Blog

Thousands of people downloaded a popular 3D browser-based game from the Chrome Web Store. That game, described as a "fast-paced, action-packed free-running castle adventure game," advertised "High Speed Acrobatics," "Awesome Outfits and Skills," and "Insanely Dangerous Worlds."

We get it. You’ve got holiday hangover. Bills are trickling in for the gifts you bought last year. You’re already having trouble keeping the resolutions you just made. And you can’t bring yourself to take down the holiday decorations. To top it off, tax forms are beginning to fill your inbox. Is it tax season already?!

Millions of people are affected by identity theft each year. It might start with a mysterious credit card charge, a bill you don’t recognize, or a letter from the IRS that says you already got your refund — even though you didn’t. If someone uses your information to make purchases, open new accounts, or get a tax refund, that’s identity theft. Recovering from identity theft often takes time and persistence. That’s why today’s announcement from the FTC is a big deal: New features at IdentityTheft.gov make it easier to report and recover from identity theft.

The season of giving is over — well, sort of. For many people, December’s gift-giving and feasting means a bigger-than-usual credit card bill in January. You know the advice: it’s always good to pay off your balance in full. But if you can’t, we’ve got some tips for paying down credit card debt:

It’s tax season, and you know what that means: identity thieves who want to steal your tax refund are at work. Find out how to stop them during Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, January 25-29. The FTC and its partners are hosting a series of events to help you understand tax identity theft, how to minimize your risk of becoming a victim, and what to do if thieves have stolen your tax refund. Check these out:

There’s not much doubt that fraud can happen anywhere. To anyone. That’s the whole idea behind the FTC’s Every Community Initiative: fraud affects every community, and the FTC works to stop fraud wherever it happens. When we look at all the reports we get from consumers in communities across the country, these scams start to feel like something we face together, something we can imagine happening to us, or someone we care about. And when we share those stories, it really hits home.

Imagine if you could improve your memory, attention, and problem solving skills in all aspects of your life — just by playing some simple “brain training” games online or on an app. Games that could help prevent age-related memory decline, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Games that could help you at work, school, or with everyday tasks — like remembering where you left your keys, or quickly recalling the name of a person you just met. That’s just what Lumosity claimed its games could do, based on “proven neuroscience research.” But the FTC charged that there isn’t solid science showing that Lumosity’s “brain training” games work the way they say they would.

If you own a computer, you’ve probably seen this message before : Java Update Available. You know that leaving outdated software on your computer can make it more vulnerable to viruses and malware, so you’ve always agreed to the updates. Unfortunately, the FTC says keeping Java updated didn’t necessarily keep it secure. Oracle’s Java SE software has been installed on more than 850 million computers. Many websites rely on Java to enable interactive features, like browser-based calculators, online games, chatrooms, and 3D image viewing. According to the FTC, for years, updating to a new version of Java didn’t automatically remove all the old versions. Oracle eventually changed this practice, but even then, Java updates removed only the most recent version. That left many computers with multiple outdated versions of the software.

Here’s a thought to warm the Grinch’s heart: while you’re focused on the holiday season, identity thieves are thinking about how to steal your information. One of the ways they try to do that is by filing a fake tax return using your information — like your Social Security number — to get a tax refund. You may only find out about it when you get a letter from the IRS. Or when you file your return, only to hear from the IRS that someone else already did. That’s tax identity theft, a problem we hear more about each year. Tax identity theft also happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a job or claims your child as a dependent on a tax return.

You probably know a few veterans. You might even be a vet yourself. If so, you’ll want to get some valuable tips from the FTC’s Military Consumer campaign, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the US Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). We’re joining forces for a Twitter chat about how vets can protect themselves against identity theft and IRS imposter scams – and how to use Identitytheft.gov to recover from this crime. Follow @MilConsumer and be part of the conversation at #VeteranIDTheft TODAY Tuesday, December 8 at 1:00 pm (ET).