Scam Encyclopedia
Comprehensive guides covering 200+ scam types across 15 categories. Learn to recognize, avoid, and report every type of fraud.
199
Scam Types
15
Categories
12
Languages
24/7
Updated Daily
Sextortion Scams: Online Blackmail & Extortion
Scammers claim to have intimate videos of you and demand payment to prevent public exposure. Most claims are false, but the psychological pressure is intense.
Romance Scam: How Fake Love Leads to Financial Loss
Scammers create fake dating profiles to build emotional bonds and manipulate victims into sending money, gifts, or personal information.
Sextortion Scams: How Criminals Exploit Intimate Images
Scammers threaten to expose intimate images to demand immediate payment, exploiting shame and fear to extort money from victims.
Virtual Kidnapping Scams: Extortion Through False Abduction
Scammers falsely claim your loved one has been kidnapped and demand immediate ransom payment before you can contact them.
Authority Figure Impersonation Scams
Scammers pose as police, judges, or government officials to frighten victims into sending money immediately.
Catfishing Scams: How Fake Identities Target Your Heart
Scammers create fake online personas to build romantic relationships and manipulate victims into sending money or personal information.
Dating App Verification Scam: How to Spot Fake Profiles
Scammers create fake dating profiles and trick users into sending money for fake 'verification' or 'unlocking' accounts. Average loss is $500.
Friend-in-Need Scam: Spot and Avoid Emergency Fraud
Scammers impersonate trusted friends or family in urgent situations to manipulate you into sending money quickly before you can verify their identity.
Grandparent Scam: How to Protect Elderly Relatives
Scammers impersonate grandchildren in crisis, urgently requesting wire transfers. Victims lose an average of $5,000 within 24-72 hours.
Honey Trap Scams: Romance Lures and Sextortion
Scammers pose as romantic interests to extract intimate images, then blackmail victims for money or face exposure to family and friends.
Love Bombing Scam: Recognize the Romance Fraud Trap
Scammers create fake romantic relationships to build trust, then exploit victims for money through fabricated emergencies and investment schemes.
Military Romance Scams: Spotting Fake Soldier Fraudsters
Scammers impersonate soldiers to build romantic relationships and extract money through emotional manipulation and false emergencies.
Social Engineering Pretexting Scams
Scammers create false identities and build trust to manipulate victims into revealing personal information or sending money.
Sugar Daddy Scams: Recognizing Fake Romance Schemes
Scammers pose as wealthy sugar daddies to build romantic trust, then request money for emergencies, travel, or gifts before disappearing.