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When a debt collector harasses and threatens you, it can be downright distressing – and illegal. The FTC announced a complaint and settlement with American Municipal Services Corporation (AMS), which collects debts for cities and towns. The FTC alleges AMS made false threats and misrepresentations to get people to pay, and under the terms of the settlement, they’ll have to stop. The FTC says AMS threatened people would be arrested, have their...

Your phone rings and the caller ID shows a number you don’t know. You answer it anyway and hear, “Can you hear me now?” It’s a pre-recorded robocall – even though it sounds like a real person – and it’s illegal. We’ve heard from hundreds of people who have gotten calls like this. Here’s what to do if you get a call from someone you don’t recognize asking, “Can you hear me?”: Don’t respond, just hang up. If you get a call, don't press 1 to speak...

Scammers try to contact you in many ways. They call, email, put ads online, send messages on social media and more. If you own a small business, they’re trying to contact you too. Lately we’ve been hearing about scams through Facebook messages directed to small business owners. People have reported receiving messages on Facebook telling them that they’re eligible for ― or that they’ve won ― a business grant. If you get a message like this, do not...

Are you ready to patent and market an invention? If so, you may be looking for help – and bogus invention-promotion firms may be looking for you. Today, the FTC announced that it filed a lawsuit against two companies and their owner for running an invention-promotion scam that took thousands of dollars from people and, in many cases, stole their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs. The FTC alleges that instead of providing the patent and invention...

Imposters will pretend to be anyone to get you to send them money. Recently, reports of virtual child kidnapping imposter scam have resurfaced. The scam begins with a call from someone claiming to have kidnapped a child in your family. You may even hear sounds of a child in distress in the background. The scammer demands money immediately, often wanting money sent through a wire transfer service or by prepaid card. The scammer may even insist...

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FTC want you to know about a scam in which callers posing as federal employees are trying to get or verify personal information. This is a government imposter scam. Sometimes, the caller asks you to verify your name, and then just hangs up. Other times, he or she might ask for detailed information — like the last digits of your Social Security...

Lots of people like to shop online. It's easy and sometimes faster than finding what you want at the local mall. With just a few clicks, your order is processed and your purchase could be on your doorstep the next day. That is, unless you clicked on an ad that was really a scam. Online ads that offer deals on luxury items at low prices can be part of a scheme to take your money and give you nothing in return. Scammers falsely use well-known name...

Welcome to National Consumer Protection Week 2017! March signals the start of Spring – a time of reassessment, growth and renewal that brings positive change. It’s also a good time to renew our commitment to helping people in our communities be savvy consumers. Thanks to a vast network of agencies and organizations, both state and local, involved in NCPW, more people than ever have the tools they need to understand their consumer rights and...

The FTC released its Consumer Sentinel Data Book for last year and the numbers help flesh out what we know about fraud and identity theft. Consumers who submit a complaint to the FTC have the option of identifying themselves as a servicemember, military retiree, veteran, or spouse – and to name their branch of service. In 2016, nearly 116,000 consumers did just that – up from 109,934 in 2015. The majority of military consumer complaints came from...

New for National Consumer Protection Week 2017, the FTC will take part in a Facebook Live chat with USA.gov on Tuesday, March 7th at 2:30pm Eastern. The Facebook Live chat will cover the ten things you can do to avoid fraud, and show you some of the free consumer education materials you can order for yourself, friends and family, and your community. Tune in next Tuesday and ask questions, if you have some. FTC staff will also host a Twitter chat...