A Free Public Service

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

October 26, 2021

FREE EMERGENCY DEVICE SCAM

Courtesy Federal Communications Commission

Emergency broadband program impersonators

Have you seen ads on social media that offer to “help” you sign up for a government program that will give you a “free” device and internet service in exchange for money or personal information? If so, that’s a scam.

While there is a real government program to help people connect during the pandemic, there’s no payment required to enroll. The real government program is the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Aimed at helping households connect during the COVID-19 pandemic, it gives individual persons a one-time discount to help them buy a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. The program also gives people monthly discounts for internet service. It’s free to sign up for this program.

Government impersonators can look and sound real — using things like government names (in this case, the FCC, Federal Communications Commission) to convince you to open your pockets or share your personal information.

 Here are ways to guard against attempts to impersonate the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program:

*Only apply through the FCC and its listed providers. The only way to sign up for the Emergency Broadband Benefits Program is at GetEmergencyBroadband.org. If another company says it can sign you up for this program, check first to see if they’re an approved provider.

*Never pay to sign up to get benefits. The Emergency Broadband Benefit program is free to sign up for those who qualify.

*Don’t give your financial or other personal information to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re with the FCC. If you think a call or message could be real, stop. Call the Emergency Broadband Support Center at 1-833-511-0311 to check.

Did you pay a scammer? If so, act quickly to try to get your money back. If you think someone has gotten into your accounts or has your personal information, visit http://www.IdentityTheft.gov for steps to learn if your identity has been misused, and how to report and recover from identity theft.

This scam can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.