The shapes they come in

Four cover most of it. The job that pays well for very little work, then asks you to receive and forward money — that is money laundering, and the account holder carries the consequence. The accommodation that wants a deposit before a viewing. The scholarship or grant with an administration fee attached. And the message from an official-sounding body saying something is wrong and must be fixed today.

All four share one structure: an unexpected approach, pressure to act quickly, and a payment that is difficult to reverse. Learn to notice the structure and you do not need to recognise the particular story.