These are the scams hitting people the hardest. Know what they look like so they do not work on you.
Scammers clone a family member's voice from a few seconds of audio (a voicemail, a TikTok, a phone call) and call you pretending to be them. "I've been arrested." "I'm in the hospital." "I need bail money right now." It sounds exactly like them.
What to do: Hang up and call the person directly on their real number. Pick a family code word for emergencies.
Read the full guide →Someone you meet online (dating apps, Instagram, LinkedIn) builds a relationship with you over weeks. Eventually they steer you toward a "trading platform" that shows fake profits. When you try to withdraw, the money is gone. The FBI calls this pig butchering because scammers "fatten up" victims before taking everything.
What to do: No real investment guarantees returns. If someone you met online points you to a specific trading app, assume it is a scam.
Read the full guide →Phishing emails used to have obvious grammar mistakes. Not anymore. AI tools write clean, personalized emails that look exactly like the real thing. They target login pages, payment portals, and corporate accounts.
What to do: Always check the sender domain and hover links before clicking. Run headers through ScamKit's email analyzer if you want to be sure.
Read the full guide →"Your package could not be delivered." You get a text pretending to be USPS, UPS, FedEx, or Amazon with a link to "reschedule" or "pay a small fee." The link goes to a fake page that steals your payment info or login credentials.
What to do: Go to the carrier's real website or app directly. Do not click links in delivery texts.
Read the full guide →"You have an unpaid toll of $6.99." Fake texts claiming to be from toll agencies or parking authorities, with a link to pay immediately or face penalties. These exploded in 2025 and are still going strong.
What to do: Real toll agencies send mail or use their own apps. Delete the text and check your account directly if you are concerned.
Read the full guide →Attackers social-engineer your mobile carrier into porting your number to a SIM they control, then intercept two-factor codes to take over your bank, email, and crypto accounts. Often the first sign is your phone losing service without warning.
What to do: Add a carrier PIN, move 2FA to an authenticator app or hardware key, and call your carrier immediately if service drops unexpectedly.
Read the full guide →"Earn $500/day working from home." Fake job listings, task-based scams on Telegram and WhatsApp, fake onboarding that asks for your SSN or banking info. Some even ask you to buy equipment upfront.
What to do: Real employers do not ask for money. Verify the company on your own. Be skeptical of unsolicited job offers that arrive by text or DM.
Read the full guide →A browser tab pops up: "Your computer is infected!" with a phone number to call "Microsoft" or "Apple." You call, and the person on the other end gets remote access to your machine, installs fake software, and charges you hundreds of dollars for "cleaning."
What to do: Close the browser tab. Force-quit if you have to. Microsoft and Apple do not show pop-ups with phone numbers.
Read the full guide →Fake QR codes stuck over real ones at parking meters, restaurants, and on flyers. They send you to phishing pages or payment theft sites. Also showing up in phishing emails as images so they bypass link scanners.
What to do: Preview the URL before opening any QR code. If a code in a public place looks like a sticker placed over another code, do not scan it.
Read the full guide →Calls or emails claiming to be the IRS, SSA, or law enforcement. "Your Social Security number has been suspended." "You owe back taxes and a warrant has been issued." The whole point is to make you panic and stop thinking.
What to do: The IRS does not call to demand immediate payment. The SSA does not suspend Social Security numbers. Hang up and call the agency's real number yourself.
Read the full guide →A fake fraud department says suspicious transfers are happening and asks you to move money, share a one-time code, or approve a login. The caller ID may even look like your real bank.
What to do: Hang up and call the number on your card or bank app. Never move money to a "safe account."
Read the full guide →"Your Norton/McAfee/Netflix subscription renews for $399.99 tomorrow." The email has a phone number to call for a "refund." When you call, they want your banking info or remote access to your computer.
What to do: Check your real account directly. Do not call phone numbers from emails.
Read the full guide →A fake invoice says you were charged for crypto, antivirus software, or electronics. The note tells you to call a "support" number, where the refund scam actually begins.
What to do: Open PayPal yourself and check activity inside your account. Do not call numbers listed inside surprise invoices.
Read the full guide →Fake listings on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist. Sellers ask for payment via Zelle, CashApp, or gift cards, then disappear. Fake "buyers" send phishing links to "verify" your identity.
What to do: Meet in person for local sales. Use platforms with buyer protection for shipping. Never pay with gift cards.
Read the full guide →Fake profiles on dating apps and social media. They build a relationship over weeks, then either ask for money or try to extort you with real or AI-generated intimate images. Increasingly targeting teens and young adults.
What to do: Never send money to someone you have only met online. If threatened with sextortion, do not pay. Report to the platform and to the FBI's IC3.
Read the full guide →Account takeovers, fake giveaways, impersonated friends asking for money or codes, and phishing DMs that look like brand support. Social platforms are now one of the top channels for consumer fraud.
What to do: Verify unusual requests through a second channel. Treat any DM asking for codes, payment, or urgency as suspect until confirmed.
Read the full guide →Scammers copy real listings from Zillow or Realtor and repost them cheap on Craigslist and Facebook. They ask for a deposit or first month's rent via Zelle or wire before any walkthrough, then disappear.
What to do: Never pay without seeing the unit in person. Reverse-image-search listing photos. Verify the listing owner against county property records.
Read the full guide →Fake scholarship emails, "guaranteed" student loan forgiveness offers, bogus application fees, and phishing pretending to be from the financial aid office. College students are a prime target when tuition deadlines hit.
What to do: Never pay an application fee for a scholarship. Go through your school's financial aid office directly. Federal student aid (FAFSA) is free.
Read the full guide →Paste a suspicious URL or email headers into ScamKit to get a risk score, evidence breakdown, and extracted indicators.