Consumer Alerts

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

Have you seen offers to “unlock” the equity in your home by selling it and then renting it back from the buyer? The ads make these agreements — called sale-leasebacks — sound like a simple and risk

The federal government is once again offering free COVID test kits. When it opens in September, you can order up to four kits per household at COVIDTests.gov. All for free.

Nobody knows how long it’ll take to recover from the devastating flooding and destruction of Hurricane Helene. But we do know it won’t be long before scammers try to cash in on the storm. As you’re

If you have Medicare, Open Enrollment — which runs from October 15 through December 7 — is when you can make changes to your health and prescription drug plans. Leading up to and during this time, you

Congratulations! You found a new place to live. Now you have to coordinate a move. Whether you’re moving across town or cross-country, you might need more than friends to haul your belongings. Here

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

Did a salesperson knock on your door and promise free rooftop solar panels at no cost to you? Or say you’ll never have to pay another electricity bill because government programs, grants, or rebates

There’s been a lot of hype and excitement about artificial intelligence and all the amazing things it can, or one day might, do. Some companies are developing and selling AI tools, while others are

What if you thought you’d agreed to a rent you could afford and then learned you had to pay an additional $1,740 in fees during your lease term? You’d probably feel deceived. That’s what the FTC says

People are reporting getting calls (and calls) (and more calls) about their supposed “loan application.” Only they hadn’t applied for a loan. So what’s going on?

You get an email from someone in your place of worship asking you to buy gift cards for a worthy cause. It might look legit, but hold on. Some scammers pretend to be pastors, rabbis, imams, or bishops

Missing jury duty can come with real consequences. You could face a fine, go to court, or even get arrested. Scammers take advantage of that to get your money or sensitive information. But their story

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

If you search online for “adoption agencies near me,” you might see a lot of ads for adoption intermediaries, which might give you the impression that these businesses are state licensed, full-service

Whether you’re kicking off the fall semester with a new internship or looking for an on-campus gig, there’s a scam you should know about.

Thinking about paying to join a multi-level marketer (MLM)? Have you been promised that you could make lots of extra money if you join? Think again. Most people who join MLMs make little or no money

Have you ever gotten a text or email warning you that something is wrong with an account online? Maybe it says your streaming account is about to be suspended unless you respond quickly. It might even

Most of us use ATMs pretty often to withdraw cash. But Bitcoin ATMs (or BTMs) are a different beast. Increasingly located in convenience or grocery stores, gas stations, and other places, they’re a

With more powerful and frequent natural disasters — even affecting areas where they weren’t typical — you might have something like “update or make my emergency plan” on your to do list. The FTC has