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If someone you don’t know sends you a check and asks for money back, that’s a scam. Fake checks drive many types of scams — like those involving phony job and income opportunities, online classified ad sales, and others. In a fake check scam, a person you don’t know asks you to deposit a check – sometimes for several thousand dollars and usually for more than you are owed — and send some of the money back, often by wire transfers or gift cards...

‘Tis the season when the tidings come in envelopes stamped “Important Tax Return Document Enclosed.” Yes, it’s tax filing season, and the season’s Grinches are the tax identity thieves and government imposters who are hoping to seal your money. Find out how to stop them during Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, February 3-7. The FTC and its partners will co-host free webinars and other events. They’ll all have information about avoiding tax...

Each year, the FTC takes a hard look at the number of reports people make to our Consumer Sentinel Network. In fact, during 2019 , we got more than 3.2 million reports to the FTC from you. We’ve read what you’ve said, and crunched the numbers. Here’s what you told us in 2019. Imposter scams was the number one fraud reported to Sentinel in 2019. People reported losing more than $667 million to imposters, who often pretend ed to be calling from the...

We saw it with the 2010 Census: scammers lying to people about the availability of jobs as census takers, and charging fees to help people get those jobs. If history is any indication, the scammers will likely be back at it for the 2020 Census. The FTC is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to help you guard against potential census job scams. Knowing how the recruiting and hiring process works will help you spot, avoid, and report scams. The...

Opening a business requires planning, elbow grease, and probably some paperwork to register your new company with your state or local government. And that’s where some not-so-honest outfits may try to confuse you into thinking they’re from the government and that you need to pay money to complete your registration. Their mailings look like an official bill for documents to complete your registration – and may even include what looks like a...

Are you repaying education-related loans? According to the Pew Research Center , about one-third of adu lts under age 30 have student loan debt. You’ve probably seen ads from companies promising to help with that debt. Some of the companies that promise help are outright scams. Here are some tips to avoid a student loan debt relief scam: Never pay an up-front fee. It’s illegal for companies to charge you in advance before helping you. If you pay...

Gift cards are one quick way to get through your last-minute holiday shopping list. But before you give (and get) gift cards, here are a few things you need to know. Inspect gift cards before you buy. A gift card should have all its protective stickers in place. Report the card to the store if anything looks scratched off or damaged. When you buy, save the receipt. Keeping the gift card receipt can be helpful if you run into problems with the...

What’s on your holiday wish list? Perhaps a smart speaker for your kids’ bedroom, or a cuddly cool internet-connected smart toy to help them learn? Before you give one of these connected toys, read this handy list of questions. They can help you know what to look out for with an internet-connected smart toy, and how to protect your kids’ data. Understand the smart toy’s features: Does the toy come with a camera or microphone? What will it be...

November is Military Family Month, a time to recognize the unique challenges that families face when supporting their servicemembers. Children may need to deal with a parent’s deployment or uprooting to move to a different community – and a new home, school, and friends. Here are some resources to help parents and kids cope in healthy ways to changing circumstances. The One. The Department of Defense’s site, MilitaryOneSource.mil, can help you...

Holidays often mean time with family and friends. If you’re looking for conversation starters that avoid tricky topics – like who should’ve won the World Series – why not chat about scams? Pass it On, an FTC education campaign, gives you new ways to talk about scams and how to prevent them. Sharing what you know can protect someone who you know from a scam. That’s why the FTC created Pass it On – articles, presentations, bookmarks, activities and...