IsThisSpam Threat Report: Week 27, 2026 — Nearly 1 in 5 Scam Checks Were Confirmed Fraud

Every week, thousands of people use IsThisSpam before clicking a suspicious link, replying to an email, or trusting a new sender.

This week's report analyses 1,000 anonymous scam checks submitted to IsThisSpam. All findings are aggregated and anonymised to highlight emerging scam trends while protecting user privacy.

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By the Numbers

Key takeaway

Almost 1 in every 5 checks submitted to IsThisSpam was identified as a likely scam.

That figure is a reminder that phishing isn't rare. It's part of many people's everyday inboxes.

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Biggest Trends This Week

1. The sender matters more than the message

One of the strongest patterns wasn't fake websites or malicious attachments.

It was people checking email addresses before engaging.

Nearly half of all submissions involved verifying a sender rather than analysing a complete email.

That's encouraging.

Users are beginning to ask "Can I trust this person?" before asking "Is this email malicious?"

That simple habit can stop many scams before they begin.

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2. Brand impersonation continues to dominate

Scammers continue hiding behind trusted names.

This week we saw attempts impersonating major technology companies, online services, recruiters, and businesses.

The branding often appeared convincing.

The sender address did not.

The lesson remains simple:

Always trust the domain, not the logo.

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3. Business phishing is becoming quieter

Instead of obvious scams promising prizes or threatening account closure, many messages looked like normal business communication.

Examples included:

These scams are designed to blend into a busy workday.

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Hall of Shame

The most common scam themes this week included:

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What People Are Actually Checking

One surprising insight from this week's data is that users aren't only checking suspicious emails.

Many simply wanted reassurance before replying to someone they didn't recognise.

That suggests awareness is improving.

Rather than becoming victims first, more people are verifying before they engage.

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Scam Safety Tip of the Week

If you receive an unexpected email asking you to:

pause for a moment.

Search for the organisation independently or contact them using details from their official website.

Never rely solely on the information contained in the email itself.

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What We'll Be Watching Next Week

Based on recent scam submissions, we're keeping a close eye on:

We'll continue tracking these trends as new scam reports arrive.

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Final Thoughts

Scammers are no longer relying on poor spelling or unbelievable stories.

Today's phishing emails are polished, patient, and increasingly convincing.

The good news is that the data also reveals a positive trend: more people are stopping to verify before they click.

That small decision can make all the difference.

We'll be back next week with another snapshot of the latest scam trends based on anonymous checks submitted to IsThisSpam.

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The IsThisSpam Threat Report is compiled from anonymised and aggregated scam checks submitted to IsThisSpam. No personal information, email contents, or identifiable user data is included. Individual statistics may vary from week to week as scam campaigns evolve.