What is the difference between a scam and phishing?

A scam is a broad term for any fraud aimed at extorting money or data, regardless of the channel. Phishing is a specific scam technique — impersonating a trusted institution (email, SMS, website) to extort credentials or card data. In other words, every phishing attack is a scam, but not every scam is phishing — scams also include romance scams, fake investments, payment-app fraud and fake online shops.

How do you recognize a scam?

Typical warning signs are time pressure and urgency, offers that are too good to be true, requests for an unusual payment method (instant transfers, cryptocurrencies, top-up codes), links to sites that closely resemble the original, errors in the sender's address and requests for login data or an SMS code. A healthy rule: verify the sender through an independent channel and never share authorization codes.

What should you do if you have fallen victim to a scam?

Contact your bank immediately (block the card, attempt a chargeback, report the unauthorized transaction), change the passwords of the affected accounts and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). Report the matter to the police (fraud) and to the relevant national CERT. Keep evidence: messages, account numbers, website addresses and screenshots.

What are the most common types of scams?

The most popular include phishing and smishing (fake emails/SMS), vishing (phone scams, e.g. a fake bank consultant), romance scams, fake investments and cryptocurrencies, instant-payment and fake-listing fraud, and fake-parcel or surcharge scams. The common denominator is the manipulation of the victim's emotions and trust.

What is a Scam?

Scam Definition

A scam is a form of fraud in which a fraudster attempts to extort money, personal data, or other valuable information from a victim by misleading them. Scams can take various forms, including fake emails, websites, SMS messages, phone calls, and many others.

How Does a Scam Work?

A scam works through manipulation and deception, aimed at getting the victim to take actions that benefit the fraudster. Typical scam methods include:

Fake offers: The fraudster offers something that’s too good to be true, e.g., lottery winnings, amazing shopping deals.
Impersonation: The fraudster impersonates a trusted institution or person to gain the victim’s trust.
Urgent calls to action: The victim is forced to act quickly, e.g., through threats or fake security alerts.
Collecting personal data: The fraudster asks for personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords, login credentials.

Types of Scams

Phishing: Fake emails or websites that look legitimate, aimed at extracting login credentials or financial information.
Smishing: Scams via SMS messages that try to get the victim to click on a malicious link or provide personal data.
Vishing: Phone scams where the fraudster impersonates a trusted institution to obtain confidential information.
Lotteries and contests: Fake notifications about winning a lottery or contest that require paying “administrative fees” to claim the prize.
Fake online stores: Websites offering products at extremely low prices that will never be delivered.
Romance scammers: Fraudsters impersonating people looking for love, who after establishing a relationship ask for money.

Examples of Scams

Fake emails from banks: Emails informing about bank account problems and asking for login credentials.
Calls from “technical support”: Fraudsters impersonating employees of technology companies, claiming the victim’s computer is infected.
Fake auction sites: Websites offering popular products at very low prices that will never be shipped.
COVID-19 related scams: Fake offers selling masks, tests, or vaccines.

Latest Scam Trends (2025-2026)

Scammers constantly adapt their methods to new technologies and trends:

AI-powered scams:

Deepfake voice scams: Scammers use AI to clone voices of relatives or supervisors, requesting urgent wire transfers
AI-generated phishing: Professionally written messages without language errors, harder to detect
Fake chatbots: Bots impersonating bank and company customer service

Cryptocurrency scams:

Pig butchering (romance-investment scam): Building relationships over weeks, then persuading victims to “invest” in cryptocurrency
Rug pulls: Cryptocurrency project creators disappearing with investors’ money
Fake airdrops: Promises of free tokens in exchange for wallet credentials

Social media scams:

Fake contests and giveaways: Posts promising prizes for sharing or commenting
Influencer impersonation: Fake profiles of famous people promoting fraudulent investments
Marketplace scams: Fraud on sales platforms (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist)

Service-related scams:

Fake delivery notifications: SMS and emails from “couriers” with links to fake payment pages
Instant payment scams: Requests for instant payment codes under the pretext of urgent help
Fake invoices: Emails with attachments containing malware or leading to phishing sites

How to Recognize a Scam?

Too good to be true: Offers that seem too beneficial to be true.
Urgent calls to action: Messages requiring immediate action.
Unknown sources: Messages from unknown senders or institutions.
Language and grammar errors: Messages containing numerous language errors.
Unusual requests for personal data: Requests for confidential information such as credit card numbers or passwords.

Threats Associated with Scams

Identity theft: Fraudsters can use extracted data for identity theft.
Financial losses: Victims can lose money by transferring it to fraudsters.
Malware infection: Clicking on malicious links can lead to installing malware on the victim’s device.
Loss of trust: Scams can lead to loss of trust in institutions and online services.

How to Protect Yourself from Scams?

Education and awareness: Learning about typical methods used by fraudsters.
Source verification: Checking the authenticity of messages and offers.
Caution when providing personal data: Avoiding providing confidential information over the internet or phone.
Using antivirus software: Installing and updating antivirus programs.
Checking URLs: Making sure websites are authentic before entering data.

What to Do If You Become a Victim of a Scam?

Immediate action: Reporting the incident to appropriate institutions such as bank, internet service provider, or police.
Changing passwords: Changing passwords for accounts that may have been compromised.
Monitoring accounts: Regularly checking bank accounts and credit cards for unauthorized transactions.
Reporting fraud: Reporting fraud to appropriate law enforcement agencies and consumer protection organizations.

How Can Organizations Protect Employees from Scams?

Companies should implement multi-layered protection:

Security awareness training: Regular training on recognizing phishing and scams
Phishing simulations: Testing employee vigilance through controlled attacks
Verification procedures: Rules for confirming unusual transfers through a second channel
Email filters: Advanced anti-spam and anti-phishing solutions
Incident reporting: Easy way to report suspicious messages

Need cybersecurity training for employees? Check our security awareness training.

Scam is a serious threat in today’s digital world, which is why it’s important to be aware of fraudsters’ methods and take appropriate precautions to protect yourself and your data.

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