Red flags — how to spot a scam ad
Designed to make you distrust professional advice. Real breakthroughs don't need to insult doctors.
No investment, betting system, or financial product can legally guarantee returns. Ever.
Artificial urgency stops you thinking clearly. Refresh the page — there are always more.
Almost always fake. Real celebrities sue over these. Check before you trust.
Vague promises with no specifics. If the "secret" has a price tag, it's a product, not a secret.
A free trial that needs your card details is not free. Cancelling is usually very hard.
"I was in debt until I found this" testimonials are usually written by the company itself.
"As seen on BBC / CNN" with a fuzzy logo means they've never actually been on these outlets.
If you think you've been scammed
Don't panic — but act quickly
If you've given card details, call your bank immediately and explain what happened. Most banks have fraud teams available 24/7. Ask about a chargeback if money has already left your account.
Cancel anything you signed up for
Look for a confirmation email with a company name, then find their cancellation process — often buried in the terms. If you can't cancel easily, your bank can block future charges.
Change your passwords if you shared login details
If you used the same email/password combination anywhere else, change those too. Use a password manager like Bitwarden (free) to keep track.
Run a malware scan if you downloaded anything
Free options: Malwarebytes (Windows/Mac) or your phone's built-in security scanner. Don't install anything recommended by the scam site itself.
Tell someone
It happens to everyone. Sharing the experience helps others avoid it — and reporting it (below) helps get the scammers shut down.
Report it — your report matters
Reporting takes 5 minutes and helps authorities track patterns. Here's where to go depending on where you are:
National fraud & cybercrime reporting centre. actionfraud.police.uk
Federal Trade Commission fraud reporting. reportfraud.ftc.gov
ACCC scam reporting portal. scamwatch.gov.au
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. canada.ca/anti-fraud-centre
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — for online scams globally. ic3.gov
Free, confidential support for gambling-related issues. begambleaware.org
You're not an idiot for clicking.
These ads are professionally designed by people whose full-time job is making them hard to resist. The fact you ended up here means your instincts kicked in. Trust them next time a bit earlier.
Share this page if you think someone else could use it. Back to WTFBro.org →