Scam safety guides
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Impersonation Scams: When Criminals Pose as Your Bank, Police or Officials
Impersonation scams work because they borrow trust that already exists — your bank, the police, HMRC or a government department are all organisations you’d reasonably respond to quickly if contacted. UK Finance and the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign track this category closely, and while reported impersonation losses have fallen from recent highs thanks…
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Job and Employment Scams: Fake Job Offers and Advance-Fee Schemes
Job scams have grown sharply alongside the rise in remote hiring and text-based recruitment, and the US Federal Trade Commission has tracked consumer losses rising from around $90 million to over $500 million as reported incidents nearly tripled in recent years. The tactics translate directly to the UK, where Action Fraud tracks the same core…
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Tech Support Scams: How They Work and What to Do If You’re Targeted
Tech support scams rely on a specific emotional trigger — sudden fear that your computer is broken, infected, or about to lose your data — to short-circuit normal caution. Understanding the mechanics of how these scams actually run makes them much easier to recognise in the moment, which is exactly when recognising them matters most.…
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Phishing Emails and Smishing Texts: How to Spot Fake Messages
Most people encounter a phishing email or scam text nearly every week without necessarily recognising it. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the government body that tracks and helps take down these campaigns at scale, and its guidance gives a specific, checkable set of signs rather than a vague “trust your instincts.” What…
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Investment and Cryptocurrency Scams: Red Flags and How to Verify Before You Invest
Investment scams have grown alongside genuine interest in cryptocurrency and online trading, and fraudsters have gotten good at making fake platforms look indistinguishable from real ones. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has tracked a sustained rise in reports through its ScamSmart programme, including a marked jump in crypto and forex-related scam reports. Here’s how…
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Fake check and overpayment scams: warning signs, what to do and where to report
Do this now If a check or cashier’s check has just been deposited and you are being asked to wire, transfer or gift-card back part of the amount, contact your bank before sending anything — do not act on the balance showing as “available.” Do not send money, gift cards or cryptocurrency against funds from…
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Pet and puppy adoption scams: warning signs, what to do and where to report
Do this now Stop any pending payment if the seller is pushing gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app before you have seen the specific animal on a live, unedited video call. Do not send a further “insurance,” “vet,” “crate,” “customs” or “return” fee after an initial payment — a second fee after…
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Inheritance and unclaimed-funds scams: warning signs, what to do and where to report
Do this now Do not send any payment — a “release fee,” legal fee, “clearance certificate,” tax or courier charge — to claim an inheritance, unclaimed property or unexpected payout you did not already know about. Verify independently: search your own name in an official state, provincial or national unclaimed-property register directly, rather than through…