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Scam guides — by type
Step-by-step help for the scams people actually run into. Search below, filter by tag, or scroll — every guide is free, cite-friendly, and updated for 2026.
The scams people are reporting to GACS
The registry currently lists 420,638 confirmed scam identifiers, 286,503 of them added in the last 30 days. Of the 122 victim reports filed directly with GACS, 72% describe pig-butchering (romance + crypto investment).
Registry entries by type
Victim reports by scam type
- Pig-butchering (romance + crypto investment)88
- Other25
- Phishing websites3
- Impersonation2
- Fake customer support1
- Fake brokers1
- Fake giveaways1
- Investment pyramids1
What these figures mean
Total entries counts every identifier the registry currently lists as a scam — a website, wallet address, phone number, social account, broker or token. One scam operation often appears several times, because the same group runs multiple domains, wallets and accounts at once. The number measures how many identifiers you can check, not how many separate criminal groups exist.
Added in the last 30 days shows how quickly new identifiers are reaching the registry. Scam websites are usually abandoned within days and replaced with new domains, so a steady flow of fresh entries matters more than the total. It also means a clean result on a brand-new site is not proof that it is safe.
Entries by type reflects where the data comes from. Websites dominate because domains are cheap to register and large public feeds track them; brokers, social accounts and wallets are fewer but are usually tied to larger individual losses. Each type links to its full list.
Victim reports by scam type counts only reports people filed directly with GACS, excluding any our moderators dismissed. It is a much smaller sample than the registry and shows what our own visitors are encountering, not the whole market. A high share for one type — currently pig-butchering — means that pattern is what people most often bring to us after losing money.
Live figures as of 2026-09-25, drawn from the GACS registry and reports submitted at gacs.app/report-scam. Full methodology and citable numbers: for journalists.
Why these guides exist
Fraud is now one of the largest categories of crime in the world. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024 — up 25% in a single year — and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged $16.6 billion in reported losses over the same period, with cryptocurrency fraud accounting for $9.3 billion. Behind every dollar is a moment that was preventable: a text that looked like a bank, a profile that looked like a friend, a caller who sounded exactly like a grandchild.
These guides exist to make that moment survivable. Each one answers a single real question — “is this text from USPS real?”, “can I get a Zelle refund?”, “how do I report an Instagram scammer?” — with the exact steps, the exact agency or form to use, and the exact phrases that work when you call your bank. No filler, no scare tactics, and no product you have to buy first.
How we write and verify them
Every guide is researched against primary sources — the FTC, FBI IC3, CFPB, Action Fraud, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, platform trust-and-safety documentation, and confirmed reports from our own public scam registry. Steps are tested against the current versions of the apps and reporting forms they describe, and every external link is re-checked automatically on a schedule. When a process changes — a bank's dispute policy, a platform's reporting flow — we update the guide and say so on the page.
If you're dealing with an active scam right now, skip the reading: run the free scam checker or report what happened — both take under a minute. Otherwise, pick the category below that matches your situation.
New guide
Supplement scams — and how to track what you take
Fake certificates of analysis, proprietary-blend hiding, auto-ship traps and fabricated doctor endorsements — plus a free log template for everything you actually take.
Tags:
Payment scams (PayPal, Zelle, Cash App)
Peer-to-peer payment apps are the #1 vehicle for modern money-transfer fraud. Read these before you send, refund, or accept a payment from a stranger.
- NewPayPal scams — the 8 patterns to know
Fake “unauthorized transaction” alerts, overpayment refunds, friends-and-family switches, invoice phishing. What real PayPal will and will not do.
- Zelle scams — pay-yourself, fake buyer, rental deposit
Why banks rarely refund Zelle fraud, and the exact phrases scammers use when impersonating your bank's fraud department.
- Cash App scams and how refunds actually work
$Cashtag impersonators, fake support, flip scams — and the truth about Cash App's dispute and refund process.
- How to report a scam to your bank
The exact call script and Regulation E language to use when disputing an unauthorized transfer.
- How to get a bank refund after a scam
Escalation path when the first-line rep says “Zelle payments are final.”
- NewZelle scam refund — the 2026 playbook
Which Zelle scams the big banks are now required to refund, the exact Regulation E language, and the CFPB escalation when the bank says no.
- PayPal scam refund — the 2026 playbook
Purchase Protection, denial-appeal path, and the credit-card + CFPB fallback that reverses PayPal's "no."
- Venmo scams 2026 — how to spot them & get your money back
The 5 most common Venmo scams and the exact refund playbook — Resolution Center, Reg E, chargeback fallback, and CFPB escalation.
Phishing, texts & suspicious websites
Before you click, tap, or type a password — run it past these.
- NewSpot and stop email, phone & social scams
Compare warning signs, immediate stop steps, and recovery actions across the three most common contact channels.
- How to check if a website is a scam
10-point manual checklist plus the fastest free tools.
- Is this website a scam? (2026 edition)
Updated for the AI-generated storefront wave sweeping Meta & TikTok ads.
- The universal “is this a scam?” checklist
One page. 12 questions. Works for any message, email, or DM.
- QR-code (quishing) scams
Parking meters, restaurant menus, delivery-notice stickers — how to tell fake from real.
- The WhatsApp 6-digit code scam
The account-takeover trick that starts with “I sent you a code by mistake.”
- Amazon account suspended scam
Fake order calls and texts, the refund overpayment trap, and the remote-access takeover that follows.
- Tech support popup scam
Fake virus warnings, browser lock screens and the Geek Squad renewal invoice — how to close them safely.
- Sextortion email scam
Why the “I recorded you” email quotes your old password, and the urgent steps when the threat is real.
- IRS tax refund scam
Threat calls, refund phishing texts, fake payment portals and stolen-identity returns.
Phone calls, SMS & robocalls
Voice and text channels are cheap for scammers and hard for you to verify in the moment.
- NewHow to stop spam texts and robocalls
Reply STOP the safe way, register with the DNC, block by carrier, and report to 7726 (SPAM) and the FTC.
- How to block “Scam Likely” calls
Carrier-level controls, iOS & Android settings, and the free apps worth installing.
- AI voice cloning scams
The family-emergency call, cloned-boss wire, and the safe-word playbook that stops both.
- USPS “delivery on hold” text scam
The most-forwarded phishing text of 2026 — screenshots and the real USPS process.
- Medicare card scam calls
Fake new-card calls, free braces and DNA kits — and why your Medicare number is the real target.
- Grandparent scam — the fake emergency call
The jail-bail call, the cash courier at the door, and the AI voice clone — plus the 30-second check.
- Utility disconnection scam
“Your power goes off in 30 minutes” — prepaid card demands, doorstep visits and how to verify.
Marketplace & job-search scams
Buying, selling, and job-hunting online — the fraud patterns behind the profitable listings.
- Facebook Marketplace scams
Overpayment, fake shipping labels, Zelle-only demands, cloned buyers.
- How to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace
The 6-step reporting path — listing, profile, message thread, IC3, FTC — plus recovery.
- Job-search scams
Signs of a fake recruiter, upfront-fee scams, and “package reshipping” mule jobs.
- Telegram job scams
The “review products for $30/task” pipeline — how it becomes a $10k deposit request.
- Puppy and pet sale scams
Stolen photos, deposit-only sellers and the endless crate, insurance and customs fees.
Romance, crypto & pig-butchering
The long-con playbook: weeks of trust-building, then an investment or emergency pitch.
- What “pig butchering” actually means
The origin, the stages, and how to recognize you're mid-way through it.
- How to report a pig-butchering scam
IC3, FTC, and international routes — plus what evidence to gather first.
- Romance scammer photos — reverse-image-check any fake
The 5 face-search tools that actually work, the 8 photo patterns, and the video-call test AI still can't beat.
- How to talk to parents about scams
A calm, non-condescending script for the “Mom, please stop sending money” conversation.
Recovery & “recovery scams”
After the loss — the legitimate paths, and the second-round scams that target victims.
- Recovery scams — the second wound
Why 20-40% of scam victims get scammed again by fake “fund recovery” firms.
- Financial recovery services — what's real
Chargebacks, bank recalls, law enforcement, licensed attorneys — the actual toolkit.
- How to recover money from a crypto scam (honest guide)
The 6-step real playbook — IC3, exchange compliance, and why 'crypto recovery services' are almost always the second scam.
How to report a scam
The right agency, the right form, in the right order — country by country.
- How to report to the FTC and IC3
US-specific: exact URLs, what to include, what to expect back.
- How to report a scam on Instagram
In-app reporting, account takeovers, and getting Meta to actually respond.
- How to report a scam on TikTok
Videos, live streams, comments, DMs, and impersonators — and what to screenshot first.
- How to report a scam to your bank
The exact call script and Regulation E language.
Health, supplements & subscriptions
Miracle-cure ads, fake clinical trials, and free-trial subscription traps — how to check what you're actually swallowing and paying for.
- NewSupplement scams — and how to track what you take
Fake COAs, proprietary-blend hiding, auto-ship traps and fabricated doctor endorsements — plus a free log template for what you actually take.
Reference & long-form
The deep dives — long-form references worth bookmarking.
- Ultimate scam-detection guide (2026)
12,000 words, 50 patterns, cited sources. The full-length reference.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try the Website Checker for any URL, or the public scam database for wallets, phone numbers, and social profiles.
Quick answers
GACS guides are free, step-by-step playbooks for checking, avoiding, reporting, and recovering from specific scam types.
What do the GACS guides cover?
The guides cover how to check whether a website, wallet, or caller is a scam, how to protect elderly relatives, how to recover after being scammed, how to block scam-likely calls and texts, and how to report fraud to the right authority in your country.
Are the GACS guides free?
Yes. Every guide is free to read, requires no account, and can be shared or printed for family members.
Authoritative sources
Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Official US channel for reporting internet-enabled fraud and cybercrime.
- US Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraud
Consumer fraud reporting and published enforcement data.
- UK Action Fraud
UK national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Canada's central repository for fraud reports and scam alerts.
