Consumer Alerts

If you have federal student loans, you probably got an email last month from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. (The email address it showed was noreply@studentaid.gov.) It has important

Car dealerships offer buyers lots of add-ons — like service or maintenance contracts, or special car paint coatings — that add up quickly. So, when buyers decline optional add-ons, they don’t expect

It’s back-to-school season, which means parents and students are probably looking to save on college essentials online. And while the latest deals may save you some time and money, scammers may be

The signs of a good car-buying experience? Things like trust, transparency, and fairness at the dealership. The signs of a bad car-buying experience? Things like misleading ads, bogus fees, and

You get a text message with a job offer that pays hundreds of dollars a day for doing remote work. It might sound tempting, but here’s the catch: they ask you to text them your Social Security number

Getting an urgent call from what sounds like your utility company might make you think: Did I forget to pay my bill? The caller says there’s a way to avoid shutoff and fees: they’ll send you a barcode

When temperatures rise, utility costs do, too. While reputable companies can help you save money with clean or solar energy improvements, scammers offer more than they can deliver. The scams vary, but

Is there information on your credit report that’s correct, but not so good? Don’t believe ads that promise an easy fix. There are ways to fix mistakes on your credit report, but you can’t legally

You get a text message from a number you don’t know, asking when you’re free to catch up over a cup of coffee. Don’t perk up just yet. That invitation for a coffee date might sound like it’s from a

If a company selling car service contracts had tons of exceptions and exclusions to their coverage, would you want to know? Probably. But the FTC says CarShield left that part out.

More than 25,000 people are getting a refund check from the FTC as a result of its settlement with the house flipping scheme Zurixx, LLC. [TCP1] If you’re one of them, please cash the check as soon as

Military families move regularly, sometimes every two to three years. So you may find yourself checking out new digs as you plan a move to another duty station. That’s when you could run into a rental

The FTC says online healthcare career-training company Career Step targeted people — including military servicemembers and spouses — with false advertisements and other illegal tactics. Learn what the

Most people can probably agree that there are few things more frustrating than airline delays or cancellations that leave you stranded at the airport. Whether the issues are the result of an

Did you get a message on social from an “artist” asking to pay you for permission to paint your photo? It’s a scam. They don’t want to pay you — they want to take your money.

Scammers will say just about anything — in any language — to separate you from your hard-earned money. And when it comes to student loan forgiveness, they’ll target Spanish speakers with false

You might be a spouse who’s PCS’d to a new location or a servicemember getting ready to retire — and you’re probably eyeing new career possibilities. You know where to look for a job, but do you know

When sellers of edible cannabis products use packaging that mimics popular kids’ cereals, snacks, and candy, the FTC and FDA take notice — and action. Edible cannabis — like cereal, gummies, cookies

Investment scammers claim you’ll get big returns investing in a hot new money-making “opportunity” — maybe something like cryptocurrency. Some scammers say you’ll likely make a lot of money if you

Lots of scams start online, but sometimes the scammer parks right next to you at the bank or outside a store. People are reporting millions of dollars lost in a scam that targets active-duty military