June 28, 2025

Attribution: FTC.gov

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

“You’ve won!” are two words likely to get your attention – but sometimes it’s a scammer delivering the news. (Spoiler: you didn’t win anything.) Here’s how to spot and avoid prize scams.

These scams usually look something like this: You get a call or a text saying you’ve won thousands (or even millions) of dollars, a car, a fancy watch — or maybe all three! You don’t remember entering a contest, but free stuff sounds good. But if you reply, they’ll say you need to pay to get the prize — maybe for processing fees or taxes. No matter what they say, real sweepstakes have free prizes — any money you send is going to a scammer’s pocket…and, sorry, there is no prize.

Scammers often use names that sound like well-known sweepstakes or companies, like Publishers Clearing House (PCH) — to trick you into trusting them. Here are some things to know to avoid a prize scam.

• Real prizes are free. If there’s a charge, it’s a scam. Anyone who tells you to pay to get your prize — whether it’s for “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees” — is a scammer. Stop and walk away.
• Scammers tell you to act NOW. They’ll say it’s a limited offer and try to rush you. They don’t want you to have time to think about what’s really happening. So, if anyone tries to hurry you into paying, stop. Remember that’s something scammers do.
• Scammers use names that look like real companies. But no real sweepstakes company will demand money for a prize. If you want to double-check, reach out to the real company. Just make sure to use contact information you found yourself — not contact info from the person who called you.

Spot a prize scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Attribution: US FTC.gov

June 27, 2025

A Free Public Service

Are you hanging up the dog tags to start college this fall? Not all schools tell the whole truth about how your GI Bill benefits will cover your tuition and fees. Learn where to get real answers and make sure your GI Bill benefits don’t get wasted by mistake.

Whether it’s you, your spouse, or your kids using your GI Bill benefits for school, research is key — especially as you’re getting ready to enroll. Some schools might tell you to take out student loans to cover costs before your education benefits pay out (but that’s not how education benefits work). Other schools say your benefits will cover all your fees (but you end up needing to apply for loans just to cover tuition).If you don’t want a surprise bill after classes have started, get help figuring out your benefits and avoid scams before you enroll:

• Start with the VA. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages your education benefits. Use their site first to check your eligibility, research schools you’re considering, and apply for your benefits. Need more help? The VA has accredited professionals to help you — for free.
• Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool. This VA resource will show you how your benefits pay out at approved schools — and where to contact the school’s certifying official if you have questions.
• Sign up for the Military Consumer blog and get the latest on spotting and avoiding scams. You’ll find articles to help you avoid scams while paying for school. Share what you learn with friends and family.

If you’re enrolled in a school that’s not living up to its promises, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general’s office.

Whether it’s you, your spouse, or your kids using your GI Bill benefits for school, research is key — especially as you’re getting ready to enroll. Some schools might tell you to take out student loans to cover costs before your education benefits pay out (but that’s not how education benefits work). Other schools say your benefits will cover all your fees (but you end up needing to apply for loans just to cover tuition).If you don’t want a surprise bill after classes have started, get help figuring out your benefits and avoid scams before you enroll:

• Start with the VA. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages your education benefits. Use their site first to check your eligibility, research schools you’re considering, and apply for your benefits. Need more help? The VA has accredited professionals to help you — for free.
• Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool. This VA resource will show you how your benefits pay out at approved schools — and where to contact the school’s certifying official if you have questions.
• Sign up for the Military Consumer blog and get the latest on spotting and avoiding scams. You’ll find articles to help you avoid scams while paying for school. Share what you learn with friends and family.

If you’re enrolled in a school that’s not living up to its promises, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general’s office.

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

Attribution: US FTC.gov

A Free Public Service

June 21, 2025

Scammers create fake profiles and pretend to be someone they’re not — maybe a businessperson, servicemember, or member of an international organization, with profile details that seems to support their story. They try to become your friend, and as you start trusting them, they have explanations for why they can’t meet in person. And then, eventually, they ask you for money — maybe to finally travel to see you or to help them out of a crisis.

When they ask for money, these scammers will often tell you how to send it. People report that scammers told them to wire money through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, send the numbers on gift cards, use a payment app, or send cryptocurrency. 

If you’re ever in a situation like this:

• Talk to your friends or family about your new online relationship. See what they say about the person.
• Search online for information about this person and their story, plus the word “scammer.” Have other people posted similar stories?
• Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture. Is it associated with another name or with details that don’t match up?
• Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person. If that person asks for money, no matter how friendly the online relationship seems, it’s probably a scam.

If you think someone you met on social media is a scammer, cut ties. Tell the social media platform, and then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Attribution: US FTC.gov

A Free Public Service

June 19, 2025

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

Are you hanging up the dog tags to start college this fall? Not all schools tell the whole truth about how your GI Bill benefits will cover your tuition and fees. Learn where to get real answers and make sure your GI Bill benefits don’t get wasted by mistake.

Whether it’s you, your spouse, or your kids using your GI Bill benefits for school, research is key — especially as you’re getting ready to enroll. Some schools might tell you to take out student loans to cover costs before your education benefits pay out (but that’s not how education benefits work). Other schools say your benefits will cover all your fees (but you end up needing to apply for loans just to cover tuition).

If you don’t want a surprise bill after classes have started, get help figuring out your benefits and avoid scams before you enroll:

• Start with the VA. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages your education benefits. Use their site first to check your eligibility, research schools you’re considering, and apply for your benefits. Need more help? The VA has accredited professionals to help you — for free.
• Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool. This VA resource will show you how your benefits pay out at approved schools — and where to contact the school’s certifying official if you have questions.
• Sign up for the Military Consumer blog and get the latest on spotting and avoiding scams. You’ll find articles to help you avoid scams while paying for school. Share what you learn with friends and family.

If you’re enrolled in a school that’s not living up to its promises, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general’s office.

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A Free Public Service

June 9, 2025

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

Do you feel like you’re getting more emails from strangers than messages from people you actually know? These unexpected messages are often phishing scams trying to steal your money and personal information. FTC data shows that email was the top method scammers used to contact people in 2024. To help you avoid these scams, here’s what to know.

Scammers send phishing emails pretending to be companies you might know and trust — like a bank or utility company. Their goal: get you to click links or open attachments. They might say there’s an overdue invoice, or that you need to confirm your credit card or bank account number to fix a problem. These are scams. Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you give them information like your Social Security number or date of birth, they could try to steal your identity.

To help protect yourself from phishing scams:

• Don’t click links or download attachments in unexpected messages. If you think the message could be legit, contact the company or bank using a phone number, email, or website you know is real.
• Use filters. Popular email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo Mail) have strong spam filters turned on by default. But if any spam gets into your inbox, mark it as spam or junk.
• Protect your accounts by using two-factor authentication. Requiring two or more credentials to log in makes it harder for scammers to get into your account, even if they get your username and password.

If you got a phishing message:

• Forward phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org.
• Report the phishing attempt to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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