Text Message Scams
Guides covering fake delivery texts, bank impersonation SMS, HMRC alerts, and smishing attacks. Learn to identify and report suspicious texts targeting UK phones.
UK Consumer Protection
Check scams. Protect your money.
Beat the Scam helps you review suspicious texts, emails, websites, calls, job offers, crypto pitches, and payment requests before money or data is lost.
169guides published
17scam categories
Freeno account needed
Search scam topics
Try terms like “Royal Mail text”, “job scam”, “bank transfer”, or “crypto withdrawal fee”.
Latest scam alerts
- Holiday Let Scam UK: How to Spot Fake Rental Listings and Protect Your Money
- Concert Ticket Scam UK 2026: How to Spot Fake Sellers and Protect Yourself
- Glastonbury Ticket Scam UK: How to Spot and Avoid Fake Ticket Sellers
- Viagogo Scam UK: How to Spot Fake Ticket Sellers and Protect Your Money
- British Gas scam call UK: how to spot and stop it
Quick verification rule
Never rely on the link, phone number, QR code, or payment details supplied by the suspicious message itself. Open the official route yourself.
Practical checksFast steps you can use before clicking a link, paying a fee, or sharing personal information.
UK-focused adviceGuides written for common scams targeting UK consumers, delivery services, marketplaces, and payment methods.
Plain-English alertsNo jargon, no panic language, and no assumptions that every suspicious message is genuine.
AI scam checkerPaste a suspicious message and get an instant analysis powered by Claude AI — free, no account needed.
Scam categories
Find guides by scam type. Each category covers warning signs, verification steps, and what to do if you’ve already interacted.
Marketplace Scams
Guides covering Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Vinted, and eBay scams targeting UK buyers and sellers. Spot fake payment fraud, advance fees, and collection scams.
Payment Scams
Guides covering bank transfer fraud, advance fee scams, fake invoices, and APP fraud in the UK. Learn how to verify payment requests and protect your money.
Email Scams
Guides covering phishing emails, business email compromise, fake invoices, and email impersonation. Learn to identify and report suspicious emails in the UK.
Crypto Scams
Guides covering fake crypto investment platforms, withdrawal fee traps, and romance fraud. Learn to identify cryptocurrency scams before sending money.
Tech Support Scams
Guides covering fake tech support calls, remote access scams, and malicious software targeting UK users. Learn to spot and shut down tech support fraud.
Website Scams
Guides covering fake online shops, lookalike domains, and website verification. Learn how to check if a website is legitimate before buying or sharing details.
Employment Scams
Guides covering fake job ads, work-from-home schemes, and advance-fee employment fraud targeting UK jobseekers. Learn to spot recruitment scams before applying.
Latest guides
Practical guides for the most commonly reported scams affecting UK consumers.
Travel Scams
Holiday Let Scam UK: How to Spot Fake Rental Listings and Protect Your Money
Holiday let scams target UK holidaymakers by posting fake rental properties on legitimate platforms or fraudulent websites. Scammers typically request upfront deposits or full payment via untraceable methods, then disappear or use stolen photos.
Shopping Scams
Concert Ticket Scam UK 2026: How to Spot Fake Sellers and Protect Yourself
Scammers are selling fake concert tickets on social media, resale platforms and copycat websites, taking thousands of pounds from UK fans. This guide shows you how to spot the signs, verify genuine sellers, and recover your money if you've been caught.
Shopping Scams
Glastonbury Ticket Scam UK: How to Spot and Avoid Fake Ticket Sellers
Scammers impersonate legitimate Glastonbury ticket sellers and resellers, offering tickets at seemingly good prices before disappearing with payment. This guide explains how to verify genuine sellers, check ticket authenticity, and protect yourself during the festival's notorious ticket sale period.
Shopping Scams
Viagogo Scam UK: How to Spot Fake Ticket Sellers and Protect Your Money
Viagogo scams target UK event-goers looking for discounted tickets. Fraudsters create fake Viagogo websites or contact buyers with fake seller profiles, requesting payment via untraceable methods before disappearing with the money.
Utility Scams
British Gas scam call UK: how to spot and stop it
Scammers call UK residents claiming to be from British Gas, often saying there's an urgent billing issue or safety concern. These calls aim to trick you into revealing bank details, passwords, or access to your account.
Investment & Finance Scams
Land Banking Scam UK: How to Spot and Avoid Property Investment Fraud
Land banking scams target property investors by selling worthless or non-existent UK land plots at inflated prices, promising rapid appreciation. Scammers use high-pressure sales tactics, fake documentation, and promises of guaranteed returns to persuade victims to part with tens of thousands of pounds.
Not sure about a message?
Paste a suspicious text, email, URL, or job offer into the free AI scam checker and get an instant plain-English verdict — powered by Claude AI.
Check a suspicious message →Works with:
- Suspicious texts and SMS
- Unexpected emails
- Unfamiliar website URLs
- Unusual payment requests
- Job offers that seem too good
How to spot a scam quickly
Slow the interaction down
Urgency and secrecy are common scam tools. Speed benefits the fraudster, not you.
Verify through a clean route
Open the official site or app yourself. Call published numbers, not the ones in the message.
Protect one-time codes and payment details
Security codes authorise actions. Treat them like passwords.
Pause before irreversible payments
Bank transfer and crypto payments need stronger checks than card payments.
Common questions
Does Beat the Scam verify messages for me?
The site provides educational checklists and examples so readers can verify suspicious messages themselves through official channels. The AI scam checker can give you an instant verdict on a specific message.
Can social media ads or polished emails still be scams?
Yes. Presentation quality is not proof of legitimacy. Verification path matters more than appearance.
What should I do first if I already paid a scammer?
Contact your bank or card issuer immediately, preserve evidence, secure compromised accounts, and stop further payments while you verify the situation.
About the site
Plain-English guidance
Every guide is written to be understandable under pressure — short sections, clear headings, and practical next steps.
UK-specific content
Guides focus on scams reported in the UK: HMRC impersonation, delivery fraud, bank transfer pressure, and UK marketplace platforms.
No scare tactics
The site does not assume every suspicious message is a scam. It helps you verify systematically using official channels.