How to spot an online scam before losing money
Updated: August 2026 · By César Cerrudo
Attackers don't just look for vulnerabilities in software. They also look for human vulnerabilities.
Some of the most exploited ones are:
- Fear: "Your account will be closed."
- Urgency: "You have five minutes."
- Authority: "This is the fraud department."
- Greed: "Guaranteed returns."
- Affection: "It's your son, I changed my number."
The best defense is breaking the rhythm
The scam wants you to keep going:
You need to introduce an interruption:
Ten minutes can be enough to turn an emotional decision into a rational one.
Never verify using the data in the message itself
If someone claims to be your bank and gives you a phone number: you shouldn't necessarily call that number. Look up the official number yourself.
If someone claims to be a relative: call them at their known number.
No appearance guarantees authenticity
A scammer can copy caller IDs, logos, sites, emails and photos. And AI makes it ever easier to produce convincing communications — including cloned voices.
When money shows up, add friction
Before an unexpected transfer, ask yourself:
- Who is asking me?
- Why now?
- Can I confirm it through another channel?
- Am I being pressured?
- Is there something too good to be true?
Always doubt, then verify before you trust.
This is also the central rule of the project's free phishing and scams infographic.
How many scams do you catch in time? Test yourself with 18 real and fraudulent messages.
TRY THE FREE "REAL OR TRAP?" SIMULATOR →
César Cerrudo is a professional hacker and cybersecurity researcher with more than 25 years of experience. He helped secure technologies from Microsoft, Oracle, Twitter and IBM, and is the author of A Hacker's Security Guide, a free guide that helps people, families and organizations learn to protect themselves in the digital world.
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