Glossary
The language of fraud, defined
Short, plain-language definitions. Where a term has more depth, the full entry goes further.
A
- AI Voice Cloning
- Using artificial intelligence to imitate a person's voice in order to impersonate them.
- Account Takeover
- When a criminal gains control of one of your accounts and locks you out.
- Advance-Fee Fraud
- A request to pay a small fee up front to unlock a larger promised sum, prize, or loan.
B
- Business Email Compromise
- Impersonating an executive, supplier, or colleague to authorise a fraudulent payment or change bank details.
C
- Catfishing
- Creating a false online identity to build a relationship under false pretences.
- Chargeback
- A process where your bank reverses a card payment, often used after fraud.
- Credential Stuffing
- Using passwords exposed in one breach to try to sign in to other accounts.
D
- Deepfake
- Synthetic audio or video created to make it appear that someone said or did something they did not.
I
- Invoice Redirection
- Changing the bank details on a genuine invoice so a payment goes to a criminal account.
M
- Malware
- Software designed to harm or gain access to a device or account.
- Money Mule
- Someone who lets their bank account be used to receive or move money for a criminal, often unknowingly.
O
- One-Time Passcode (OTP)
- A short code that proves it is you when signing in or approving a payment.
P
- Passphrase
- A password made of several random words, which is longer and often stronger than a short complex string.
- Phishing
- A fake message or page that imitates a trusted organisation to persuade you to share information or make a payment.
- Ponzi Scheme
- A scheme that pays early participants with money from later ones until it collapses.
- Pyramid Scheme
- A scheme where participants are paid mainly for recruiting others rather than for a real product.
R
- Ransomware
- Malware that locks files or systems and demands payment to release them.
- Recovery Scam
- A follow-up fraud that targets people who have already lost money, promising to recover it for a fee.
- Romance Fraud
- A long deception in which a criminal builds an emotional relationship to obtain money or information.
S
- SIM Swap
- Moving a phone number to a new SIM without the owner's consent so calls and codes can be intercepted.
- Smishing
- Phishing delivered by text message or messaging app, often using a short link and a sense of urgency.
- Social Engineering
- Manipulating people, rather than systems, into revealing information or taking an action.
- Spoofing
- Faking the source of a message or call so that it appears to come from someone you trust.
T
- Two-Factor Authentication
- A second proof of identity, such as an app code, required in addition to your password.
V
- Vishing
- Voice phishing: a phone call or voicemail that impersonates a trusted organisation to obtain money or information.