Tag: Government Impersonators

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission got more than 1 million reports about imposter scams, with reported losses of $3.5 billion. Many people report scammers pretending to be the FTC, including fake FTC websites. Learn more about how to spot an FTC imposter website and what the FTC is doing to take them down.

For veterans, social media might be one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with friends from past duty stations and loved ones back home. But what’s shared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can also make it easier for scammers to connect with you. Here’s a Veterans Day reminder of how scams may show up on social media to help you and your fellow veterans spot and avoid these scams.

Protecting older adults is a top priority for the FTC, and a new report to Congress outlines how the agency has taken this on. From law enforcement to consumer education to coordination with partners, the FTC’s taken a multi-faceted approach to combatting fraud and other issues affecting older adults over the past year. Check out the report for updates on new scam trends, FTC cases that impacted older adults, and consumer education resources like Pass It On. What are some highlights?

Scammers impersonate well-known businesses or government agencies in ads in your social media feed, your search results, and on your favorite shopping platforms. They hope you’ll think they’re the real thing and click on their imposter ad. The FTC is exploring additional ways to help protect consumers from these ads and we want to hear from you.

During open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace (Nov. 1 – Jan. 15), you might feel like you’re seeing ads for health insurance plans everywhere you look and getting similar pitches over the phone. These ads and pitches can sometimes be misleading: they might promise things like comprehensive health insurance but actually offer limited benefits. Or be for medical discount cards and not health insurance at all. Other ads might look like they’re from the government or well-known insurance companies — but they’re really from impersonators trying to gain your trust.

Here’s the latest twist on FTC impersonators: someone claiming to be an FTC official (who’s really a scammer) calls to say a phone was registered under your name and number and is being used to commit scams in another country. The “FTC official” even reads off their badge ID (it’s a fake badge). If you don’t cooperate, they threaten to deactivate your phone number. Sounds scary? That’s (unfortunately) the point.

Veterans across the country have reported getting postcards in the mail saying they (or their spouse) might qualify for extra monthly veterans benefits. But the “Veterans Savings Program” mentioned in the mailer doesn’t actually exist. It’s just a scammer phishing for personal or financial information. Here’s how this scam works so you can avoid it.

If you owe back taxes, there are ways to get real help. But dishonest companies will promise to get rid of your debt for “pennies on the dollar,” before even looking into your tax situation. They’ll often charge service fees without actually doing anything for you, and leave you further in the hole with local, state, or federal tax authorities.

Scammers know that applying for veterans benefits is at the top of the to-do list when you’re getting ready to leave the military. That’s why they pretend to be with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and offer to help you apply for benefits if you pay them — even though it’s free to apply with the VA. So if you’re applying for veterans benefits, get the help you need while avoiding scams. Here’s how.

Did you get a call claiming you missed jury duty and need to pay? Followed by a text or email with official-looking documents saying there’s a warrant out for your arrest? As alarming as these things sound, they’re a scam designed to steal your money.