Who We Are

We are a team of dedicated technology professionals with extensive experience in IT and cybersecurity. Driven by a commitment to consumer protection and digital security, we aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and resources needed to recognize and avoid scams. Through comprehensive research, expert insights, and practical guidance, we want to help build a safer internet, where people can go online with confidence.

As technology professionals and enthusiasts, we also want to share the resources we tend to go searching for ourselves, like the podcasts and creators we follow to stay current, which you can find on Our Favorite Creators page.

What You'll Find Here

Every scam guide follows the same plain-English format: how the scam works, the red flags that give it away, how to protect yourself, and where to report it. Scammers constantly change their costumes: new apps, new currencies, new headlines. But the underlying scripts stay remarkably consistent. Our goal is to teach the pattern, so you can recognize the next variation on your own.

Where Our Information Comes From

Our guides are built on public education materials from official sources, including:

• The FBI's scams and safety resources and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) annual crime reports
• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)'s consumer advice and fraud alerts
• Consumer protection organizations such as the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the Better Business Bureau

What We Are (and Aren't)

Online Threat Watch is an educational resource. We are not an incident response service, a law firm, or a financial advisor. If you are actively being scammed or have lost money, contact your bank and report it to the FBI's IC3 and the FTC right away. Our reporting guide walks you through the steps.