October 2026

Scammers impersonate all kinds of organizations, including reputable charities. And these impersonators sometimes make you believe that you won a charity-sponsored sweepstakes because you’ve donated to that charity. So, if you get a call about a sweepstakes contest you’ve supposedly won from someone who says they’re with a charity you support, how can you tell if the prize is real or a scam? 

Here’s the latest twist on FTC impersonators: someone claiming to be an FTC official (who’s really a scammer) calls to say a phone was registered under your name and number and is being used to commit scams in another country. The “FTC official” even reads off their badge ID (it’s a fake badge). If you don’t cooperate, they threaten to deactivate your phone number. Sounds scary? That’s (unfortunately) the point.

If you’re thinking of buying a franchise, you’re probably considering lots of factors — weighing benefits like training and brand name recognition with potential risks and costs. Like any other business, a franchise has no guarantee of success. That’s why franchisors are required to give potential buyers honest information about what it takes to open and operate their franchise.

Sextortion — when someone threatens to share your intimate images unless you pay — can be stressful and upsetting. And figuring out what to do can be overwhelming. While searching for help, you might find companies that offer quick fixes (for a price) but don’t deliver on their promises. One example, according to the lawsuit filed by the FTC, is Digital Forensics, a company behind websites like BlackmailHelpline.com, DigitalForensics.com, CyberBlackmail911.com, and SecurityBreach911.com.

Did someone share an explicit image of your child online? Possessing or sharing explicit images of children can be a serious crime — and that includes AI-generated deepfakes. Report the perpetrator immediately to criminal law enforcement and take action to get online platforms to remove the images as quickly as possible.