How To Avoid Imposter Scams

Scammers want to gain your trust. That’s why they keep pretending to work for government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission. They might use the names of real FTC employees, but the stories they tell are a bunch of lies.

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Scammers pretend to be the Social Security Administration, the IRS, the FTC or Medicare. They say that if you don’t pay or give them your personal information, something bad will happen.

A call from your gas, electric, or water company threatening to immediately turn off your service is probably a scam. Here’s what you need to know.

Caregiver websites can help you find jobs. But scammers also use them to find people to rip off.

Tech support scammers want you to pay them to fix a non-existent computer problem. Learn how to avoid and report tech support scams.

Someone calls or contacts you saying they’re a family member or close friend. They say they need money to get out of trouble. But check that there’s an emergency first because it could be a scammer calling.

Scammers strike up a relationship with you to build up trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story and ask for money. Learn how to avoid romance scams.

The first-person story of how one family responded to a family emergency scam: by putting it on the radio.

The first-person story about a retired business consultant’s tech support scam experience, what he did about it.

Caregiver websites can help you find jobs, but scammers also use them to find people to rip off.