UtilForge.org is a digital inclusion organisation offering free cybersecurity and online safety tools and guides. A 2026 Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. What you check stays on your phone or computer.

For cybersecurity experts, practitioners and digital inclusion creators · November 2026

A free repository for people who keep others safe online.

Film-ready labs, 400 safe scam specimens, official reporting and refund routes for 38 countries and the European Union, dated figures with chart files, and a production guide to platform rules and the law. Free to use on any channel, in any format, for public safety.

Film-readyPortrait demo clip, script and captions for every lab. Drop them into your edit.
CitableEvery figure has its issuing body, date and a direct link. No press-report figures.
VerifiableThe checks run in the browser. Open the network panel, then switch the internet off.
Yours to useFree in monetised videos under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. No approval needed.
11 film-ready labsCheck, demo clip, script, captions, five specimens, sources and a handout for each scam. Specimen Vault · 400Realistic scam messages in 30 scam types, 10 languages and 15 regions, with brands masked and links disabled. Search, filter and download. Report and Recover AtlasWhere to report and what money-back rules apply, country by country, read at each official site on 26 October 2026. Data Desk30 dated figures from issuing bodies, including who carries the most harm, with chart files and a spreadsheet. Production GuidePlatform rules for scam content, call-recording law, showing numbers and logos safely, and news clips. Work with UtilForgeBespoke videos, labs and tools for practitioners, channels and civil society organisations.

This month's signals

From vidIQ and viewer comments across 34 scam-awareness channels, 26 October 2026:

  • Viewers ask what happens after they report, and whether reporting a scam advert achieves anything. The Report and Recover Atlas answers both, including regulator routes for scam adverts.
  • "Already paid? Can I get it back?" is the most common question under bank-refusal videos. Refund rules differ by country and by payment type, and the Atlas sets them out.
  • Viewers forward scam videos to parents and grandparents. Each lab has a large-print handout to share alongside the video.
  • Searches outside English are rising fast: Vietnamese searches for the scam-compound story rose 489% in a month, Brazil's "fim das bets" (end of the betting sites) rose 1,334%, and "money code" in India rose 597%. The Specimen Vault includes messages in nine languages besides English.
  • Old or unsourced figures get called out in comments. Every Data Desk figure carries its issuing body, date and link.
All eleven labs · PDF, 15 pages Go to the labs

Ranked by what audiences are searching for

Ranked by monthly search demand, growth and competition on YouTube, and by breakout videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all measured in vidIQ on 25 October 2026. Each suggested title was scored for click potential in vidIQ.

#LabCheck to demoTitle score
1AI voice clones and family emergency callsFamily Safe Word84/100
2Bank impersonation: "move your money to keep it safe"Is This a Scam Text93/100
3Job-fee and task scamsBefore You Reply to a Recruiter91/100
4Silent calls and phone scamsSet Up a Phone for an Older Relative97/100
5Romance and cryptocurrency investment scamsBefore You Invest91/100
6Parcel delivery and unpaid toll textsDelivery Text Check82/100
7Unexpected packages and QR codesDelete My Details87/100
8Fake CAPTCHA "paste this command" attacksBefore You Paste a Command96/100
9Fake shops and holiday shopping scamsIs This Shop Real?84/100
10Recovery scams and cryptocurrency kiosksAlready Paid a Scammer? The First Hour97/100
11Sponsored search results that lead to fake sitesAdvert Check98/100
Lab 1 of 10

AI voice clones and family emergency calls

Why your audience wants it

  • Searches for "ai scams" run at about 61,300 a month on YouTube, up 91%, and "voice cloning" at about 82,400, up 29% (vidIQ).
  • A TikTok stitch telling parents to agree a code word reached 976,000 views, 8.6 times the creator's median (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

FBICriminals use AI-generated audio to impersonate family members and ask for money. The FBI advises families to create a secret word or phrase to verify identity.Federal Bureau of Investigation, public service announcement I-120324-PSA, 3 Dec 2024 · source
US$3.5 billionReported lost to imposter scams in the United States in 2025; nearly one fraud report in three was an imposter scam.Federal Trade Commission, press release, 15 Jun 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Open Family Safe Word and press the button to make a word.
  2. Type the family names and print the card.
  3. Say the rule: anyone asking for money by phone must give the word, or you hang up and call back on a number you know.

The check: Family Safe Word

Title to test

Agree a Family Code Word Before an AI Voice Clone Calls84/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 2 of 10

Bank impersonation: "move your money to keep it safe"

Why your audience wants it

  • "Senior scams" draws about 43,700 searches a month, up 74%, with low competition (30), and "financial fraud" about 32,500, up 51% (vidIQ).
  • A 71-second payment-reversal warning from Bajaj Finance broke out at 783 times the channel's average, with 197,000 views (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

Nearly US$1 billionReported lost to business impersonators in the United States in 2025; bank impersonators caused the highest losses among them.Federal Trade Commission, press release, 15 Jun 2026 · source
1,790 to 8,269Older adults reporting losses of US$10,000 or more to impersonators, 2020 to 2024. The FTC's advice: never move money to "protect it".Federal Trade Commission, Data Spotlight, Aug 2025 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Paste the fake bank alert into Is This a Scam Text.
  2. Press Check and read out the warning signs it lists.
  3. Close on the call-back rule: hang up and call the number on the back of your card (159 in the United Kingdom).

The check: Is This a Scam Text

Title to test

"Move Your Money to Keep It Safe": The Bank Call That Empties Accounts93/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 3 of 10

Job-fee and task scams

Why your audience wants it

  • "Work from home scam" draws about 11,700 searches a month and "online job scams work from home" about 4,100 with low competition (29) (vidIQ).
  • UtilForge's own job-scam video broke out at 350 times the channel's average, and a Short titled "Applying for jobs isn't safe" reached 254,000 views, 106 times its channel's average (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

US$90 million to US$501 millionReported losses to job and employment agency scams, 2020 to 2024; reports nearly tripled.Federal Trade Commission, press release, 10 Mar 2025 · source
US$362.9 millionLost to employment fraud reported to the FBI in 2025, across 24,688 complaints.Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Report 2025, Apr 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Paste the job message into Before You Reply to a Recruiter.
  2. Press Check this message: it names the fee and the request for ID.
  3. Close on the rule: never pay to get a job.

The check: Before You Reply to a Recruiter

Title to test

Scam Autopsy: The Job Offer That Charges You to Start91/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 4 of 10

Silent calls and phone scams

Why your audience wants it

  • "Why scammers wait 3 seconds" videos reached 2.3 million views (14 times the channel average) and 560,000 views (31 times) in September 2026 (vidIQ).
  • "Silent calls" draws about 4,800 searches a month with very low competition (18), and "scam calls seniors" about 4,700 (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

OfcomMost silent calls are caused by automated dialling systems in call centres, not deliberate targeting.Ofcom, Unwanted calls, texts and emails, 15 Jul 2026 · source
FTCScammers can make any name or number show up on caller ID, and pressing numbers to be removed from a list will probably lead to more calls.Federal Trade Commission, Robocalls, 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Open the phone checklist and tick through call screening on iPhone or Android.
  2. Show the family safe word step.
  3. Print the checklist to do side by side with a relative.

The check: Set Up a Phone for an Older Relative

Title to test

Why the Line Goes Silent When You Answer (And What to Do)97/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 5 of 10

Romance and cryptocurrency investment scams

Why your audience wants it

  • "Crypto scam" draws about 44,900 searches a month, up 24%, and "romance scams" about 20,700, up 56% (vidIQ).
  • A video titled "I was catfished at 52" broke out at 71 times its channel's average (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

US$7.228 billionLost to cryptocurrency investment fraud reported to the FBI in 2025, across 61,559 complaints, the largest single loss category.Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Report 2025, Apr 2026 · source
US$929 millionLost to romance and confidence fraud reported to the FBI in 2025, across 23,159 complaints.Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Report 2025, Apr 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Paste the investment pitch into Before You Invest.
  2. Press Check and read the warning signs aloud.
  3. Close on the FBI rule: never send money to someone you have only met online.

The check: Before You Invest

Title to test

How a Dating Match Becomes a Crypto Investment Scam91/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 6 of 10

Parcel delivery and unpaid toll texts

Why your audience wants it

  • Fake package delivery was the most reported text scam in the United States in 2024, and unpaid tolls the fourth (FTC).
  • A TikTok on an Apple Pay scam text reached 828,000 views, 12 times the creator's median, and a UK delivery-scam warning 581,000, 35 times (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

US$470 millionLost to text scams in the United States in 2024, five times the 2020 figure.Federal Trade Commission, Data Spotlight: Top text scams of 2024, 14 Apr 2025 · source
61%Rise in losses to text scams reported by people aged 60 and over in 2025.Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers 2025-2026, 19 Oct 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Paste the parcel or toll text into Delivery Text Check.
  2. Press Check: it shows whether the link belongs to the courier the text names.
  3. Close on forwarding the text to 7726 and deleting it.

The check: Delivery Text Check

Title to test

Paste This Delivery Text Before You Tap the Link82/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 7 of 10

Unexpected packages and QR codes

Why your audience wants it

  • Local news reports on "brushing" broke out at 746 and 985 times their channels' averages, with 519,000 and 198,000 views (vidIQ).
  • "QR code scams" draws about 6,500 searches a month, and a QR warning reel from an Instagram creator reached 921,000 views (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

FTCA QR code in a package you didn't order could take you to a phishing website or install malware. The law says you can keep the item as a gift.Federal Trade Commission, consumer alert, 23 Jan 2025 · source
FTCIf you receive a brushed package, message the platform so it can investigate the seller, and change your shopping-account passwords.Federal Trade Commission, consumer alert on brushing, 20 Aug 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Show the unexpected package and the QR card (do not scan).
  2. Open Delete My Details to start removing your address from data brokers.
  3. Close on the FTC steps: report the seller and change passwords.

The check: Delete My Details

Title to test

A Package You Never Ordered Arrived. Don't Scan the QR Code87/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 8 of 10

Fake CAPTCHA "paste this command" attacks

Why your audience wants it

  • A CBS Philadelphia report on a CAPTCHA scam broke out at 121 times the channel's average, with 412,000 views (vidIQ).
  • "Fake captcha malware" draws about 3,400 searches a month with low competition (26): space for an expert explainer (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

MicrosoftClickFix campaigns target thousands of enterprise and personal devices worldwide every day; victims paste a command into the Windows Run box.Microsoft Threat Intelligence, 21 Aug 2025 · source
MicrosoftOn Mac, fake pages tell people to complete a download in Terminal, installing MacSync and Atomic Stealer from more than 250 fake sites.Microsoft Threat Intelligence, 5 Aug 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Show the specimen "verify you are human" page instructions.
  2. Paste the instructions into Before You Paste a Command and press Check this.
  3. Close on the rule: never paste a command a website gives you.

The check: Before You Paste a Command

Title to test

This Fake CAPTCHA Tells You to Paste a Command. Never Do It96/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Lab 9 of 10

Fake shops and holiday shopping scams

Why your audience wants it

  • Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026; "is temu a scam" searches are up 92.5% (vidIQ).
  • "Online scam" draws about 17,300 searches a month and "credit card scams" about 6,600 (vidIQ).

Proof to cite on camera

US$503.4 millionLost to non-payment and non-delivery scams reported to the FBI in 2025, across 56,478 complaints.Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Report 2025, Apr 2026 · source
£11.8 millionLost to online shopping fraud in the United Kingdom between 1 November 2024 and 31 January 2025.National Cyber Security Centre, 17 Nov 2025 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Paste the shop's web address and its contact page text into Is This Shop Real?
  2. Press Check and read out the warning signs.
  3. Close on paying by card, never by bank transfer.

The check: Is This Shop Real?

Title to test

Black Friday Fake Shops: Check a Website in 30 Seconds84/100 in vidIQ

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Lab 10 of 10

Recovery scams and cryptocurrency kiosks

Why your audience wants it

  • "Recover lost crypto" draws about 6,300 searches a month with low competition (24), and "crypto recovery service" about 4,900 (vidIQ).
  • These searches come from people who have already lost money, so a clear warning reaches them at the moment of most risk.

Proof to cite on camera

US$1.4 billionLost to recovery scams reported to the FBI in 2025, across 10,516 complaints; the FBI notes the total may include the earlier scam.Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Report 2025, Apr 2026 · source
US$389 millionLost through cryptocurrency kiosks in 2025, across 13,460 complaints, with losses up 58%.Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Report 2025, Apr 2026 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Open the First Hour guide and choose a country.
  2. Walk through the steps in order: bank, report, record.
  3. Close on the rule: never pay anyone to get money back.

The check: Already Paid a Scammer? The First Hour

Title to test

Lost Money to a Scam? The Second Scam Is Coming Next97/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

New this week · Lab 11

Sponsored search results that lead to fake sites

Why your audience wants it

  • New this week, chosen from official alerts: the US Cyber Command warned about sponsored search result scams in October 2026, and the Federal Trade Commission asked in September whether platforms should block impersonation adverts.
  • YouTube searches for this exact problem are still low (vidIQ, 26 October 2026), so a video now arrives early.

Proof to cite on camera

FBICriminals buy search adverts with web addresses that resemble real businesses, leading to copied sites and fake download pages that install malware.Federal Bureau of Investigation, public service announcement I-122122-PSA, 21 Dec 2022 · source
FTCScammers buy search adverts in another company's or a government service's name. Don't assume a phone number in search results is real.Federal Trade Commission, consumer alert, 3 Apr 2025 · source

The 30-second demo

  1. Search for a company and point to the results marked Sponsored or Ad.
  2. Paste the advert's text into Advert Check and tick what you can see: it says Sponsored, and the web address is not the company's own.
  3. Close on the rule: scroll past the adverts, or type the address you know.

The check: Advert Check

Title to test

Why the First Google Result Can Be a Scam (and How to Check)98/100 in vidIQ

Download the lab

Check it before you film it

Each check is static HTML and JavaScript. What you paste is read in the page itself and is not uploaded. The page loads one anonymous visit counter (Cloudflare Web Analytics) and nothing else. Open your browser's network panel before you film, then switch the internet off: the check keeps working.

Specimen messages are written for this pack and modelled on the patterns official bodies describe. They contain no real person's details and the links point nowhere real, so they are safe to show on screen.

How each lab is tested

Every specimen message was run through its check with the internet off, and the result recorded. Where a check misses a pattern, the PDF says so on its known-limits page and the check is updated in the next release. Every figure was read at the issuing body's own page on 24 or 25 October 2026.

Work with UtilForge

UtilForge makes bespoke videos, labs, specimen sets, handouts and tools with cybersecurity practitioners, channels and civil society organisations: a lab built around a scam your community is facing, a version in your language, a co-branded handout for your members, or a check built for a service you run. Write to support@utilforge.org with what you have in mind.

Founding creators

Creators who use a lab in a video get each monthly drop seven days early, credit on this page, a say in next month's topics, and handouts co-branded with their own logo. To join, use one lab and send the video link to support@utilforge.org. Scam messages from your community, with personal details removed, and translations are welcome at the same address.

Free to reuse, repackage and publish in monetised videos, for public safety, with a link to UtilForge.org. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. No approval needed.