Blog

Did you recently get an email about your federal student loans? Not sure about the status of your federal student loans? Start by logging in to StudentAid.gov. You’ll see information about your loan servicer and how to reach them. If you have questions or need help with your loans, contact your servicer directly.

Say you get a letter that seems to come from a bank. It says it’s related to your property, has the words “FINAL NOTICE,” printed on the letter, and has what looks like a refund check attached. Your first thought is that you’re getting money. But then you notice there’s no signature, and the small print says it isn’t a check. The mailer says to “Call IMMEDIATELY”. But what happens if you call?

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, you may be looking to get the mom in your life a last-minute gift. Maybe you’re looking to get her a gift card for a favorite restaurant or spa. That’s great — gift cards are for gifts — but scammers might try to tell you otherwise.

You may have heard the news: JOANN Fabric & Craft stores are closing — and holding big clearance sales before they shut their doors. Looking to grab some deals? The real JOANN sales are only happening in person in their physical stores. But that hasn’t stopped scammers from setting up bogus websites with fraudulent deals claiming to give you 80-90% off. Here’s how to avoid these JOANN online impersonators.

Have you gotten a robocall about a discount on phone, TV, or internet services? Scammers are pretending to be businesses and making robocalls about “discounted services” if you pay with a gift card. It’s a scam. Here’s how the scam works so you can avoid it.

Have you ever gotten a text message about a package coming via the United States Postal Service? Maybe it confirmed your order, said a package is out for delivery, or said there’s a problem like unpaid postage, a missed delivery, or you need to update your shipping preferences. That text message will say to click a link to learn more or fix the problem. But there’s a good chance that text message that says it’s from USPS (or FedEx…or DHL…) is really from a scammer.

Talking with your kids about your family’s rules and expectations is key to helping them establish good online habits. Some parents use parental controls to reinforce those good habits — and create safer online spaces for their kids to learn and play.

Did you know that people almost always open text messages? In a new Data Spotlight about the big jump in reported fraud losses involving text scams, the FTC notes a study finding open rates can be as high as 98%. Those are really good odds for a scammer. And when scammers get you to respond to their messages, they’re cashing in. Here’s how you can increase your chances of keeping your money safe.

You’re online and get a message or pop-up alerting you to a problem with your computer. The message might even say or suggest it’s from Microsoft, Apple, or Geek Squad. Should you click immediately to see what it’s about? No, and here’s why.

Kids and video games often go together like peanut butter and jelly. Here’s something else that goes along with some video games: Ads competing for your kid’s attention at every stage of their video game-playing experience — while they look for video games on the app store, while they select and download games, and during gameplay. Learn how to deal with ads that encourage kids to spend money — sometimes without your knowledge or approval.