June 2023

Scammers often pretend to help, but they’re just following the money. And now that veterans and servicemembers exposed to toxic substances get expanded benefits and health care through the PACT Act, dishonest businesses and scammers are trying to get a cut.

July is Military Consumer Month. Take a minute to consider the mottos of our military services: Always Faithful (Marine Corps), This We’ll Defend (Army), Aim High…Fly-Fight-Win (Air Force), Always Ready (Coast Guard), and Always Above (Space Force). They all convey a sense of pride and responsibility — and tell you a bit about the fighting spirit of the people in that branch. Honor and duty are drilled into servicemembers from the minute they start boot camp.

If you have federal student loans, you’ve probably heard about the Supreme Court decision and know that repayments are restarting in October. But you might also be hearing from scammers who take advantage of confusion around big news like this. So how will you know what’s real and what’s a scam?

It’s illegal for a company to tell someone to pay to enter a sweepstakes contest, or that buying something increases their odds of winning. You might not be surprised if a fly-by-night contest promoter deceived people by saying these things. But would you expect a well-known company that’s been running sweepstakes for decades to deceive people?

We’re hearing about a new scheme that involves imposters preying on people who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The imposters pretend to be from the funeral home and say that, unless the family pays more money immediately, the funeral will be canceled. Can you imagine anything more despicable?

Have you ever bought something through an online marketplace where third parties sell their products? You’re not alone. Millions of people have. But have you ever wondered who the seller was? Or where they were located? Or how you’d contact them if you had a question about a product?

Congratulations — it’s time to graduate! Whether you or someone you know is off to college in the fall, already has a job lined up, or is still figuring out next steps, there’s a lot to do to prepare. The FTC’s Financial Adulting 101 webinars and materials offer advice to help protect you or your favorite recent graduate from scams. Keep reading to learn more.

screens before you get to check-out, you could wind up signed up for a service without even knowing it. What’s worse, it can be tough to cancel. Read on to learn how to protect yourself from unwanted services and charges.

Some people with Medicare are getting unordered COVID tests in the mail — lots of tests — and Medicare is getting the bill. Others don’t get tests but find charges for tests on their Medicare statements. Frauds like this, along with mistakes and abuse, cost Medicare an estimated $60 billion each year and steal people’s time and energy.

Scammers are always looking for people to lure into schemes, in any language. The latest twist: scammers placing social media ads in Spanish, inviting people to free “seminars” where they’ll learn how to profit from an online business or real estate investments. But will you make money? Or is the company that is speaking your language scamming you?

Websites and online services that are directed to, or know they’re collecting information from, children under 13 are required by law to notify the parents directly and get their permission before they collect that child’s information. The FTC says Microsoft’s Xbox Live failed to do so.