Scam Knowledge Base
Free, in-depth articles on the scams hitting people hardest right now — how they work, how to spot them early, and exactly what to do if you're targeted or already victimized.
How to Identify Fake Facebook Marketplace Buyer Scams
Overpayment checks, fake Zelle transfers, phantom buyers — every common trick used against private sellers, with step-by-step defense strategies.
Digital & QRWhat to Do If You Scanned a Fake QR Code
QR phishing ("quishing") on parking meters, restaurant tables, and emails. Immediate steps to take, how to check if your data was taken, and how to stay safe.
Digital & SMSUSPS Package Text Scams
Fake delivery updates, redelivery fees, and spoofed tracking links. Learn how this smishing campaign steals card and identity data.
Digital & SMSToll Road Text Scams (E‑ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak)
One of the fastest-growing scam waves: fake unpaid toll notices with urgent payment links and penalty threats.
Digital & SMSSpoofing Scams (Fake Calls, Emails & Websites)
How scammers make real-looking caller IDs, sender emails, and websites to steal money, passwords, and personal data.
Digital & QRFake CAPTCHA Scams ("I’m Not a Robot" Trap)
A rising 2026 scam: fake verification pages that trick people into running hidden commands and infecting devices.
EmploymentTask Job Scams (Fake Remote Work & Click-to-Earn)
Fraudulent platforms that show fake earnings, then demand repeated deposits to unlock withdrawals.
Phone & AccountAI Voice Clone Family Emergency Scams
How criminals use synthetic voice impersonation to trigger panic payments — and the family protocol that stops it.
Phone & AccountSIM Swap Scams (Phone Number Hijacking)
What to do when your phone suddenly loses service and scammers use your number to break into email, banking, and social accounts.
Phone & AccountDeepfake Video Scams (Fake Live Calls)
A major 2026 trend: scammers using AI-made videos and voices to fake identity and pressure urgent payments.
Romance & TrustPig Butchering Romance Scams
The long-game relationship scam that builds trust first, then funnels victims into fake crypto investments and blocked withdrawals.
FinancialBank Impersonation Scams
Fake fraud department calls, caller ID spoofing, and “secure account” transfer traps that trick victims into authorizing theft.
FinancialCrypto Recovery Scams: The Second Hit
How fake investigators and legal services target people after an initial crypto loss with guaranteed “recovery” promises.
FinancialFake Investment Platform Scams
Guaranteed returns, fake dashboards, blocked withdrawals, and the advance-fee traps behind modern investment fraud.
FinancialStudent Loan Forgiveness Scams
How fake relief companies use upfront fees, urgency, and stolen FSA credentials to exploit borrowers under pressure.
FinancialScholarship and Grant Scams
Fake financial aid offers that charge fees, steal identity data, and pressure students to act before verifying anything.
FinancialDebt Relief and Credit Repair Scams
Advance-fee services, guaranteed score promises, and fake debt solutions that often make financial problems worse.
Digital & QRQR Code Payment Scams
How fake parking, menu, and utility QR codes redirect victims to convincing payment pages built to steal card data.
MarketplaceRental Scams on Craigslist, Zillow & Facebook
Fake landlord listings, deposit pressure, and application-document identity theft — plus a verification checklist before paying.
Phone & AccountGrandparent Emergency Scams
Panic family calls, fake lawyers, and AI voice impersonation tactics that pressure urgent wire or gift-card payments.
Community & TrustReligious and Affinity Scams
How scammers weaponize shared faith, community ties, spiritual pressure, and insider credibility to steal money and control victims.
✦ Spiritual anchor Spiritual DeceptionThe First Great Deception
A chapter-based guide from The Great Controversy exploring the origin of the "you shall not surely die" deception and its modern impact on spiritual fraud narratives.
Trust & GivingCharity and Disaster Relief Scams
Fake fundraisers and cloned charity pages that exploit generosity, grief, and urgency after disasters or public tragedies.
FinancialFake Check Scams & Overpayment Traps
Why “funds available” isn’t final clearance, and how check overpayment tricks turn into real, irreversible losses.
Phone & AccountGoogle Voice Verification Code Scams
The marketplace “verify you’re real” trick that hijacks trust using one-time code requests.
GovernmentGovernment Impersonation Scams (IRS, SSA, FTC)
Threat-based legal scripts and fake agency notices demanding immediate gift card, wire, or crypto payments.
Not sure if something is a scam?
Paste any suspicious message, link, phone number, or email into ScanBeyond and get an instant AI-powered risk assessment — free.
Check Scam Risk — Free