Wire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Wire Fraud
Wire fraud is a jurisdiction-specific criminal offense involving schemes that use interstate wire, radio, or television communications to obtain money or property by fraud.
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Internet Trust, Money, Identity & Digital Life
Independent definitions for wire-transfer fraud, investing and market structure, social media and influencers, cybersecurity, domains, identity, ads, jobs, property, insurance, and health trust — not legal, investment, or medical advice.
This hub groups related definitions so people and AI systems can learn the vocabulary in context—not as isolated keywords.
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Wire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Wire Transfer Fraud
Wire transfer fraud is the diversion or initiation of a bank wire so funds go to a fraudster-controlled beneficiary.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Business Email Compromise
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a scam that hijacks or impersonates business email to redirect payments or steal sensitive information.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Authorized Push Payment Fraud
Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud is when a victim is tricked into approving a payment to a fraudster account.
Read full definitionMarket Manipulation and Investor Protection
Pump-and-Dump Scheme
A pump-and-dump scheme inflates a security’s price through hype, then promoters sell into the rise, leaving later buyers with losses.
Read full definitionInvesting and Markets
Exchange-Traded Fund
An exchange-traded fund is an investment fund that issues shares trading on an exchange throughout the day, typically tracking an index or strategy.
Read full definitionMessaging, Email and Telecom
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance
DMARC is an email policy layer that tells receivers how to handle messages failing SPF/DKIM alignment and how to report results.
Read full definitionSocial Media and Creator Economy
Verification Badge
A verification badge is the visual marker platforms display on accounts that passed a verification program.
Read full definition509 published definitions in this topic
- Account FarmingAccount farming creates or cultivates aged accounts to bypass trust systems and run later fraud.
- Account Recovery AbuseExploiting password-reset or support flows to take over accounts without the real owner’s credentials.
- Account Recovery FraudAccount recovery fraud abuses reset flows, SIM swaps, or support social engineering to take over accounts.
- Account Recovery RiskAccount recovery risk is the chance that reset flows become the easiest path for attackers to take over accounts.
- Account SecurityControls and habits that keep login credentials, sessions, and account recovery options from being abused.
- Account Taken OverAccount taken over is when someone else gains control of your email, shopping, banking, or subscription account without permission.
- Account TakeoverAccount takeover is gaining control of someone’s account through stolen credentials, malware, SIM swap, or social engineering.
- Account Takeover Insurance ClaimAn account takeover insurance claim seeks coverage after unauthorized account access causes financial loss.
- ACH FraudACH fraud is unauthorized or deceptive use of Automated Clearing House credits or debits.
- ActivityPubActivityPub is a W3C protocol for decentralized social networking that lets servers publish and subscribe to activity streams across instances.
- Ad FraudAd fraud is deceptive practice that steals advertising budget through fake traffic, fake impressions, or misrepresented inventory.
- Address HistoryA timeline of residential or mailing addresses associated with a person over time.
- Advance Fee Romance HybridAn advance-fee romance hybrid combines fake affection with upfront “fee” demands before a promised payoff.
- Advance-Fee FraudAdvance-fee fraud demands upfront payment for a prize, loan, inheritance, or service that never materializes.
- Advance-Fee ScamAn advance-fee scam requires upfront payment for a prize, loan, inheritance, or deal that never materializes.
- AdwareSoftware that delivers unwanted advertising and may also track browsing or degrade device performance.
- Affiliate CloakingAffiliate cloaking shows different pages to networks versus users—often hiding scam or policy-violating content from reviewers.
- Affiliate DisclosureAn affiliate disclosure states that a publisher may earn commissions from links or referrals in content.
- Affinity FraudAffinity fraud targets members of a shared community—religious, ethnic, professional, or social—using trust inside the group.
- Age AssuranceAge assurance is estimating or verifying a user’s age to gate access to services or content under policy or law.
- AI Trading ScamAn AI trading scam markets automated “AI bots” or algorithms that supposedly generate guaranteed trading profits.
- AI-Generated ScamAn AI-Generated Scam uses generative AI to create deceptive text, images, voices, sites, or personas that look more polished and personalized.
- AliasAn alternate name, username, or identity label used by a person in addition to a primary legal name.
- Alternative Trading SystemAn alternative trading system is a non-exchange trading venue that matches buyers and sellers of securities under ATS rules.
- American Depositary ReceiptAn American depositary receipt is a U.S.-traded certificate representing shares of a non-U.S. company held by a depositary bank.
- API Key LeakAn API key leak is accidental publication of a secret token that can unlock paid services, private data, or admin actions.
- App Store Scam ListingAn app store scam listing mimics a real app to harvest accounts, subscriptions, or device permissions.
- Asset AllocationAsset allocation is the intentional mix of asset classes (such as stocks, bonds, and cash) in a portfolio according to goals, horizon, and risk tolerance.
- AstroturfingAstroturfing is faking grassroots support through paid or coordinated messages that hide their true sponsors.
- Attachment SandboxingAttachment sandboxing opens files in an isolated environment to reduce malware detonation risk.
- Attack SurfaceAttack surface is the set of exposed interfaces—apps, APIs, emails, and people—where an attacker can try to get in.
- Audio DeepfakeAn audio deepfake clones or synthesizes a voice to impersonate someone in calls, voicemails, or videos.
- Authenticator Assurance LevelAn authenticator assurance level describes the strength of the login method protecting an account.
- Authority ImpersonationAuthority impersonation pretends to be police, tax agencies, courts, or regulators to coerce payment or compliance.
- Authorized Push Payment FraudAuthorized Push Payment (APP) fraud is when a victim is tricked into approving a payment to a fraudster account.
- Autonomous System NumberAn Autonomous System Number (ASN) is a unique identifier for a network under a common routing policy on the internet.
- Background CheckA Background Check is a formal review of a person’s history—often criminal, employment, or credential records—under applicable legal rules.
- Balance SheetA balance sheet is a snapshot of a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific date, showing what it owns and owes.
- Bank Impersonation ScamFraudsters posing as a bank to steal credentials, one-time codes, or authorize fraudulent transfers.
- Bank Transfer ScamA bank transfer scam tricks someone into sending money via bank transfer to a fraudster.
- Bank Verification ScamA bank verification scam pretends to confirm account security while harvesting credentials, codes, or remote access.
- Beneficiary BankThe beneficiary bank is the financial institution that holds the account receiving a wire or transfer.
- Best ExecutionBest execution is a broker’s duty to seek the most favorable terms reasonably available for a customer order under applicable rules.
- BIMIBIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a framework for displaying brand logos in supporting inboxes when email authentication requirements are met.
- BIMI CertificateA BIMI certificate (often a Verified Mark Certificate in supporting ecosystems) is a credential used to authorize logo display under BIMI policies.
- Biometric TemplateA biometric template is a stored mathematical representation of a biometric trait used for matching.
- Blackmail ScamA blackmail scam threatens harm, exposure, or legal trouble unless the victim pays quickly.
- Boiler RoomA boiler room is a high-pressure sales operation that cold-calls or messages people to push speculative or fraudulent investments.
- BondA bond is a debt security where an issuer borrows money and typically pays interest and principal according to stated terms.
- Book ValueBook value is the accounting carrying amount of equity (assets minus liabilities), not the market price of the stock.
- Bot AccountA bot account is an automated or semi-automated social profile that posts, follows, or engages with little or no direct human control.
- Brand Bidding AbuseBrand bidding abuse is buying ads on a competitor’s or victim’s brand terms to divert traffic into phishing or lookalike funnels.
- Brand ImpersonationBrand impersonation misuses a company’s name, logo, or domains to phish, sell fakes, or divert payments.
- BrigadingBrigading is organizing an outside group to flood a community with votes, harassment, or reports to overwhelm discussion.
- Broker-DealerA broker-dealer is a firm that brokers securities transactions for customers, deals for its own account, or both, typically under registration and conduct rules.
- BrokerCheckBrokerCheck is FINRA’s free public tool for researching the backgrounds of brokers, brokerage firms, and some investment adviser representatives.
- Browser LockerA browser locker freezes or overlays a browser with a fake police or virus warning to extort payment.
- Bulletproof HostingBulletproof hosting refers to hosting providers that are reputedly slow to act on abuse complaints, attracting criminal infrastructure.
- Business Email CompromiseBusiness Email Compromise (BEC) is a scam that hijacks or impersonates business email to redirect payments or steal sensitive information.
- Business Email Compromise VariantVendor-impersonation BEC tricks finance teams with faked supplier payment-change requests after mailbox or domain spoofing.