FTC Consumer Blog

By BCP Staff When you search online, do you click the first result you see? You’re not alone. But that habit could cost you — especially if you’re searching for health insurance or government healthcare programs like Medicare. Read more >

By BCP Staff The FTC is getting reports about a new phishing scam that looks a lot like the CAPTCHA requests you might be used to seeing. Real CAPTCHAs give you image- or text-based tasks to prove you’re not a robot — something like typing letters and numbers exactly as they appear, or matching pictures of things like fire hydrants or traffic lights. Here’s how the fake CAPTCHA requests happen…and how you could wind up installing malware on your own device. Read more >

By BCP Staff Scammers lie and pretend to be an FTC employee to trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information. In a new twist, they falsely claim they’re an FTC “agent” that can help you recover money you lost in a scam. Here’s how this new FTC impersonator scam works. Read more >

By BCP Staff Medicare losses due to fraud, errors, and abuse cost taxpayers about $60 billion every year. Providers might double bill Medicare for a single treatment, charge for things like a back brace you didn’t get (or need); a company might offer you a fake Medicare drug plan; or a scammer might ask you to confirm your Medicare number ­— which they then use to commit hospice fraud. Read more >

By BCP Staff Hurricane season starts today. Are you prepared? Wherever you live, scammers follow whatever weather emergencies may strike. So as this hurricane season gets started, check over your family’s emergency plan and restock your supply kit. And then check out the FTC’s Dealing with Weather Emergencies article so you’re prepared to avoid scams in case a hurricane (and scammers) cross your path. Read more >

By BCP Staff 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. Read more >

By BCP Staff Scams often start with a text, call, or an ad or message on social media. So, if you have a phone or you’re on social media, chances are you’ve heard from a scammer recently. Read more >

By BCP Staff If you’re deciding whether to have food or groceries delivered, you’re probably weighing price versus convenience. And to weigh those properly, it helps to know, well, the total price of delivery — including any fees you’ll have to pay, what they’re for, and when you’ll have to pay them. But reports to the FTC and recent FTC enforcement actions suggest that hidden or misleading fees and charges continue to be an issue for people using online food delivery platforms. That’s why the FTC is asking for public comments on whether a rule might be needed to help prevent unfair or deceptive fee practices in online food and grocery delivery. Read more >

By BCP Staff If you run a small business, you know how important it is to pay your bills. Scammers know this too and send fake invoices to businesses for products or services they never ordered in the hopes they’ll pay up. Read more >

By BCP Staff You might have heard from the news or your school that online learning platform Canvas’ parent company Instructure was hacked, potentially putting students’ personal information at risk. Read more >