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Veteran entrepreneurs  Protect your business from scams and cyber threats  ftc.gov/SmallBusiness #VeteransDay

The FTC joins the country in honoring veteran entrepreneurs and their families this National Veterans Small Business Week. We offer thanks as you continue to serve communities all over the nation through your businesses. Unfortunately, scammers are ready to take your hard-earned profits and steal your sensitive business data. So, this week, take time to talk to your employees about how scams happen.

For example, scammers send fake invoices for products no one ordered and hope that someone pays them. They try to trick businesses into paying for things that are free from the government, like occupational safety posters. Or they might call offering a spot in a non-existent local business directory, but it’s a scam. And utilities impersonators call businesses pretending to be the gas, electric, or water company and threatening to cut service due to unpaid bills. But that’s a scammer calling. One way to tell? They ask for payment with wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency, which are ways scammers tell you to pay. And if you pay, you’ll lose your money to the scam.

Cyber scammers might be looking to trick you and your employees with phishing emails or calls that seem to come from a business you know. These business impersonators want sensitive information like passwords or bank information.

A trained workforce is your best defense.

  • Encourage your staff to talk with their coworkers if they spot a scam. Scammers often target multiple people in an organization.
  • Create a culture of security. Train employees not to share passwords or sensitive information, check invoices closely, and avoid clicking on unexpected email or text message links.
  • Share information with your staff. Order free copies of Scams and Your Small Business (also available in Spanish) and Cybersecurity for Small Business. Then share them with your staff. Watch and share these videos.

Learn more at ftc.gov/SmallBusiness. Report any problems at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Mz Mariette
November 03, 2022

That's real sad & evil to do anyone!

Shanta Ray
November 04, 2022

Please help me

Sandra D Ware
November 04, 2022

Scam: someone will text saying they won the lottery but it is not the one who actually won the lottery. They tell you they are going to give 20 or so people $200,000.you need to contact so and so at this # and give certain information.

C E
November 03, 2022

I reported on a business that looked legitimate offering certifications to designate Veteran's, Women, or Minority owned businesses. We paid because it did look so legit and located in Austin, TX, with a very patriotic website. I reported it to the FTC and never heard anything. Every once in a while, I'll look up the business and it's still there and I look on BBB and he's still getting complaints.