Consumer Alerts

An estimated 35 million Americans suffer from some degree of hearing loss. If you’re one of them, it’s important to know the difference between a hearing aid and a personal sound amplification product

Over the past several years, sales of electronic cigarettes have grown rapidly, especially among youth. They currently are the fastest growing part of the tobacco market. Unlike traditional cigarettes

People use their mobile devices for everything from making calls and sending emails and text messages to maintaining contact lists, taking photos, surfing the web, and finding the best travel routes

If you need to borrow money to consolidate credit card debt, make home or auto repairs, or move across country, a personal loan can help cover your expenses. Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning

Who wouldn’t love to be that winner you see on TV holding a great big sweepstakes check? That’s what con artists are counting on when they claim to be Publishers Clearing House. This trick is an oldie

Have you gotten a call from someone saying they’re from a Chinese Consulate office? If so, you’re not alone – based on reports to the FTC and the real Chinese Consulates. But here’s the thing: it’s

Last year, we heard from small business owners about their cybersecurity challenges at a series of roundtable discussions the FTC hosted with some of its partners. What we learned is that small

Scammers pretending to be with the FTC or with FTC refund administrators are calling, asking for remote access to your computer. It’s been reported that the scammers are calling specifically about the

Was your information exposed in the latest data breaches at Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, or Under Armour’s MyFitnessPal? If so, here are some steps to take. First, visit

Identity theft is hard enough. That’s why we keep working to make recovering from it easier. It’s also why we’re happy to let you know about an innovative project by the FTC and IRS that lets people

April is Financial Literacy Month, and a great time to get your personal finances on track. Here are a few tips to help you get started. Create a budget. The first step toward taking control of your

“Get started selling on Amazon and make $5,000 - $10,000 in the next 30 days… even if you’ve never sold anything online before.” That’s one of the pitches the promoters of a large get-rich scheme used

If you’re on the Do Not Call Registry, companies shouldn’t call you out of the blue to try and sell you something. In fact, it’s usually illegal. The FTC continues to take action against companies and

Persistence pays off. Three years ago, I told you the FTC and New York Attorney General (NY AG) announced complaints against debt collectors that allegedly used a slew of abusive and deceptive tactics

We’ve heard that people are getting official-looking emails about the Western Union settlement. The thing to know is that you cannot apply for a refund by email. The scam emails we’ve seen ask for

The FTC is mailing partial refunds to about 37,000 people who bought unnecessary tech support products and services from Inbound Call Experts, also known as Advanced Tech Support. People are eligible

Ever get a chain letter in the mail or online? Then you know the drill — you send money to a person at the top of the list, then take their name off and add yours to the bottom before sending the

If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably seen that the iconic Toys"R"Us is winding down its business operations in the U.S., and closing its stores across the country, including stores in

When is the last time you reviewed the passwords to your bank account, e-mail or credit card accounts? Today is a good day to do it. Why? It’s National Password Day. Together with the Better Business

Scams affect people in every community, and the FTC offers information in several languages to help them spot and avoid fraud. For example, we have a new video for people in the Korean community and