Pierogi scam: is there one, and what people mean by it
We found no confirmed scam called the pierogi scam. The name most often leads to Pierogi, the nickname of the YouTuber behind Scammer Payback, who fights scams, so a search for it is usually a search about him, not a warning about a fraud. If you were contacted by someone using the name, or paid for pierogi online and got nothing, the steps below apply to you.
Facts checked October 17, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
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Pierogi scam: summary
| Type | Search phrase without a confirmed scam behind it; may mean the scam baiter Pierogi, a fake food shop or a message that borrows a name |
|---|---|
| Risk | Low for the name itself; high only if you paid a fake shop or gave a caller access |
| Symptoms | Money paid and no goods; an unexpected message that uses the name; a request for gift cards, a transfer or remote access |
| How to get rid of it | Nothing to uninstall. If you paid, call your card issuer, change passwords, remove remote tools and report it |
| Our check (17 October 2026) | Desk research only. No scam named pierogi found in the pages we read; no reported addresses; no domain to test |
| Running since | Unknown. The scam baiter says he has worked since 2019; no scam is dated |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 7 more facts
| Installed on the PC | Nothing, unless a caller made you install a remote access tool |
|---|---|
| Detection | No Microsoft detection name is known: there is no file to detect |
| Distribution | Not known. A fake shop would spread through adverts and search results; a message through text, e-mail or social media |
| Name | Pierogi scam |
| Evidence | 0 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| First seen | 17 October 2026 |
| Facts checked | 17 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 17 October 2026 against Wikipedia's article on Scammer Payback, the Easy Prey podcast page with Pierogi, and the FTC's advice on avoiding scams.
There was no web address to test: our own check was a desk check, and no plain request was made from our server because the subject is not a domain name. Not found: any warning from a regulator or a company about a scam named pierogi.
Why this matters
A program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name in the list of installed apps is a warning, not a disaster. It tells you that your details are being used or tested by someone else, and that you have time to lock them out.
Do not reply to messages that follow it and do not share codes with anyone who calls. Secure the account yourself, through the official app or website. What to check first: account security after a scam.
What people mean by the pierogi scam
No scam called the pierogi scam is confirmed by any source we could read. The phrase has at least four plausible readings, and only one of them is backed by a page we found: searches for pierogi and scam bring up Pierogi, the online name of the American YouTuber who runs the Scammer Payback channel and works against scam call centres.
We say "plausible readings" on purpose. We do not have the search results of each person who typed these words, and the topic reached us because many people look it up with a security question, about 390 searches a month in our data.
It reached us from a trends signal, not from an infected address, a victim report or a reported web address. So this page tells you what we found, what we did not find, and how to protect yourself in each reading.
Nothing here calls any person or business a scammer. Where we do not have a primary source, we say that the claim is unconfirmed.
- What we found
- A well known anti-scam YouTuber who uses the nickname Pierogi. No page that describes a scam involving pierogi the food
- What we did not find
- A regulator warning, a company warning or a security vendor analysis of a scam named pierogi
- Reported addresses
- None. Our database of reported malicious web addresses has no entry for this name
- Registration record
- None. The subject is a phrase, not a domain name, so there is nothing to look up
- Why this page exists
- About 390 people a month search for it with a security question, according to our topic radar
What the pierogi scam message looks like
Who Pierogi is, and why the name sits next to the word scam
Pierogi is the nickname of the American YouTuber and streamer who runs Scammer Payback. The channel exists to fight scams, which explains why the two words sit together in search results.
According to Wikipedia, he makes scam baiting videos about phone and internet fraud such as tech support, refund, Social Security and IRS impersonation scams, and he previously worked as a cybersecurity professional. In the videos he plays a victim, often with a voice changer, to waste the time of the scammers.
While they are busy, he reportedly looks into their systems from a virtual machine and gathers information about who and where they are. The article also says that since 2022 the channel has run a project called the People's Call Center, which came back in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The Easy Prey podcast page adds his own account. He says he has scam baited since 2019, that he sometimes works with victims' banks to stop transfers, though not always successfully, and that scam call centres are cheap to start:
- a few computers
- an internet line
- pirated or free software
- remote access tools
- dialers that place calls in bulk
He names gift cards, wire transfers, money mules and payment apps as the usual ways the money is collected.
- Channel
- Scammer Payback, a scam baiting channel on YouTube, with streams on YouTube and Twitch
- What it does
- Poses as a victim to waste scammers' time, and publishes what it learns about how call centres work
- Project
- The People's Call Center, an anti-scam project run since 2022 according to Wikipedia
- Not the same as
- Pierogi the food, or any shop that sells it
- A date to treat with care
- Wikipedia's text and its category list disagree on the launch year of the channel (2008 against 2019). Easy Prey says he has baited scammers since 2019, so we use 2019
2019
Scam baiting starts
By his own account on the Easy Prey podcast, Pierogi has been scam baiting since 2019.
2022
The People's Call Center
Wikipedia says an anti-scam project of this name started in 2022 and returned in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
17 October 2026
Our desk check
We found no confirmed scam called the pierogi scam. We have no reported addresses and no registration record for the phrase.
If you meant a fake online shop for pierogi or other food
The food is only the bait. A fake shop fraud works the same way for pierogi as for shoes or phones: an advert or a page offers goods, you pay, and the goods never come or something else arrives. We found no write up of a shop of this kind selling pierogi, so the signs below are general, not a description of one site.
The FTC lists four signs of a scam. The person pretends to be someone you know or trust. They claim a problem or a prize. They pressure you to act now.
They insist on a particular way to pay, such as cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, a payment app or gift cards. For a shop, the last sign matters most: a real shop lets you pay by a normal card or a trusted checkout, and does not ask for gift cards or a bank transfer to a private person.
Food has an extra problem. Fresh or frozen goods that need cold transport cannot be sent from nowhere in a week. If the shop gives no street address, no company name, no phone number or no return policy, if the prices are far below every other seller, or if the page appeared a few days ago in an advert, treat it as a risk and leave.
- 1
Look for who runs the shop
A real business names itself: a company name, an address and a phone number you can check on a map or in a company register. A contact form alone is not enough.
- 2
Search for the shop name with the word reviews, not the offer
Read reviews on sites that the shop does not control. A page full of only five star praise and no dates is a warning, not a comfort.
- 3
Check how you are asked to pay
Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or a payment to a private person are signs of fraud according to the FTC. A card payment gives you the most options to dispute it later.
- 4
Compare the price
If the price is much lower than that of every other seller of the same item, ask why the seller would lose money on each sale. The usual answer is that nothing will be shipped.
- 5
Wait before you pay
Pressure to buy within minutes is the third sign on the FTC's list. Leave the page open, search for the shop, and come back after you have checked it.
If someone contacted you and used the name Pierogi or Scammer Payback
Treat any unexpected message that uses a well known name, such as a message that says you have won a prize, been selected, or must pay a fee to receive money, as a scam attempt until you have checked it yourself. We found no confirmed case that uses this name, which is not a reason to trust it.
The first sign on the FTC's list is that the sender pretends to be someone you know or trust. A famous name is an easy thing to borrow. A real channel has no reason to ask a stranger for a gift card, a transfer, a code that arrived by text message, or remote access to a computer.
Pierogi's own advice on the Easy Prey page is to hang up and contact the organisation through a number you already know, to be sceptical of urgent threats, and to never send a photo of your identity documents to anyone who claims to be from the government.
If the message came with a link, do not open it. Go to the channel's page by typing its name into the video site yourself, and compare. If a message asks for money, a code or remote access, it is a scam whatever name is on it.
Things no honest stranger needs from you
- Gift card numbers
- A wire transfer or cryptocurrency
- Your bank login or a code sent to your phone
- Remote access to your computer
- A photo of your passport or ID card
- A fee before you can receive a prize
From the FTC's four signs of a scam and from Pierogi's advice on the Easy Prey podcast.
How to tell the pierogi scam message is fake
Before you uninstall a program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name
Make sure it is not part of your hardware or of a program you use:
- drivers
- printer tools
- game launchers sometimes have unfamiliar names
A quick search of the exact name and publisher settles it.
Then write down a program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name and the names installed alongside it. If one refuses to uninstall, the note tells you what to look for in Safe Mode.
How to protect yourself from this kind of scam
Do
- Hang up and call back on a number you already know when a caller claims to be from a bank, a shop or the government.
- Pay online with a card or a checkout you trust, so a dispute is possible later.
- Look for a company name, an address and a phone number before you buy from a shop you do not know.
- Talk to a family member before you act, especially when you are told to keep it secret.
- Set alerts for unusual card activity in your bank app.
- Keep a current backup of your files, so a scam that locks or damages a PC does not cost you your documents.
Don't
- Pay with gift cards, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency to someone who contacted you.
- Give a stranger remote access to your computer.
- Send a photo of your passport, ID card or Social Security card to anyone who calls you.
- Trust a message because it uses the name of a well known person or channel.
- Pay a fee to receive a prize.
Is pierogi scam dangerous? What the senders want
Is a program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name safe to keep?
If you did not choose a program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name, there is no reason to keep it. Unwanted programs slow startup, show offers and change browser settings even when they are not outright dangerous.
Programs that belong to your hardware, such as drivers and their control panels, are the exception; when unsure, check the publisher. More: what makes a program unwanted.
What our check found, and what it could not
Our check here was not a test of a website. There is no address to test, so we read what is published about the name and compared it with the consumer advice of the US Federal Trade Commission.
pierogi scam · desk research · 17 October 2026
- Reported addressesNone in our records. We have no web address to link to this name.
- Domain recordNot applicable: the subject is a phrase and was not a plain domain name, so no site request or registration lookup was made.
- Warnings from authoritiesNone found in the pages we read for a scam named pierogi.
- Searches for the nameThe results were about Pierogi, the scam baiter behind Scammer Payback, plus general pages on the pierogi dish. This is a summary of one search session, not proof of what every searcher means.
- Fake shops and impersonationWe could not find or rule out a fake shop selling pierogi, or people posing as the YouTuber. Anyone can copy a name, so treat unexpected contact that uses it with the same care as any other.
No confirmed scam We found no confirmed scam with this name, but that is the result of a desk check on one day, not a clearance. A scam can exist without having been written up, and the name can be borrowed by a new one at any time. Judge any single message or shop on its own facts.
Four things a search for the pierogi scam can mean
Match your situation to a row. The right first step is different in each one.
| What you may mean | Is it confirmed? | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| You saw the name Pierogi in a video, a stream or a headline about scams | Yes: Pierogi is the nickname of the Scammer Payback YouTuber, who baits scammers | Nothing to remove. Read the section on who he is |
| You paid an online shop for pierogi or other food and nothing arrived | We cannot say which shop. Fake shops in general are a known fraud type | Contact your card issuer or payment app at once, then report it |
| Someone used the name to contact you, for example a message that says you won something or must pay to be paid | Not confirmed. We found no primary source for such a message | Do not reply or pay. Check it against the four signs of a scam from the FTC |
| You are asking if the Scammer Payback channel itself is a scam | We found nothing that says so. Wikipedia describes a scam baiting channel that works against scams | Judge it on its own pages. Never send money to a person who contacts you using the channel's name |
What can go wrong
The risks depend on which reading applies. For the first reading, a video or a headline, there is no risk at all from the name itself.
- High
Paying a fake shop
You lose the money, and the shop keeps your card details and address. Card issuers can dispute some payments, but the rules and time limits differ by country and card, so call yours as soon as you notice.
- High
Giving remote access or a code to a caller
Pierogi describes call centres that use remote access tools to take over a victim's computer and then guide the victim through a bank transfer. Never give a stranger access to your computer or accounts.
- Medium
Clicking a link in a message that borrows a famous name
The page behind it may ask you to log in, install a program or enter card details. We have no sample, so we cannot say what any such page would do.
- Low
Searching for the name and landing on a page that is not what you wanted
Pages that answer "is X a scam" can be wrong or can sell something. Read the sources and trust official pages first.
If you clicked the link or replied
Act in this order, and fast. The FTC's advice is to stop paying, talk to someone you trust, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if you are in the United States.
- 1
Stop paying, and do not answer more requests
Scammers often ask for a second payment to release the first one or to pay a fee. Do not send it.
- 2
Call your bank or card issuer
Use the number on the back of your card, not one from a message. Say that you paid a seller who did not deliver, give the date and the amount, and ask what can be done. Pierogi says he sometimes works with banks to stop transfers, though not always successfully, so speed matters.
- 3
Change passwords if you gave any away
Start with your e-mail and your bank, from a device you trust. Turn on two step sign in where it is offered.
- 4
Check for remote access software
If you let a caller connect to your PC, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11 and uninstall any remote tool you did not install on purpose. Then run a full scan with Microsoft Defender. If the caller saw your bank pages, treat the bank login as known to them.
- 5
Report it
In the United States report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Elsewhere use your national fraud reporting service or the police. Keep screenshots, the web address of the shop, the messages and the payment receipt.
What to do after the Pierogi scam e-mail
If you only received the message and clicked nothing, step 3 is all you need.
If you clicked the link or typed anything on the page it opened, do every step, starting with the password.
Step 1: Change the password you typed on the fake page
If you typed a password on the page the Pierogi scam message opened, assume the sender has it. Go to the real site by typing its address yourself and change the password there, choosing one you have never used.
Change it anywhere else the same password was used, and sign out all other sessions if the service offers it. Any browser on Windows 11 or Windows 10 will do, as long as you do not follow the e-mail's link.
Microsoft account, Security page (account.microsoft.com/security): Change password. Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Step 2: Turn on two-step verification
With two-step verification on, a stolen password alone no longer opens the account, because a sign-in from a new device also needs a code from your phone.
Switch it on for the e-mail account first, then for banking, shopping and social accounts that use that address.
Check the recovery phone, the recovery e-mail and any forwarding rules while you are in the settings, since attackers change them to come back. The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Microsoft account: Manage how I sign in, where two-step verification and the sign-in methods are. Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Step 3: Report the e-mail and delete it
Do not reply and do not click anything else in the message. In Outlook select the e-mail and choose Report > Report phishing; in Gmail open the three-dot menu next to Reply and pick Report phishing.
That trains the filter for everyone on the service, and the message goes to the junk folder. If the e-mail came to a work address, forward it to your IT team as an attachment first.
The steps are the same in the web mail and the mail apps on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web: Report > Report phishing. Full procedure with screenshots: Report a phishing e-mail
Step 4: Scan the PC if you opened a file from the message
A fake sign-in page only steals what you type, so most readers can skip this step. If the Pierogi scam e-mail made you download or open a file, delete it and scan the PC.
In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and then Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now. The offline scan restarts Windows 11 or Windows 10 and takes about 15 minutes.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Removing a program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name for good
Uninstalling takes a minute (Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix).
Decline any offers in the uninstaller and do not install the "recommended" replacement it suggests.
Afterwards delete its leftover folder in Program Files or AppData, disable leftover startup items (Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix) and check the browsers for extensions it added (Remove a browser extension).
A program like a program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name that cannot be removed this way needs Safe Mode and an offline scan.
How to report pierogi scam
A report gives you a reference number for your bank and insurer and helps police link cases.
Include the dates, A program, remote access tool or message that came with a pierogi offer or a caller who used the name in the list of installed apps, any payment details, addresses and phone numbers the attackers used, and screenshots.
In the US, report to the FBI at ic3.gov and scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In the UK, use Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk); in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre; in Australia, ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au. EU residents report to their national police: Report a cyber attack or scam to the authorities.
Every agency, with what to send and when businesses must notify regulators, is listed in where to report cybercrime by country.
Questions about pierogi scam
Is the pierogi scam real?
We found no confirmed scam with that name. In the pages we read, no regulator, company or security vendor warns about a scam called the pierogi scam. The name most often leads to Pierogi, the nickname of the YouTuber behind Scammer Payback, who fights scams.
That does not mean no fraud involving pierogi exists, because a fake shop or a borrowed name can appear at any time. Our check was desk research on 17 October 2026, so it is not a clearance. Judge each shop or message on its own facts, using the signs in this guide.
Who is Pierogi from Scammer Payback?
Pierogi is the nickname of an American YouTuber and streamer who runs the Scammer Payback channel. According to Wikipedia he makes scam baiting content about phone and internet fraud and previously worked as a cybersecurity professional. On the Easy Prey podcast he says he has scam baited since 2019.
The channel works against scams, so seeing the name next to the word scam does not mean the channel is one. We could not confirm more personal details, and we do not repeat unverified claims about any person.
Is Scammer Payback a scam?
We found nothing that says so. Wikipedia describes it as a scam baiting channel that wastes scammers' time and, by its account, has returned money to victims.
The Easy Prey interview gives the same picture. We have not audited the channel, so we make no promise about every claim it has made. The safe rule is the same for any famous name:
- never send money
- gift cards
- codes or account access to someone who contacts you using it
- judge the channel by its own pages
Did someone use the name Pierogi to contact me?
We found no confirmed case, but borrowing a famous name is easy and the FTC lists pretending to be someone you trust as its first sign of a scam. Do not click links, reply or pay.
Ask yourself what the message wants: money, a gift card, a code, remote access or a fee before a prize are all red flags. Go to the channel yourself by typing its name into the video site, and compare. If the message is a scam, report it to the platform it came from and, in the United States, to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How can I tell if an online shop that sells pierogi is fake?
Look for a company name, a street address and a phone number, and check them yourself on a map or a company register. Read reviews on sites the shop does not control.
Compare the price with other sellers: a price far below everyone else is a warning. Check how you are asked to pay. Gift cards, wire transfers and cryptocurrency are signs of fraud according to the FTC, while a normal card payment keeps your options open.
Fresh or frozen food also needs real shipping, so no delivery details is a problem. Wait before paying if the page pushes you to hurry.
I paid for pierogi online and nothing came. What should I do?
Stop paying and call your bank or card issuer on the number on your card. Tell them you paid a seller who did not deliver and ask what can be done, because rules and time limits differ by country and card. Change your passwords if you entered any on the shop's pages.
Keep screenshots of the page, the order e-mail and the payment receipt. In the United States, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; elsewhere use your national fraud reporting service or the police. Do not pay anyone who offers to recover the money for a fee.
Is there a virus or app called pierogi that I should remove?
We found none. Our database has no reported malicious address for this name, and no Microsoft detection name is known for it. If something on your computer began after a call or a message, the cause is more likely a remote access tool that you were told to install.
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, uninstall remote tools you did not choose, and run a Microsoft Defender full scan. If you find a specific file with this name that is detected as malware, treat that as a separate threat.
How do scam call centres get money from victims?
On the Easy Prey podcast Pierogi describes call centres that pose as Amazon refund departments, Microsoft or bank support, or the Social Security Administration. Staff follow scripts to get remote access to the victim's computer, and senior staff then guide the victim through bank transfers.
He names gift cards, wire transfers, money mules and payment apps as the usual ways the money is collected. Victims are often coached to lie to bank staff and told not to tell their family. The defence is simple: hang up and call the organisation back on a number you already know.
What should I do first if I am not sure whether something is a scam?
Stop and do not pay or click. Then check it against the four signs of a scam from the FTC: someone pretends to be a person or company you trust, claims a problem or a prize, pressures you to act now, and insists on a way of paying such as gift cards, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
If two or more match, treat it as a scam. Talk to someone you trust, find the organisation's real number yourself, and contact it that way. Scammers often give up when you hang up or stop engaging.
Will Fortect remove Pierogi scam?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Pierogi scam, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Scammer Payback (read October 17, 2026)
- Easy Prey Podcast: Scambaiting with Pierogi (read October 17, 2026)
- Federal Trade Commission: How to avoid a scam (read October 17, 2026)
- Our own record for the phrase pierogi scam: no reported addresses in our database (read October 17, 2026)
- Domain registration lookup (RDAP) for the phrase: no record, not a domain name (read October 17, 2026)