Know the signs.
Scammers rely on surprise and urgency — slowing down is how you beat them. This page is education, in plain language, for you and the people you care about.
- Urgent scares: “your account is compromised,” fake order or receipt confirmations.
- Sender name looks right, but the real email address doesn't match.
- A link that says one thing but points somewhere else.
- Don't click. Open a new tab and go to the site yourself.
- Hover the link or long-press on mobile to see the real address.
- When in doubt, delete. Real companies will contact you again.
Phone
- Someone claims to be the IRS, your bank, tech support, or a family member in trouble.
- They pressure you to act right now and to keep it secret.
- They ask for gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Hang up. It is always okay to hang up.
- Call back on a number you look up yourself — not one they gave you.
- If it's about family, call that family member directly to confirm.
Bank & payment
- Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.
- A real bank will never ask you to move money to “protect” it.
- Gift cards and crypto as payment are almost always a scam.
- Pause. Real requests can wait a few minutes.
- Call your bank on the number printed on your card.
- Verify the payee before sending — a small test is fine.
Scam Trends to Watch (2026)
These are the patterns showing up most often right now. They keep working because they're built on urgency, secrecy, and an unusual payment method. If you see that combination, slow down.
1. AI Deepfake Impersonation
AI-cloned voices or faces of a family member, your boss, or your bank making an urgent money request.
- Urgency + secrecy + an unusual payment method (gift cards, crypto, wire).
- A request that doesn't fit how that person normally acts.
- They resist letting you call them back.
- Hang up and call back on a number you already know — not one they gave you.
- Agree on a family “code word” for real emergencies.
- A real bank or boss will never demand a secret, urgent payment.
2. Fake Job & Money-Mule Scams
Bogus job offers that steal your info or trick you into moving stolen money or goods — often labeled “reshipping” or “payment processing.”
- You were “hired” with no real interview.
- You're asked to receive money and forward it, or to use your own bank account for a “company.”
- They pay you a small amount up front to build trust.
- Never move money or packages for an employer you haven't verified.
- That's money laundering — even if you didn't know.
- Verify the company independently before sharing ID or bank info.
3. Toll & Delivery Phishing (smishing)
Texts claiming an unpaid toll (E-ZPass, FasTrak, etc.) or a missed package, linking to a fake payment site.
- A text with a link demanding payment or personal info.
- Toll agencies and delivery carriers do not collect this way by text.
- The link's domain doesn't match the real agency or carrier.
- Don't tap the link. Go to the real agency or carrier site yourself.
- You can check a suspicious link with PEGTrace's URL scanner.
- Delete the text and report it to your carrier (forward to 7726).
4. P2P Payment Traps (Zelle / Venmo / Cash App)
A fake “I sent you money by accident” notification pressuring you to “refund” it.
- Pressure to send money back quickly.
- Screenshots of a payment instead of a real balance change.
- Requests to move money to “protect” your account.
- Check your actual bank or app balance — not a screenshot or text.
- Banks will never ask you to move money to “protect” it.
- If money really did land in your account by mistake, your bank can reverse it.
5. Recovery Scams
Con artists posing as law enforcement, a lawyer, or a recovery service who promise to get your lost money back — for an upfront fee. They target people who were already scammed.
- Anyone guaranteeing recovery of lost funds.
- Any request for an upfront fee, retainer, or “processing” payment.
- They contact you out of the blue after you were scammed.
- Legitimate help does NOT charge an upfront fee to recover funds.
- Report to ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov instead.
- Talk to your bank — they may still be able to help with recall.
PEGTrace never charges to recover your money and never guarantees recovery — because no honest service can. We help build the evidence and route your report. Anyone promising to get your funds back for a fee is a red flag.
This section is educational. For current alerts and to report a scam, use reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
How to Protect Yourself
A short list of habits that stop most scams before they start — plus what to do if one has already happened. No shame, just next steps.
Core habits
The defenses that stop most scams.
- Slow down. Scammers manufacture urgency. Real institutions let you take your time. If you feel rushed, that's the red flag.
- Verify on a channel you choose. Hang up and call back on a number from your card, statement, or official site — never the number or link they gave you.
- Never pay with gift cards, crypto, wire, or a P2P app to someone who contacted you. Legitimate businesses and government don't demand those.
- Use a family “code word” for emergency money requests — it defeats AI voice-cloning of relatives.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication. Prefer an authenticator app or security key over SMS.
- Don't click links in unexpected texts or emails. Go to the official site yourself. You can check a suspicious link with PEGTrace's URL scanner.
- Don't move money or packages for an “employer” you haven't independently verified — that can make you a money mule.
Red flags checklist
A quick “is this a scam?” list.
- Pressure, urgency, or threats.
- Secrecy — “don't tell anyone.”
- An unusual payment method (gift card, crypto, wire, P2P).
- A request that arrived out of nowhere.
- A link or phone number they supplied.
- A promise to recover lost money for an upfront fee.
- A deal or job that seems too good to be true.
If two or more of these are true, stop and verify before doing anything.
Protect the people you care about
Families and older adults.
- Talk about scams before they happen. Agree on a simple rule: “For any new or large payment, pause and check with me.”
- Ask the bank about a trusted-contact or transaction-hold option — an opt-in safety net, not surveillance.
- Keep it dignified. Anyone can be targeted; scammers are professionals. Shame keeps people quiet — talking about it keeps people safe.
If you've already been scammed
Calm, practical, no shame.
- Act fast. Contact your bank or card issuer immediately — dispute and recall windows are tight.
- Change passwords on affected accounts and turn on multi-factor authentication.
- Report it to ic3.gov (FBI) and reportfraud.ftc.gov (FTC).
- Watch for recovery scams afterward. No legitimate service charges an upfront fee to get your money back.
PEGTrace can help build and organize the evidence and route your report — we do not recover funds or guarantee an outcome, and we never charge to “get your money back.”
This section is educational and is not legal or financial advice. For current alerts and to report a scam, use reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
P2P Payment Scams (Venmo / Zelle / Cash App)
P2P apps like Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App are private networks — once money is sent, it usually can't be traced or reversed like a card charge. That's why recognizing these scams before you pay is the best protection.
1. The "Accidental Payment" / Refund Trap
What it is: You get a notification that a stranger sent you money "by mistake" and pressures you to send it back. The original payment was often funded by a stolen card — when it reverses, your refund is already gone and you're out the money.
How to spot it: Pressure to refund fast; a stranger's "mistake"; screenshots of a payment instead of a real change in your app balance.
What to do: Check your ACTUAL app balance, not a text or screenshot. Tell them to reverse it on their end. Don't send anything back yourself.
2. Fake "Buyer" Overpayment
What it is: A buyer for something you're selling "accidentally overpays" and asks you to send the difference back through the app.
How to spot it: Overpayment combined with a refund request; urgency; unwillingness to just cancel and re-send the correct amount.
What to do: Refund only through the same platform's real reversal or cancel flow — never by sending a separate payment back.
3. Impersonation — "Bank or App Support"
What it is: A text or call claims to be Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, or your bank's fraud team. They say you need to "send yourself" money or move funds to "reverse fraud" or "protect your account."
How to spot it: Anyone telling you to send money to fix fraud. "Support" that contacts YOU first. Requests to move money between your own accounts to "secure" it.
What to do: Hang up. Open the official app yourself and contact support from there. Real fraud teams never ask you to send money to yourself.
4. Marketplace / Deposit Scams
What it is: A "seller" (apartment, concert tickets, puppy, high-demand item) demands a P2P deposit before you see anything in person.
How to spot it: Pay-first for something unseen; won't meet in a safe public place; refuses buyer-protected methods; listing looks too good.
What to do: Never pay deposits by P2P to strangers. P2P has no buyer protection. Use a platform that protects the buyer, or pay in person after inspection.
5. Romance / "Help Me" Requests
What it is: A romantic contact you haven't met, or a "friend in trouble," asks you to send P2P money — for an emergency, travel, medical bill, or to "unlock" something bigger.
How to spot it: Never met in person; the relationship moved fast; a sudden urgent money need; the story keeps escalating.
What to do: Don't send. Verify independently — call the real friend on a known number, or talk to someone you trust before moving any money.
The one rule that stops most P2P scams
Treat P2P like cash. Only send to people you know and trust. There's no buyer protection and usually no way to get it back. If someone you don't know is involved in the payment, stop.
If you've already sent a P2P payment to a scammer, report it to reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, and contact the P2P app's in-app support to open a dispute.
We can't trace or reverse a P2P payment, but we can help you document the scam and route your report — building a clear evidence file you can share with your bank, law enforcement, or an attorney.
When gambling sites cross the line into fraud.
Losing bets is not fraud. But some operators and "systems" are pure scams — this section explains the patterns and how to tell them apart.
Fake or unlicensed casino / sportsbook sites
What it is: A site takes your deposit, then blocks or endlessly delays your withdrawal — "verification pending," "bonus rollover not met," "KYC in review" — or simply disappears.
How to spot it: No verifiable license (or a license number that isn't listed on the regulator's site), pressure to deposit more to "unlock" a withdrawal, crypto-only deposits, support goes silent the moment you try to cash out, glowing reviews only on sites you've never heard of.
What to do: Stop depositing. Screenshot the account balance, every withdrawal attempt, and every support message before they disappear. Run the site URL through our Malicious URL scanner. Report it to IC3, the FTC, and the licensing regulator the site claims to hold.
"Guaranteed winning system" / betting-tip / syndicate scams
What it is: Someone sells picks, a "system," or "insider" access to bets that supposedly cannot lose.
How to spot it: Guaranteed returns, cherry-picked screenshots of "wins," countdown urgency, pay-to-join tiers, DMs from strangers claiming a track record.
What to do: No one can guarantee a gambling outcome — that's the definition of gambling. Treat this exactly like an investment scam: do not pay, save the messages, and report it.
Deposit-bonus traps
What it is: A generous "bonus" is attached to rollover / wagering terms that make actually withdrawing anything effectively impossible.
How to spot it: Very high match bonuses, wagering multiples buried in fine print, game restrictions on which bets count, time limits that reset if you touch the balance.
What to do: Read the terms before you deposit. You can paste them into our contract red-flag scanner for a plain-language read of what the rollover really requires.
"Gambling loss recovery" scams
What it is: After a loss, someone contacts you offering to get your money back — for a fee, up front, or by asking for account access.
How to spot it: Cold contact after a public complaint, upfront fees, "chargeback specialist" or "crypto recovery" pitches, requests for your login, seed phrase, or another deposit to "release" funds.
What to do: Do not pay. Do not share credentials or seed phrases. This is always another scam.
Losing bets is not fraud. If you gambled and lost, that's a loss — not a scam, and nothing can recover it. It IS fraud if a site took your deposit and won't let you withdraw, if the game was rigged, if a "system" was sold with guaranteed returns, or if the operator vanished with your balance. PEGTrace can help document and trace that second kind. It cannot recover gambling losses, and anyone who says they can is running another scam.
Help exists. The National Council on Problem Gambling runs a confidential 24/7 helpline. 1-800-GAMBLER · ncpgambling.org
Sent crypto to the wrong address or exchange?
Crypto transfers are irreversible. No authority can reverse them, and PEGTrace cannot recover them. Whether anything can be done depends almost entirely on where the funds landed.
First: figure out where it went
A wallet controlled directly by a person — no company sits between them and the funds. Effectively unrecoverable unless the recipient voluntarily returns it. No one can compel them without identifying them through legal process, which is slow, expensive, and rare.
A centralized exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, and similar) holds customer funds and KYC records. This is the only realistic recovery path. Some exchanges have a formal process for unsupported assets sent to their addresses, or for wrong-network deposits.
Not sure which one it is? Search the destination address on the appropriate block explorer — labeled exchange addresses are usually annotated. If the address doesn't show a known label and has heavy varied activity, treat it as a personal wallet until proven otherwise.
If it went to an exchange: practical steps
- Find your transaction hash. In your sending exchange's withdrawal history, or by searching the destination address on the correct chain's block explorer. Save the tx hash, the exact time, the amount, and the network (Ethereum mainnet ≠ Polygon ≠ BSC — they all look similar).
- Use the exchange's official, formal recovery process — if one exists. General support may not know it exists. On the exchange's own help site, search for terms like “recover unsupported assets”, “asset recovery”, or “wrong network” rather than filing a generic ticket. Follow that specific process to the letter.
- Understand the general shape of recovery, where it exists. It is typically limited to certain assets and networks, may charge a fee (often a percentage of the amount plus network gas), may require a self-custodial wallet to receive the funds, and may not be available at all. There is no guarantee.
- Check what the asset is worth today before paying any fee. If the token has collapsed, been discontinued, or was a scam-airdrop with near-zero value, recovery may cost more than it returns. Do the math first.
If recovery needs a self-custodial wallet, protect your seed phrase
Your seed phrase (recovery phrase) is your money. Anyone who has it can drain the wallet forever.
- Write it on paper. Store it offline.
- Never type it into a website. Never paste it into a chat. Never photograph it. Never store it in a password manager, cloud drive, or email.
- Never give it to anyone — not an exchange, not support, not a “recovery agent”, not PEGTrace. Anyone who asks is stealing from you.
Recovery-scam warning
People who lose crypto are immediately targeted by “we can recover your crypto for a fee” scams. These are always scams.
- Legitimate recovery, where it exists, happens only through the exchange's own official help site — never through someone who contacts you.
- Never through DMs, ads, comments on scam-recovery forums, YouTube channels, or a “certified crypto recovery specialist” who reaches out.
- Never for an upfront fee, and never by handing over your seed phrase or wallet keys.
- PEGTrace never charges to recover funds and never promises recovery — because no honest service can.
Where PEGTrace fits, honestly
We can help you trace where the funds went and whether the destination is a labeled exchange (which holds KYC records and can be subpoenaed by law enforcement), and package that into an evidence file for your report. We cannot reverse the transfer or make anyone return it — and any service that promises to isn't honest.
Also report the incident to ic3.gov (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center) and reportfraud.ftc.gov. This page is educational — it is not legal or financial advice.
Coming soon.
Deploy PEGTrace with your fraud team
If you protect account holders at a bank, credit union, custodian, or firm, request an information packet on how PEGTrace fits alongside your existing fraud workflow.
Scaffolded contact form. We do not currently store this email — submissions open your mail client so you can send directly to support@pegtrace.com. No newsletter, no marketing list.
Learn about PEGTrace pilots for institutions, counsel, and law enforcement
PEGTrace is an evidence and case-management tool for financial institutions, legal counsel (plaintiff and defense), and law enforcement. These pages are public awareness resources. If you evaluate fraud tooling for an institution, a law firm, or an investigative unit, we would like to talk.