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Consumer Alert

Free COVID test scam targets people on Medicare

Gema de las Heras
Scammers have been targeting Medicare recipients with a fake offer to get “free COVID tests.” They’re calling and running websites, online and television ads to try to convince people to give their
Consumer Alert

Only scammers demand utility payments in cryptocurrency

Gema de las Heras
It’s never a good time to have your utilities shut off. But during the hot summer months, the threat of having no power can be especially miserable: no AC, no refrigerator, not even a fan. Scammers
Consumer Alert

Don’t click on that random text. It’s a scam

Gema de las Heras
Sorry to burst your bubble. That unexpected text from the Postal Service (USPS), Costco, or The Home Depot telling you about an unclaimed package or a survey you can complete to claim a freebie is NOT
Consumer Alert

Job hunting? Look out for phony job postings

Gema de las Heras
Scammers are using the names of well-known employers to post job openings that don’t exist. The purpose? Tricking you into sending them personal information or money upfront to get the job. The phony
Consumer Alert

Protect your Medicare number, your other info, and your money

Bridget Small
Last year, the FTC got almost a million reports about impersonation scammers — fake government agents, pretend grandkids, bogus sweethearts, and others who took almost $2.3 billion from people across
Consumer Alert

Scammers pretend to be U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Kira Krown
Has the U.S. Border Patrol called you? No, they haven’t. But a scammer might have. In fact, scammers often pretend to be from government agencies to trick you into sending them money or sharing
Consumer Alert

Did you get a text from your own number? That’s a scam

Andrew Rayo
Scammers are always thinking up ways to put a new spin on their criminal tricks. This time, they’re sending spam texts to you — from your own phone number. They’ve changed (spoofed) the caller ID to
Consumer Alert

Join these NCPW events next week

Ari Lazarus
National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2022 is coming up next week, and we hope you’ll join some of the virtual events. NCPW is a time when the FTC joins with local, state, and national partners to
Consumer Alert

The top frauds of 2021

Bridget Small
Every year, people report fraud, identity theft, and bad business practices to the FTC and its law enforcement partners. In 2021, 5.7 million people filed reports and described losing more than $5.8
Consumer Alert

Stolen identity? Get help at IdentityTheft.gov

Bridget Small
When identity theft happens, it’s hard to know where to begin. That’s why the FTC created IdentityTheft.gov, a one-stop resource for people to report identity theft to law enforcement and to get step
Consumer Alert

Conned on social media? It’s not just you

Rosario Méndez
In 2021, more than 95,000 people told the FTC that they’d been scammed with a con that started on social media. In fact, more than one in four people who reported to the FTC that they lost money to
Consumer Alert

Don’t assume every COVID-19 test site is legit

Ari Lazarus
If you’ve been looking for a COVID-19 test, you probably know that they are in short supply. Unfortunately, scammers love to “help” with shortages. They’ve created fake and unauthorized at-home
Consumer Alert

United against scams

Carol Kando-Pineda
Kwanzaa, which is based on traditional African harvest festivals, is celebrated every year from December 26 to January 1. The first principle of Kwanzaa is Umoja (unity) and the importance of finding
Consumer Alert

What are people reporting at DoNotCall.gov?

Amy Hebert
In the past 18 years of the National Do Not Call Registry, those of you signed up for the registry (244 million phone numbers right now) have reported millions upon millions of unwanted sales calls
Consumer Alert

When scam calls target your client or loved one

Amy Hebert
Calls from scammers are annoying and can cause a lot of trouble when you realize, too late, that they’re scams. What’s even worse? When they target a client or loved one you’re caring for. So today
Consumer Alert

Communities thrive when we work together

Ami Dziekan
Every day dedicated community advocates work to improve the lives and protect the rights of people across the country. The FTC is proud of our work with the legal services community and we are excited
Consumer Alert

Amazon impersonators: what you need to know

Maria Mayo
Has Amazon contacted you to confirm a recent purchase you didn’t make or to tell you that your account has been hacked? According to the FTC’s new Data Spotlight, since July 2020, about one in three