Consumer Alerts

Every day people report to the FTC the scams they spot. Every year, the FTC shares the information we collect in a data book which tells a story about the top scams people tell us about – so we can

As record rainfall and heavy winds devastated the West Coast, you can bet that scammers are standing by, ready to get started after the storm. How can you spot the scammers?

Playing cupid? A quick online shopping scroll shows tons of exciting Valentine’s gifts for those you love. If you order now, many sellers guarantee delivery on or before Valentine’s Day. But what

February is Black History Month — a great time to help raise awareness in Black communities, and among your family and friends, by staying on top of the latest scams that might affect them. We know

Identity theft can happen in a lot of ways: a stolen wallet, a missing phone, or a hacked online account. Then there are impersonators — scammers who pretend to be almost anyone. They’ll tell you

Identity Theft Awareness Week is a great time to learn how to spot, avoid, and report identity theft. Chances are, you know someone who has experienced identity theft. That’s when someone uses your

Whether you’re making funeral arrangements for a loved one in another state, or simply can’t or don’t want to meet with the funeral provider in person to learn about the goods and services they offer

You’ve probably heard about identity theft, but have you heard about Identity Theft Awareness week? That’s when the FTC and its partners host free podcasts, webinars, Facebook Live interviews, and

FloatMe ads promised cash advances of up to $50 and offered instant deposits of “free money” after you downloaded the app and subscribed to a monthly plan. What didn’t the ads say? That FloatMe would

Got an email or text message about a tax refund? It’s a scam

Free means free, right? If you’re TurboTax, not always, according to a new ruling from the Federal Trade Commission. And not for everybody, or even most people— even if an ad says “100% free.”

Many impersonation schemes start with a call about a routine problem, like suspicious activity in your Amazon account. But in a new twist, the story quickly takes a more serious turn when you’re told

Scammers speak your language. Whether you speak a language from Arabic to Vietnamese, or the language of college students or veterans to older adults — scammers know it fluently. With National

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) gives parents control over what information websites can collect from their kids and how they use and share that information. The FTC now proposes

The Department of Justice and the Navy will never ask you to pay to file a disability claim. Want to know who will? Scammers. Keep scammers away from your personal information — and your money — while

With all eyes on the severe weather moving around the country, scammers are paying attention, too. And they’re likely following the path of the storms to target the people affected. So, how do you

As your social media and mailboxes fill up with new year’s greetings, you might see some unfamiliar names. Are the messages from long-lost friends or romance scammers trying to get close? Here are

The car shopping process can be challenging — and expensive. Deceptive and unfair practices can make the shopping process even more confusing and costly. That’s why the FTC recently passed the CARS

Donating is a great way to help people affected by natural disasters like the earthquake that hit Japan on New Years Day. But you know scammers try to take advantage of people recovering, and those

Does it ever feel like you’re getting more robocalls than calls from actual humans? Illegal robocalls aren’t just annoying — they’re also often scams. But you might be wondering — how did they get my