July 2023

As recovery efforts continue in areas of the Northeast hit hard by devastating flooding, scammers aren’t far behind. Your tragedy is an opportunity for them, and they'll try to take advantage. If one of the recent storms damaged your home, you might get offers to do things like help you clean up debris or get financial help. The offer might even seem to come from a government official. But how do you know what’s real?

With more opportunities to work remotely, it’s common to find and interview for jobs from the comfort of your home. But scammers are finding ways to take advantage — including using instant messaging apps like Telegram Messenger for recruitment and interviews. Wondering how it plays out? Read on.

Military spouses don’t always have the luxury of staying in the same job for years. Explaining gaps in your employment history and frequent relocation is hard enough — and scammers only make it worse. Spot job scams before you apply. Read on to learn how.

You may have heard about food delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats: you order through a restaurant’s website or a delivery service’s mobile app and drivers deliver your food. We’re hearing about a new scam targeting food delivery drivers and restaurants.

Nobody likes getting bombarded with robocalls. Not only are they annoying, but they’re often pushing scams for things like fake auto warranties and credit card debt relief programs. The FTC and law enforcement agencies from all 50 states are taking action to stop them. And you can help, too.

How much do you know about cryptocurrency? If your answer is “not much,” that’s exactly what crypto scammers want to hear. And that’s exactly who one cryptocurrency company targeted with its false and misleading claims, according to a lawsuit filed by the FTC.

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.

For Military Consumer Month, let’s talk a little about how romance scammers target people who support the troops — and sometimes servicemembers themselves. These scammers can be any age, gender, or sexual orientation and may approach you on dating sites or on social media platforms. In 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam to the FTC — and losses hit a staggering $1.3 billion.

Scammers want to gain your trust. That’s why they keep pretending to work for government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission. They might use the names of real FTC employees, but the stories they tell are a bunch of lies.

When sellers of edible cannabis products use packaging that mimics popular kids snacks and candy, it can be a recipe for significant health effects on kids — and unsuspecting adults. Edible cannabis like gummies, cookies, candies, and chips have cannabis that’s derived from marijuana or hemp. Some of these foods have Delta-8 THC, which is a part of cannabis that causes psychoactive and intoxicating effects ― and can have significant health effects on both adults and children. Check out the packages below. Would your kids know that eating these items could hurt them or maybe even send them to the hospital?

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?