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• Free Amazon or Walmart gift-card ad that never pays
  Fake shop — Ads using Amazon or Walmart's name promise a free gift card, then show a fake code and a 'verify you are human' loop. The loop pushes surveys, app installs, or paid phone subscriptions, and there is no real card.
• Paid 'help' with VA benefits or a veteran's pension
  Impersonation — Scammers target service members and veterans with offers to speed up VA claims, increase benefits, or cash out a pension. Many of these pitches charge high fees or ask people to hand over login information they should never share.
• Lookalike software site suggested by an AI chat
  Fake shop — A lookalike download site can appear when an AI chat suggests where to get a program. In one 2026 case, a user was pointed to t33.codes instead of the real t3.codes. Always type the official address from a site you already trust.
• Fake McAfee bill inside a real Google security email
  Email — Scammers have been putting a fake bill, such as a $399 McAfee charge, and a phone number into a real Google security email. Google sends the message because the scammers typed that text into an app-password name. Do not call the number in the email.
• Fake Coinbase call after a contact-info leak
  Phone call — After a vendor leak exposed some Coinbase customer contact information, people can expect scam calls or texts that use that info to sound real. If someone claims to be from Coinbase, hang up and open the official app yourself.
• Spoofed bank call from a fake 'fraud investigator'
  Tech support — Caller ID can show your bank's real number even when the caller is not the bank. Fake 'fraud investigators' have told people, including businesses, to install remote-access apps and move money to a 'safe' account. Hang up and call the number on your card.
• Fake 'IT Support' chat after an inbox flood
  Tech support — First your inbox is flooded with hundreds of subscription emails. Then a chat, often in Microsoft Teams, arrives from 'IT Support' offering to fix it if you let them control your computer. Real IT will not cold-message you that way.
• Fake school-district donation call to local businesses
  Phone call — An Iowa school district warned that callers were asking local businesses for donations in its name, and the district said it was not making those calls. Before you give, call the school office on a number you already have.
• Lookalike vendor email that changes a payment
  Email — A lookalike email domain, not a hacked inbox, has been used to trick people into sending a large wire to the wrong place. Before any big payment or account change, call the vendor on a number you already have.
• Fake Social Security COLA or benefit-increase fee
  Impersonation — After Social Security announced the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment, scammers began contacting people and offering to 'activate' the increase or raise payments for a fee. The COLA is automatic. You do not need to register or pay to receive it.
• Real store order email with a scammer's 'helpline'
  Email — Real order emails from companies such as Staples and Dell have been arriving with a scammer's phone number typed into the shipping fields. The messages can pass normal email checks, so never call a number from an order email. Look the company up yourself.
• Pastor or church-leader gift card text
  Text — Church offices have been getting texts that look like they came from a pastor or other leader, asking someone to buy gift cards right away. A real pastor will not ask staff or members to buy gift cards by text.
• Fake Google Calendar invite that steals your login
  Email — Fake calendar invites can steal a live Google login even after you approve a real two-step prompt. Do not click links inside an unexpected invite. Open Calendar yourself instead.
• Fake PAC or campaign donation page (ScamPAC)
  Social media — Scammers use a candidate's name, image, logo, or slogan to collect 'donations' for a political action committee or campaign they have no tie to. They keep the money, and AI-generated voices or images can make the pitch look even more real.
• Campaign 'investment pool' with a promised payout
  Investment & crypto — Scammers tell people they can invest campaign contributions in a pool that will pay out after a candidate wins. Campaign donations are not an investment and will not grow or be paid back.
• Fake campaign or political merchandise shop
  Fake shop — During election season, scammers use candidate names, images, and slogans to sell merchandise that never arrives. This is a classic non-delivery scam dressed up as campaign gear.
• Fake voter registration text or email
  Text — Scammers use election season to text or email people, claiming they are not registered to vote. The link goes to a fake state registration page that is used to steal personal information.
• Law enforcement or government official impersonation call
  Impersonation — Scammers pretend to be U.S. or foreign law enforcement or government officials and accuse you of a crime. They demand money or personal information and may use spoofed numbers, fake credentials, or even AI video.
• Jury duty or missed-court warrant call
  Phone call — Scammers call and claim you missed jury duty or a court date and that a warrant is out for your arrest unless you pay right away. Real courts and law enforcement will not demand payment over the phone by gift card, crypto, or a courier.
• Caller who 'helps' you move your own money
  Phone call — Scammers tell Social Security beneficiaries that a bank employee is committing fraud and that the only way to protect their money is to transfer it. They may stay on the phone for hours and even coach you through a call with your real bank.
• Video-call sweepstakes or lottery 'win'
  Social media — Scammers have been using WhatsApp, FaceTime, and other video apps to tell people they won a sweepstakes or lottery. In reports to West Virginia's attorney general, the caller's screen was often black, so they could see you but you could not see them.
• Fake state-representative insurance or subsidy call
  Phone call — In 2026, West Virginia's attorney general reported a new tactic: callers posing as state representatives and offering insurance or other subsidies. One person said they got about 70 live calls from spoofed in-state numbers.
• Student-loan forgiveness or repayment help for a fee
  Impersonation — After federal student-loan repayment rules changed, scammers began offering quick forgiveness or special payment plans for a fee. Federal student loan programs do not charge you for that kind of help, and no private company can guarantee that your debt will be wiped out.
• Message that asks you to approve a new app on your account
  Email — A message may ask you to open a file or confirm an event, then show a real sign-in screen that wants you to approve an app. If you approve it, the scammer can read your email and act as you, even without your password.
• Tech-support pop-up that ends in a gold-bar pickup
  Tech support — A fake security pop-up claims your computer or bank accounts are in danger, then scammers take remote control and tell you to buy gold bars 'to protect' your savings. A courier later collects the gold.
• Fake 'transfer' to Social Security after a retailer call
  Phone call — A caller pretends to be a store, a bank, or another agency, then claims to transfer you to Social Security or its inspector general. That kind of transfer cannot happen, and it is always a scam.
• Fake FBI IC3 recovery help or lookalike complaint site
  Impersonation — After people lose money to a scam, criminals come back posing as the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and offering to recover the funds. IC3 does not call, email, or message people, and it will never charge a recovery fee.
• Crypto investment scam that sends a courier for cash
  Investment & crypto — After someone is pulled into a fake cryptocurrency investment, scammers may say cash has to be handed to a courier. The FBI has warned that this pickup method is often aimed at older adults and is also used in other scams.
• Fake parking ticket with a QR code or text-to-pay link
  Toll & bills — Around big events, scammers have used fake parking tickets that tell you to pay through a QR code or a text link. Official city tickets can be checked on the city's own court or violations site, not through a random code on a flyer or windshield.
• Task-based 'like and subscribe' job offer by text
  Job — Unsolicited texts offer easy phone work, such as liking or subscribing to videos, with no interview required. A dashboard may show earnings growing, but when you try to cash out you are told to pay fees that keep going up.
• Fake, altered, or duplicated World Cup tickets
  Fake shop — As the FIFA World Cup approached, Missouri's attorney general warned fans about fake, altered, or duplicated digital tickets, as well as shaky hotel and parking offers. Buy through official or trusted platforms and make sure a ticket can be transferred in the official system.
• Medicare card expired or needs verification call
  Phone call — During and around Medicare open enrollment, scammers call and say your Medicare card has expired, is lost, or needs to be verified. Medicare will not call first to ask for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or a payment.
• Social Security imposter using a real employee name and fake badge
  Impersonation — Scammers have been using real Social Security or OIG employee names, fake badge photos, and social media profiles to look official. A real government employee will not send a badge picture or demand payment by gift card, gold, or crypto.
• Fake job interview, offer letter, and upfront fee
  Job — Scammers post jobs on real job boards, hold interviews, and even send offer letters that use a company's name and logo. Then they ask for money or sensitive information, or they send a fake check and tell you to send some of it back.
• USPS, UPS, or FedEx package-hold text, email, or door tag
  Delivery — An unexpected message or a tag on your door claims there is a problem with a delivery and asks you to click a link, pay a fee, or call a number. Major carriers do not need you to fix a delivery that way through an unsolicited text.
• Unpaid toll text (E-ZPass, FasTrak, SunPass, or state DOT)
  Toll & bills — Phones across the country have been getting texts that claim you owe a toll or ticket and must pay through a link to avoid a fine or license problem. State attorneys general say government agencies do not text people out of the blue to demand that kind of payment.
• Fake city or county zoning-permit fee email
  Email — The FBI has warned that criminals email people who have real land-use permit applications and ask them to pay fake fees. The emails often include accurate addresses, case numbers, and the names of real local officials.
• Grandparent or family-emergency call for bail or ransom
  Phone call — Someone calls, often sounding panicked, and claims a child or grandchild is in trouble and needs money right away for bail, travel, or a medical bill. Hang up and reach that family member using a number you already know.
• Lookalike charity using a trusted group's name
  Social media — Around the holidays and after disasters, scammers copy the name of a real charity and ask for donations. A group that wants gift cards, cryptocurrency, or an instant payment through an unsolicited link is a warning sign.
• Viral 'tax hack' advice on social media
  Social media — Social media posts sometimes promise tax shortcuts or credits that most people do not qualify for. Following that advice can delay a refund or lead to penalties, and the IRS put misleading tax advice on its 2026 Dirty Dozen list.