Tag: scam

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.

When you search online, do you click the first result you see? You’re not alone. But that habit could cost you — especially if you’re searching for health insurance or government healthcare programs like Medicare.

The FTC is getting reports about a new phishing scam that looks a lot like the CAPTCHA requests you might be used to seeing. Real CAPTCHAs give you image- or text-based tasks to prove you’re not a robot — something like typing letters and numbers exactly as they appear, or matching pictures of things like fire hydrants or traffic lights. Here’s how the fake CAPTCHA requests happen…and how you could wind up installing malware on your own device.

Scammers lie and pretend to be an FTC employee to trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information. In a new twist, they falsely claim they’re an FTC “agent” that can help you recover money you lost in a scam. Here’s how this new FTC impersonator scam works.

If you’re signed up for a rewards program, you may have gotten texts warning that your points are expiring soon. A message like that may catch your attention, but people are reporting to the FTC that some of those messages aren’t real — and come from scammers. So how can you tell which messages are real and which are phishing scams?

Excitement is reaching a fever pitch as the United States, Mexico, and Canada get ready to welcome thousands of fans for one of the most-watched sporting events on the planet — the FIFA World Cup! While die-hard fans are preparing to support their countrymen, scammers are looking to take advantage of the rush for tickets. Learn how to make your World Cup experience scam free.

Scammers make up all kinds of bogus stories to steal your personal information, or your money. Some go negative and make up a problem that doesn’t really exist. Others try a positive spin and say you won something, like free money made available through a government grant or program. How do you know if these promises are legit—or a scam? Here are five common signs of a fake government grant scam:

Your phone rings and what the caller says next sends you into a panic. They claim there’s fraud on your credit card, someone hacked your bank account, you owe a tax debt, or your benefits will end today. Your adrenaline is pumping, and your mind races a hundred miles an hour. They sense this—and they say they can help. Should you trust them? No.

With the winter Olympics in Italy fast approaching, athletes around the world are fine-tuning their routines, sharpening their skates, and finalizing their travel itineraries. If you’re planning to go to the Olympics, having a sound game plan is a key to success, just as it is for the competitors. Here’s what to know about travel, ticket, and vacation rental scams before you embark on your journey.