Internet scams

Fraudulent charity appeals that impersonate real relief organizations or invent fictitious causes, especially following disasters and during crises, are a well-documented form of fraud tracked by regulators and consumer protection agencies, and are distinct from legitimate charitable giving.

Job offer scams use fake job postings or unsolicited recruiter messages to steal personal information, upfront fees, or trick victims into laundering stolen money, and reports to U.S. and UK fraud agencies have risen significantly alongside growth in remote work recruiting.

Fake online giveaways, often using impersonated celebrity or brand accounts, are a well-documented and widespread internet scam. Regulatory agencies including the FTC have formally documented this fraud pattern and issued consumer guidance.

Rental scams involve fraudsters advertising properties they do not own or that do not exist as available, collecting deposits or application fees from multiple prospective tenants before disappearing, and the FTC and major rental platforms report this as a persistent and costly form of consumer fraud.

Fraudulent online shops advertising unrealistically large discounts on brand-name goods, then taking payment without delivering genuine products, are a well-documented and widespread form of e-commerce fraud tracked by consumer protection agencies worldwide.

Gift card scams exploit the fact that gift card codes function like untraceable cash once shared, and scammers across many different fraud categories, from tech support scams to romance scams, commonly request payment specifically in gift cards because the transactions are difficult to reverse or trace.

Recovery scams target people who have already lost money to a previous scam, falsely promising to recover the stolen funds for an upfront fee, and consumer protection agencies identify this as a distinct and growing secondary fraud that re-victimizes people already harmed by an initial scam.

Romance scams involve fraudsters building fake romantic relationships online, often over weeks or months, before requesting money for fabricated emergencies, and they consistently rank among the costliest forms of consumer fraud reported to U.S. and UK authorities each year.

Inheritance scams falsely inform a target they are due a large unclaimed inheritance from a distant or unknown relative, then request fees for legal processing or taxes before funds can supposedly be released, closely resembling the long-running advance-fee fraud pattern known as the Nigerian prince scam.

Lottery and sweepstakes scams inform victims they have won a prize they never entered to win, then request an upfront payment for supposed taxes, fees, or customs charges before any prize is released, a request no legitimate lottery organization makes.