Knowledge Base

Scam Knowledge Base

Free guides for people and businesses — how scams work, how to spot them early, and what to do if you or your company are targeted. Includes industry playbooks, 2FA, and secure-server basics.

42+In-depth articles
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Business risk test Glossary
Showing all articles.
New Business

Business Scam Vulnerability Test

3-minute stress test for owners and staff — score MFA, payments, BEC, servers, and habits, then get a ranked fix plan.

role-based domain scores action plan
~3 min →
Business

Scam & Security Glossary

Plain-language meanings for 2FA, MFA, HTTPS, BEC, phishing, OTP, dual control, and other terms used across ScanBeyond.

2FA MFA HTTPS BEC
Reference →
Business hub Business

For Business: Industry Scam Prevention Hub

Protect owners and employees — security fundamentals (2FA, HTTPS), BEC/invoice fraud, and industry playbooks for retail, healthcare, construction, and more.

by industry 2FA / MFA secure servers BEC
Hub  ·  Start here →
Business

Business 2FA / MFA: Stop Account Takeovers

Authenticator apps vs SMS, what to protect first, recovery codes, and why password-only email enables wire fraud.

MFA methods what to protect first rollout checklist
9 min read  ·  1,400 words →
Business

HTTPS & Secure Servers: What Businesses Miss

HTTP vs HTTPS, certificates, hosting hygiene, and how insecure sites enable phishing and malware on your brand.

HTTP vs HTTPS site checklist hosting hygiene
10 min read  ·  1,500 words →
Business

Business Email Compromise: CEO Fraud & Wires

Executive impersonation, mailbox takeover, and payment diversion — the controls that stop fraudulent wires.

CEO fraud dual control if money left
11 min read  ·  1,700 words →
Business

Vendor & Invoice Fraud: Protect Accounts Payable

Fake invoices, vendor bank-change emails, callback verification, and playbooks for professional services.

verification playbook professional services AP controls
9 min read  ·  1,450 words →
Business

Employee Security Awareness

Role-based targets, common social-engineering scripts, onboarding checklist, and how to report without fear.

scripts staff hear onboarding daily habits
8 min read  ·  1,250 words →
Business

Retail & Restaurant Fraud

Gift-card mule schemes, QR menu swaps, skimmers, fake corporate calls, and ecommerce lookalike risks.

gift cards QR menus e-commerce
10 min read  ·  1,550 words →
Business

Healthcare Practice Scams

EHR phishing, fake billing portals, front-desk social engineering, and controls that fit small clinics.

top threats clinic controls if breached
9 min read  ·  1,400 words →
Business

Construction & Trades Fraud

Fake supplier invoices, deposit diversion, change-order pressure, and real-estate/escrow wire swaps.

suppliers escrow wires PM controls
9 min read  ·  1,400 words →
Financial

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

First-hour checklist plus direct links to FTC, IC3, credit freezes, and scam-specific ScanBeyond guides.

act now links by payment type by scam type fake recovery
11 min read  ·  1,750 words →
Most targeted right now Digital & SMS

Toll Road Text Scams: E‑ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak & More

Fake unpaid-toll texts are still flooding phones nationwide. Learn the payment-portal traps and the 30-second verification playbook.

fake toll notice warning signs already paid verify in 30 seconds
11 min read  ·  1,850 words →
Financial

Utility Shutoff Scams: Fake Power, Gas & Water Threats

AI voices, lookalike portals, and gift-card/crypto demands — how shutoff threats pressure people into irreversible payments.

shutoff threat gift card / crypto verify on your bill already paid
10 min read  ·  1,600 words →
Digital & Ads

Imposter Ads Online: Fake Brand & Government Ads

Scammers buy ads that look like trusted companies and agencies. Here’s how to spot them before one sponsored click costs you.

social & search ads red flags safer habits report to FTC
9 min read  ·  1,400 words →
Phone & Account

Tech Support Scams: Fake Microsoft, Apple & Virus Alerts

Pop-ups, cold calls, and remote-access tools still empty bank accounts. Learn the flow and what to do if you already shared your screen.

virus pop-ups remote access red flags already connected
10 min read  ·  1,550 words →
New Marketplace

Online Marketplace Scams: Buy & Sell Safely

One map for Amazon, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Instagram, TikTok, and car deals — shared red flags for buyers and sellers.

buying safely selling safely cars by platform
8 min read  ·  1,200 words →
Marketplace

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.

overpayment check fake Zelle red flags what to do protection tips
10 min read  ·  1,900 words →
Marketplace

Amazon Scams: Fake Orders, Refunds & Seller Traps

Fake Amazon delivery texts, account-lock phishing, refund overpayment tricks, and off-platform “deals” that wipe out buyer protection.

amazon phishing fake order text refund trap red flags what to do
9 min read  ·  1,450 words →
Marketplace

eBay Scams: Fake Buyers, Sellers & Overpayment Traps

Overpayment checks, fake shipping labels, Friends & Family payment pressure, and phishing that targets eBay seller accounts.

overpayment fake shipping label paypal friends family red flags protection tips
9 min read  ·  1,400 words →
Marketplace

Instagram Shopping Scams: Fake Shops, DMs & Ads

Lookalike brand accounts, DM “exclusive deals,” Stories phishing checkouts, and too-cheap car posts that push you off Instagram to pay.

fake shops DM deals cars red flags protection tips
9 min read  ·  1,400 words →
Marketplace

TikTok Shop Scams: Viral Deals, DMs & Fake Sellers

Viral “must-buy” videos, off-app DM payments, counterfeit Shop listings, and big-ticket car “deals” that vanish after a deposit.

viral deals DM to order cars red flags protection tips
9 min read  ·  1,350 words →
New Marketplace

Car Scams: Warranty Calls, Fake Listings & Auto Fraud

Extended warranty robocalls, too-cheap car ads, shipping/escrow traps, auto-loan phishing, and private-sale fraud — what car scams look like and how to stop them.

warranty calls fake listings shipping / escrow auto loan phishing red flags
10 min read  ·  1,650 words →
Marketplace

Car & Vehicle Sale Scams: Title Traps & Engine Sabotage

Buying or selling a car? Watch for fake deposits, escrow wires, title/VIN fraud, and test-drive sabotage meant to crash the price.

engine sabotage oil in engine fake escrow title fraud safe meetup
11 min read  ·  1,700 words →
Marketplace

Craigslist & OfferUp Scams: Deposits & Fake Payments

Deposit-to-hold tricks, fake payment screenshots, bait listings, and unsafe meetup setups on Craigslist, OfferUp, and similar apps.

deposit scam fake screenshot safe meetup red flags what to do
8 min read  ·  1,250 words →
Digital & QR

What 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.

quishing parking meters just scanned data stolen prevention
9 min read  ·  1,750 words →
Digital & SMS

USPS Package Text Scams

Fake delivery updates, redelivery fees, and spoofed tracking links. Learn how this smishing campaign steals card and identity data.

smishing spoofed tracking red flags data stolen prevention
11 min read  ·  1,900 words →
Digital & SMS

Spoofing Scams (Fake Calls, Emails & Websites)

How scammers make real-looking caller IDs, sender emails, and websites to steal money, passwords, and personal data.

fake caller ID email spoofing fake website already fooled protection tips
11 min read  ·  1,900 words →
Digital & QR

Fake 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.

copy-paste trick what gets stolen warning signs clicked or pasted stay safe
10 min read  ·  1,700 words →
Employment

Task Job Scams (Fake Remote Work & Click-to-Earn)

Fraudulent platforms that show fake earnings, then demand repeated deposits to unlock withdrawals.

deposit trap how recruited warning signs lost money real job checks
12 min read  ·  2,000 words →
Phone & Account

AI Voice Clone Family Emergency Scams

How criminals use synthetic voice impersonation to trigger panic payments — and the family protocol that stops it.

voice samples emergency script red flags family protocol already sent
11 min read  ·  1,850 words →
Phone & Account

SIM 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.

early signs first 30 minutes account recovery prevention common questions
10 min read  ·  1,650 words →
Phone & Account

Deepfake Video Scams (Fake Live Calls)

A major 2026 trend: scammers using AI-made videos and voices to fake identity and pressure urgent payments.

2026 scam trend red flags family/work rules already sent money future protection
11 min read  ·  1,850 words →
Romance & Trust

Pig Butchering Romance Scams

The long-game relationship scam that builds trust first, then funnels victims into fake crypto investments and blocked withdrawals.

love bombing fake crypto warning signs already sent how to protect
13 min read  ·  2,100 words →
Financial

Bank Impersonation Scams

Fake fraud department calls, caller ID spoofing, and “secure account” transfer traps that trick victims into authorizing theft.

caller ID spoof fraud scripts red flags data shared prevention
12 min read  ·  1,700 words →
Financial

Crypto Recovery Scams: The Second Hit

How fake investigators and legal services target people after an initial crypto loss with guaranteed “recovery” promises.

fake investigator recovery red flags real recovery already paid avoid second loss
11 min read  ·  1,550 words →
Financial

Fake Investment Platform Scams

Guaranteed returns, fake dashboards, blocked withdrawals, and the advance-fee traps behind modern investment fraud.

fake dashboard red flags blocked withdrawals already paid
9 min read  ·  1,450 words →
Financial

Student Loan Forgiveness Scams

How fake relief companies use upfront fees, urgency, and stolen FSA credentials to exploit borrowers under pressure.

common tactics red flags FSA ID risk already paid
8 min read  ·  1,250 words →
Financial

Scholarship and Grant Scams

Fake financial aid offers that charge fees, steal identity data, and pressure students to act before verifying anything.

fake awards red flags identity theft respond safely
7 min read  ·  1,050 words →
Financial

Debt Relief and Credit Repair Scams

Advance-fee services, guaranteed score promises, and fake debt solutions that often make financial problems worse.

advance fees score guarantees credit repair debt relief
8 min read  ·  1,150 words →
Digital & QR

QR Code Payment Scams

How fake parking, menu, and utility QR codes redirect victims to convincing payment pages built to steal card data.

parking meters payment trap quishing tampered codes
8 min read  ·  1,200 words →
Marketplace

Rental Scams on Craigslist, Zillow & Facebook

Fake landlord listings, deposit pressure, and application-document identity theft — plus a verification checklist before paying.

fake landlord warning signs verify listing identity theft already paid
12 min read  ·  1,500 words →
Marketplace

Fake Home-for-Sale Listings

Stolen or AI photos, under-market “cash sales,” and fake escrow wires — how to verify a seller before any deposit.

AI listings fake escrow verify before paying red flags
9 min read  ·  1,450 words →
Government

Bail Bond Scams: Fake Arrest Calls

Spoofed “jail” and bond-agent calls demanding gift cards, crypto, or Cash App — how to verify an arrest in minutes.

bond-out scripts verify with the jail red flags
8 min read  ·  1,350 words →
Romance & Trust

Lost Pet Scams with Fake AI Photos

AI-generated images of missing pets used to demand rewards or location fees — how to require live proof before paying.

AI photos live video proof threats & fees
8 min read  ·  1,300 words →
Phone & Account

Grandparent Emergency Scams

Panic family calls, fake lawyers, and AI voice impersonation tactics that pressure urgent wire or gift-card payments.

AI voice clone gift card demand red flags family code word already paid
11 min read  ·  1,600 words →
Community & Trust

Religious and Affinity Scams

How scammers weaponize shared faith, community ties, spiritual pressure, and insider credibility to steal money and control victims.

common formats red flags why hard to spot respond safely
9 min read  ·  1,350 words →
Spiritual anchor Spiritual Deception

The 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.

chapter source core message modern relevance response steps
12 min read  ·  chapter study →
Trust & Giving

Charity and Disaster Relief Scams

Fake fundraisers and cloned charity pages that exploit generosity, grief, and urgency after disasters or public tragedies.

fake charity donation scam disaster relief verify first
7 min read  ·  1,000 words →
Financial

Fake Check Scams & Overpayment Traps

Why “funds available” isn’t final clearance, and how check overpayment tricks turn into real, irreversible losses.

overpayment trap check clearing red flags small business risk protection tips
12 min read  ·  1,550 words →
Phone & Account

Google Voice Verification Code Scams

The marketplace “verify you’re real” trick that hijacks trust using one-time code requests.

verification code how it starts red flags code shared seller playbook
11 min read  ·  1,500 words →
Government

Government Impersonation Scams (IRS, SSA, FTC)

Threat-based legal scripts and fake agency notices demanding immediate gift card, wire, or crypto payments.

IRS / SSA / FBI legal threats payment demands red flags already paid
12 min read  ·  1,500 words →
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