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Consumer Alerts
Learn more about the latest consumer advice and scams — and what you can do to protect yourself.
Phishing is when someone uses fake emails or texts – even phone calls – to get you to share valuable personal information, like account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and
Welcome to National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2019. This marks 21 years of commemorating the important work that the FTC, state attorneys general offices and many community partner organizations
If you’re like some of us here at the Consumer Blog, even though you make a list of things to pack when you go on vacation, you may accidentally leave something behind. Sure, you can buy shampoo, flip
Every year, millions of you tell us – and our partners – about the frauds you spotted. Last year, we heard from 3 million of you, and here’s some of what we learned from your reports: We collected
Do you know a child who dreams of being the next big star? Who spends time at home, recording song and dance routines (maybe over, and over, and over again)? That child may have used a free app called
“ Burn fat. Reduce cravings. Feel better. Lose weight.” Some dietary supplements come with big promises backed by five-star customer reviews. But do these supplements really do what they say? And can
Online searching makes it easier to connect with companies offering job opportunities. But you can just as easily connect with scammers who seem to be offering legitimate jobs—including executive
We try to let you know when we learn about new scams, so you can avoid them and warn your friends and family. Here’s another one: scammers pretending to be from the federal government are scaring
We’re excited that National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is just around the corner and we hope you’ll check out the events we have planned. During NCPW, we join our partners to bring you
Videos from the Federal Trade Commission may not feature a cast of celebrity actors, but they’re still entertaining. Produced by the nation’s consumer protection agency, these videos offer practical
The FTC brings lawsuits to stop unfair and deceptive business practices. One way we help right those wrongs is by getting refunds to people who lost money. And from July 2017 to June 2018, people got
Imagine a coach talking to a team on the sideline: “Guys, I have a super strategy sure to give you a winning running game, which I’ll sell you for $97. Want an unstoppable passing attack? That’ll cost
It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. You may think you spend a lot on flowers or chocolate, but losing money in a romance scam would cost you even more. Last year, people reported losing $143
Ads abound for products that claim to treat or prevent serious health conditions. Unfortunately, these products often are unproven and useless. Sometimes the ads even make false promises for Alzheimer
Getting a call about a debt you don’t owe – or even recognize – can be annoying. It can be downright scary when the caller claims to be a lawyer and threatens legal action if you don’t pay. Such are
National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2019 is just around the corner. This year, NCPW is March 3 – 9, 2019. That’s just about a month away, so now is the time to jump into planning. During NCPW
It’s Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week – a terrific time to get up to date on protecting yourself from identity thieves who try to claim your tax refund and imposters who pretend they’re from the IRS
Hey, guys – we’re back. We missed you. What’s been going on? No, really, we want to hear from you. Now that funding has been restored, our systems are live again, and you can report fraud to the FTC’s
Earlier this month, we told you about a growing scam: people pretend to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and try to get your Social Security number or your money. That scam is now
Phishing is when someone uses fake emails or texts to get you to share valuable personal information – like account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and passwords. Scammers use your