F ‑Secure has launched what it describes as a victim‑centred Scam Encyclopedia, a living, online resource cataloguing more than 50 distinct consumer fraud schemes. Built from years of threat intelligence work, the guide explains scams from the victim’s perspective—what victims see, are told to do, and where the scam entry begins—so readers can recognise patterns in their own lives before they are targeted.
The encyclopedia covers established tricks as well as newer methods, and is designed to evolve with the threat landscape, with ongoing updates as new tactics emerge.
The release highlights that scams increasingly adapt familiar tricks to current technologies and platforms, including social media, dating apps, texting, and even AI tools. It cites data showing that 52% of scam victims lose money, a figure described as more than double the rate from the previous year. The Scam Encyclopedia thus aims to aid prevention by exposing the underlying playbooks scammers use, including five cryptocurrency scams among the entries and numerous social media and shopping frauds.
F‑Secure emphasises the value of human‑centred research through its Illuminate Research team, and notes that the encyclopedia is available via F‑Secure’s Illuminate Research Hub. Practical responses from readers are not detailed in the article, but the resource is framed as a growing, real‑time reference for recognising and understanding scam patterns.