Tag: Government Impersonators

Scammers trying to rip you off will often impersonate organizations or government agencies you know. Some even pretend to be from the Federal Trade Commission. But how can you know if it’s the FTC or if it’s a scammer impersonating the FTC?

Unwanted calls are annoying — but when a caller says they’re an FBI agent collecting on a legal judgment entered against you, it’s also scary. No matter how urgent and serious the call sounds, neither the judgment nor the agent are real. Like other impersonation scams, FBI imposters are after your money and personal information, and they might even threaten to arrest you unless you pay immediately. (Again: it’s not real.) Read on to learn to spot the scam.

After a natural disaster, the road to recovery — financial and otherwise — can be long and bumpy. As you begin picking up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, here are some things to think about as you develop a plan to regain your financial stability:

Nobody knows how long it’ll take to recover from the destruction Hurricane Ian left behind. But we do know it won’t be long before scammers start trying to cash in on the deadly storm. Whether you’re getting back on your feet or looking for ways to help people in areas hit hardest, learn how scammers operate — and how to avoid them.

Offers of free money from government grants are scams. Here’s how to avoid a government grant scam, and how to report it.

Scammers have been calling, pretending to be people from the FTC. While the names they use might be real, they’re actually scammers — some of them hoping to trick you into thinking they’re an FTC Commissioner. But they’re not. Whether the caller promises you a prize or threatens you with arrest — and even if they give a (fake) badge number — that’s a scammer. So that call from someone who wants your money or info, and says they’re Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya from the FTC — or Commissioner Noah Phillips, Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Commissioner Christine Wilson, or FTC Chair Khan? That’s a scam.