Blog

Looking for stronger ways to protect your credit? Thanks to a new federal law, soon you can get free credit freezes and year-long fraud alerts. Here’s what to look forward to when the law takes effect on September 21st: Free credit freezes What is it? A credit freeze restricts access to your credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Usually you get a PIN to use each time you want to freeze and unfreeze...

Last year we heard from nearly 2.7 million people about scams and other consumer problems they encountered. We’ve tallied the numbers and last week the FTC announced the 2017 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. We got more than 113,000 reports from military consumers. Although not all of them gave details about their military status, more than 28,000 are servicemembers, their family members, or inactive Reserve and National Guard, and more than...

This is Military Saves Week! It’s an annual opportunity for servicemembers and their families to learn about successful savings practices and to assess progress towards their savings goals. The Week’s theme is: Set a goal. Make a plan. Save automatically. It may sound easy enough, but doing these three things can be a powerful tool to help you make savings part of your financial life. What we’re really getting at is the importance of creating...

Did you lose money to a scammer who had you pay using Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017? If so, you can now ask for your money back – and you have until February 12, 2018 to file your claim. Earlier this year, we told you about the FTC’s settlement with Western Union , which agreed to return $586 million to people to settle the FTC’s charges that Western Union hadn’t adequately protected people from fraud, and didn’t...

November 11 is Veterans Day. The origins of this annual commemoration reach back nearly 100 years to “Armistice Day,” which marked the end of World War I. Now we call it Veterans Day to honor all who have served. It’s a time to thank veterans for their contributions to our nation. There are roughly 20 million military veterans in the United States. Whether they’ve been out of the service for decades or they’re currently transitioning to civilian...

Scammers are using fake caller ID information to trick you into thinking they’re someone who can be trusted. The practice is called caller ID spoofing, and scammers can fake anyone’s phone number. Today, we got reports that scammers are spoofing the FTC’s Consumer Response Center’s phone number (877-382-4357). But don’t let that stop you from reporting scammers — it’s still safe to call the Consumer Response Center, and it’s also safe to report...

If you’ve got student loan debt, you’ve probably seen ads or been contacted by companies promising they can help. Some are scams – and the FTC is going after them. Today the FTC announced Operation Game of Loans, a joint FTC and state law enforcement sweep against student loan debt relief scammers. The operation includes seven actions filed by the FTC, with five new cases announced today. In the FTC cases, the companies claimed to be affiliated...

Tugging at your heartstrings is a tried and true method scammers use to get to your wallet. When tragedy strikes, they take advantage. Sadly, the Las Vegas shooting is no exception. The FTC has heard from people about suspicious requests for donations. A little research will help you avoid a scam and ensure that your gift goes to a reputable charity that will use the money as you intend. To avoid charity scams, consider these tips before you give...

According to the FTC, identity theft is one the top complaints from military consumers. Join Military Consumer and @StopFraudCo on Thursday October 12 at 1:00 PM MT/ 3:00 PM ET as we discuss identity theft and cybersecurity in the military community as we answer these questions: Q1. What should members of the military know about identity theft? Q2. What makes servicemembers or veterans targets for identity theft? Q3. Can #identitytheft affect a...

Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, home to almost 3.5 million Americans . Those of us with personal ties to the island are shocked by the catastrophe Hurricane Maria left behind. It has been sobering and emotional. We are struggling daily to help our families and friends recover and just survive – under dire circumstances. And Puerto Rico isn’t the only Caribbean island suffering. Our American neighbors living on the United...