Spotting Online Scams Before They Cost You

Scams change their costume every season, but the tricks underneath stay the same. Learn the pattern once and you will recognise most of them.

The pattern behind almost every scam

Fraudsters rarely break into anything. They persuade. Whatever the story, three ingredients appear again and again: urgency ("act today"), secrecy ("don't tell the bank or your family") and an unusual way to pay (gift cards, bank transfer to a stranger, cryptocurrency). When you notice two of the three, stop.

Common forms

• Phishing. Phishing is a form of deception in which the attacker tricks people into revealing sensitive information or installing harmful software, usually through a message that imitates a company you know.
• Money up front. In an advance-fee scam the victim is promised a large sum, a prize or a refund in return for a small payment first. The payment is the whole point; the prize never arrives.
• "Tech support" calls. A caller or a pop-up claims your computer is infected and asks to take control of it.
• Family emergency. A message from an unknown number says "it's me, I've lost my phone" and soon asks for money.
• Romance and investment. A friendly stranger builds trust over weeks before a money problem or a can't-lose opportunity appears.

What to do in the moment

1. Pause. Real organisations give you time. Pressure is itself the warning.
2. Do not use the link or number in the message. Find the organisation's contact details yourself, from a statement, the back of your card or a bookmark you saved earlier.
3. Ask someone. Tell a relative, a friend or the staff at your centre what the message says. Scams collapse when described out loud.
4. Never share sign-in codes or let a caller control your screen.

Websites that look respectable

A polished design proves nothing. Check who runs the site, whether there is a real way to reach them, whether the rules for getting your money back are written down, and what independent sources say. Typing the name of a company plus the word "complaints" into a search engine takes one minute.

These checks apply in any industry where money is handed over online, and some industries publish their own warning lists. One example, written for readers in Taiwan and coming from the online gaming sector, is a Traditional Chinese guide that lists the usual traits of fraudulent online casino platforms and a self-check list to run before signing up (娛樂城詐騙). You do not need to read Chinese, or have any interest in the subject, to notice that its headings ask the same questions as this page: who is behind the site, are the rules written down, and can you get your money out.

A note on gambling: the linked page comes from the gaming industry and is mentioned only for the point made above. Gambling is for adults only and is never a way to solve money worries. If it is causing harm to you or someone you know, in the United States you can call 1-800-MY-RESET, or speak to your doctor or a local support service.

If you think you have been caught

• Contact your bank straight away using the number on your card.
• Change the password of any account involved, starting with email.
• Report it to the police or your country's fraud reporting service.
• Tell someone you trust. Being deceived by a professional is not foolishness, and silence only helps the fraudster.

Watch for the second wave. People who have lost money are often contacted again by someone offering to recover it for a fee. That is the same scam wearing a different coat.

Written by Winifred Castellan · last checked 2026-11-12