Consumer Alerts

There’s no shortage of good causes to donate to this holiday season. But before you give somewhere new, make sure you’re not donating to a scam.

As the holiday season approaches, it seems like there are more and more fake shopping sites. The ads on social media show expensive products like electric scooters, designer bags, and other popular

Maybe you're pre-planning a funeral for yourself or a loved one and decide to get some pricing information by calling a few funeral providers. Or you need to make urgent arrangements for a loved one

If you’re a servicemember who signed up for an in-store financing plan through Harris Jewelry and paid for an add-on protection plan, listen up. The court reopened the Harris claims process. If you

Looking to make changes to your Medicare coverage? Now’s the time: Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period started October 15 and goes until December 7. But as you compare your coverage options, keep an eye

If the young people in your life spend lots of time online — watching videos, playing games and texting friends — do they have the skills to question and evaluate what they find there? The FTC’s new

Despite the best of intentions and careful planning, you may find yourself facing a financial challenge when you least expect it. A furlough, layoff, illness, or emergency can crop up suddenly. Life

Every November, people put out social media posts to honor family and friends who’ve served in the military. But did you know that servicemembers and veterans reported losing more than $350 million to

Looking to get or switch your Marketplace health insurance during open enrollment (November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025)? Don’t click on ads that say they offer free things like phones or cash cards

Mortgage interest rates may be on the way down, but scammers’ false promises are likely on the way up. If you’re looking to lower your mortgage payment — by refinancing your home or VA loan — learn

Hackers target your email and social media accounts to steal your personal information. Like your username and password, bank or credit card account numbers, or Social Security number. If they get it

We recently shared advice to help you safeguard the personal information in your accounts, on your computer, and on your phone to protect it from identity theft. But scammers aren’t just after your

No one likes waiting in airport security lines. To speed things up, some people opt to get TSA PreCheck. Scammers know this and send emails that look like they're from TSA PreCheck — but they’re not

If you’re one of the resourceful, dedicated librarians who uses FTC materials to help your patrons spot, avoid, and report scams, thank you! We’ve heard your feedback and we’re hoping to make it even

Every year, the FTC reports to Congress on the agency’s recent efforts to protect older adults. Check out this year’s report for new scam and fraud trends, FTC cases and rulemakings that impacted

If you’ve been grocery shopping lately, you might have noticed that the box, can, or bag you usually buy might feel a little lighter. Sure, sometimes brands repackage and freshen their designs — but

Many communities are experiencing devastating losses from recent hurricanes, and no one knows how long it will take to recover. Maybe you’re considering donating to help people in those communities

Marriott settled charges related to a data breach that exposed the information of millions of guests. The company will take steps to better protect customers’ personal information. And it will give

With the holiday season approaching, you might be looking for extra funds to cover things like gifts and trips. But if you’re planning to borrow the money, make sure a payday loan isn’t your first —

Did someone tell you to buy a gift card to pay a fine or bill? Stop. It’s a scam. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. Here’s how to spot and avoid