MilConsumer Blog Feed

If you have federal student loans, you probably got an email last month from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. (The email address it showed was noreply@studentaid.gov.) It has important information about your options for loan forgiveness. While that email is legit, scammers spread fake information about your student loans to try to get money or information from you.

It’s back-to-school season, which means parents and students are probably looking to save on college essentials online. And while the latest deals may save you some time and money, scammers may be looking to test you.

You get a text message with a job offer that pays hundreds of dollars a day for doing remote work. It might sound tempting, but here’s the catch: they ask you to text them your Social Security number. Don’t share it. It’s a scam.

Getting an urgent call from what sounds like your utility company might make you think: Did I forget to pay my bill? The caller says there’s a way to avoid shutoff and fees: they’ll send you a barcode by text or email so you can pay at a local retailer like Walgreens, CVS, or Walmart. Don’t. It’s all a lie. Wondering how to know it’s not a real utility company calling?

When temperatures rise, utility costs do, too. While reputable companies can help you save money with clean or solar energy improvements, scammers offer more than they can deliver. The scams vary, but here’s the gist: someone claiming to be with the government or your utility company promises big savings on your utility bills from solar energy or other home improvements designed to increase energy efficiency. If you agree to the scammer’s offer, it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

You get a text message from a number you don’t know, asking when you’re free to catch up over a cup of coffee. Don’t perk up just yet. That invitation for a coffee date might sound like it’s from a friend you’ve lost touch with, but it’s probably just a scammer looking to start a conversation with you. Not sure how to respond? The short answer is: Don’t. Keep reading to find out why.

Military families move regularly, sometimes every two to three years. So you may find yourself checking out new digs as you plan a move to another duty station. That’s when you could run into a rental scam, which can be hard to spot, but here are some clues.

The FTC says online healthcare career-training company Career Step targeted people — including military servicemembers and spouses — with false advertisements and other illegal tactics. Learn what the $43.5 million settlement means for some current and former students.

Most people can probably agree that there are few things more frustrating than airline delays or cancellations that leave you stranded at the airport. Whether the issues are the result of an unprecedented event like the Crowdstrike glitch that grounded thousands of flights worldwide, or more common disturbances like weather delays, desperate travelers often turn to social media for help from the airlines. Opportunistic scammers know this, and they’re re lurking behind fake accounts trying to steal travelers’ information.

You might be a spouse who’s PCS’d to a new location or a servicemember getting ready to retire — and you’re probably eyeing new career possibilities. You know where to look for a job, but do you know how to recognize the signs of a job scam?