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
Address Poisoning: The Crypto Wallet Scam
Scammers flood your wallet with fake tokens to trick you into sending cryptocurrency to fraudulent addresses hidden in transaction histories.
Cloud Mining Scams: How Crypto Investment Fraud Works
Cloud mining scams promise easy cryptocurrency profits through fake mining services, but steal your money instead.
Dusting Attacks: Unmasking Your Crypto Wallet
Scammers send tiny amounts of cryptocurrency to your wallet to trace your identity and steal funds or personal data.
Fake Airdrop Scams: How Criminals Steal Crypto
Scammers pose as legitimate crypto projects offering free tokens to trick users into revealing private keys or sending funds.
Fake Crypto Mining Platforms: How to Spot & Avoid Them
Scammers pose as legitimate cryptocurrency mining operations to steal deposits and personal data from unsuspecting investors.
MEV Sandwich Attacks: Crypto Trading Fraud Explained
Scammers exploit blockchain transaction ordering to steal from traders by inserting their own transactions before and after victims' trades.
NFT Scams: How to Protect Your Digital Assets
NFT scams cost victims an average of $5,000 through fake marketplaces, rugpulls, and wallet drains. Learn how to identify and avoid them.
Crypto Staking Scams: How High-Yield Promises Turn to Losses
Fraudsters lure crypto investors with guaranteed 50-200% annual returns on staking, then vanish with funds after 1-3 months.
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.
Bait-and-Switch Scams: Online Shopping Fraud
Scammers advertise desirable products at bargain prices, then deliver inferior or completely different items after payment.
Brushing Scam: Unsolicited Packages Explained
Receive unexpected packages you didn't order? You may be a victim of brushing fraud, where scammers use your address to boost seller ratings.