Recognize an FTC Impersonator

We’ve written about this scam before, but like a bad sequel, it’s back. People are telling the FTC they’ve gotten letters in the mail from law firms about unclaimed life insurance money. Have you gotten one of these? The “lawyer” says that one of their clients, with your same last name, died and you’re the heir to a life insurance policy worth millions. (Spoiler alert: you’re not.) The letter then explains that they’d like to split the proceeds between you, some charity organizations, and their law firm. But what’s really happening here?

Scammers promise to solve your debt problems to trick you into paying them instead of your actual lender. If a caller offers to help you enroll in a special “military debt forgiveness” program, pause. That’s probably a scam. Learn how debt relief scammers might target the military and how to avoid the scam.

At the FTC, we know talking about scams helps people avoid them. Military Consumer Month is a great time to talk about ways scammers target the military community to steal their money, benefits, and personal information. Here’s how you can encourage the servicemembers and veterans in your life to share their scam stories.