Internet scam — Identify, verify, report
Suspicious about a site, email or text message? Worried about an internet scam? This guide helps you spot the most common frauds and decide what to do.
The 4-step method
1. Identify the target
URL, email, number, profile — whatever channel the scam uses.
2. Cross technical sources
WHOIS, SSL test, reputation databases (URLVoid, ScamAdviser, PhishTank).
3. Decide
Three weak signals converging toward risk = treat as suspicious.
4. Report
Notify your country's cybercrime portal so others are warned.
Internet scams to know in 2026
Bank phishing
Fake email/SMS from your bank asking you to validate a transaction. Always go through the official app.
Fake online shops
PS5 for $99, brand-new iPhone for $200. If it's too good to be true, it's a scam.
Delivery smishing
Fake SMS from courier services asking for delivery fees.
Romance scam
Fake profile, fast declaration of love, requests for money for 'travel' or 'medical emergency'.
Sextortion email
Threats to release intimate images (often bluff) in exchange for bitcoin. Never pay.
Fake tech support
Microsoft / Apple pop-ups. No legitimate vendor proactively calls you by phone.
Internet scam — FAQ
The biggest ones: bank phishing (fake delivery SMS, fake bank advisor), fake e-commerce sites (slashed prices on electronics), romance scams on dating apps, fake job offers, sextortion emails, and crypto scams. They all rely on urgency or fear.
Cross several sources: domain age via WHOIS (whois.com), SSL check (ssllabs.com), reputation lookups (URLVoid, ScamAdviser, PhishTank). Cross-check with a Google search of '[site name] scam' and Trustpilot reviews.
1. Block your card right away. 2. Save every piece of evidence (screenshots, emails, references). 3. Report the scam to your local cybercrime unit. 4. File a police report. 5. Rotate your passwords (use a password manager).
It depends on the payment method. Credit card: you can request a chargeback through your bank, often within 13 months (60-80% recovery rate). Bank transfer: very hard to recover once executed. Crypto: virtually impossible. PayPal: open a dispute within 180 days.
Use your country's cybercrime portal (for example, IC3 in the US, Action Fraud in the UK, cybermalveillance in France, anti-phishing.org globally).
Golden rules: always verify the URL before entering credentials, distrust urgency (no real service forces you to act in 24h), use a password manager, enable two-factor authentication, and prefer credit cards over bank transfers when possible.
Verify before it's too late
A few seconds of checking can save you hundreds of dollars in losses.
Check a phone number