Recognize an FTC Impersonator

If it’s not scammers spamming your phone with texts or filling up your inbox with emails, it’s your mailbox crammed with ads and other mail you didn’t ask for. The junk messages and mail might seem endless, but there are some ways to help scale it back.

An unexpected package from an unknown sender arrives in your name. You open it and find a note that says it’s a gift, but it doesn't say who sent it. The note also says to scan a QR code to find out who sent it — or to get instructions on how to return it. Did someone really send you a gift? Or is it an attempt to steal your personal information?

If you don’t know what a loot box is, just ask any kid in your life to explain it. While you’re at it, ask them about the video game Genshin Impact. Then tell them about why the FTC just sued the game’s developer HoYoverse (Cognosphere Pte. Ltd and Cognosphere, LLC) for its confusing loot box system that costs players a LOT of money.