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Scam of the day – April 1, 2026 – Watch Out For Scammers Posing as Airline Customer Service Representatives
Weary travelers are always looking for help and assistance from their airline. Often the inconvenienced travelers will turn to social media for help and scammers who monitor social media for posts from disgruntled travelers respond posing as airline customer service representatives. The scammers lure their targeted victims into clicking on links to go to phony airline websites where they are manipulated into providing personal information that can be used to make them victims of identity theft. Scammers are using AI to make these phony websites appear very legitimate and convincing.
Scam of the day – March 31, 2026 – New Variation on Sextortion Scam
In the most recent version of this scam, people around the country are receiving such sextortion emails with some new twists. First, the email contains a photograph of your home with a threat to contact you at your home, referring to your home’s address if you don’t pay the demanded Bitcoin ransom. Second, the email refers to a type of Spyware called Pegasus that can steal information from you computer without being discovered. In fact, Pegasus spyware does exist, but it is used only by government agencies.
Scam of the day – March 30, 2026 – CAPTCHA Tests Being Used By Scammers
Scammer are setting up legitimate appearing websites with fake CAPTCHA tests that require you to click on a box to solve a simple test, but when you follow the instructions, you end up downloading dangerous malware.
Scam of the day – March 29, 2026 – Alleged Grandparent Scammer Arrested
In the Scam of the day for March 6, 2025 I told you that twenty-five Canadians were arrested and charged with operating the grandparent scam through a call center in Canada where they contacted elderly victims in 40 American states between 2021 and 2024 during which time they stole $21 million from their victims. The scammers posed as either the targeted victims’ grandchild or an attorney representing the grandchild asking for money to be paid for bail. The scammers sent couriers posing as bail bondsmen to collect the cash and told the elderly victims that there was a gag order that prevented the victims from discussing the phony charges.
Scam of the day – March 28, 2026 – Iran War Scams: How Imposter Bank Alerts Are Tricking Victims and Stealing Identities
Learn how scammers are exploiting the Iran war with fake bank alerts, identity‑theft tricks, and cryptocurrency ATM scams, plus key tips to protect your accounts.
Scam of the day – March 27, 2026 – Hawaii Flood Charity Scams
Natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes and earthquakes are common occurrences. The devastating floods recently in Hawaii has caused severe damage estimated at a billion dollars according to Hawaii officials. It has also displaced many people whose homes were ruined. Natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes bring out the best in people who want to donate to charities to help the victims. Unfortunately natural disasters also bring out the worst in scammers who are quick to take advantage of the generosity of people by contacting them posing as charities, but instead of collecting funds to help the victims of these natural disasters, these scam artists steal the money for themselves under false pretenses.
Scam of the day – March 26, 2026 – TD Canada Trust Impersonation Scam: Fake Inheritance Emails Target Victims
Scammers are impersonating TD Canada Trust with fake inheritance emails claiming you’re heir to millions. Learn the red flags and how to avoid identity theft.
Scam of the day – March 25, 2026 – Deadline Approaching For Victims of Bitcoin ATM Scams in Maine
Most of the scams using cryptocurrency ATMs involve imposter scams where the scammer poses as either a law enforcement officer, government official or someone providing tech support for a non-existent problem. What many of these imposter scams have in common is that they scare the targeted victim with a story about an emergency that requires them to take cash from their bank account and use a QR code provided by the scammer to deposit the money into the account of the scammer at a cryptocurrency ATM under the guise of protecting the funds. In other versions of the scams, victims are told they must make a payment through a cryptocurrency ATM to avoid prosecution for missing jury duty or some other pretense.
Scam of the day – March 24, 2026 – New PayPal Phishing Scam Uses Fake DocuSign Alerts to Steal Your Data
A new phishing scam uses fake DocuSign and PayPal alerts to trick users into clicking malware‑laden links or sharing personal data. Learn how to spot and avoid it.
Scam of the day – March 23, 2026 -Why Your Cell Phone Number Puts You at Risk — And How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Your cell phone number reveals more than you think. Learn how identity thieves use it to steal accounts, commit SIM swaps, and how to protect yourself.
Scam of the day – March 22, 2026 – Why iPhone Theft Is Exploding: The $30 Billion Black Market Threat and How to Protect Yourself
iPhone theft fuels a $30B black market, and 40% of victims face identity theft. Learn essential steps to secure your device, data, and Apple Wallet.”
Scam of the day – March 21, 2026 – Nationwide Fake Traffic Violation Scam: How Imposter Scammers Use Phony Notices to Steal Your Money
Learn how scammers use phony traffic violation notices, QR codes, and impersonation tactics to demand fraudulent payments. Discover key red flags and tips to stay safe.
Scam of the day – March 20, 2026 – Scammers Sending Out Phony Data Breach Notices
Taking advantage of public awareness of data breaches and the dangers they pose, scammers are sending out emails and text messages posing as companies with which we do business containing phony notices of data breaches with links or QR codes that take you to sites where you are prompted to provide personal information that would lead to your becoming a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – March 19, 2026 – Police Issue Warning About Fraud Recovery Scams
Recently the Maui Police Department issued a warning about a scam that I have been warning you about for years. It involves scammers targeting people who have already been the victim of scams posing as either investigators, government agencies or law firms telling the scam victims that they can can recover the funds lost in the original scam. They demand an upfront fee and then disappear. Scammers often keep detailed records of their victims and sell these lists, often referred to as “sucker lists” to other scammers on the Dark Web, that part of the Internet where scammers sell their goods and services. Scammers also get the names of scam victims through monitoring consumer complaint websites or social media.
Scam of the day – March 18, 2026 – USPS Change‑of‑Address Scams: How Criminals Redirect Your Mail and Steal Your Identity
Criminals can redirect your mail without ever touching your mailbox by exploiting USPS change‑of‑address loopholes. Learn how the scam works and how to protect yourself.
Scam of the day – March 17, 2026 – E‑ZPass Toll Scam Alerts: Smishing Fraud Continues to Target Drivers
E‑ZPass scams are surging as criminals send fake unpaid toll texts to steal credit card details. Learn how smishing works and how to protect yourself from toll fraud.
Scam of the day – March 16, 2026 – New Imposter Scam Targets Building Permits: How Criminals Exploit City and County Records
The FBI warns of a new imposter scam where criminals pose as city or county officials to demand payments for building permits. Learn how to spot and avoid these fake emails.
Scam of the day – March 15, 2026 – St. Patrick’s Day Scams to Avoid: Fake Tickets, Fake Charities, and Lottery Cons
St. Patrick’s Day brings celebrations—and scams. Learn how to avoid fake tickets, phony charities, and lottery hoaxes with simple steps to stay safe this holiday.
Scam of the day – March 14, 2026 – Gas Pump Skimmers Surge as Many Stations Still Lack EMV Chip Readers
Despite EMV deadlines, many gas pumps still lack chip readers, fueling a surge in skimming fraud. Learn how skimmers work and how to protect your credit and debit cards.
Scam of the day – March 13, 2026 – Smishing Scams Surge: How Fake Bank Text Messages Put Your Accounts at Risk
Smishing scams are skyrocketing, with fake bank text messages—especially TD Bank impersonations—tricking consumers into revealing login credentials. Learn how to stay safe.
Scam of the day – March 12, 2026 – Phony Government Grant Scams Surge: How to Spot Facebook Fraudsters
The Federal Trade Commission is warning the public about an increase of phony grant scams. Recently there have been an increase in scams involving scammers convincing their victims that they are eligible for large government grants if they merely pay a processing fee. The federal government does not charge fees for applying for grants.
Scam of the day – March 11, 2026 – Texas Arrests Highlight Exploding Gold Bar Scam Targeting Older Adults
The FBI warns of a fast‑growing gold bar scam targeting seniors, with millions stolen through fake federal agent calls. Learn how the scheme works and how to stay protected
Scam of the day – March 10, 2026 – Summer Job and Intern Scams Already Starting
In another employment scam students are contacted through their email with an extremely attractive job offer. When the student accepts, the scammer sends an official appearing check to the student who is told to deposit the check into the student’s bank account. The check is actually made out in an amount more than what was agreed to be paid to the student and the student is instructed to wire the extra funds back to the company. Of course, the check is counterfeit and ultimately bounces, however, the money that the scammed student wires to the scammer from his or her bank account is lost forever.
Scam of the day – March 9, 2026 – Facebook Marketplace Payment Scams: How Zelle, Venmo & P2P Overpayment Fraud Targets Sellers
Facebook Marketplace scams are rising, especially fake Zelle and Venmo payment schemes targeting sellers. Learn how the overpayment scam works and how to protect your money.
Scam of the day – March 8, 2026 – AI Investment Scams – How AI and Crypto Scams Target Uninformed Investors
Learn how Bernie Madoff’s cautionary advice applies today as scammers use AI and fake crypto schemes to deceive investors. Discover how to protect yourself with proper due diligence.
Scam of the day – March 7, 2026 – PayPal Invoice Scam: How Scammers Use Real PayPal Accounts to Steal Your Data
A new PayPal scam uses real PayPal‑generated invoices and fake customer service numbers to trick victims into granting remote access. Learn how to spot and avoid it.
Scam of the day – March 6, 2026 -How to Protect Yourself From Iranian Cyberattacks Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Learn how to protect yourself from Iranian cyberattacks, DDoS threats, and war‑related phishing scams with practical steps to secure your devices, accounts, and data.
Scam of the day – March 5, 2026 – How Scam Artists Exploit Psychology to Steal Your Money
Learn how scammers use psychology, emotional manipulation, and red‑flag payment methods like gift cards, wires, and crypto ATMs to deceive victims and avoid detection.
Scam of the day – March 4, 2026 – Massachusetts Becomes Latest State to Sue Cryptocurrency ATM Company
The FTC reports a 1,000% rise in crypto ATM scam losses, with seniors most at risk. Learn how imposters use Bitcoin ATMs to steal money—and how to stay protected.
Scam of the day – March 3, 2026 – New Development in QR Code Scams
The new QR code scam starts with an email that appears to come from a company with which you do business informing you that you need to update your account or your account will be closed. In order to update your account, you are instructed to scan the QR code in the email which takes you to a website that looks like the real website for the company that the scammer is posing as and asks you to input your username and password. People falling for this scam end up giving access to their account to the scammer.
Scam of the day (Part 2) – March 2, 2026 – Steve’s Forbes Column About the Dangers Posed by Data Brokers
Some of you may know that in addition to Scamicide, I also write columns for Forbes and the Saturday Evening Post about white collar crime, scams and identity theft. Check out my latest column for Forbes in which I describe the tremendous and highly unregulated threat of scams and identity theft posed by legitimate data brokers being hacked by criminals and even selling our data to scammers.
Scam of the day – March 2, 2026 – Mavis Wanczyk Lottery Scams Continue to Snare Victims
Recently a Scamicide reader told me about receiving a message through Facebook that purported to be from Mavis Wanczyk informing him that she was giving him $10,000 and that all she needed was for him to set up a Cash App account and provide the details to her so that she could transfer the money to him. Fortunately, he recognized that this was a scam and did not send the account information requested which if sent would have enabled the scammer to access the bank account or debit card linked to the Cash App account and steal his money
Scam of the day – March 1, 2026 – Conduent Data Breach: Safepay Ransomware Attack Exposes 25 Million Victims’ Sensitive Personal Information
More than 25 million people were affected by the Conduent data breach caused by the Safepay ransomware gang. Learn what was exposed and how to protect yourself with credit freezes and identity monitoring.
Scam of the day – February 28, 2026 – FBI Warns of Outdated Routers: How to Protect Your Smart Home and IoT Devices
Protect your smart home from cybercriminals. Learn why the FBI warns about outdated routers, how IoT devices are targeted, and essential steps to secure your network.
Scam of the day – February 27, 2026 – AOL Phishing Email Scam
Due to its popularity, scammers and identity thieves often send out phishing emails that appear to come from AOL, such as the one reproduced below that was sent to me by a Scamicide reader. If you click on the link in the email one of two things can occur and both are bad. Either you will end up providing personal information to an identity thief or you will, merely by clicking on the link, download dangerous malware such as ransomware on to your phone, computer or other device.
Scam of the day – February 26, 2026 – Beware the Fake Stolen Car Reward Scam: How Criminals Steal Your Bank Information
Scammers are posting fake stolen car reward ads to steal bank account information. Learn how the scheme works, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you’re a victim.
Scam of the day – February 25, 2026 – Turbo Tax Imposter Scam
TurboTax is a popular online tax preparation service and so identity thieves will take advantage of that popularity and call people posing as TurboTax employees informing the targeted victim that his or her electronically filed income tax return has been rejected by the IRS. The identity thief then attempts to lure you into providing personal information including your Social Security number that will be used to make you a victim of identity theft.
Scam of the day – February 24, 2026 – Romance Meets Crypto Fraud: Inside the Explosive Growth of Pig‑Butchering Scams
Romance scams and crypto fraud have merged into dangerous “pig‑butchering” schemes. Learn how scammers build trust, fake investments, and steal life‑changing sums.
Scam of the day – February 23, 2026 – FBI Warns of Rising Gold Bar Scams Targeting Seniors: How the Scheme Works and How to Stay Safe
The FBI reports a surge in gold bar scams targeting seniors. Learn how scammers pose as federal agents, steal savings, and how to protect yourself from this growing fraud.
Scam of the day – February 22, 2026 – Publishers Clearing House Scam Strikes Again
In addition, no winners of the Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes are ever required to make a payment of any kind to claim their prize so if you are told that you have won, but are required to make any kind of payment before you can claim your prize, you can be sure that it is a scam. As for other lotteries, remember, you can’t win a lottery you haven’t entered and no legitimate lottery asks you to pay them administrative fees or taxes.
Scam of the day – February 21, 2026 – Smart Home Danger: The Growing Internet of Things Hacking Threat and How to Stay Safe
Smart home devices are increasingly hacked through the Internet of Things. Learn how cybercriminals exploit IoT vulnerabilities and the essential steps to secure your home
Scam of the day – February 20, 2026 – Deed Copy Scam Resurfaces: How Homeowners Can Avoid This Misleading Fee Trap
A deceptive deed copy scam is resurfacing, targeting homeowners with confusing notices and $90 fees. Learn why it’s misleading and how to get your deed cheaply and safely
Scam of the day – February 19, 2026 – How Money Mule Scams Work: Reshipping Fraud, Work‑From‑Home Schemes, and Romance Scam Transfers
Learn how scammers recruit money mules through reshipping jobs, fake work‑from‑home offers, and romance scams — and how to avoid becoming an unwitting accomplice.
Scam of the day – February 18, 2026 – How Airbnb Scams Work: Fake Listings, Phony Websites, and the Rise of the Land Lordz Fraud Network
Learn how Airbnb scams work, from fake listings to the Land Lordz fraud network, and discover essential tips to avoid phony websites, wiring scams, and rental fraud.
Scam of the day – February 17, 2026 – Beware the Fake Amazon Recall Text Scam: How Fraudsters Use Spoofing and Counterfeit Sites to Steal Your Account
Scammers are sending fake Amazon recall texts that link to counterfeit websites to steal your account. Learn how to spot the scam and protect your Amazon login with 2FA or a passkey.
Scam of the day – February 16, 2026 – Xfinity Data Breach Settlement: Why the Last Four Digits of Your Social Security Number Still Put You at Risk
Learn how the Xfinity data breach exposed millions and why even the last four digits of your Social Security number put you at risk. Get protection tips and settlement details.
Scam of the day – February 15, 2026 – Social Media Scams Surge: Why Most Fraud Now Starts on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
The FTC reports record losses from social media scams, with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp leading the surge. Learn how scams work—and how to protect yourself.
Scam of the day – February 14, 2026 – Panera Bread Data Breach: New Lawsuits Filed as 14 Million Customers’ Information Exposed
Two lawsuits follow the Panera Bread data breach that exposed 14 million customers’ personal data. Learn what happened and how to protect yourself from identity theft.
Scam of the day – February 13, 2026 – AI‑Powered Fake Retail Websites: How Scammers Trick Online Shoppers Into Surrendering Their Credit Cards
Scammers now use AI to create realistic fake retail websites that steal your credit cards. Learn how to spot fraudulent sites and protect yourself when shopping online.
Scam of the day – February 12, 2026 – Why You Must Freeze Your Credit at All Four Bureaus — Including the Little‑Known NCTUE
Freezing your credit at all four bureaus — including the little‑known NCTUE — is essential to stop identity thieves from opening accounts in your name. Learn how to do it.”