Bureau of Consumer Protection -FTC

Be prepared for natural disasters and the scammers that follow them. Recent violent storms, tornadoes, wildfires, heat waves, and extreme flooding are a reminder that severe weather and natural disasters can happen anytime, anywhere, and with little warning. September is National Preparedness Month and it’s a great time to plan for whatever may come your way. Scammers are always looking for ways to steal people’s money and personal information. After emergencies, they often pose as government...

Courtesy AI They’re the worst of the absolute worst: scams that target people who have already lost money to a scam. If you or someone you know paid a scammer, here’s what to know to avoid scammers who pretend to be helpers. Refund and recovery scammers buy lists of people who’ve already been scammed, hoping they can be scammed again. The scammers contact you, saying they’ll help get your money back or recover the prize or merchandise you never got. To sound trustworthy, they might say...

Beware fake invitations that are now getting more plentiful. Know the steps you can take to protect yourself. Graphic-AI generated. It’s graduation and summer party season. The FTC is getting reports about unexpected “You’re invited” texts and emails that are actually phishing scams. These fake invitations ask for your email login credentials or a special pass code to open them, but don’t do it. Learn how these phishing scams work and how to protect yourself if you get one. Scammers send...