Are malicious card readers that illegally gather data from a credit or debit card’s magnetic stripe. They’re often attached to a real payment terminal and allow a scammer to steal personal financial and account information.

Charity scams are a deceptive practice where scammers solicit donations for fake, non-existent, or misrepresented charitable causes to steal money. These scams often peak after natural disasters or during holidays, using high-pressure tactics, fake websites, or phishing to exploit donor empathy. Scammers frequently request untraceable payment methods like cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. 

Counterfeit cashier’s check scams (also known as fake check scams) involve criminals issuing realistic but fake checks to victims for items, services, or prizes, then asking the recipient to wire back a portion of the funds before the bank discovers the forgery weeks later. 

Credit repair scams are fraudulent services that charge illegal upfront fees to "fix" credit by promising to remove accurate, negative information or by using illegal tactics like creating new identities. Common red flags include guarantees of specific score increases and advising against direct contact with credit bureaus. It’s important to note that no one can legally remove negative information from a credit report that is accurate. 

Crypto scams are fraudulent schemes targeting digital asset holders, often involving promised high returns, fake investment platforms, or impersonation of authorities to steal funds and personal data. Common tactics include "pig butchering" (building trust), phishing, and fake giveaways. Crypto transactions are rarely reversible, making prevention crucial. 

As the name implies, gift cards are for gift giving - not bill paying. Scammers use gift cards to separate unsuspecting consumers from their hard-earned money. They may call, text, mail, or even email to demand payment of an overdue bill, fine, or other debt. The catch is that they want you to go buy gift cards to make the payments. Once you share the numerical information from the card(s) with the scammer, the money is gone, and you are not likely to get your money back.

Scammers pose as someone they are not, such as a family member, government institution, law enforcement officer, or financial institution, and utilize fear or other emotional tactics to coerce or manipulate victims into a financial scam.

Jugging is where criminals watch banks, ATMs, or check-cashing stores to identify individuals withdrawing large amounts of cash. The perpetrators then follow victims to their next location—such as a parking lot, store, or home—to steal the money via vehicle break-ins or direct robbery.

An overpayment scam occurs when a scammer sends a seller a fake check or payment for more than the agreed price of an item, then asks the seller to refund the difference. The victim sends real money back, only for the fake check to later bounce, causing them to lose both the item and the refunded cash. 

Scammers build trust and relationships over time with their victims, referred to as “fattening up the pig,” before encouraging victims to invest or asking them for money.

Ponzi schemes take many forms, but they all depend upon a steady stream of investors who are promised regular, abnormally high rates of return. Without a steady stream of new investors, the Ponzi scheme becomes a “house of cards” that collapses under its own weight, with the scam artist long gone with investors’ money.

Scammers create a fake profile on a dating or social media website and initiate a romantic relationship with victims with the intention of stealing money from them through a fraudulent investment or asking for money to help with family emergencies, medical needs, or other life crisis.