Education & Resources / Fraud & Security Center / Scam Glossary
An envolving list of fraud and scams to point you the right direction
Updated 9/25/2026
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A
Account Takeover
A cybercrime where attackers gain unauthorized access to online accounts, typically using stolen credentials.
Acting Scams
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Advance-Fee Loans
A fraudulent scheme where a fake lender or broker promises a guaranteed loan or credit card, regardless of credit history, but requires personal information and/or an upfront fee before releasing funds.
AI Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Artificial Intelligence Scams
Fraudulent schemes that use artificial intelligence (AI) tools— such as generative text, voice cloning, and deepfakes— to automate, personalize, and scale deception.
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AI Voice Cloning
ALSO KNOWN AS
AI Voice Spoofing
An artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can create a realistic digital replica of a specific person’s voice using short audio samples, with some tools only needing about 15-30 seconds to create a convincing clone.
Source: National Cybersecurity Alliance
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Airbag Fraud
ALSO KNOWN AS
Airbag Replacement Fraud
A deceptive practice where someone knowingly sells, installs, or replaces a vehicle's airbag with a counterfeit, damaged, non-functional, or mismatched unit while falsely claiming it is a genuine, properly working safety device.
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Airline Scams
Fraudulent schemes where criminals impersonate airlines or travel agents to steal money and/or personal data.
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Amazon Imposter Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Amazon Impersonation Scams
Fraudulent schemes where criminals impersonate a representative of Amazon to steal money and/or personal data.
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Audition Scams
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Auto Buying Scams
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Auto Loan Refinancing Scam
A fraudulent scheme where a fake lender or refinancing company promises to lower a borrower’s monthly payments and/or interest rate, but requires personal information and/or an upfront fee.
Auto Repair Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Car Repair Scams
Deceptive practices by auto repair shops that include inflating costs, taking advance payment without doing promised work, or intentionally damaging property to force a paid repair.
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Auto Warranty Scam
ALSO KNOWN AS
Car Warranty Scam
Extended Warranty Scam
A fraudulent scheme where fake car dealers, manufacturers, or insurers falsely claim that a vehicle’s warranty or insurance is going to expire. The goal is to pressure the driver to renew or purchase an auto service contract, also called an extended warranty.
B
Bank Imposter Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Bank Impersonation Scams
Fraudulent schemes where criminals impersonate a bank or credit union to deceive accountholders into giving away money, personal information, or access to financial accounts.
BIN Attack
A type of payment card fraud where cybercriminals systematically generate and test card numbers based on a known Bank Identification Number (BIN) to identify valid card numbers for unauthorized transactions.
Bitcoin ATMs
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Bitcoin Investment Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Bitcoin Scams
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Brushing Scam
A fraudulent scheme where an online seller mails unsolicited, typically inexpensive, merchandise to an unsuspecting person to create fake, “verified purchase” reviews in the recipient’s name. The goal is to boost the seller's ratings and visibility on e-commerce platforms.
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
ALSO KNOWN AS
Business Email Spoofing
CEO Fraud
Email Account Compromise (EAC)
A cybercrime where attackers spoof email accounts and impersonate executives to deceive employees into sending money or confidential data.
C
Caller ID Spoofing
A fraud tactic that allows a caller to disguise their true phone number by altering the information transmitted to the recipient’s caller ID.
CAPTCHA Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Fake CAPTCHA Scams
reCAPTCHA Scams
A type of “bait-and-switch” fraud where users receive an unexpected CAPTCHA request that requires them to download files or execute commands to prove they are “not a robot”, leading to the installation of malware on their device.
Car Buying Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Auto Buying Scams
A broad type of fraud related to deceptive practices by individuals or dealerships when buying and/or selling vehicles.
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Car Kiting
A type of car buying scam where a seller accepts a trade-in vehicle with outstanding liens and then resells it without paying off the liens and obtaining the proper title.
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Car Repair Scams
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Car Warranty Scams
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Car Wrap Scams
A type of check fraud where individuals are promised payment to wrap their car in advertisements.
Scammers typically send a fake check, instruct the victim to deposit it, and then wire a portion of the money to a supposed installer, leaving the victim responsible for the bounced check and any money sent.
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Casting Call Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Acting Scams
Audition Scams
Casting Scams
Fake Casting Calls
A type of imposter scam where scammers, posing as a talent scout or casting director, lure aspiring actors into paying upfront for fake auditions, classes, or services.
Catfishing
The act of using a fictitious online persona or fake identity to intentionally deceive another person, often for romantic and/or fraudulent purposes.
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Celebrity Imposter Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Celebrity Impersonation Scams
A type of imposter scam where scammers pose as well-known celebrities or public figures to deceive individuals into giving money or personal information.
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CEO Fraud
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Charity Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Donation Scams
A type of fraud where scammers deceive individuals into donating money under the false pretense of supporting a charitable cause.
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Check Cooking
ALSO KNOWN AS
Check Baking
A type of check fraud, similar to check washing, where fraudsters use software to digitally alter the information on a stolen check.
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Check Fraud
ALSO KNOWN AS
Check Scams
Fake Checks
The unlawful use of checks to illegally acquire funds, typically involving writing bad checks, stealing checks, or using counterfeit checks.
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Check Cooking, Check Kiting, Check Washing, Paper Hanging
Check Kiting
A type of check fraud where an individual writes a check knowing there are insufficient funds in their account with the intention to cover the check, through legitimate or illegitimate means. The fraudster takes advantage of the float time between when the check is written and processed by the bank to obtain unauthorized credit.
The check is often covered through a series of check kiting across several accounts at different banks, called circular kiting.
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Check Washing
A type of check fraud where fraudsters use chemicals to alter the information on a stolen check.
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Contest Scams
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Contractor Scams
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Craigslist Scams
A type of fraud where scammers misuse the website Craigslist to collect money under false pretenses.
Cramming
The act of placing unauthorized charges on a bill, typically disguised as a tax or fee, without the consumer’s consent, approval, authorization, or disclosure.
Cramming is most commonly associated with home or mobile telephone bills, called phone cramming.
Credit Card Debt Relief Scams
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Credit Card Interest Rate Scams
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Credit Repair Scams
A type of fraud where scammers, posing as credit repair counselors, promise to remove or change information on an individuals’ credit report or guarantee a specific increase in credit score, often requiring upfront fees or personal information.
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Crowdfunding Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Fake Crowdfunding Campaigns
A type of fraud where scammers misuse crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe, Kickstarter, etc. to collect money under false pretenses.
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Crypto ATM Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Cryptocurrency ATM Scams
Crypto Kiosk Scams
Bitcoin ATM Scams
A type of fraud where scammers deceive individuals into using Convertible Virtual Currency (CVC) kiosks, commonly referred to as cryptocurrency (crypto) ATMs, to send money.
CVC kiosks are a physical machine that look similar to a regular cash ATM, and the most common type is a Bitcoin ATM.
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Crypto Kiosk Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Cryptocurrency Kiosk Scams
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Crypto Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Cryptocurrency Scams
A broad type of fraud where scammers use cryptocurrency, or crypto, to exploit individuals for financial gain.
Cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that is often used as a payment method in other types of fraud. Cryptocurrency is typically purchased online or from a crypto ATM.
Curbstoning
When an unlicensed individual, dealer, or retailer poses as a private seller to evade city or state regulations, called “curbstoning” because the seller in these types of shady deals historically conducted the sale in a parking lot, or with the car parked curbside on the street.
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D
Data Breach
A data breach is any security incident in which unauthorized parties access sensitive or confidential information, including personal data and corporate data.
Dating Scams
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Debt Relief Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Debt Settlement Scams
A type of fraud where scammers, posing as debt settlement companies, guarantee they can negotiate with creditors to reduce or eliminate the amount a borrower owes, typically requiring upfront payment before any services are rendered.
SEE ALSO
Deepfakes
AI-generated videos, images, or audio clips that convincingly imitate a real person’s face, expressions, or voice.
SEE ALSO
Disaster Fraud
ALSO KNOWN AS
Disaster Assistance Scams
Disaster Relief Scams
A type of fraud where scammers, posing as charities, government agencies, contractors, etc., deceive victims of a weather emergency or natural disaster into giving money or personal information.
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"Do Me A Favor" Scams
A type of imposter scam where individuals are asked to buy gift cards for a scammer impersonating someone they know and instructed to share gift card information via text or photo once purchased.
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Donation Scams
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E
Elder Fraud
ALSO KNOWN AS
Elder Financial Abuse
Elder Financial Exploitation
A type of fraud that involves the theft or misuse of an older adult’s money, assets, or personal information.
Email Account Compromise (EAC)
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Extended Warranty Scams
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F
Facebook Marketplace Scams
A type of fraud where scammers misuse the online buying and selling platform, Facebook Marketplace, to collect money under false pretenses.
Fake Checks
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Fake Emergency Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Family Emergency Scams
Grandparent Scams
A type of imposter scam where scammers impersonate a family member or friend in distress, claiming they need money urgently for a supposed emergency.
Scammers often target grandparents by impersonating their grandchildren, called Grandparent Scams.
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Fake Prize Scams
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Family Emergency Scams
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Flood Insurance Scams
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G
Gift Card Scams
A type of fraud where individuals are asked to purchase gift cards under false pretenses and provide the card numbers and PINs to the scammer.
Government Grant Scams
A type of government imposter scam where scammers, posing as a government agency, guarantee “free money” in the form of a grant, typically requiring upfront fees or personal information.
Government Imposter Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Government Impersonation Scams
A type of imposter scam where scammers pretend to be from government organizations, law enforcement agencies, or local court systems.
SEE ALSO
Grandparent Scams
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H
Home Improvement Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Home Repair Scams
Contractor Scams
A broad type of fraud where dishonest contractors exploit customers by inflating costs, taking advance payment without doing promised work, or intentionally damaging property to force a paid repair.
Home Repair Scams
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I
Imposter Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Impersonation Scams
A type of scam where scammers pose as someone they are not, often a business or government agency, to deceive individuals into giving money or personal information.
Interest Rate Reduction Scams
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J
Juror Scams
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Jury Duty Scams
A type of government imposter scam where scammers, posing as law enforcement or court officials, falsely claim an individual missed a jury summons and demand payment or personal information under threat of arrest.
L
Lottery Scams
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M
Mechanic Scams
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P
Paper Hanging
A type of check fraud where a fraudster writes a check knowing there are insufficient funds in their account with no intention of depositing funds to cover the check.
The fraudster takes advantage of the float time between when the check is written and processed by the bank to obtain goods, services, or cash without legitimate payment.
SEE ALSO
Phone Cramming
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Prize Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Fake Prize Scams
Contest Scams
Giveaway Scams
Lottery Scams
Raffle Scams
Sweepstakes Scams
A broad type of fraud where scammers falsely claim an individual has won a contest, giveaway, lottery, raffle, or sweepstakes, but require upfront payment for fees or personal information before receiving the prize.
Q
QR Code Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
Quishing
QR Phishing
A form of phishing that uses QR codes instead of clickable links to trick people into visiting malicious websites or giving up sensitive information.
Quishing
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R
Relationship Scams
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Romance Scams
ALSO KNOWN AS
(Online) Dating Scams
Relationship Scams
A form of phishing that uses QR codes instead of clickable links to trick people into visiting malicious websites or giving up sensitive information.
S
Sweepstakes Scams
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U
Used Car Scams
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