Jun 8, 2023 · Phishing Scams and How to Spot Them. Phishing is a type of online scam that targets consumers by sending them an e-mail that appears to be from a well-known source – an internet service provider, a bank, or a mortgage company, for example. It asks the consumer to provide personal identifying information.

The official website of the Federal Trade Commission, protecting America’s consumers for over 100 years.

Dec 8, 2022 · Prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams often impersonate a well-known business to trick people into sending money to claim nonexistent winnings. Reports point to these scams as especially costly to people 80 and over – about one out of every three dollars reported lost to fraud by this age group in 2021 was lost to a prize, sweepstakes, and ...

May 24, 2024 · Gift cards were the top reported payment method on several types of scams in 2023, including romance scams, tech support scams, government impersonation scams, and scams that impersonate people you know, like your boss or a grandchild. Reports show that scammers specify what gift card brand to buy, which most people named in their reports.

Dec 12, 2024 · Overall reported losses on job scams tripled from 2020 to 2023 and were more than $220 million in just the first six months of 2024. Task scams were estimated to account for nearly 40 percent of the 2024 job scam reports. Task scams often start with a text or WhatsApp message to a consumer about online work, but with few specifics.

Apr 1, 2024 · Scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies are consistently among the top frauds reported to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network. [1] In 2023, data from the FTC alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. [2]

And today I’m going to tell you how to report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. But first, let me tell you why it’s so important to report frauds and scams. Every time you file a report with the Federal Trade Commission you are helping us build cases, stop scammers, and also alert others about the current trends.

Aug 5, 2024 · Debt relief service scams target consumers with significant credit card debt by falsely promising to negotiate with their creditors to settle or otherwise reduce consumers' repayment obligations. These operations often charge cash-strapped consumers a large up-front fee, but then fail to help them settle or lower their debts – if they provide ...

Dec 12, 2024 · Reported losses to job scams increased more than threefold from 2020 to 2023 and, in just the first half of 2024, topped $220 million. [1] Driving this trend are skyrocketing reports about gamified job scams, often called task scams. About 20,000 people reported these scams in the first half of the year, compared to about 5,000 in all of 2023. [2]

Mar 19, 2024 · The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. You can learn more about consumer topics and report scams, fraud, and bad business practices online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Follow the FTC on social media, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.