r/Scams rules, stats, and what to post

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Scams: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Check a post for r/Scams Test a Reddit post

By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.

Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.

Current public stats

Members: 1,427,773
Verified: September 24, 2026
Category: Personal finance and investing communities

Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.

Rule summary

Be civil: Posts and comments at r/scams should be civil and use appropriate and respectful language at all times. - Flaming, name-calling, bullying, harassment, or anything else that could break site-wide rules or offend or disturb others is prohibited Regardless of whether a scam has been posted here once or a thousand times, remember there is a real person behind the screen. We are a landing page for people new to Reddit, and people in crisis. Be kind, not snarky.
Report recovery scammers: Anyone suggesting contact via DM, or the services of a professional hacker to help recover funds must be reported. Remember: never take advice in private, because we can't look out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own.
No personal information: Sharing personal information is strictly forbidden in this subreddit. Please censor any personal information in posts and comments. This includes: - Phone numbers - Email addresses - Social media handles - Physical addresses - Full names The exception to this rule is people who present themselves as public figures (ex: celebrities, internet personalities, etc.)
No spam/off-topic: This subreddit is a place for meaningful and useful discussions about scams. We do not permit: - Nonsensical and useless content - AI-generated posts/comments - Memes - Advertisements - Solicitation - Sarcasm on serious posts - Posts asking to verify online stores or retail websites. These should be submitted to other topic-specific subreddits. If you don't know where to post, go to r/findareddit - Store reviews - Unexpected subscription posts may be removed at moderator's discretion.
No low effort posts: Please ensure that all posts posted to this subreddit are of decent quality and on-topic. We do not permit: - Short posts with little to no context about the question or scam being discussed - Screenshots without transcripts - Links to external articles with no information in the body of your post - Link posts to outside websites - AI generated posts/comments - Memes, jokes, or anything else that isn't useful
No uncensored nudity or photos of dead people: - Don't post nudity without censoring it - Don't upload photos of dead people without censoring them, regardless of the NSFW tag All NSFW posts will be queued for moderation. Be patient.
No personal army requests: We do not allow requests to: - Mass report accounts, websites, apps, etc. - Text/call alleged scam phone numbers - Harass alleged scammers Innocent people have their identities and contact information spoofed by scammers, and this behavior is not aligned with Reddit's content policy.
No private message requests: Don't ask for contact via private message. We need to keep the community safe from recovery scammers or bad advice. Remember: never take advice in private, because we can't look out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own.
No scambaiting: This is a scam identification subreddit. We do not encourage or support scambaiting, which is interacting with known scammers to waste their time. This also includes knowingly engaging with scammers with the intent to "game the system" and financially benefit from a scam. We consider scambaiting to be dangerous, especially when done by inexperienced individuals. Additionally, we do not permit posts referring people to other subreddits or websites that promote scambaiting.
No self promotion: We do not allow the following: - Advertising your Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram, or other social media channels - Advertising your website, product, app, or service, even if free to use - Referral codes - Promotional posts or comments - Participation from unapproved branded Reddit accounts. This includes brand usernames and references to your site/business/etc in your account bio
No promoting illegal or prohibited activities: Do not promote: - Hacks - Recovery services - Discussing buying/selling accounts, or anything that violates the TOS of popular platforms - Discussing unethical or illegal activities, including but no limited to: gaming recovery scammers, committing fraud against financial institutions, etc.
No research requests, media requests, or AMAs without moderator approval: Given the nature of our subreddit and the risk of scammers, you cannot post a survey, a call for participants for a news story, or other research/writing opportunities without moderator approval. This is especially the case if you are collecting personal information from sub members for an article or for university/work research. This also applies to AMAs; you must submit a request to moderators if you are interested in hosting an AMA. A tag will be added to approved posts.
No scammers: We are not a subreddit to promote your scams.
No begging or crowdfunding links.: We do not permit: - Requests for money through Cashapp/Venmo/Zelle, Bitcoin wallets, GoFundMe, etc. - Requests for wishlist purchases - Donations or crowdfunding for your project, app, website, etc.
Keep it safe: Everybody should strive to make r/Scams a safe place. Bad advice or concerning posts should be reported to the mods, not only downvoted. - Clickable links to scam websites are not allowed. We favor putting website addresses in the titles of posts - Moderators will use their discretion to prevent users from posting something that may be harmful for themselves or the community - We also heavily moderate posts by underage users, for their protection

Works well

Write a detailed educational post explaining how a specific type of scam works, with no links and no product mentions.
Share a first-person story about encountering a scam, with all personal information censored, to help others recognize the pattern.
Answer questions in comments with clear, practical advice about avoiding scams, with no reference to your own business.
Post a transcript of a scam message with all phone numbers, emails, and names censored, asking the community to help identify the scam type.

Avoid

Do not advertise your website, product, app, or service, even if it is free to use.
Do not include referral codes anywhere in your posts or comments.
Do not use a branded Reddit account or reference your business in your account bio.
Do not post clickable links to scam websites. Put the address in the title instead.
Do not ask anyone to contact you via private message.
Do not post surveys, research requests, media requests, or AMAs without getting moderator approval first.

What r/Scams Is For

This is an educational subreddit focused on scams. People come here to educate themselves, find support, and discover ways to help a friend or loved one who may be a victim of a scam. The community describes itself as a landing page for people new to Reddit and people in crisis. The tone is serious and supportive. Joking comments on serious posts get removed.

Rules That Matter Before Posting

The rule named 'No self promotion' is the one that will decide your fate. It bans advertising your website, product, app, or service, even if free to use. It also bans referral codes, promotional posts or comments, and participation from unapproved branded Reddit accounts. It even calls out references to your site or business in your account bio. The rule named 'No spam/off-topic' bans advertisements and solicitation outright. The rule named 'No low effort posts' means anything you contribute needs real context and substance. The rule named 'No research requests, media requests, or AMAs without moderator approval' means you cannot run a survey or collect data without asking the moderators first. The rule named 'No private message requests' closes the backdoor. You cannot invite people to DM you.

What To Post

Honestly, a founder doing respectful Reddit marketing here should think long and hard before posting at all. The rules leave almost no room for anything that smells like promotion. If you have genuine expertise in scam prevention and want to contribute, you could write a detailed educational post about a specific scam type, how it works, and how to avoid it. The post must have no links to your own site, no product mentions, no referral codes, and no invitation to DM you. You would need to participate as a regular person sharing knowledge, not as a founder building an audience. If you want to run a survey or do research, you must get moderator approval first.

What To Avoid

Do not promote anything you own or benefit from. The rule named 'No self promotion' covers websites, products, apps, services, social media channels, referral codes, and even your account bio. Do not post clickable links to scam websites. Do not ask anyone to contact you privately. Do not post AI-generated content. Do not post screenshots without transcripts. Do not post links to external articles without context in the body. Do not share personal information like phone numbers, email addresses, social media handles, physical addresses, or full names. Do not suggest recovery services or professional hackers. Do not encourage scambaiting. Do not ask the community to mass report accounts or harass alleged scammers. Do not post surveys, research requests, media requests, or AMAs without moderator approval. Do not beg or post crowdfunding links.

Use Rankhog before posting in r/Scams

Want the version that does not run out? Subscribers get unlimited tool runs and more careful checks before posting.

Get my free Reddit SEO audit

Start your 3-day free trial. Card required. $99/month after trial. Next, connect a verified Reddit account; no strategy starts until you explicitly start Rankhog.

Reddit post checker

A free AI moderator simulation that checks your draft against published subreddit rules and six Reddit-native removal risks before you post.

Common questions about r/Scams

Can I mention my product or service if it helps people avoid scams?

No. The rule named 'No self promotion' bans advertising your website, product, app, or service, even if it is free to use. It also bans referral codes and promotional posts or comments.

Can I post a survey about scam awareness?

No. The rule named 'No research requests, media requests, or AMAs without moderator approval' requires you to submit a request to moderators first. A tag will be added to approved posts.

Can I invite people to DM me for help?

No. The rule named 'No private message requests' says not to ask for contact via private message. The community needs to keep people safe from recovery scammers and bad advice given in private.

Can I include a link to a scam website I want to warn people about?

No. The rule named 'Keep it safe' says clickable links to scam websites are not allowed. The community favors putting website addresses in the titles of posts instead.

Can I use AI to help write my post?

No. The rule named 'No spam/off-topic' explicitly bans AI-generated posts and comments.

Related subreddit guides

r/Frugal

Personal finance and investing communities

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Frugal: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Members: 6.9M
Verified: 2026-09-18

r/povertyfinance

Personal finance and investing communities

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/povertyfinance: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Members: 2.9M
Verified: 2026-09-18

r/Finanzen

Personal finance and investing communities

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Finanzen: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Members: 1.2M
Verified: 2026-09-18

Get myRedditaudit now