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Package delivery scam — delivered to your inbox

Consumer Alert
Aditi Jhaveri
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Expecting packages shipped to your home this holiday season? You’re not the only one… scammers are, too. Did you get a text message with a shipment tracking code and a link to update your delivery preferences? It's a scam. Learn more. We’ve learned of a phony “delivery failure notification” email making the rounds. It looks like it’s from the U.S. Postal Service — but it’s not. The email says you missed a delivery. But, it says, if you print the...

Vendedores en internet atacados por estafadores que están imitando la marca PayPal

Consumer Alert
Christina Tusan
Abogada, Buró de Protección del Consumidor, FTC
Vender cosas usadas en internet se ha convertido en algo habitual. Y las estafas que se aprovechan del renombre de las compañías conocidas por su buena reputación también se han vuelto habituales. En la FTC nos hemos enterado que hay gente que fue atacada por estafadores que están imitando o usando indebidamente la marca PayPal. En general, la estafa se produce de la siguiente manera: Tú publicas a la venta en internet un artículo de alto precio...

Online sellers stung by scammers spoofing PayPal brand

Consumer Alert
Christina Tusan
Attorney, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection
Selling your used stuff online has become commonplace. So have scams taking advantage of the good names of reputable online companies. At the FTC, we’ve heard from people stung by scammers spoofing PayPal. The scam generally goes like this: You post a high-value item, like a used car, for sale online. In no time at all, you get an email from a buyer willing to pay full price — or more! But he sets conditions; he is only willing to pay by PayPal...

Un nuevo perro... y los viejos trucos de los estafadores

Consumer Alert
Lisa Lake
Especialista en Educación del Consumidor, FTC
Mucha gente ansía tener un cachorro entre sus brazos y acariciarlo – especialmente un animalito sin hogar y que necesita todo el cariño que le puede brindar alguien que ama a los animales. Pero si ves un anuncio en internet que está ofreciendo un perro, o cualquier otro animal doméstico, te advertimos que la foto de ese chucho puede ser un truco para robarte dinero. Los estafadores oportunistas le han robado dinero a los amantes de los animales...

A new dog…and scammers’ old tricks

Consumer Alert
Lisa Lake
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Lots of people feel the urge to cuddle and care for a puppy – especially one that doesn’t have a home and needs all the TLC an animal lover can give. But if you see an online ad for a dog, or any pet, be warned: that pooch’s pic may just be a trick to steal your money. Scam artists have bilked animal lovers by posting ads with pictures of puppies and other pets. The ads often include a compelling story about why the puppy is available, and...

These online high schools didn’t make the grade

Consumer Alert
Aditi Jhaveri
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Looking for a way to get your high school diploma or a college degree online? You’ll want to read this. Today, the FTC announced a case against several companies that sold fake high school diplomas online. The companies claimed you could become a high school graduate and earn an “official” diploma by paying $200 to $300 in fees and taking their online multiple-choice test. They also promised you could use these online diplomas the same way you...

Atento a los farsantes de reventa de propiedades de tiempo compartido

Consumer Alert
Lisa Lake
Especialista en Educación del Consumidor
La FTC y agencias estatales de protección del consumidor han clausurado las operaciones de revendedores de unidades de tiempo compartido deshonestos por estafar a los consumidores por millones de dólares. Si estás vendiendo una propiedad de tiempo compartido, escucha con atención si te prometen obtener rápidamente mucho dinero y te piden un pedido de un pago adelantado. Estos son dos indicios clave de una estafa de reventa de unidades de tiempo...

Be on the lookout for timeshare resale phonies

Consumer Alert
Lisa Lake
Consumer Education Specialist, Federal Trade Commission
The FTC and state consumer protection agencies have shut down dishonest timeshare resellers for bilking timeshare owners out of millions of dollars. If you’re selling a timeshare, listen carefully for the promise of lots of money quickly and a request for an upfront fee. Those are two key signs of timeshare resale scam — and someone you don’t want to do business with. In one recent case, Vacation Property Services claimed to represent big-name...

Random text? Wait, wait, don’t click that!

Consumer Alert
Bridget Small
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Here’s a tip that’s worth repeating: Don’t click on a link in a text message you get on your phone that says you’ve won a terrific prize or a gift card. Don’t reply either. It’s probably a scam. The Federal Trade Commission settled charges with a group of marketers that were part of a scheme that sent millions of unsolicited spam text messages promoting supposedly free merchandise like $1,000 gift cards for Wal-Mart and Best Buy. People who...

¿Un mensaje de texto ocasional? No hay ningún premio esperándote

Consumer Alert
Cristina Miranda
Especialista en Educación del Consumidor, FTC
Ya lo dijimos antes, y lo volveremos a decir. No respondas -- ni hagas clic -- en el enlace de un mensaje de texto enviado al azar a tu teléfono diciéndote que te has ganado un premio, tarjeta de regalo o un costoso aparato electrónico como un iPad. Lo más probable es que sea una estafa. Según los términos del acuerdo resolutorio referido a mensajes de texto spam anunciado hoy por la FTC, dos grupos de compañías conocidas como SubscriberBASE...