Digital fraud and scams
What is fraud?
Fraud is wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain for the criminal.
What is a scam?
A scam is a type of fraud where a criminal directly deceives, coerces, or manipulates you into making a payment, sharing information, or taking an action that benefits them — such as through a fake purchase, job offer, loan, investment, or cryptocurrency scheme.
Get help with digital fraud and scams now
Read our step-by-step guides to learn about, recover from, and contain fraud and scam-related attacks.
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Scam texts, calls, or emails
You have been contacted directly by email, phone or text in a way that compromises your security or safety.
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Recovering money from cyber scams
You have lost money in an online scam or cybercrime.
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Crypto scams
You have been scammed through cryptocurrency.
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Card fraud
Transactions have been made using your bank cards which you did not authorise.
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Identity theft
Someone has used your personal information without your permission to impersonate you for financial or personal gain.
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Online auction fraud
Someone has tricked you when buying on an online auction site such as eBay or Amazon.
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Romance fraud (catfishing)
Someone has built a romantic relationship with you online using a fake identity (catfishing), in order to gain your trust and manipulate you into sending them money or personal information.
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Recruitment scams (job fraud)
You have been scammed while applying for a job.
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Loan scams
You have been scammed taking out a loan.
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Investment scams
You have been scammed while making an investment.
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Mobile identity theft (SIM swapping)
Someone has taken control of your mobile number without your permission — allowing them to intercept your calls, texts, and security codes.
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Crisis scams
You have been pressured into sending money or sharing personal information in relation to an urgent event.
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I'm not sure what's happened, but something isn't right
Our free helpline helps individuals and sole traders understand, contain, and recover from cyber attacks and incidents.
Speak to an expert
Some cybercrime cases require a helping hand or further investigation. If you have spoken to our chatbot, read our guides, and still need more help with your issue, our chatbot can connect you to a real cybersecurity expert.
*Please note our volunteer helpline service is currently only available if you live in the UK or USA. We aim to get back to your request within 3 days.
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