Scam — is fraud or deception for financial gain. The word comes from English: scam means «fraudulent scheme». The term refers both to the act of deception and to a project that turns out to be fraudulent: «it's a scam» means «it's a fraud». The slang expression «got scammed» comes from the same word, meaning someone was deceived.
The term is most commonly used on the internet and in crypto. Scams include fake investment projects that promise huge returns and then disappear with investors' money, fraudulent online stores that accept payments but never deliver products, and «giveaways» where winners are asked to pay «shipping fees» or «commissions» to claim their prizes.
Scam vs. phishing — what's the difference?
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Scam — a general term for any type of deception aimed at obtaining money.
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Phishing — a type of scam where someone is tricked into entering their password, verification code or card details on a fake website.
In other words, all phishing is a scam, but not every scam involves phishing.
Scams in traffic arbitrage
In traffic arbitrage, money constantly changes hands: an affiliate marketer pays for accounts, proxies and traffic while waiting for payouts from an affiliate network. That's why scammers are also common in this industry. The main types include:
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Affiliate network scams — an affiliate marketer generates leads, but the affiliate network delays payouts, invents excuses not to pay or simply disappears;
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Seller scams — consumables such as accounts or proxies are paid for but never delivered, or they turn out to be nonfunctional, and the seller stops responding;
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Fake mentor and campaign setup scams — scammers sell courses and «working strategies» promising quick earnings, but actually provide outdated or publicly available information;
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Direct message scams — scammers impersonate a well-known person or affiliate network manager and request an advance payment for a «private offer».
How to avoid getting scammed
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Check who you're dealing with. Before making a payment, look for reviews of the store, project, seller or affiliate network, especially recent ones.
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Start small. If you're unsure, make a small test purchase or investment first, and only then move on to larger amounts.
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Don't pay strangers directly. When dealing with people you don't know, use platforms with clear refund policies or an escrow service, meaning an intermediary who holds the money until both parties fulfill their obligations.
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Verify contact details. Scammers often create fake profiles impersonating well-known people, stores and managers, using almost identical names, profile pictures or website addresses. If someone contacts you «on behalf of» another person, reach out to that person using contact details you found yourself.
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Don't follow links in unexpected messages and never share your passwords or verification codes with anyone.
Important: almost every scam relies on the same tactics. You're promised something that seems too good to be true, pressured into making a quick decision and asked to pay or provide information in advance. If you notice even one of these warning signs, stop and double-check everything before transferring any money.
