Consumer Alerts

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

Companies offering jobs, business opportunities, investments, or other money-making opportunities often talk about how much money you can make. But many people have lost time and money to companies

To combat government and business impersonation scams and get money back to people, the FTC is considering changes to the law that would give the agency better tools. Want to help? Submit a comment on

Chocolates, flowers, and spending time with your special someone are all Valentine’s Day traditions, but what about helping a friend or loved one spot and avoid a romance scam? Even though a romance

Love happens year-round, not only on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, romance scams are the same. So, along with sharing (or not) some chocolate, make Valentine’s Day a time to share with people you

For someone who wanted to run their own business, it seemed like a great opportunity — buy your own burger franchise and get training and support to help you succeed. And if you’re a veteran, you even

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

Lots of people recently got an email or letter about free credit monitoring through the Equifax settlement. That’s because the settlement with Equifax was just approved by a court. So now, if you

During Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022 , we’ve talked about reducing your risk of identity theft. Credit freezes and fraud alerts can help. Both are free and make it harder for identity thieves to

Taking steps to protect your personal information can help you minimize the risks of identity theft. But what if a thief gets your information anyway? Here are some of the ways thieves might use your

It’s the second day of Identity Theft Awareness Week and today we’re talking about steps that can help reduce your risk of identity theft. Many of us access our online accounts — credit cards

It’s almost February and you know what that means…it’s getting close to National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)! This year, NCPW is March 6-12, 2022, so now’s the time to jump into planning. NCPW is

Today we’re kicking off Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022. Identity thieves have been busier than ever during the pandemic, with scammers and identity thieves after people’s information to apply for

Anyone who sells you contact lenses without first getting a copy of your prescription or properly verifying your prescription information with your prescriber is selling them illegally — and putting

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

Shopping for clothes online can be fun and convenient, but it lacks the in-person experience of trying them on, touching the fabrics, and checking for quality. That’s why so many online shoppers turn

Identity Theft Awareness Week starts next Monday but if you’re an early bird, check out a special free webinar tomorrow and get a jump on the week’s events. Experts from the Department of Veterans

There’s a new federal resource to get free FDA-authorized coronavirus test kits. At COVIDtests.gov, you’ll find information about testing and a link to the U.S. Postal Service – special.usps.com

As part of the FTC’s ongoing efforts to protect you from shady sellers during the pandemic, the agency sent cease and desist demands to 25 companies that claimed their products can prevent or treat

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