Overpaid your utility bill? That’s probably a scam

October 23, 2020

Lisa Lake, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

You get a robocall saying you paid too much on a utility bill. To make up for this mistake, they say, you’ll get a cash refund and a discount on your future bills. All you have to do is press a number to get your money and discount. You say to yourself: “What luck!” You might think this strange...

Reporting fraud helps everyone – and now it’s easier to do

October 22, 2020

Monica Vaca, Associate Director, Division of Consumer Response and Operations, FTC

You can help the FTC and its partners fight fraud in your community — and you don’t even need to wear a superhero cape (unless you want to). Your story is your superpower. When you tell the FTC about frauds, scams, and other kinds of bad business practices, you’re helping the FTC and our law...

Threatening phone scams are targeting parents and immigrants

October 20, 2020

Cristina Miranda, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

Two disturbing phone scams have popped up on the FTC’s radar. Both scams have one thing in common: they want to trick (and scare) you out of money. If you live on Staten Island, pay close attention, since these two scams seem to be targeting people in your area. But we know that scammers don’t...

The FTC Chairman is not writing to you

October 01, 2020

Karen Hobbs, Assistant Director, Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC Bureau of Consumer

If you saw an email from FTC Chairman Joseph Simons, it wasn’t. From him, that is. Scammers pretending to be him are emailing, though. They’re trying to trick you into turning over personal information, like your birth date and home address, which could help them scam you. So: if you get an email...

Have you gotten a collection call about a debt you don’t recognize?

September 29, 2020

Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Nobody likes getting debt collection calls. But have you ever gotten one for a debt you already paid — or you know isn’t yours? Or have you been threatened and harassed by a debt collector until you paid up? If so, we want you to know how to protect yourself. Today, in partnership with federal and...

What to do when someone steals your identity

September 28, 2020

Traci Armani, Consumer Education Specialist, Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC

Did someone use your personal information to open up a new mobile account or credit card? Or maybe buy stuff with one of your existing accounts? Or did they file for unemployment or taxes in your name? That’s identity theft. If any of this happened to you, the FTC wants to help you stop the damage...

Heard about the “waiting package” phishing scam?

September 23, 2020

Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Phishing scams can be hard to spot. For example, we’ve been hearing about one where people get a text message saying that there’s a package waiting for them, and asking them to click a link to learn more. Sounds innocent enough, right? Unfortunately not. The messages are coming from scammers. In...

What to do when you (and your kids) are online at home

August 31, 2020

Jennifer Leach, Associate Director, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

If you have kids in school, there’s a good chance they’re kicking off their school year…in your living room. All the while, you might be working away, yourself, in some carved out corner at home. The start of a new school year is a good time to double-check your online set-up at home, since lots of...

Paying the high cost of payday loans

August 27, 2020

Jennifer Leach, Associate Director Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC

Being broke is expensive. Right now, so many people are scrambling to figure out how to make rent, cover utilities, pick up some work, get their unemployment checks, and keep body and soul together. When it’s getting down to the end of the month, if people have exhausted personal loans through...

Driving for extra cash? Check your car insurance first.

August 18, 2020

Jim Kreidler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

With more people seeking delivery services during the Coronavirus pandemic, many companies are looking for drivers to shuttle meals, medicine, groceries, and other items to people at home. Before you think about making some extra cash as a delivery driver using your own vehicle, you need to be...

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