Whilst every scammer might operate a little differently, there are a few warning signs to look out for whenever you’re doing anything online:

They tend to approach you, tell some sort of convincing story about their reason for contacting you.

They may contact you regularly and use high-pressure sales tactics or use urgency to convince you to take their bait.

They can play with your emotions, enlisting the thrill of a potential win to trick you into taking action.

Scammers often use professional and official-looking websites and shopping sites to convince you they are legitimate.

Scammers typically ask for money, whether immediately or after months of grooming.

For payment, scammers may direct you to their nearest post office, a wire transfer service, or any number of other payment methods, including direct bank transfers, pre-loaded debit cards, gift cards, or virtual currency such as Bitcoin.

Scammers will often get your details incorrect. Be extremely cautious when you receive an email with your name misspelled. No need to provide them with your authentic information.