Tag: All Scams

Do you know someone who might need to brush up on their money management skills? Or learn to spot and avoid scams? Back-to-school season is a good time to get to work on learning. Whether you're a student, a parent, or just looking to sharpen your skills, you can learn how to protect your money and personal information. The FTC’s consumer.gov has free, reliable information in plain language to help you get started.

Having a lot of debt can be stressful at any age. But if you’re retired or about to live on a fixed income, paying off debt can sometimes be more challenging. As you explore your options, know that scammers might promise to take away your debt — for a fee. If you pay them before they help you, you’ll likely lose money instead of getting a fresh start. So, what’s the best way to pay down debt while avoiding scams?

Scammers are pretending to be Amazon again. This time, they’re sending texts claiming there’s a problem with something you bought. They offer a refund if you click a link — but it’s a scam. Here’s how the scam works so you can avoid it.

If someone contacts you unexpectedly and tells you to buy gold bars and hand them to someone (anyone!) to “protect your money,” you’ve spotted a scam. Instead of doing what they say, stop. Want to know how these scams work and how to avoid them? Read on.

In response to the devastating flash flooding in central Texas, many are looking for ways to get and give help. And scammers are looking to prey on people’s generosity. So how can you make sure your donations go to the people who need them and not to a scammer?

Chances are, you’ve gotten a scam text about unpaid toll charges or know someone who has. Now scammers are going even further and pretending to be the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from states all over the country. They insist that you pay for an “overdue traffic ticket” and threaten to suspend your driving privileges (among other things) if you don’t. Here’s how the scam works.

After a long search, you’ve got that new job. You can’t wait to share the good news on social media, but as you’re shouting it from the virtual rooftop, know this: it’s not only friends and colleagues who’ll get the alert. Scammers are watching, too — and they might use the update to target you.

Scammers are always “hiring” but don’t actually want to employ you. Instead, they want your money, personal information, or both. Here’s how to spot and avoid a job scam.

You might get an email or text that seems to come from Apple, Microsoft, or Google, saying you’re out of storage. The message looks legit, and you might think there’s a chance you need more cloud space, but your scam-radar is going off. How can you be sure the link to upgrade isn’t a scam?

Discharged from the military, retiring, or transitioning to civilian life? Once you leave active duty, you might be interested in new career opportunities to put your valuable skills and experience to work. Scammers are also looking for opportunities — specifically, to steal your money. Reports to the FTC about job scams have tripled from 2020 to 2024 and reported losses jumped from $90 million to $501 million in that time. Here are some ways to help you spot a scam while you’re job searching.