It seems that scammers are getting more elaborate to trick people out of their money every single day. From phishing emails to copycat websites, from romance scams to fake charities, there seems to be endless schemes to trick clueless folks into giving up their cash.

Sometimes, however, targeted folks are not as clueless as the scammers like to believe. On the contrary, sometimes vigilant people are aware of the tricks a scammer is playing on them and they serve them a sweet taste of their own medicine.

Below we wrapped up a collection of posts that show scammers getting owned, caught red-handed and given a well-deserved cold shower.

After you’re done scrolling through this article, make sure to check out Bored Panda’s previous feature with more scammers who got served a lesson and ended up regretting their nasty deeds.

#1 Scam Text Message. Tricking Them With Cat Facts!

Image credits: dravack

#2 Whatsapp Scam, I Don’t Know Why They Didn’t Respond?

Image credits: aloofwatermelon

#3 Learn The Script, Break The Script

Image credits: SVCLIII

To find out more about the mind of the scammers, as well as the most popular online scams and what can we do protect ourselves, we reached out to Daniel Markuson, the cybersecurity expert at NordVPN.

“Usually, scammers choose their victims quite randomly,” Markuson said. “However, people who don’t take care of their digital hygiene get scammed much more often because they are much less cautious and share their personal information online a lot.”

The cybersecurity expert explained that having a lot of personal information about their victim helps criminals to make their scams look much more trustworthy.

#4 Message I Got From My “Grandma” A While Ago

Image credits: TheOneFreeMan002

#5 Well That Escalated Quickly (Common Whatsapp Scam That I Have Been Getting)

Image credits: afunzombie

#6 Meatball

Image credits: reddit.com

Interestingly, many scams are seasonal, and their cases grow depending on the time of the year. Markuson explained: “In spring, a lot of travel-themed scams start to emerge, with criminals contacting people with too-good-to-be-true holiday offers, fake travel insurance, and vacation rental scams.”

#7 My Dog Has Been Missing For A Week And Some Sick Bastard Pulled This Bs

Image credits: houseofLEAVEPLEASE

#8 I Used To Live In Los Angeles

I’ve never owned a house. I get these texts ALL THE TIME! I have no idea how this scam even works or what the end game is. But I’ve started replying in ways that make me giggle.

Image credits: sniperwolfjob

#9 Very Well Thought Out Scam

Image credits: DeaDra17

We also wondered what online scams are the most common, and it turns out that one of the most widespread online scams is phishing. “Cybercriminals send you an email pretending to be writing from an organization you trust. If you open that email and download an attachment or click on a button or link, that’s it — they can get your sensitive information,” Markuson said.

Meanwhile, catfishing is another popular scam when scammers create fake social media profiles. “They use other people’s or celebrities’ photos, videos, and even their personal information. These fake identities are usually used to seek attention, cyberbully, or get your private information.”

#10 Got A Message From A Scammer, Decided To Play With Em A Little

Image credits: W0lfhatK1d

#11 Someone Pretending To Be The Chair Of My Department Tried To Scam Me. Did I Do This Right?

Image credits: DorsaAmir

#12 At Least He Admitted It

Image credits: ForgottenLoreInAutum

Markuson warns that if you receive a pity story and a request to donate money, check it twice.Contact spamming is the oldest trick in the book, Markuson said. “A cybercriminal will hack into your email or your social media account and reach out to your friends with a message such as ‘I’ve seen this amazing video, check it out!’ Hopefully, your friends will recognize online scams and inform you.”

#13 I Was Surprised To Get A Message From A High School Friend’s Father

Image credits: blackcav

#14 Bot

Image credits: bridgerberdel

#15 I Think I Have Come On Too Strong

Image credits: burlybuhda

Luckily, there are proven ways to protect yourself and your data online. “The most basic thing people can do to protect themselves online is to stop oversharing on their internet platforms.”

Markuson’s advice is to keep your contact information private, and scammers will have a much more difficult time trying to contact you.

“Online privacy tools, like a VPN, are also very helpful in protecting your digital data. VPNs help to encrypt user internet traffic, thus making it impossible for third parties to intercept,” the cybersecurity expert suggested.

#16 A Bot Love Story

Image credits: PlumFabulous

#17 Special Item For Ebay Scammers

Image credits: reddit.com

#18 Ah Yes The Tinder Scam

Image credits: SeamedAphid91

#19 This One Made Me Laugh

Image credits: desenagrator44

#20 Trust Me Bro

Image credits: Alexpromise1

#21 Nice Try Buckaroo

Image credits: MikeHoncho8008

#22 Facebook Is Full Of Scam Giveaways And Fake Profiles Commenting On Them

Image credits: Skyward_Shadow

#23 The Heavenly Scam

Image credits: sha_bcgimao

#24 Say Potato

Image credits: GuCoice

#25 Facebook Powerbal Scam

Image credits: PenguinOntheRoad

#26 At Least Theyre Honest

Image credits: EudeDev

#27 Just Glad To See My BF Has A Good Head On His Shoulders

Image credits: foxliver

#28 Sorry, I Don’t Trust You. Not By That Logic

Image credits: intergalactic_em

#29 Some Number Texted Me, Said He Was An FBI Agent, And He Sent Me A Picture Of His Id

I image searched the pic if his ID, and turns out it was photoshopped version of a movie prop, the guy on his ID picture is Michael Peña. He didn’t even try.