Scam Alerts

If you have a car, you know how expensive the upkeep can be. Gas, maintenance, parking – the whole lot. So what if a company offered to pay you to drive around – which you were already doing – with their branding wrapped onto your car? It could sound like a good deal.

Gift cards are one quick way to get through your last-minute holiday shopping list. But before you give (and get) gift cards, here are a few things you need to know.

Did you recently get an official FTC letter from “me”? That’s in quotes because it wasn’t actually from me. And the letter wasn’t official, or even from the FTC at all. In fact, scammers have been faking official-looking letterhead to write scary messages to people, threatening them. But, again: it’s not real.

At first, scammers tried to get you to wire them money. Then, they demanded payment with gift cards. Now, scammers are luring people into paying them with Bitcoin – a type of digital money or cryptocurrency. Read on to learn how to spot and avoid some of the top ways scammers are trying to get you to pay with Bitcoin.

Holidays often mean time with family and friends. If you’re looking for conversation starters that avoid tricky topics – like who should’ve won the World Series – why not chat about scams? Pass it On, an FTC education campaign, gives you new ways to talk about scams and how to prevent them.

Winter is coming, which means open enrollment season is here. With 2020 just around the corner, now’s the time to add or change your health coverage through Medicare or the Affordable Care Act (ACA). You have until December 7 (Medicare) or December 15 (ACA) to make any changes. As you compare your options, watch out for scams. Here are some tips to protect your wallet and your personal information this open enrollment season.

These days, it seems like everyone wants to make money by flipping houses. There are companies out there promising to tell you how, but not all those promises are real. The most recent example is Zurixx, a real estate investment company sued by the FTC and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection (DCP).

Now and then, it’s helpful to remind ourselves of things we already know: Nobody legit will ever demand payment with a gift card. Dark chocolate is superior to milk chocolate. And notarios do not give legal help with immigration. If you, or someone you know, is trying to sort out immigration issues, go straight to an immigration lawyer and skip the notarios. They’re not lawyers, and cannot help with immigration.

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) is a time to celebrate the rich culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanics. It is also a time to reflect on the FTC’s commitment to help Hispanic communities fight fraud. Earlier this year, the FTC brought together key Hispanic leaders from national and local organizations for a robust roundtable discussion devoted to understanding the unique issues and concerns affecting their communities. Their message was simple: empower more Hispanics to fight fraud and scams. Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect opportunity to do that. The FTC has a ton of sharable resources (including videos) to help spread the word about fraud and scams in English and Spanish.

We’ve seen a new twist on the Social Security Administration (SSA) scam recently. Check out this SSA imposter robocall, which says your benefits will end. (That’s not true, by the way.)

If you suffered damage from Hurricane Dorian, or if you’re looking for ways to help those in need, start at ftc.gov/weatheremergencies. You’ll find ways to spot the scams that often follow disasters.

We’re seeing a new spin on gift card scams. This time, scammers are pretending to be a pastor, rabbi, priest, imam, or bishop. They’re asking worshipers for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Appeals are often made by email, but we’ve heard people are also getting texts and phone calls, too.

Welcome to the Summer Film Series! Each week, we’ll highlight one of the FTC’s many videos on topics such as avoiding scams, recovering from fraud, and managing your money. Grab a blanket and some popcorn and enjoy.

Here’s one that goes to show just how creative scammers can be. The FTC is getting reports that callers claiming to be from Medicare are asking people for their Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal information…in exchange for DNA testing kits. The callers might say the test is a free way to get early diagnoses for diseases like cancer, or just that it’s a free test, so why not take it? But the truth is, Medicare does not market DNA testing kits to the general public.