Consumer Alerts

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) gives parents control over the online collection of their children’s personal information. Before a website or app collects personal

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

You might get an email or text that seems to come from Apple, Microsoft, or Google, saying you’re out of storage. The message looks legit, and you might think there’s a chance you need more cloud

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

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

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

If you’re filing your taxes online this year, watch for signs of tax identity theft, like someone using your Social Security number (SSN) to file and claim a tax refund. One way you’ll know is if the

Today begins Identity Theft Awareness Week (IDTAW) 2025, and we hope you'll join us during some of the events planned for this week. IDTAW is an excellent opportunity to learn and talk about identity

An unexpected package from an unknown sender arrives in your name. You open it and find a note that says it’s a gift, but it doesn't say who sent it. The note also says to scan a QR code to find out

Are you interested in learning more about how to protect yourself from identity theft? Check out Identity Theft Awareness Week. During the week, the FTC and its partners will host free webinars and

If you’re thinking about upgrading your phone, here are four easy steps to remove your personal information from your phone before you trade it in.

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

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

We get it. You hoped the day would never come when you learned someone used your personal information to open new credit accounts in your name. But it did. So now what? Act fast. It can help reduce

Imagine carrying a written copy of all your conversations with you everywhere you went. Or copies of your account numbers, usernames, and passwords. Or all the photos and videos you’ve ever taken. I

We’re living in the data age. The things we do on our phones and computers, on our internet-enabled smart devices, and on websites leave a trail of our activities and our personal information. That

Is there a legit reason for someone to send you to a Bitcoin ATM? The short answer is NO. Will someone from the government send you to a Bitcoin ATM? NEVER. If you’ve followed this Anatomy of a Scam

As we continue our deep dive into imposter scams, we’re taking a look at a new twist on tech support scams. Ever deal with a tech support scam? A warning pops up on your computer. It says your