Consumer Alerts

What’s one of the best ways to spot a scam? Know how scammers tell you to pay. Scammers want you to pay them in ways that are hard to trace and hard to get your money back: like through a gift card

No company should misuse a person’s personal information — especially when it’s to open accounts for someone else. But that’s exactly what the FTC charged Vivint Smart Home, Inc. with doing. And that

If you made payments to Ameritech for what you thought was your student loan, you may be getting a refund soon. Today, the FTC and DOJ are sending more than $9 million in refunds to people who lost

The FTC charged that a business opportunity and coaching scheme bilked consumers out of tens of millions of dollars. The scheme grew on the back of baseless claims about how much money customers could

In the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary’s wind damage and catastrophic flooding — to say nothing of the California “hurriquake” — scammers are likely to follow. As people in affected areas try to rebuild

You never need to pay to sign up for government student loan debt relief programs — but scammers will tell you otherwise. Here’s how to spot scam companies that charge illegal upfront fees for so

Did someone tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers? That’s a scam. Your money was gone the moment you gave someone those gift card numbers. But now, some gift card companies might be

You can’t cash in on a stranger’s life insurance policy — even if a lawyer says you can. The FTC has heard reports from people in Korean, Vietnamese, and Latino communities who got letters in the mail

Oh, the joy of clicking “unsubscribe” when your email inbox overflows with spam messages trying to sell you stuff you DO NOT WANT! But what if there’s no “unsubscribe” link and the emails won’t stop?

Ever send money through an app like Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle? They make it easy to send money fast to friends or family. But what happens when it’s a scammer on the other end?

Throw a dart at a map of the U.S. and chances are you’ll land on a community that suffered severe weather this year. Whether it’s landslides on the West Coast, extreme ice storms in the South, spring

Wind-driven wildfires are causing devastation to the Hawaiian island of Maui. Nobody knows how long it will take to recover from the destruction, but we do know it won’t be long before scammers start

You’ve found it: A listing for the perfect off-campus apartment. The rental agent told you to send a security deposit by wiring money. Sound fishy? That’s because it is. But can you spot other rental

Unordered COVID-19 tests — and bills — are arriving on doorsteps around the country. What’s going on? It’s another scam targeting people with Medicare. Here’s what to do if you get billed for tests

Scammers are lurking on LinkedIn and other job sites, posing as “recruiters” for well-known companies. But instead of looking to hire you, they’re really looking to take your money and personal

If someone asked you to mail them $200 in cash, would you do it? Probably not. Wiring money is just like sending cash in the mail. Once it’s gone, you probably won’t get it back — which explains why

You may have heard of the PACT Act , which expands VA benefits and health care for veterans and servicemembers exposed to toxic substances while serving. And while there’s no deadline to apply for

As recovery efforts continue in areas of the Northeast hit hard by devastating flooding, scammers aren’t far behind. Your tragedy is an opportunity for them, and they'll try to take advantage. If one

With more opportunities to work remotely, it’s common to find and interview for jobs from the comfort of your home. But scammers are finding ways to take advantage — including using instant messaging

Military spouses don’t always have the luxury of staying in the same job for years. Explaining gaps in your employment history and frequent relocation is hard enough — and scammers only make it worse