Pig Butchering Investment Scam
A wrong-number text becomes a friendship, then an investment tip on a platform that shows fake profits. Learn how pig butchering works and why withdrawals always fail.
11 min readUpdated July 24, 2026
13 guides
Every scam guide on ScamAlert
Grouped by how the fraud reaches you. Each guide explains the mechanism, the red flags, a recovery timeline, and where to report.
Banking & Wire Frauds
Bank-impersonation fraud is the most damaging category of consumer scam because it moves real money out of a real account, usually in under an hour. These guides explain how the lure works, what the caller is actually trying to make you do, and the recall and dispute procedures that still work after the transfer leaves.
IRS & Social Security Scam Calls
A caller says your Social Security number is suspended or that the IRS has a warrant. Learn how government imposter scams work and what these agencies actually do.
10 min readUpdated July 19, 2026
Bank Fraud Alert Text Scam
A fake bank fraud alert text is the opening move in a bank impersonation scam. Learn how smishing works, the three requests that are always fraud, and the recovery steps that still work.
11 min readUpdated June 18, 2026
Credit Card & Payment Frauds
Not all payments are equally reversible. A credit card charge, a debit card charge and a Zelle transfer give you three completely different sets of rights. These guides cover the scams that target each rail, and explain which protection you can actually invoke when something goes wrong.
Gift Card Scams & Draining
Nobody legitimate is ever paid in gift cards. Learn why fraudsters insist on them, how in-store card draining works, and what to do in the first hour after paying.
9 min readUpdated July 17, 2026
P2P Accidental Transfer Scam
Money arrives in your Venmo or Cash App "by mistake" and a stranger asks you to send it back. Here is why returning it costs you twice, and how P2P payment fraud really works.
12 min readUpdated July 9, 2026
RFID Skimming: Myth vs Reality
Are RFID blocking wallets worth it? We separate contactless card skimming myth from measured reality — and show where card fraud actually happens.
11 min readUpdated June 11, 2026
AI & Digital Cyber Scams
Three seconds of audio is now enough to clone a voice well enough to fool a parent on a bad phone line. These guides cover the AI-enabled and technically-enabled scams — cloned voices, deepfake video calls, malicious QR codes and credential phishing — and the low-tech verification habits that defeat all of them.
Unpaid Toll Text Scam
A text claims you owe a small unpaid toll and threatens a late fee. Learn why toll smishing became the most reported text scam, and how to check a real toll balance safely.
9 min readUpdated July 23, 2026
USPS Package Delivery Text Scam
A text says your USPS package is held for an incomplete address and asks for a small redelivery fee. Here is how the scam works, why the fee is not the point, and what to do.
9 min readUpdated July 21, 2026
Tech Support Popup Scam
A full-screen "Microsoft security alert" with a siren and a phone number is not a virus detection. Learn what the popup actually is and how to close it safely.
10 min readUpdated July 16, 2026
AI Voice Cloning Scams
A few seconds of public audio is enough to clone a relative’s voice. Learn how AI voice cloning emergency scams are built, why they defeat instinct, and the one habit that stops them.
12 min readUpdated July 14, 2026
QR Code (Quishing) Scams
Fake QR code stickers on parking meters, restaurant tables and package slips route you to convincing payment clones. Learn how quishing works and how to check a code before you scan.
11 min readUpdated June 30, 2026
Non-Banking & E-Commerce Scams
The scams in this category do not need access to your bank at all. They convince you to hand money over voluntarily — through a fake job, a fake listing, a fake store or a fake refund. These guides cover the patterns that repeat across all of them.
Facebook Marketplace Scams
Why a Marketplace buyer wants to send you a verification code, why deposits are always Zelle, and how to sell and buy locally without getting caught.
10 min readUpdated July 22, 2026
Fake Remote Job & Check Scams
A remote job offer arrives with a check for home office equipment. Learn why "funds available" is not "check cleared", and how fake job scams extract money and identity data.
12 min readUpdated July 2, 2026
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