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Top signs of a scam

The five tells in almost every scam Things you should never hand over Scammers also target your good heart

Phone calls

Scam phone calls

"This is your bank's fraud team"Fake tech support & "refunds"The "just say yes" call The fake helpline you found yourself The "Phantom Hacker" — three callers, one script "You are under digital arrest" — the call that won't let you hang up "Go to the Bitcoin machine""An officer will collect your card"

"A relative in trouble"

When the voice sounds like family Seeing isn't believing: deepfake video

SIM-swap & OTP theft

How a SIM-swap steals your account "Give us the code to stop a SIM-swap"The "support app" that watches your screen

Texts, email & WhatsApp

Fake emails & login pages

"Your account will be suspended""Was this you?" reset traps "Allow access" & device-code tricks

Scam text messages

"Your package needs a small fee"Bank, toll & fine texts The friendly wrong-number text

SARS & SASSA scams

"SARS: you have a refund / a summons""Your SASSA grant — claim, recover or verify"The SASSA card switch — and the impostors riding it Two-pot retirement scams — "we'll help you claim"

Money, shopping & investments

Investment & crypto scams

The "can't-lose" investment friend Fake exchanges, giveaways & seed phrases The "I can get your money back" scam The "account recovery expert" — the scam after the hack

Romance scams

The partner who needs money When the sweetheart is software

Job scams & money mules

"Get paid to like videos" task scams Fake recruiters & money-mule jobs

Parcels, bills & electricity

"Pay a small fee to release your parcel"Fake municipal bills & cheap-electricity offers

In person: doorstep & taxi scams

The "Eskom technician" at your door The "official airport driver" with a card machine The proof-of-payment that proves nothing

Internet & apps

Dangerous downloads & the web

"Paste this to verify you're human"Fake updates, extensions & QR traps

QR-code scams (Quishing)

The mystery package with a QR code The QR sticker on the parking meter A letter from the "bank" or SARS with a QR code