfeit goods are not criminally liable, but they do not receive the product they paid for and may face safety risks depending on the product category.
Bait-and-Switch in Online Shopping: What It Is and What to Do
The FTC defines bait advertising as an offer to sell a product or service that the seller does not intend to sell as advertised, used to attract buyers so they can be switched to a different product. Bait-and-switch is a violation of the FTC Act Section 5, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in commerce.
Subscription Trap Scams: How to Spot and Escape Hidden Charges
Subscription traps, sometimes called negative option marketing, have become one of the most common sources of unexpected charges on consumer bank and credit card statements. The FTC receives hundreds of thousands of complaints about recurring charges annually.
Smishing and Unpaid Toll Scams: How to Spot Fake Text Messages
Smishing (SMS phishing) has surged alongside smartphone adoption. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported a dramatic rise in smishing complaints, with toll scam texts becoming one of the most reported variants in 2023 and 2024. The FTC and FBI have issued specific warnings about this wave.
Rental and Real Estate Scams: How to Avoid Housing Fraud
Rental and real estate scams cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars annually and can leave victims without housing and without recourse. In tight rental markets, scammers exploit desperation by listing properties at attractive prices, then collecting deposits from multiple applicants before disappearing.
Phishing Scams: A Complete Guide to Recognizing and Avoiding Them
Phishing is behind the majority of data breaches, account takeovers, and online fraud cases in the United States. The FTC, FBI, and CISA all identify phishing as the most prevalent cybercrime threat consumers face. Understanding how it works across different channels is the most fundamental digital safety skill available.
Moving Company Scams: What to Know Before You Hire
The FTC and FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) receive thousands of moving fraud complaints annually. Moving scams are particularly devastating because your possessions are literally held hostage until you pay.
Medicare and Health Insurance Scams: How to Protect Your Benefits
Medicare fraud costs the federal government tens of billions of dollars annually and directly harms beneficiaries through corrupted records and depleted benefits. Most scams in this category involve either stealing your Medicare number to submit fraudulent billing or pressuring you into accepting services you do not need so the provider can bill Medicare.
Medical Identity Theft: What It Is and How to Protect Yourself
Medical identity theft is less widely understood than financial identity theft, but it carries unique dangers. When a thief uses your identity to receive medical care, their diagnoses, medications, and treatment history can be added to your records, potentially causing harm if emergency providers make decisions based on inaccurate information.
Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams: How to Recognize Them
Prize scams are among the oldest frauds in existence, and they remain effective because the prospect of winning something triggers genuine excitement before rational thinking kicks in. The FTC consistently ranks prize and sweepstakes fraud among the top reported scam categories.
Home Improvement and Contractor Scams: How to Protect Yourself
Home improvement fraud is consistently among the top consumer complaints at state attorney general offices nationwide. It spikes dramatically after natural disasters when homeowners are desperate for quick repairs and their guard may be lowered.
Grandparent Scams: How They Work and How to Stop Them
Grandparent scams are among the most emotionally devastating frauds because they weaponise family love and concern. Older adults lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually to this scam category, and many do not report it out of embarrassment.
The Google Voice Verification Code Scam Explained
The Google Voice scam is one of the most targeted scams currently active on online marketplaces like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp. It is quick, low-effort for scammers, and consistently effective because the request sounds innocuous.
Gift Card Payment Scams: Why Scammers Want Gift Cards
Gift cards have become the payment method of choice for scammers across nearly every scam category: government impostor calls, tech support fraud, prize scams, romance scams, and grandparent scams all commonly end with a request to buy gift cards. The FTC reported that gift cards were used in fraud resulting in over $217 million in losses in a single year.
Fake Check Scams: How They Work and How to Avoid Them
Fake check scams are one of the most consistently effective frauds in the United States because they exploit a gap in how banking works. The FTC reports that fake check scams cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and the mechanics almost never change.
Debt Relief Scams: How to Tell Real Help from Fraud
When someone is overwhelmed by debt, the promise of a quick fix is appealing. Scammers exploit this vulnerability systematically. The FTC has taken enforcement action against dozens of debt relief companies that took millions of dollars from consumers while delivering little or nothing in return.
Cryptocurrency Scams: How to Protect Yourself
Cryptocurrency fraud has grown faster than almost any other fraud category over the past five years. Unlike bank transfers, crypto transactions cannot be reversed by a financial institution once completed. This makes cryptocurrency ideal for scammers and catastrophic for victims.
Charity Scams: How to Donate Safely and Avoid Fraud
Americans are generous, and scammers exploit that generosity deliberately. Fake charities appear within hours of major disasters, using names similar to established organisations and emotional appeals that mirror legitimate fundraising. The FTC reports charity fraud among the top consumer scams by reported incident volume.
Amazon and Package Delivery Scams: How to Spot Them
Amazon's scale makes it a prime impersonation target. With hundreds of millions of active customers, a scam message claiming to be from Amazon has a high probability of reaching actual Amazon users. Package delivery scams using FedEx, UPS, and USPS branding follow the same playbook.
How to Recognize and Avoid Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars each year. They are effective because they exploit genuine anxiety about computer security. The FTC reported tech support fraud was one of the top five fraud categories by reported loss in recent years. Knowing what these scams look like is the most reliable protection.
How to Recognize Investment Fraud and Avoid It
Investment fraud costs Americans billions of dollars annually and affects people across all income and education levels. The common thread is not gullibility, it is opportunity. Scammers are skilled at creating situations where the offer appears credible and the social proof seems genuine.
Government Impostor Scams: How to Spot Them and What to Do
Government impostor scams are consistently among the most reported fraud types in the United States. They work because people feel compelled to respond when they believe a government agency is contacting them. Understanding exactly how real agencies communicate, and how they do not, removes the power from these calls.
How Romance Scams Work and How to Avoid Them
Romance scams are among the most financially and emotionally damaging fraud types. Victims often describe the relationship as feeling completely genuine right up until the moment money was requested. Understanding how these scams are constructed makes them easier to recognise before any money changes hands.