Scam Types
Types of scams — a complete guide to how scams are categorized
Scams are organized into categories based on how they reach you, what they ask for, and who they pretend to be. The most common categories include phishing (deceptive emails, texts, and calls), romance scams, investment and crypto fraud, tech support scams, marketplace scams, and impersonation of real companies or government agencies. This page is a starting point — pick a category below to learn how to recognize and respond to it.
Last reviewed: May 10, 2026 · Drafted with AI assistance. Reviewed and edited by a human editor before publication.
How are scams categorized?
Scams are not random. Almost every fraudulent attempt follows a specific pattern used by criminals to exploit different vulnerabilities. In 2026, most authority sources, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, categorize scams based on three primary factors: the channel used to reach you, the emotional hook, and the specific information or asset being targeted.
Understanding these categories is the first step in defense. By recognizing the type of scam, you can predict the scammer’s next move. For example, an investment scam almost always follows a period of “grooming,” while a tech support scam relies on sudden technical panic.
The most common scam categories
Below are the primary categories of scams observed globally in 2025 and 2026. Each category represents a different method of deception.
Deceptive emails, texts (smishing), or calls (vishing) designed to steal login credentials or personal data. Read our phishing guide.
Fraudulent text messages that impersonate banks, delivery services, or government agencies to steal credentials or money. Read our smishing guide.
Voice-based phone scams where callers impersonate banks, government agencies, or tech support to extract sensitive information. Read our vishing guide.
Fraudulent opportunities promising high returns with low risk. In Australia, these accounted for $837.7 million AUD in losses in 2025. See investment scam patterns.
A relationship built over weeks, then a fake crypto platform that lets small withdrawals out and blocks large ones behind endless fees. Read our pig butchering guide.
Fake online relationships used to steal money — often over weeks or months. AI-generated photos and voice messages make these harder to detect. Read our romance scams guide.
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Targeting businesses or individuals via email to redirect legitimate payments to scammer-controlled accounts. Learn how BEC attacks work.
Scammers trick you into giving them control of your computer or phone, often by pretending to be tech support. See remote access scam tactics.
Marketplace and Shopping Scams
Fake listings on social media or dedicated websites for items that do not exist. Read about marketplace scams.
Fake warnings about viruses or “security issues” designed to sell unnecessary software or gain account access. Read our tech support scams guide.
Government Impersonation
Scammers pretend to be from agencies like the IRS, HMRC, or ATO regarding unpaid taxes or “identity issues.” See government impersonation patterns.
Employment and Job Scams
Fake job offers that require upfront “training fees” or equipment purchases. Read about job scams.
Sextortion
Threats to release private or sensitive images unless a ransom is paid. Learn about sextortion threats.
Lottery and Prize Scams — Coming soon
Fake notifications of lottery wins or prizes that require a “processing fee” to claim.
Family Emergency Scams — Coming soon
Scammers impersonate a family member in distress to extract emergency money transfers.
Who scammers target
Anyone can be scammed. Scammers don’t target based on age, job, or intelligence — they look for moments of distraction or specific emotional pressure. Recognizing this is part of the defense.
While everyone is a potential target, data shows that certain groups are impacted differently. According to ACCC Scamwatch data, Australians aged 65 and over accounted for 26.5% of total scam losses in 2025, despite making up only 17.1% of the population. In the United States, FTC data shows total fraud losses reached a record $15.9 billion USD in 2025, with social media scams alone accounting for $2.1 billion — an 8x increase since 2020. These figures show that while the methods change, no demographic is immune to professional deception.
Note
Anyone can be scammed. Scams are designed by professionals who test their tactics on thousands of people daily. Scammers look for moments of distraction or specific emotional pressure — not for “stupid” or “careless” targets. Recognizing this is part of the defense.
What to do if you think you’ve encountered a scam
If you are currently interacting with someone and feel uneasy, stop. Scammers rely on keeping you “on the hook” through continuous communication. The most effective defense is to break the contact immediately.
Before providing any information or money, use a verification flow to check the situation. You can use our Is this a scam? tool to evaluate the request against known scam patterns.
What to do if you’ve been scammed
If you have already sent money, shared passwords, or given someone remote access to your device, you are not alone. Millions of people are in this position every year.
Your first step is to contact your financial institution to secure your accounts. After that, follow our After a scam help guide for a step-by-step recovery plan.
How scam categories evolve
As of 2026, scam categories are evolving rapidly due to advancements in artificial intelligence. Traditional phishing is being displaced by AI-enhanced versions that eliminate historical red flags like poor grammar or spelling.
According to research cited in the Vectra AI 2026 report, AI-generated content now appears in 82.6% of phishing emails. Emerging threats like voice cloning reached an “indistinguishable threshold” in late 2025, where fake audio can achieve an 85% accuracy match using only three seconds of source audio.
Sources
- Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Phishing Activity Trends Report Q4 2025. https://docs.apwg.org/reports/apwg_trends_report_q4_2025.pdf. Accessed May 2026. Cited for global phishing volume statistics.
- US Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network. https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/consumer-sentinel-network. Accessed May 2026. Cited for US scam categorization.
- US FTC press release on social media scam losses. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/new-ftc-data-show-people-have-lost-billions-social-media-scams. Accessed May 2026. Cited for 2025 US fraud loss figures.
- ACCC Scamwatch. https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/. Accessed May 2026. Cited for Australian scam categorization and 2025 loss data.
- Vectra AI 2026 analysis on AI-enhanced phishing. https://www.vectra.ai/topics/ai-scams. Accessed May 2026. Cited for AI-generated content statistics.