Consumer Alerts

You may have heard the news: JOANN Fabric & Craft stores are closing — and holding big clearance sales before they shut their doors. Looking to grab some deals? The real JOANN sales are only happening

You get a call out of the blue. The caller insists you owe money and says you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay immediately. You have no idea what she’s talking about. What do you do?

If you bought antivirus software from Avast between August 2014 and January 2020, you could be eligible for a payment from a recent settlement in the FTC’s lawsuit. Start by checking your inbox for an

Refund checks totaling more than $18 million are in the mail to more than 281,724 Publishers Clearing House (PCH) customers eligible for a refund as a result of an FTC action. In their case, the FTC

Have you gotten a robocall about a discount on phone, TV, or internet services? Scammers are pretending to be businesses and making robocalls about “discounted services” if you pay with a gift card

Have you ever gotten a text message about a package coming via the United States Postal Service? Maybe it confirmed your order, said a package is out for delivery, or said there’s a problem like

Did you know that people almost always open text messages? In a new Data Spotlight about the big jump in reported fraud losses involving text scams, the FTC notes a study finding open rates can be as

You’re online and get a message or pop-up alerting you to a problem with your computer. The message might even say or suggest it’s from Microsoft, Apple, or Geek Squad. Should you click immediately to

Kids and video games often go together like peanut butter and jelly. Here’s something else that goes along with some video games: Ads competing for your kid’s attention at every stage of their video

Recovering from the storms that brought deadly tornados and severe flooding from the South to the Midwest will take time and patience. If you’ve been displaced by a weather emergency, or your home or

April marks the one-year anniversary of the FTC’s Impersonation Rule. Here’s how impersonation scams can hurt people, and what the FTC is doing to fight back.

Online search results can offer significant benefits to consumers, helping people find what they’re looking for. But online search results are also used by scammers to steer you in the wrong direction

Have you ever paid for something and later found out you could have gotten it for free? It might make you wish someone had told you it was free — before you paid. That’s what a lot of people have

All year long, scammers are looking for ways to steal your hard-earned money. FTC data shows people reported losing $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, which is up $2.5 billion from 2023. April is

You’re not the only one getting scammy text messages about unpaid toll charges or issues with your Amazon account. Chances are your tweens and teens with phones are getting them, too. Sure, you can

Using old tactics and new twists, scammers are impersonating government agencies, including the FTC, to try to steal people’s personal information and money. The FTC is committed to combatting these

Scammers sometimes make you think you’ve hit a stroke of good luck. But if your million-dollar cash prize letter comes with instructions to pay a small fee — maybe for taxes, reporting, or handling —

Though the details might change, scams usually have some things in common. And knowing what they are can help you recognize — and then avoid — scams that come your way.

Did you or someone you know report a scam to the FTC in 2024? Thank you! Those reports help the FTC bring enforcement cases and educate people about scams. Let’s jump into the top 2024 scams.