Guide and resources

How to hunt a scam, safely

Everything you need for a session: how it runs, how to use the board, how to stay safe, and free tools that help.

Join us live every Tuesday, 7–8 PM Eastern on Zoom

Free, and no experience needed. Some weeks we also meet in person at Pier 57.

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How a session works

  1. 1We meet on Zoom on Tuesdays, 7 to 8 PM Eastern. The host introduces a real scam reported that week.
  2. 2Open the case on this site. Add your name at the top so your work is credited. No account needed.
  3. 3Pick an open question and claim it, or follow a lead of your own.
  4. 4Add what you find as evidence, then post findings that say what the evidence shows.
  5. 5At the end we go through what the group found together.

You can also work on any open case at your own pace: see the investigations.

What we're trying to prove

A scam is a lie, a plan built on it, and someone who gains. Every question on a case comes back to one of these three.

The lies

What are they claiming that isn't true?

Fake history, made-up partners, staff photos taken from someone else, numbers that don't add up.

The plan

How does it work, step by step?

Where people first see it, what they're asked to do next, which sites, accounts and messages are involved.

The gain

What do they get, and how?

Money, card details, logins, personal information. Follow where the payment or the data goes.

Ground rules

  • Don't contact or message the scammers
  • Don't download or run anything from a scam site
  • Don't share personal info, yours or anyone else's
  • Don't harass anyone
  • Use a separate browser or account while you look
  • Check a claim before you post it, and add your source

Using the board

Pick a question

Open questions sit in the top corner of the map. Click "I'm on it" so others know, then write the answer when you have it.

Add evidence

Links, text, notes or screenshots, with where you found them. Add when it happened if you know, and it shows on the Timeline.

Let our bot visit scam sites for you

Add the link as evidence and leave "Have our bot visit this link for me" ticked, or press the bot button on any link card. The bot opens the page on an isolated computer and puts a screenshot on the card in a few minutes.

Post findings

A finding is what the evidence shows, tied to the evidence card it comes from.

Sticky notes

For hunches and leads that aren't evidence yet.

Groups

Draw a labelled area around related cards, like "Payment trail". Drag the label and the cards move with it.

Right-click the board

Adds a card, note or group at that spot. Drag a card's corner to resize it.

Mark up screenshots

Open an image, choose Mark up, and circle or point at what matters. It saves as a new card next to the original.

Crop

In Mark up, choose Crop to keep just the part of a screenshot that matters, like one line of a fake report.

Timeline

See the case in the order things happened, or the order the group added them.

Staying safe while you look

  • · Let our bot visit scam sites, not you. On a case, add the link as evidence and the bot opens it on an isolated computer, then shows you a screenshot.
  • · Don't click suspicious links. Copy the link and paste it into one of the checkers on the tools page.
  • · If you must open a scam site, use a separate browser or a private window, not the one where you're signed in to email or your bank.
  • · Never type real details into a scam page, and never download or run anything from one.
  • · Don't call, text, email or message the scammers, even as a joke. It tells them someone is looking and can put you at risk.
  • · Some lookup sites publish what you submit. The tools page marks those as Public.
  • · If something feels off, stop and ask the host.
ToolsFree lookups for websites, links, photos, phone numbers, crypto wallets, charities and companies.

What makes a good finding

Good

“The payment page domain was registered 3 days before the first text was reported (ICANN Lookup, see the WHOIS card).”

Not yet a finding

“This is definitely run by the same gang as last week.” Put hunches on a sticky note until the evidence backs them up.

  • · Say what you found, and link it to the evidence it comes from.
  • · Say how sure you are. “Probably” is fine.
  • · Don't name or post details about a private person, even if they seem involved.

Where scams get reported

If you or someone you know was targeted, these are good places to report it (US).