Scam Trends
The scams most actively hitting people right now, per country — ranked by how many distinct reports (government alerts, news coverage, victim accounts) our daily monitoring archived in the last 30 days, and how recently each was last observed.
Updated daily · 353 tracked patterns · last refreshed 2026-10-03. Journalists and researchers: cite freely with a link to this page — or email us for detail on any pattern.
United States
- 1. "Medicare" calls about your new card and asks for your Medicare number
government impersonation · 7 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 2. Wrong-number text turns into a crypto investment opportunity
investment · 6 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 3. A fake charity calls or texts asking for hurricane / wildfire donations
other · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
- 4. Your inbox is suddenly flooded with spam — while scammers quietly charge your credit card
phishing · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 26
- 5. A "fund recovery" service contacts you after you were already scammed
other · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 6. A car dealership website you found online is a fake — scammers cloned a real dealer's entire site
marketplace · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 21
- 7. Fake "MyChart Medicare Kit" email or text steals your health portal login and card details
phishing · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 8. "Chinese police" caller threatens international students with extradition unless they wire money
government impersonation · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
- 9. Caller says you missed jury duty and will be arrested unless you pay now
government impersonation · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
- 10. A QR code sticker on a parking meter or menu sends you to a phishing site
phishing · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
India
- 1. Police or CBI on video call says you are under "digital arrest"
digital arrest · 19 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 2. WhatsApp group with a famous broker giving guaranteed stock tips
investment · 11 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 3. Someone offers you ₹1,500–₹5,000 to "rent" your bank account for a few days
job · 10 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 4. Caller says you have been approved for PM Awas Yojana or another government scheme — pay a fee to claim it
government impersonation · 8 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 5. Matrimony / dating site contact pivots to a crypto trading "tip"
investment · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 6. AI deepfake of Finance Minister on Facebook ads promises ₹70,000 a day — it is a scam
investment · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 7. WhatsApp or SMS from "your bank" tells you to install a KYC update app that silently drains your account
phishing · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 27
- 8. Fake gas company sends a WhatsApp APK for 'KYC update' that silently empties your bank
phishing · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 9. SMS says your electricity will be cut tonight at 9:30 PM
phishing · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 23
- 10. Fake FIFA or cricket match ticket site steals your card — and a fake APK steals your phone
phishing · 2 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
United Kingdom
- 1. "Your bank account is compromised" — a fake police officer or fraud team asks you to withdraw cash for a courier
banking · 11 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 2. A broker contacts you about an investment — their FCA number checks out, but they are a clone firm
investment · 10 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 3. A text says your Student Finance payment is blocked — click to update your bank details
phishing · 10 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 4. A "fund recovery" firm calls after you've been scammed — but you have to pay upfront
other · 6 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 5. A text or email says you qualify for a Government energy rebate or cost-of-living payment — just enter your bank details
government impersonation · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 6. Your phone suddenly loses signal — fraudsters have hijacked your number to drain your bank accounts
banking · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 7. An advert shows Martin Lewis or a Dragons' Den star endorsing a trading platform — it is a deepfake
investment · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 26
- 8. "Hi Mum / Hi Dad" — a WhatsApp message claims to be your child on a new number needing urgent money
other · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 20
- 9. A cold-caller or doorstep visitor claims to have spotted urgent damage to your roof or driveway — then takes a large deposit and disappears
other · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 10. A text says Royal Mail could not deliver your parcel — pay a small fee to reschedule
delivery · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
Australia
- 1. A Facebook ad with an AI deepfake of a politician or ABC journalist promotes a fake investment platform
investment · 8 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 2. A text or email says myGov, Medicare, or Centrelink needs urgent verification
government impersonation · 7 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 3. "AFP officer" calls with a real ReportCyber case number and demands your crypto seed phrase
government impersonation · 6 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 28
- 4. A caller says you owe the ATO tax and police are coming unless you pay by gift card
government impersonation · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 5. A fake online casino takes your deposit, rigs the games, and blocks your winnings until you pay more
other · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 28
- 6. An online dating match or wrong-number text becomes a crypto trading pitch
investment · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 7. An SMS from an 'Amazon' or 'YouTube' recruiter offers flexible tasks, then asks you to fund a crypto account
job · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 8. A scammer impersonating a supplier, solicitor, or manager redirects your invoice payment to their account
phishing · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 9. A licensed-looking bond broker offers 8–12% guaranteed returns — the bonds are never purchased
investment · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
- 10. A caller offers to unlock your super early — but you lose the whole balance
investment · 3 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
Canada
- 1. A social media ad or message leads to an investment platform with fake OSC registration — your money cannot be withdrawn
investment · 14 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 2. A text or email links to a fake Scotiabank, RBC, or TD login page that steals your banking credentials
phishing · 13 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 3. A caller claims to be your bank's fraud team — move your money to a "safe account" now
banking · 10 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 4. A caller pretends to be Rogers, Bell, or TELUS and offers a free upgrade — then ships phones to themselves using your account
phishing · 10 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 29
- 5. Someone offers to help you recover money you lost to a previous scam — for a fee
investment · 9 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 2
- 6. A too-good deal on event tickets or accommodation turns out to be fake — payment cannot be reversed
marketplace · 5 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 1
- 7. A rental on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace looks perfect — landlord wants a deposit before viewing
marketplace · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Oct 3
- 8. An "investment community" promises crypto trading returns and pays commissions to recruit others — it's an MLM Ponzi
investment · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 30
- 9. A call, text, or email claims to be from Canada Border Services — pay customs fees now or face deportation
government impersonation · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 28
- 10. A text says you qualify for a settlement payout — the fake website steals your card and personal information
phishing · 4 reports in 30 days · last seen Sep 20
New patterns this month
- ＋ Registered post scratch card says you won a prize — pay fees first to claim it
India · first seen Sep 18
- ＋ A convincing copy of a real brand's website steals your card details at checkout
United States · first seen Sep 9