Tricky Magazine

A Ponzi scheme can look like a successful investment for months or even years, but the appearance of regular profits does not necessarily mean real money is being earned. The defining warning sign is that returns paid to earlier investors come from money collected from newer participants rather than genuine business or investment profits. Promises … Read more

Black Friday sales are not inherently fraudulent, and many established retailers offer genuine discounts during the shopping period. However, Black Friday is also an opportunity for scammers to exploit shoppers with fake online stores, counterfeit products, misleading discounts, impersonation websites, and fraudulent delivery messages. Current consumer-protection reporting shows that shopping scams promoted through social media … Read more

Verdict: Investment offers that guarantee unusually high returns with little or no risk are major warning signs of potential fraud. Legitimate investments can offer opportunities for growth, but returns depend on market conditions, business performance, interest rates, and other factors. No investment promising substantial profits should be trusted simply because its promoters call it “guaranteed,” … Read more

Verdict: Deepfake technology is not inherently a scam, but its use in impersonation, financial fraud, fake online shopping advertisements, and identity deception presents a serious consumer-safety risk in 2026. Artificial intelligence can now generate convincing images, voices, and videos that make fraudulent messages appear to come from trusted people or legitimate businesses. The FBI has … Read more

Verdict: USPS is a legitimate United States government postal service, but phishing messages impersonating USPS are a documented and ongoing scam. Fraudsters send fake package-delivery alerts, unpaid postage notices, address-correction requests, and delivery-failure emails to trick people into clicking fraudulent links or sharing personal and financial information. The United States Postal Inspection Service has specifically … Read more

Verdict: Fake crypto investment platforms are a documented financial fraud risk, and consumers should treat promises of guaranteed cryptocurrency profits with extreme caution. Criminals create professional-looking trading websites, display fabricated account balances, and use fake investment advisers to persuade people to send money or cryptocurrency. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report identified cryptocurrency investment fraud … Read more

Verdict: Social engineering scams are a documented form of fraud, and the risk to consumers is significant. Unlike scams that depend entirely on malicious software or fake websites, social engineering relies on manipulating people into trusting the wrong person, sharing sensitive information, or making decisions they would otherwise question. Criminals may impersonate banks, delivery companies, … Read more