Scam guides

How the most common text, WhatsApp and ad scams work, how to spot each one, and where to report it in your country.

• Bank Text About a Payment You Didn't Make, Then a Call: How the Scam Works

  A text says a payment you don't recognise is about to go through, then "your bank" or "the police" calls and asks you to move your money somewhere safe. Your bank never asks that. Hang up and call the number on your card.

• Parcel Delivery Fee Text Scam: Correos, Royal Mail, La Poste and USPS

  A text says your parcel is held for a small customs or delivery fee and gives you a link. Carriers don't take fees through links in texts. Check tracking by typing the carrier's own address.

• Job Offer on WhatsApp or Telegram Paying You for Likes or Tasks: Scam

  Someone offers easy money for likes, reviews or small online tasks, pays you a little, then asks you to pay to unlock bigger tasks. It's a scam. A job that asks you to pass money through your account is a crime.

• Someone Asked for My WhatsApp Code: The Account Takeover Scam

  A friend's account or a stranger asks you to pass on a six-digit code "sent to you by mistake". That code lets them take over your WhatsApp. Never share it, and turn on two-step verification.

• A Buyer Sent Me a Link or a Request to Get Paid: Wallapop, Vinted and Bizum Scams

  You're selling something and the buyer sends a payment request or a link to "collect your money". Getting paid never needs you to accept a request or enter your card. Keep the chat and the payment in the app.

• Text About a Fine or an Unpaid Toll: DGT, ANTAI and Toll Scams

  A text says you have an unpaid fine or toll, with a link to pay before it goes up. Traffic authorities don't send fines by text with a link to pay. Check on the official site yourself.

• Asked for a Deposit Before Seeing a Flat or Room: Rental Scam

  A cheap flat, a landlord who's abroad, and a deposit to pay before anyone shows it to you. Never pay before you've seen it and met the landlord or the agent.

• Text Saying You're Owed a Tax Refund: Hacienda, HMRC, impots.gouv and IRS Scams

  A text or email says you're owed a tax refund and gives you a link to claim it. Tax offices don't send refund links. Sign in to the official site yourself.

• "Hi Mum, This Is My New Number": The Family Emergency Scam

  Someone writes from a new number saying they're your child, their phone broke, and they need money urgently. Call them on their usual number before you pay anything.

• An Ad With a Famous Person Promising Daily Returns: Investment Scam

  An ad shows a famous person or a news interview promising big daily returns on an investment platform. No real investment promises daily returns. Check the company with your country's financial regulator.

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