Online scams take many shapes, but almost all of them lean on the same handful of tricks. Here's a map of the most common types, and what they have in common.
Convincing clones of real stores or services built to steal payment details.
Listings and stores that take payment and never deliver.
Fraudulent opportunities promising unrealistic, guaranteed returns.
Fake job offers designed to collect fees or personal information.
Fraud that spreads through impersonation, DMs, and fake giveaways.
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Whatever the format, most scams share a small set of tells: pressure to act immediately, a request to pay or communicate off the platform where you found them, an offer that's noticeably better than anything comparable, and reluctance from the other side to verify who they are.
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