Scam Methods
Stay Informed to Protect Yourself
Scammers use a variety of deceptive tactics to exploit unsuspecting individuals. By understanding their methods, you can stay one step ahead and protect yourself from falling victim to fraud. From phishing and social engineering to romance scams and QR code scams, scammers are constantly evolving their techniques to steal personal information, money, and sensitive data.
Learn how to recognise the warning signs of common scams like catfishing, sextortion, and cloned device scams, and discover practical tips to safeguard your finances and privacy. Whether it’s an in-person “trader” scam, a blessing scam, or sophisticated spear phishing attacks, awareness is your best defence.
Explore our guides to understand how these scams work, how to avoid them, and what to do if you’ve been targeted. Together, we can help stop scammers by spreading awareness, staying vigilant and adopting the SCAM method.
Blessing Scams
Knowledge is power Blessing Scams: What You Need to Know Blessing scams are a type of fraud that manipulates people’s faith, culture, or emotions. In these scams, the fraudster pretends to be a spiritual healer, priest, or other trusted figure offering to perform a ritual or blessing to bring good
Catfishing
Knowledge is power Catfishing: What You Need to Know Catfishing is a deceptive online practice where an individual creates a fake identity to lure someone into a relationship or interaction. This can happen on dating sites, social media platforms, or even in online gaming environments. Scammers often use fake photos
Cloned Device Scams
Knowledge is power Cloned Device Scams: What You Need to Know Cloned device scams involve fraudsters selling counterfeit or cloned electronics, typically phones and tablets, disguised as genuine products. These devices are often obtained through illegal means and reprogrammed to appear legitimate. Victims unknowingly purchase these devices, only to discover
Cloning Scams
Knowledge is power Cloning Scams: What You Need to Know Cloning scams involve fraudsters creating fake profiles or accounts that look identical to real ones, often impersonating friends, family members, or trusted organisations. These fake profiles are used to trick people into sharing personal information, sending money, or clicking on
In-Person “Trader” Scams
Knowledge is power In-Person “Trader” Scams: What You Need to Know In-person “trader” scams involve scammers pretending to be legitimate tradespeople or sales agents, often going door-to-door or approaching people in public spaces. They might offer home repair services, cleaning, landscaping, or even items like art, jewelry, or tech devices,
Phishing
Knowledge is power Phishing: What You Need to Know Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals pretend to be trustworthy organizations or people to trick you into giving away important information—like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal details. The name ‘phishing’ comes from the idea of ‘fishing’ for
Pyramid Schemes
Knowledge is power Pyramid Schemes: What You Need to Know Pyramid schemes are illegal investment scams that recruit members through a promise of high returns for minimal effort. These schemes operate on a hierarchical model where profits are generated primarily from recruiting new members rather than from legitimate product sales
QR Code Scams
Knowledge is power QR Code Scams: What You Need to Know QR code scams are a type of fraud where scammers create fake QR codes to trick people into revealing personal information, making unintended payments, or installing malware. QR codes are often used by businesses, restaurants, and digital payment platforms,
Romance Scams
Knowledge is power Romance Scams: What You Need to Know Romance scams are a type of fraud where scammers use fake online profiles and emotional manipulation to build a false sense of romance and trust with their victims. These scams often happen on dating sites, social media, or through messaging
Sextortion
Knowledge is power Sextortion: What You Need to Know Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where a scammer threatens to release intimate photos, videos, or private information unless the victim meets their demands, often paying money or providing more personal content. Sextortion scams are particularly damaging because they exploit
Skimming
Knowledge is power Skimming: What You Need to Know Skimming is a type of theft where criminals use hidden devices to steal payment card information when you swipe or insert your card into a machine, like an ATM or a gas pump. These devices capture data from the card’s magnetic
Social Engineering
Knowledge is power Social Engineering: What You Need to Know Social engineering is a set of tactics used by scammers to manipulate people into revealing confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. These attacks focus on human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities, making them particularly difficult to defend against.
Spear Phishing
Knowledge is power Spear Phishing: What You Need to Know Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack that targets specific individuals or organisations, usually for the purpose of stealing sensitive data, financial gain, or network infiltration. Unlike general phishing attacks, which are sent to a wide audience, spear phishing
Technical Support Scam
Knowledge is power Technical Support Scams: What You Need to Know Technical support scams involve scammers pretending to be representatives from reputable tech companies, like Microsoft, Apple, or Google. They aim to trick victims into believing their devices are compromised or at risk, pushing them to pay for unnecessary or
Telephone Scams
Knowledge is power Telephone Scams: What You Need to Know Telephone scams involve fraudsters calling people, pretending to be trusted organisations, family members, or companies to deceive victims into giving away money or personal information. These scammers often pose as government officials, technical support agents, or bank representatives, and they
Voice Phishing (Vishing)
Knowledge is power Voice Phishing (Vishing): What You Need to Know Voice phishing, commonly known as vishing, is a type of scam where criminals use phone calls to trick individuals into revealing personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers. Vishing can involve human callers or