Consumer Alerts

At first, scammers tried to get you to wire them money. Then, they demanded payment with gift cards. Now, scammers are luring people into paying them with Bitcoin – a type of digital money or

Holidays often mean time with family and friends. If you’re looking for conversation starters that avoid tricky topics – like who should’ve won the World Series – why not chat about scams? Pass it On

When people report scams to the FTC, we learn a lot about how they experience fraud. These fraud reports are important for law enforcement and education efforts. And, as more and more people report

The Federal Trade Commission is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to help you guard against potential census scams. Knowing how the 2020 Census process works, what information you will — and won

November 11 is Veterans Day. More than 18 million people are U.S. military veterans. It’s a fitting time to thank military veterans for their sacrifice and service in protecting the United States. It

Starting October 31, many members of the military will have access to a free tool to help spot identity theft. The nationwide credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – have

Scammers have been targeting Medicare recipients with a scheme to get “free or low-cost” back and knee braces. They’re calling, running television ads, and mailing letters to get people to give their

The FTC just sent a report to Congress called Protecting Older Consumers 2018-2019. The report suggests steps to take to help protect older consumers from fraud. But the evidence also shows a thing or

Did you know people can monitor you through your phone? The FTC’s settlement with Retina-X Studios, LLC marks the agency’s first case against “stalking apps” or “stalkerware” – spyware that secretly

Influencers, celebrities and other people with strong online followings can be, well, influential. When considering whether you want to buy something or use a service – especially when you’re buying

Do you rely on product reviews to decide if something is good enough to try or buy? Real product reviews are great at helping us make better informed decisions. But you might wonder if some of these

Have you gotten a call from an imposter, maybe someone pretending to be with the Social Security Administration, IRS, or a tech support company, this year? If so, you’re not alone. Calls from

Play video games, or have kids who do? For most of us, that’s a yes, according to a recent industry survey. It also means you might have heard of loot boxes. Loot boxes are the containers you come

Online dating sites are a common way people seek romance. But what if, instead of a potential match, you find a scammer? Today, t he FTC announced a lawsuit against Match.com, challenging several of

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) is a time to celebrate the rich culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanics. It is also a time to reflect on the FTC’s commitment to help Hispanic

Dishonest companies set up websites that look like legitimate places to get information on finding a job, joining the military, or getting government benefits. But they might not help you with any of

Now that summertime is quickly coming to an end, it’s back-to-school season. While you’re running around getting pencils, calculators and binders, remember something else on your back-to-school list

Here at the FTC, we always tell people to use caution when someone they don’t know asks them for personal information. So it’s not surprising that people are asking questions about mailings and phone

Ring, ring! The film series is back, this time with help to stop unwanted calls to your mobile phone. Unwanted calls are annoying. They interrupt your day, and many are meant to scam you. But what can

Just last week, the FTC and others reached a settlement with Equifax about its September 2017 data breach that exposed personal information of 147 million people. We’ve told you to go to ftc.gov