Consumer Alerts

July is Month of the Military Consumer – and FTC’s @MilConsumer is hosting a series of Twitter chats for servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Servicemembers and their families make many sacrifices to keep the rest of us safe. They face unique challenges, including the stresses of deployment and frequent moves. Unfortunately, scammers see

Here at the FTC, we spend most of our time working to protect your consumer rights and promote fair competition among companies. We conduct investigations, bring cases, give people tips and advice

Last May, we told you that the FTC, along with all 50 states and the District of Columbia, announced a complaint against four sham charities. Children’s Cancer Fund of America and the Breast Cancer

As you turn on the A.C. this spring, saving money on utilities might come to mind. Some states let you choose your energy supplier for electricity or natural gas. Maybe you're getting offers from

Picture this: It’s dinner time. The kids are screaming. Then the phone rings just as you sit down. It could be important, so you run through the toys to the phone. You answer, but all you hear is

Whether or not we want to admit it, many of us are fascinated by clever infomercials or promotions for the latest gadget or invention. The land of the free is also the home of clever inventors and

The FTC received more than 3 million complaints in 2015. That’s up from 2.5 million in 2014. Some of the increase can be attributed to the fact that more people know to complain to the FTC about bad

Every year, military installations and organizations around the world join forces to motivate, support, and encourage servicemembers and military families to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth

Making a plan is one thing. Sticking to it: quite another. During 2015, the FTC made a plan to address some new and troubling issues in debt collection. Throughout the course of the year, we stuck to

We’re hearing from our colleagues that those pesky government imposters are at it again, using the FTC’s name to try to con people into paying them for something. Whether it’s to clean up your credit

A strong password is a great way to prevent hackers and identity thieves from accessing your accounts. But what if you share it with someone you know? Many teens and young adults are giving passwords

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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