October 10, 2019

PHONY MONEY REFUND SCAMS

If you lost money in a scam, you might get a call or email from someone claiming that they can help you recover your money – if you pay them, hand over your personal information, or allow them remote access to your computer. Don’t do it!

Recent complaints to the Federal Trade Commission show that scammers are:

*targeting people who lost money to tech support scams

*claiming to be from the FTC’s Refund Department or Refund Division

*using the name of real FTC employees.

So how can you tell whether a refund offer is real?

If the FTC contacts you about a refund, you’ll find information about the case at ftc.gov/refunds. You can be sure the phone numbers and links on that page are legit.

The FTC never requires you to pay fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. The FTC also never asks for remote access to your computer. If someone claims to be from the FTC and does, it’s a scam.

Sometimes the FTC is able to cause a return of money to people who were ripped off in a con artist’s scheme. Further, the FTC has legal authority to shut down a scammer.

If you get a call from someone who says they’re from the FTC but asks you for money or sensitive information, please tell the real FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.