On the first day of consumer protection…

December 04, 2020

Jim Kreidler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Welcome to the FTC’s 12 Days of Consumer Protection, a holiday series to help you save money and avoid scams. Each day, we’ll cover a new topic — from shopping online and bogus shipping notifications to temporary job scams and fake charities. We’ll give you practical information you can use every...

Giving wisely in the time of COVID

November 30, 2020

Rosario Mendez, Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

Thanks to COVID-19, many charitable organizations are faced with greater demand for their services, but less in donations as people have less to give. Now, more than ever, it’s important to make sure that your donation will be used wisely and well. Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, and as you consider...

Veterans and imposter scams

November 23, 2020

Carol Kando-Pineda, Attorney, FTC, Division of Consumer & Business Education

During the past four years, the FTC logged more than 378,000 reports from veterans — and nearly 161,000 were fraud-related. More than 24,000 of those reported a loss (with total losses of $205 million). Veterans had a median loss of $755, compared to active duty servicemembers who reported a median...

Help veterans avoid scams

November 09, 2020

Andrew Smith, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC

On Veterans Day, we celebrate our veterans — more than 18 million strong. We thank you for your service and sacrifice. It’s also a good time to arm yourself with some tips to avoid fraud. We know that scammers follow the headlines, and their schemes evolve to take advantage of the things catching...

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...

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