June 2025

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.

If you’re a servicemember, you’re probably used to moving around every few years. Whether you’re moving a few states away or to another country, you might need to break a lease, sell a car, or redirect your mail to a new address — all things involving your personal information. While planning your next big move, help protect your sensitive info from scammers.

Military servicemembers, veterans, and their families sacrifice a lot to keep our country safe. In the spirit of protecting those who’ve served, the Federal Trade Commission invites you to talk about scams with your battle buddies. Looking for ways to share what you know and protect someone else from a scam? The FTC’s got your six.

“You’ve won!” are two words likely to get your attention – but sometimes it’s a scammer delivering the news. (Spoiler: you didn’t win anything.) Here’s how to spot and avoid prize scams.

Have you gotten a call that looks like it’s from your local police department? Scammers are faking caller ID to impersonate local law enforcement, hoping to get you to pay. Learn how this scam works so you can avoid it.

Scammers know that many people want to make money working from home. So they send emails, texts, or advertise jobs that claim you can make thousands of dollars a month working from home with little time and effort. What do they really want? Your money or personal information.

Hoping to take a trip in the warmer weather? Before you start planning, know that some scammers set up websites advertising free or cheap travel deals. Learn to spot these scammy sites and other schemes designed to steal your money and personal information.

If you want to use your driver’s license to fly, you’ll need a REAL ID. If you don’t have one yet, your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the place to go, and they’re only taking in-person appointments. But people are telling the FTC that scammers are pretending to be the DMV or another government agency. Reports say these “officials” are sending messages saying you can skip the line if you pay or give them information. Here’s how that scam works so you can avoid it.

Are you hanging up the dog tags to start college this fall? Not all schools tell the whole truth about how your GI Bill benefits will cover your tuition and fees. Learn where to get real answers and make sure your GI Bill benefits don’t get wasted by mistake.

Are you the parent of a fur baby? Then you know how tough it is when your cat, dog, or other adorable pet is sick, in pain, or injured. You’d do anything for them. Scammers are using that feeling to steal your hard-earned money.

The FTC is cracking down on companies that attempt to manipulate or deceive people seeking treatment for addiction. For those who need it, getting quick and accurate information on addiction treatment might be life-saving. But quick and accurate information is not, the FTC alleges, what people got from Evoke Wellness.

Social media can be a great way to connect with new friends, but it’s a different story when someone approaches you to be friends and then asks for money. That’s no friend — that’s a scammer.

When it comes to protecting your identity, you might think about keeping usernames to yourself, using strong passwords, and reviewing your statements. That’s all great. But it’s also important to think about what you do with documents or digital files that contain your financial information. So, let’s look at what you should keep and lock up, and what you should shred or delete.

To paraphrase Taylor Swift, buying concert tickets shouldn’t feel like a bear attack. But for many people hoping to see their favorite artist, sports team, or theatrical cast live, scoring tickets before they sell out can seem impossible. Why? Sometimes there just aren’t enough tickets available for everyone who wants to go. But sometimes, you might be competing with people who break the rules.

Paying off student loan debt takes time. That’s why getting a call from someone who says they can help you get your loans forgiven now (for a fee) might sound appealing. Is it really relief or just a scam?