The archive
Scam library.
A human-reviewed reference covering the money scams we see in the checker. Each entry walks through the anatomy of the pattern, how to verify safely, and where to report it.
Stats
79
entries across 14 categories. Updated 2026-05-21.
01
Fake payment scams
6 entries- 001Fake check scamSomeone sends a check, asks you to deposit it, and tells you to forward part of the money before it clears. Days later the check bounces. You owe the bank everything you sent.
- 002Overpayment scamA "buyer" pays more than the agreed price and asks you to refund the difference. When the original payment reverses, you lose both your item and the refund.
- 003Marketplace payment scam (Zelle, PayPal, shipping)A "buyer" sends a fake payment confirmation, an overpayment "by accident," or a phishing email impersonating Zelle or PayPal. The transaction never lands; the item leaves anyway.
- 004Zelle and bank-impersonation scamA caller claims to be your bank's fraud department and walks you through "reversing" a fake unauthorized Zelle by sending money to yourself. The money goes to the scammer.
- 005Cash App flip scamA social-media post promises to "flip" your $50 into $500. You send the seed money to prove you have it. You never see it again.
- 006Fake shipping label scamA buyer sends a pre-paid shipping label "so it's easier for you." The label was bought with a stolen credit card. Once the chargeback hits, the label is voided mid-route and the package is lost.
02
Job and task scams
8 entries- 007Mystery shopper scamA "mystery shopper" job sends you a check and asks you to evaluate Western Union by wiring most of it. The check bounces; the wire is gone.
- 008Task and fake job scamA "remote job" pays you to click links or complete tasks. After a few small payouts, you are asked to top up your account to "unlock" larger ones. The deposits never come back.
- 009Fake remote-job offer scamA "recruiter" hires you for a remote role and asks you to pay for laptop, software, and home-office equipment up front. The job, the company, and the equipment never materialize.
- 010Fake payroll check scamA new "employer" sends you a paycheck before you start work and asks you to forward part of it to an equipment vendor. The check bounces; the wire is gone.
- 011Package reshipping scamA "remote logistics job" pays you to receive packages and reship them abroad. The packages are bought with stolen cards. You become an unwitting accessory to mail fraud.
- 012Work-from-home data entry scamA "data entry" or "envelope stuffing" job requires you to buy a starter kit, software license, or training materials. The work pays nothing or is fictional.
- 013Amazon Mechanical Turk impersonation scamA "recruiter from Amazon" offers MTurk-style remote work that pays well — after you deposit money to "activate" your worker account. Real MTurk costs nothing to join.
- 014Fake internship scamA "prestigious internship" requires payment for placement, training, or visa sponsorship. The internship is fictional or the work is unpaid menial labor.
03
Crypto scams
12 entries- 015Pig butchering scamA friendly stranger from a "wrong number" text or dating app builds trust over weeks, then introduces you to a "guaranteed-return" crypto platform. The platform is a screen, not a market.
- 016WhatsApp investment group scamA "professor" and a chat of "students" make calls together in WhatsApp or Telegram. Early gains feel real. Withdrawals require endless new payments.
- 017Crypto recovery scamAfter you lose money in a previous scam, a "recovery agent" offers to get it back — for an upfront fee. They cannot. This is a second scam targeting the same victims.
- 018Fake crypto exchange scamA "crypto exchange" that looks like a real platform takes your deposits, shows growing balances, and refuses every withdrawal request with new fees.
- 019Crypto rug pull scamA new token launches with influencer hype and a beautiful website. The developers withdraw all liquidity overnight and the token goes to zero.
- 020Fake airdrop scamA "free token claim" site asks you to connect your wallet and sign a transaction. The signature is actually a permission to drain your entire wallet.
- 021Liquidity mining scamA "liquidity mining" platform promises 8-15% daily yield. To participate, you connect your wallet and authorize the protocol. The "protocol" drains the wallet.
- 022Fake DeFi yield protocol scamA polished "DeFi protocol" promises 30% APY on stablecoins. The protocol is a website with no real chain backing, and your deposit moves straight to the developer wallet.
- 023Seed phrase phishing scamA "support agent" or fake wallet popup asks you to enter your 12 or 24-word recovery phrase to "verify" or "fix" your wallet. The phrase is your wallet.
- 024Fake crypto wallet app scamA "wallet" app from the App Store or a sideloaded APK looks like MetaMask or Trust Wallet but captures your seed phrase and drains funds.
- 025Cloud mining scamA "cloud mining" service promises passive Bitcoin yield from rented mining hardware. The hardware never exists, and "earnings" are just numbers on a dashboard.
- 026Fake trading bot scamA "trading bot" promises guaranteed crypto returns from arbitrage, AI signals, or MEV. You connect a wallet or send deposits; the bot is a frontend over a drainer.
04
Impersonation scams
9 entries- 027IRS / tax impersonation scamA caller claims to be the IRS, says you owe back taxes, and threatens arrest if you don't pay immediately in gift cards or wire. The IRS does not work this way.
- 028Grandparent emergency scamA panicked phone call from a "grandchild" or "nephew" in jail, in a hospital, or stranded. They beg you not to tell other family. AI voice cloning has made the variant terrifyingly convincing.
- 029AI voice clone family emergency scamA loved one's voice — convincingly cloned by AI from a few seconds of social-media audio — calls in tears begging for emergency cash. The voice is real; the person is not on the call.
- 030Social Security "suspended number" scamA caller claims your Social Security number has been "suspended" due to fraud and demands payment to reinstate it. SSNs are never "suspended."
- 031USCIS / immigration impersonation scamA caller claims to be from USCIS or ICE, threatens deportation over a "paperwork issue," and demands immediate payment to resolve it. Immigration enforcement does not work by phone.
- 032Police warrant / jury duty impersonation scamA "deputy" calls to say you missed jury duty or have an outstanding bench warrant and threatens arrest unless you pay a fine immediately. Real courts do not collect fines by phone.
- 033Utility shutoff scamA caller claims to be from your utility and threatens to disconnect service within 30 minutes unless you pay an overdue bill via gift card or wire. Utilities do not work this way.
- 034COVID stimulus / "new check" impersonation scamA "new federal stimulus check" requires you to verify your bank info or pay a small processing fee. There is no new stimulus, and the goal is your bank credentials.
- 035Tech support popup scamA browser popup or scary screen claims your computer is infected and tells you to call "Microsoft" or "Apple." The number connects to scammers who take remote control of your machine and your bank account.
05
Phishing and account scams
7 entries- 036Phishing and account takeoverA fake login page captures your password. From there the attacker drains accounts, mails fraud links to your contacts, and resets every service tied to that email.
- 037Amazon account-suspension phishing scamAn email or text claims your Amazon account has been locked, an order is pending, or a refund is owed. The link leads to a fake login page that captures your password and 2FA codes.
- 038Apple ID / iCloud phishing scamA text or email says your Apple ID has been locked or your iPhone is "marked as lost." The link captures your password and 2FA code, then everything on your phone is theirs.
- 039Google account recovery scamA "Google support" agent calls about suspicious sign-in activity and asks you to read the verification code Google just sent. That code is the key to your account.
- 040PayPal account suspension phishingA "PayPal" email warns of account suspension or shows an invoice you didn't create. The link captures credentials; the fake invoice fishes for a phone callback.
- 041SIM swap scamSomeone convinces your wireless carrier to move your phone number to a SIM card they control. Your texts and calls — including 2FA codes — now go to them. Bank, email, crypto accounts follow.
- 042MFA push-bombing and code-relay scamAn attacker who has your password floods you with multi-factor login prompts at 3am, hoping you tap "Approve" just to make it stop. Or they call pretending to be IT and ask you to read the code.
06
Romance and emergency scams
3 entries- 043Romance and emergency scamA romantic interest you have never met in person eventually needs money for an emergency, customs, medical bills, or an "investment opportunity." The face on the screen is not the person sending the messages.
- 044Sextortion scamSomeone claims to have intimate images, video footage, or browsing history about you, and demands payment in crypto or gift cards to keep it private. In most variants, they have nothing.
- 045Military romance scamA "deployed soldier" courts you online for months. Then comes the cost — leave fees, satellite phone, hospital deposits. Service members are never charged for these.
07
Loan and debt scams
9 entries- 046Advance-fee scamYou are promised a windfall — an inheritance, a lottery, a grant, a settlement — but only after you pay an upfront "release fee," "tax," or "legal cost." The windfall does not exist.
- 047Advance-fee loan scamYou are "pre-approved" for a loan despite poor credit — but only after paying an upfront fee for insurance, taxes, or processing. The loan never arrives.
- 048Debt relief and credit repair scams"Eliminate your debt" or "fix your credit score" services that take an upfront fee and either disappear or actively make your debt situation worse.
- 049Student loan forgiveness scamA "forgiveness service" charges you for federal student-loan programs you can apply for free through StudentAid.gov.
- 050Credit repair scamA "credit specialist" promises to fix your score by removing accurate negative items or selling you a "new" identity number. Both are fraud — sometimes yours.
- 051Payday loan collection and renewal scamA caller claims you owe on a payday loan you never took out, threatens arrest, and demands immediate payment. The "debt" is fabricated.
- 052Mortgage modification / foreclosure rescue scamA "rescue" company promises to renegotiate your mortgage or stop foreclosure for an upfront fee. Some take the fee and disappear; some take title to your home.
- 053Tax debt resolution / Offer in Compromise scamA "tax relief" company promises to settle your IRS debt for "pennies on the dollar." They charge huge upfront fees and rarely deliver more than what you could have done yourself for free.
- 054Fake bankruptcy / debt elimination scamA "program" claims to eliminate your debts without bankruptcy or even discharge them under a "federal program." It either takes your money and disappears or files frivolous bankruptcy on your behalf.
08
Sweepstakes and lottery scams
5 entries- 055Lottery and sweepstakes winner scamYou won a lottery you never entered. Pay the taxes upfront and the prize is yours. There is no prize.
- 056Fake government grant scamA stranger congratulates you on receiving a federal grant. You only need to pay a processing fee to receive the money. There is no grant.
- 057Sweepstakes vacation / "free cruise" scamYou "won" a Caribbean cruise or all-expense-paid vacation. To claim, you just pay the port fees, taxes, and "resort certificate" — and sit through a timeshare pitch that never ends.
- 058Inheritance / unclaimed funds scamA "lawyer" or "investigator" contacts you about an unclaimed inheritance from a distant relative. To collect, you just pay the legal fees, taxes, and transfer costs upfront.
- 059Publishers Clearing House impersonation scamA "Prize Patrol coordinator" calls about your big PCH win. You just need to send taxes upfront via wire or gift cards. Real PCH does none of this.
09
Online shopping scams
5 entries- 060Shipping tracking phishing scamA text or email from "USPS" says your package is delayed and asks you to click a link to update your address or pay a small fee. The page steals your card.
- 061Fake online store scamA polished online store advertises on Facebook or Instagram, takes your order, and either ships nothing, ships a worthless counterfeit, or disappears within weeks.
- 062Counterfeit goods scamA polished site sells "designer" handbags, watches, sneakers, or electronics at impossibly low prices. What ships is a counterfeit — sometimes worthless, sometimes confiscated by customs.
- 063Instagram / TikTok ad scamA promoted post sells a too-good product. You order, never receive, and the store vanishes after the ad budget runs out.
- 064Fake refund overpayment scamA "refund" hits your account for thousands. The agent says they accidentally added a zero and asks you to send back the difference. The "refund" was just a number on a fake screen.
10
Real estate and rental scams
3 entries- 065Rental listing scamA "landlord" lists an apartment they don't own, asks for a deposit before showing it, and disappears once you pay.
- 066Vacation rental fake host scamA "host" asks you to message and pay outside Airbnb/VRBO "to save the platform fee." Once you pay, the listing disappears and the property doesn't exist.
- 067Real estate closing wire fraudRight before closing, an "updated wire instructions" email arrives from the title company or attorney. The new account is the scammer's. Six-figure losses are routine.
11
Pet sale scams
1 entry12
Business and B2B scams
6 entries- 069Business email compromise (BEC) and CEO fraudAn attacker impersonates an executive, vendor, or payroll contact and tricks the company into wiring funds, redirecting paychecks, or sharing W-2s.
- 070Invoice fraud and supplier-redirect fraudA real vendor's email or invoice is compromised. The next monthly payment goes to "updated banking details" — into the attacker's account.
- 071Supplier bank-detail change fraudA long-standing supplier emails new banking details right before a large payment. The mailbox is compromised. The next wire goes to the attacker.
- 072Deepfake CEO video / voice fraudA finance employee gets a video call from the "CFO" — face and voice convincing. The wire instruction is fraudulent. AI deepfakes are now the BEC upgrade.
- 073Domain renewal / SEO listing scamA bill arrives for "domain renewal" or a "search engine listing." It looks official. You're being billed for nothing by a company you've never used.
- 074Fake business directory listing scamAn invoice arrives for a directory listing — Yellow Pages, Google Business, an "industry registry." You never signed up. They're hoping you don't notice.
13
Charity and donation scams
2 entries- 075Fake charity / donation scamA "charity" with a heartwarming name solicits donations for a cause that doesn't exist or for victims who never see the money.
- 076Disaster relief charity scamA new "relief fund" appears within hours of a disaster. The site looks professional. The donations go to a scammer's wallet.
14
Health and medical scams
3 entries- 077Medicare impersonation scamA caller claims to be from Medicare and offers a new card, a brace, a genetic test, or extra benefits. They're harvesting your Medicare number for billing fraud.
- 078Fake medical bill / collections scamA "hospital collections" agent demands immediate payment for an ER visit you don't recall, often from years ago. The debt is fabricated.
- 079Fake prescription savings / fake pharmacy scamA "discount pharmacy" promises name-brand drugs at 90% off without a prescription. What ships is a counterfeit pill, an inert substitute, or nothing.