Consumer Alerts

A popular saying in Spanish is “camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente.” It means “a sleeping shrimp will get swept away by the current.” Which turns out to be a great metaphor for avoiding

If you’re a high schooler applying to college, a college student, or their parent, it’s time to fill out the 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ®) form. Unfortunately, scammers

Have you seen ads on social media that offer to “help” you sign up for a government program that will give you a “free” device and internet service in exchange for money or personal information? While

There’s a fake IRS email that keeps popping into people’s inboxes. It says that you can get a third Economic Impact Payment (EIP) if you click a link that lets you “access the form for your additional

Many of us would like to believe a marketer’s claims that an over-the-counter nasal spray can prevent or treat COVID-19. Luckily, the law sets a high standard of proof before a marketer can say its

If you or someone you care about has diabetes and are struggling to afford expensive medications like insulin, ads for products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure Type I or Type II diabetes might

While some aspects of American life have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact this country, and it may be hard to figure out what help you can get now. There’s still aid available

Last week, we kicked off the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with ideas about recognizing and avoiding scams. This week, it’s about what to do if you think you’ve paid a scammer. These steps

April is Financial Literacy Month, and a great time to take advantage of free advice at ftc.gov/Money Matters. Federal Trade Commission data show people reported losing $8.8 billion to scams in 2022

You may think buying an auto service contract can help ease the burden of costly repairs. While a service contract might sound like a good idea, it could duplicate coverage you have through your

When local stores ran out of the supplies we needed to manage COVID-19, many of us turned to online sources. According to a new Data Spotlight, scammers ran online sites and took orders for scarce

Nobody likes getting debt collection calls. But have you ever gotten one for a debt you already paid — or you know isn’t yours? Or have you been threatened and harassed by a debt collector until you

If you have arthritis, diabetes, kidney conditions, cancer, macular degeneration, or some chronic skin and bowel diseases, you may be using a biologic medication. Biologics are medications generally

The FTC recently sent 24 cease and desist letters to eye doctors after getting reports they may have violated the Contact Lens Rule by ignoring important rights of patients. That includes the

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2021 is coming up next week, and we’d love for you to join us for some virtual events. NCPW is a time when the FTC joins with local, state, and national

LASIK is corrective surgery to a very delicate part of the eye. Millions of people have had LASIK surgery to correct their vision, many with great success. Advertising is one way LASIK providers

If you took up baking during the pandemic, you may have ordered Pyrex bakeware promoted as “American as apple pie.” It turns out, says the FTC, some Pyrex glassware advertised as “proudly made in the

As 2022 winds down, many of us are still feeling the financial effects of the pandemic: from finding work to buying or renting a home; from getting loans to simply making ends meet. And as we work to

We’ve all been there. During the holidays you order something online and anxiously await its arrival. But then your package doesn’t come when the seller said it would. And worse, you hear nothing

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a temporary order to stop evictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, this federal eviction moratorium had been extended