Bureau of Consumer Protection -FTC

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...

If you’re on social media, you know posts from friends and family might not be the only ones on your newsfeed — scammers are there too. FTC data shows that losses to scams on social media have been increasing dramatically since 2020 — people reported losing $2.1 billion to these scams in 2025 alone. The FTC’s new data spotlight brings to light some of the insights about what scams people experience on social media. Keep reading to learn how to scroll past the scams. Here’s what we know about...