The IRS doesn’t want your iTunes cards

July 07, 2016

Bridget Small, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

If anyone tells you to buy iTunes cards to pay the IRS, qualify for a grant, get a loan or bail out a family member, say “No.” They’re trying to scam you. The only place to use an iTunes card is at the iTunes store, to buy online music, apps or books. People have told the FTC about scammers who called and demanded iTunes cards as “payment.” Bogus “IRS agents” told people they owed back taxes and would be arrested soon, unless they bought an...

Scams, Too

June 24, 2016

Lisa Lake, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

What’s worse than losing money to a scammer? Losing more money to another scammer claiming to help you recover from the first one. Yep; this really happens. It works like this: Con artists contact you because you’re on their lists of people who lost money to scams. For a “small fee” or “donation” upfront, they promise to recover the money you lost from a prize scheme, bogus product offer, or some other scam. Sometimes, they try to get you to...

Refunds for Kevin Trudeau’s victims

June 22, 2016

Andrew Johnson, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

Hundreds of thousands of people who bought Kevin Trudeau’s book “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About” after watching his deceptive infomercials will get money back, thanks to the FTC . Kevin Trudeau’s run-ins with the FTC began back in the late 90’s when he agreed to settle an FTC charge that he hosted a series of deceptive infomercials designed to look like radio and TV news interviews. But Trudeau didn’t change his ways...

Government imposters bring bad business to small businesses

June 21, 2016

Lisa Lake, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

You’ve started a new business and want to ensure you’re doing everything right. So, when people claiming to be with the government call you to say you’re violating the law, you may be inclined to do whatever they say to fix it…right? Slow down. Government imposters are counting on that reaction — because that’s their business. Today, the FTC asked a judge to stop D&S Marketing Solutions from allegedly tricking and intimidating small...

Avoid a debt relief scam [fotonovela]

June 20, 2016

Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Maria and Rafael are thrilled that their daughter just graduated college and they’re ready to celebrate with friends and family. Abuela even made her famous tamales for the special occasion! At the party, Maria and Rafael beam with pride. Soon after the festivities wind down, reality sets in and Rafael starts worrying. They have to start paying back the money they owe for their daughter’s college education, but he’s been out of work for months...

Exposing a mortgage relief scheme’s empty promises

June 16, 2016

Cristina Miranda, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

If you’re struggling to pay your mortgage, you might look for financial relief to help keep the roof over your head. Do you turn to your bank or mortgage lender for help? Maybe you got a mailer promising mortgage relief – via a lawsuit against banks and lenders? If you’ve thought about the last option, watch out for empty promises. The FTC has filed charges against Brookstone Law and Advantis Law for defrauding people in financial distress...

The FTC gets Rachel the Robocaller… again

June 14, 2016

Andrew Johnson, Division of Consumer and Business Education

Have you gotten pre-recorded sales calls from Rachel from Cardholder Services? Or Bank Card Services or Credit Assistance Program? You’ve been reporting these illegal calls, and the FTC continues to take action. Today, the FTC and the state of Florida announced a lawsuit against Life Management Services , a company that the FTC says is behind hundreds of thousands of these calls. According to the FTC, Life Management Services swindled people out...

Scammers say “Help Wanted”

June 14, 2016

Bridget Small, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Criminals don’t like getting caught. So, when they want to send and receive stolen money, they get someone else to do the dirty work. Some scammers develop online relationships and ask their new sweetheart or friend to accept a deposit and transfer funds for them. Other cons recruit victims with job ads that seem like they’re for legit jobs, but they’re not. Law enforcement calls the victims ’money mules.’ If you get involved with one of these...

A false appeal to your sense of charity

June 09, 2016

Aditi Jhaveri, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

If you get a call asking you to give to a charity, you might be tempted to say yes without a second thought. But as with any call you get from someone asking for money out of the blue, pause and do some research to avoid fraudsters who try to take advantage of your generosity. Unfortunately, there are for-profit companies — like American Handicapped and Disadvantaged Workers, Inc. (AHDW) — that pretend to be charitable organizations and lie...

Fake friends, fake news, phony weight-loss promises

June 06, 2016

Lisa Lake, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

An email from a friend urges you to try new weight-loss pills. There’s a link to an article about a celebrity’s amazing results with the pills, and the article’s author says he even tried this miracle product himself. With all these trusted sources, why wouldn’t you give it a try? Because it’s all a sham, that’s why. The email is not from a friend, but from a spammer who hacked into someone’s email account. The link they sent leads to a fake...

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