A Free Public Service

Attribution: US FTC.gov

March 28, 2026

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

With global attention focused on the conflict in Iran, it’s no surprise scammers have already added that situation to their story lines. Some recent reports to the FTC about imposter, romance, and fake charity scams include an Iran twist. The details change, but the scammer’s goal is always to trick you into paying or sharing your personal information. Here are some examples of these scams — and how to protect yourself.

• Scammers contact you unexpectedly about a fraudulent charge. The call or text appears to come from your bank or a company you know. They say they’ve detected charges from Iran on your account (a lie). They transfer you to someone who says they work for a government agency like the FTC (that’s another scammer) who convinces you to share your bank account information. But the truth is government agencies will never ask you to share financial information. Learn more at ftc.gov/imposters.
• Scammers pretending to be a friend or love interest in the military ask for money. Perhaps you’ve been chatting for a while with someone you met online. Now they tell you they’re deployed to Iran. Suddenly you get an urgent request to send them money — maybe because they can’t access their bank account or they have a medical emergency. But that’s when you know you’re likely dealing with a romance scam.
• Scammers create fake charities that sound and look official. They might claim to help people displaced or affected by the conflict in Iran and pressure you to donate in cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Before you donate, go to ftc.gov/charity to learn how to research, what questions to ask, and how to spot a charity scam.

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

Contrent Attribution: US FTC.gov

March 21, 2026

A Free Public Service

Tax season is approaching, and if you’re getting a refund, scammers are looking to steal it before you’ve had a chance to claim it. So, before you respond to a text or email about a “tax refund” — especially one that asks you to click a link — know that this could be a scam designed to get your personal information and steal your tax refund.

These scams often start with a text or email that looks like it’s from the IRS or a state tax office saying they’ve “processed” or “approved” your tax refund claim. (Note: that’s not how you find out about a real tax refund.) To “verify your identity” and “send you money,” they ask you to click a link to enter details like your Social Security and bank account numbers — but it’s a phishing scam. If you click and share your info, the scammer might steal your personal information to get your tax refund or even steal your identity to open other accounts.

If you get a message like this:

• Know that the real IRS and state tax offices won’t reach out by text, email, or on social media to get your information. Only scammers will.
• Don’t respond or click any links. To check the status of a pending tax refund, never use the link from the message. Instead, visit USA.gov to learn how to find out if you’re really getting a federal or state tax refund.
• Report and delete the message. Use your phone’s “report junk” option or forward unwanted texts to 7726 (SPAM) and mark unwanted emails as spam or junk. Once you’ve checked it out and reported it, delete the message.

Visit IdentityTheft.gov/steps to learn how to protect yourself before identity theft happens. And if you spot a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

Attribution: US ftc.gov

March 13, 2026

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

If you get a call saying “you’ve won a prize,” you might be thinking, why not claim it? Unfortunately, it’s likely a scam to steal your money — especially if it’s for a contest you didn’t enter. So how can you spot and avoid a prize scam?

Here’s how these scams often go. You get a call out of the blue saying you’ve won something — maybe a new car, a laptop, or money. The caller might even claim they’re with a well-known sweepstakes company like Publishers Clearing House, hoping to seem legitimate. (They’re not.) Before you can claim your prize, they say you need to pay “taxes,” “shipping and handling charges,” or “processing fees.” (You don’t.) Bottom line: if they say there’s a charge to get your prize, it’s a scam. If you pay, you’ll end up losing money instead of winning anything.

To help you avoid a prize scam:

• Slow down. Scammers will say things like “it’s a limited time offer” to try to pressure you to act quickly. So, if anyone tries to rush you into paying, stop.
• Know that real prizes are free. 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.
• Do some research. Search online for the name of the contest or the company with words like “complaint,” “review,” or “scam” to see what others are saying. And know that no real sweepstakes company will demand money for a prize.

For more information on how to protect yourself and others from scammers — including an action plan you can start using today — check out Consumer.gov/scams.

And if you spot a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.That random call saying “you’ve won a prize” is a scam

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A Free Public Service

Attribution: US ftc.gov

March 5, 2026

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

Scammers make up all kinds of bogus stories to steal your personal information, or your money. Some go negative and make up a problem that doesn’t really exist. Others try a positive spin and say you won something, like free money made available through a government grant or program. How do you know if these promises are legit — or a scam?

Here are five common signs of a fake government grant scam:

1. Scammers contact you out of the blue (by phone, email, text message, or social media) and say you qualify for free money from the government.
2. Scammers claim you can use government grant money for personal needs, like paying bills, education expenses, home repairs, or paying off debts.
3. Scammers ask for your personal information — like your Social Security number — to see if you qualify for a government grant.
4. Scammers ask for your financial information — like your bank account number — to deposit money from the government grant.
5. Scammers say you must pay processing or other fees to get your money — and insist you send them cash, gift cards, a wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.

Knowing these truths about real government grants will help you avoid a scam:

• Government grants are typically awarded to organizations that applied for a grant and are for a very specific purpose.
• Government agencies won’t contact you by phone, text, social media, or email about a grant that you didn’t apply for.
• Government grants are not awarded for personal needs. (Learn about government programs that may help you pay for personal expenses, like food, housing, and health care, at usa.gov/benefit-finder.)
• Government agencies that award grants will not demand that you pay to get a grant. To learn more about real government grants and how to apply, go to grants.gov.

Learn more about recognizing scams at consumer.gov and use this action plan to help protect yourself from scams.

If you see a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.cam

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