March 2026

In July 2024, the company behind NGL, an anonymous messaging app, agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle charges that the company deceived its customers. The FTC urges affected NGL customers to apply for a refund before April 6, 2026.

It’s that time of year when people start planning their spring and summer travels. If you have someone visiting you from another country (and they qualify for a visa waiver), they’ll need to complete an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application through the official U.S. government website or app. To help them avoid a scam, be sure to let them know that they might come across ESTA lookalike sites trying to trick people into overpaying for the application. Here are some other things to share with visiting friends or family.

If you get a call saying “you’ve won a prize,” you might be thinking, why not claim it? Unfortunately, it’s likely a scam to steal your money — especially if it’s for a contest you didn’t enter. So how can you spot and avoid a prize scam?

Scammers make up all kinds of bogus stories to steal your personal information, or your money. Some go negative and make up a problem that doesn’t really exist. Others try a positive spin and say you won something, like free money made available through a government grant or program. How do you know if these promises are legit—or a scam? Here are five common signs of a fake government grant scam:

It’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2026. Welcome! Today kicks off the 28th year of the FTC joining with partner organizations to amplify the importance of consumer protection. This week, the FTC is focused on delivering messages and hosting events on how to avoid scams, how to report scams, and what to do to help recover from scams. Visit ftc.gov/ncpw to find those in-person and virtual events, as well as free tools to promote NCPW. Here are some other ways to participate in NCPW 2026.