Scam glossary: 70 terms explained in plain English

Key takeaways

Most scam jargon describes one of two things: how the scammer reached you, or how the money moved.
Phishing, smishing, vishing, and quishing are the same trick delivered by email, text, phone, and QR code.
Words like safe account, verification fee, and remote access are almost always signs of a scam when they come from someone who contacted you.
Knowing the term helps you report clearly, search for help, and explain what happened to a bank.

How to use this page

Each term has a one or two sentence definition, then, where it helps, a note on what to do. Terms are grouped by what they describe: how scammers reach you, the scams themselves, how the money moves, the technology, and the words used by banks and investigators.

How scammers reach you

Phishing. A message, usually email, that pretends to be from an organization you trust and tries to get you to click a link, open an attachment, or share information. The oldest and most common form of online fraud. See how to check if a link is safe.

Smishing. Phishing by SMS text message. Delivery notices, toll demands, and bank alerts are the usual bait. See how to tell if a text is a scam.

Vishing. Phishing by voice call. The caller pretends to be a bank, an agency, or tech support.

Quishing. Phishing by QR code, on a parking meter, in an email, or in a package. See QR code scams.

Spear phishing. Phishing aimed at one specific person or organization, using details about them to seem genuine. Business email compromise usually starts this way.

Spoofing. Faking the apparent source of a call, text, email, or website. Caller ID spoofing makes a scam call show a real bank's number. Email spoofing forges the sender's address. What you see on the screen proves nothing.

Robocall. An automated call playing a recorded message. Many are legal, such as appointment reminders. Scam robocalls usually ask you to press a number to speak to someone.

Wrong-number text. A friendly message meant for "someone else" that starts a conversation. A common opening for investment and romance scams.

Malvertising. Malicious advertisements, including fake customer service numbers and fake shops placed at the top of search results.

Pretexting. Inventing a scenario, such as a security check or a survey, to get someone to hand over information they would otherwise protect.

Social engineering. The general term for manipulating people rather than breaking technology. Every scam on this page is social engineering.

The scams

Imposter scam. Any scam in which the contact pretends to be someone you trust: a bank, a business, a government agency, a relative, or a romantic partner. The most reported category in the United States. See types of scams.

Government impersonation. Pretending to be Social Security, the IRS, Medicare, a court, or police. See the government impersonation guide.

Grandparent scam. A family emergency call aimed at older relatives: a grandchild in jail or hospital who needs money quietly.

Family emergency scam. The same script for any relative, increasingly with a cloned voice. See AI voice cloning scams.

Virtual kidnapping. A call claiming a relative is being held, with screaming in the background, demanding immediate payment while you stay on the line. The relative is safe and unaware.

Tech support scam. A pop-up or call about a virus or an expired subscription, leading to remote access and payment.

Refund scam. A version of the tech support scam in which the caller "overpays" a refund into your account, usually by editing the screen, and asks you to return the difference.

Romance scam. A relationship built online in order to ask for money. See the romance scam guide.

Pig butchering. A long investment scam that begins as friendship or romance and ends at a fake trading platform. Also called a relationship investment scam. See crypto investment scams.

Advance fee scam. Any scam in which you pay something first to receive something larger later: a prize, a grant, a loan, an inheritance, a job, or your own "profits".

Prize or lottery scam. You have won, and there is a fee, tax, or insurance charge to collect.

Grant scam. You qualify for free government money, once you pay a processing fee or share your bank details.

Overpayment scam. A buyer pays too much, usually by check, and asks for the difference back before the check bounces.

Fake check scam. Any scam that relies on a check that will bounce after you have sent money or goods. Banks make the funds available before the check clears, which is the gap the scam uses.

Task scam. A job that pays small amounts for liking videos or rating products, then requires deposits to unlock higher earnings or withdraw.

Job scam. A fake job offer used to collect a fee, personal information, or a deposited check. See types of scams for the job section.

Rental scam. A copied or invented rental listing used to collect a deposit for a home you cannot see. See the rental scam guide.

Brushing. Sending unordered packages to inflate a seller's reviews. Sometimes combined with a QR code that leads to a phishing page.

Charity scam. A fake or look-alike charity appeal, often after a disaster. See the charity scam guide.

Sextortion. Threatening to share intimate images unless paid. Includes both the mass-mailed bluff and the targeted threat. See the blackmail and sextortion guide.

Recovery scam. An offer to recover money you lost to an earlier scam, for a fee paid first. See the recovery scam guide.

Business email compromise (BEC). Impersonating a supplier, executive, or employee by email to redirect a payment. See invoice and payroll fraud.

Invoice fraud. A form of BEC in which a real invoice is paid to a criminal's account after a "change of bank details".

Payroll diversion. A form of BEC in which HR is asked to change an employee's direct deposit account.

Account takeover. A criminal gaining control of your online account, usually with a stolen or phished password.

Identity theft. Using your personal information, such as a Social Security number, to open accounts, file taxes, or obtain benefits in your name. See freeze your credit and lock down your accounts.

Elder fraud. Any of the above when the victim is an older adult. The FBI reported about $7.7 billion in losses among people aged 60 and over in 2025.

How the money moves

Safe account. The scammer's account, described as a place to move your money "to protect it". No bank or agency ever asks you to do this. The phrase is the single most reliable sign of a bank impersonation scam.

Gift card payment. Paying with the numbers from a gift card. Never a legitimate way to pay anyone. See gift card scams.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment. Apps such as Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App that send money instantly between people. Treated like cash, and rarely reversible. See payment app scams.

Wire transfer. A bank-to-bank transfer that settles quickly and is hard to recall. The usual channel for large losses.

Crypto ATM. A machine that converts cash to cryptocurrency. Scammers direct victims to deposit cash and scan a QR code that is the scammer's wallet. No bill, fine, or fee is ever paid this way.

Wallet address. The string of characters that identifies where cryptocurrency is sent. Keep any address you sent money to; investigators need it.

Money mule. A person who receives and forwards money for someone else, often recruited through a job or romance. Being a mule can be a crime and usually gets your account closed.

Chargeback or dispute. Asking your card issuer to reverse a charge. The strongest consumer protection available, which is why scammers avoid cards.

Unauthorized transaction. A payment made from your account without your permission, for example after your login was stolen. Protected strongly by federal rules if reported promptly.

Authorized push payment (APP) fraud. A payment you made yourself because you were deceived. Harder to recover, because you authorized it.

Recall. A bank's request to the receiving bank to return a transfer. Possible only if the funds are still there.

Credit freeze. A free block on your credit file that stops most new accounts being opened in your name. Placed separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Fraud alert. A note on your credit file asking lenders to verify your identity before opening an account. Weaker than a freeze, but only one bureau needs to be told.

The technology

Two-factor authentication (2FA or MFA). A second step at sign-in, such as a code from an app, in addition to your password. The best single protection against account takeover. Nobody legitimate ever asks you to read a code out.

One-time passcode (OTP). The temporary code used in two-factor sign-in or to approve a payment. Sharing it is the same as sharing your password.

SIM swap. Persuading or bribing a mobile carrier to move your phone number to a criminal's SIM card, so that they receive your calls and text codes. Ask your carrier about a port-out PIN.

Remote access software. Legitimate programs that let someone control your computer from elsewhere. Scammers ask you to install one "to fix" a problem. Never allow remote access to anyone who contacted you.

Look-alike domain. A web address designed to resemble a real one, such as paypa1.com or a real brand name placed in a subdomain. See how to check if a link is safe.

Typosquatting. Registering misspellings of popular addresses to catch people who mistype them.

Deepfake. Video or audio generated or altered by AI to show a real person saying or doing something they did not. Used in investment pitches and impersonation.

Voice cloning. Producing a synthetic copy of someone's voice from a short sample. See AI voice cloning scams.

Data breach. A leak of customer data from a company. Breached passwords and personal details are what make scam messages seem to know things about you.

Malware. Software designed to harm or spy. Most scams do not use it. They use persuasion.

Words used by banks and investigators

Fraud. The legal term for deception used to obtain money or property. Scam is the everyday word.

Consumer Sentinel. The FTC's database of fraud reports, fed by ReportFraud.ftc.gov and partner organizations, and used by law enforcement across the country. See the scam statistics guide.

IC3. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, at IC3.gov, where internet-enabled crime is reported.

Redress. Money returned to consumers after an enforcement case. The FTC reported more than $1.8 billion in redress in fiscal year 2025.

Restitution. Money a court orders a convicted person to pay back to victims.

Telemarketing Sales Rule. The federal rule that, among other things, bans charging fees for recovery services before money has actually been recovered.

Regulation E. The federal rule that limits your liability for unauthorized electronic transfers from a bank account, provided you report promptly.

7726. The number (spelling SPAM on a keypad) to which you can forward scam texts so your carrier can block the sender.

A term missing?

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Common questions

What is the difference between phishing, smishing, and vishing?

They are the same deception through different channels. Phishing is by email, smishing is by SMS text message, and vishing is by voice phone call. In each case the contact pretends to be an organization you trust and tries to get you to click, call, pay, or share information.

What does pig butchering mean?

It is a long investment scam, named from a Chinese phrase for fattening a pig before slaughter. A scammer builds trust over weeks, guides the victim to a fake trading platform, shows invented profits, and then blocks withdrawals behind fees. Many agencies now call it a relationship investment scam.

What is a money mule?

A person who receives money and passes it on for someone else, knowingly or not. Scammers recruit mules through job offers and romance, and use them to move stolen funds. Acting as a mule can be a crime even if you did not know, and it usually gets your bank account closed.

What is spoofing?

Faking the sender of a call, text, or email so that it appears to come from someone else. A spoofed call can show your bank's real number on caller ID. Spoofing is why the number or address you see proves nothing about who is contacting you.

Official sources and further reading

Published September 30, 2026, last updated September 30, 2026. This guide is general education for people in the United States. It is not legal or financial advice, and it cannot tell you whether a particular message or person is genuine. Spot an error? Tell us.

Scam glossary: 70 scam and fraud terms explained in plain English