May 16, 2026

Attribution: FTC.gov

A free public service

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

• 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.

Act right away if you think you’ve sent money or given your information to a scammer, and report them at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

Attribution: US FTC.gov

May 10, 2026

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

There’s a new text scam the FTC is hearing about. It involves fake recruiters offering fake jobs, stealing real money. Here’s how these scams work — and how to avoid them. 

The (fake) recruiters claim to be with legit companies you might know and say they’re hiring for jobs you can do from home like “online assessor” or just simply a “remote position.” They’ll often mention pay (sometimes daily or weekly rates) without any details on the actual job.

And in a new twist, instead of asking you to click a link, they’ll ask you to reply with “YES” or “INTERESTED.” Don’t do this, no matter how “professional” the graphics or message looks and sounds. They want you to engage so they can scam you.

Once they have your attention, they’ll come up with reasons you’ll need to send money. They might say they have a check you need to deposit — and then ask you to send them money back. (Don’t do this — it’s a fake check scam.) Or they might send you online tasks (like giving positive ratings or reviews) to earn money, but eventually they’ll ask you to deposit your own money. (Don’t do this either — it’s a task scam.)

To avoid job scams and fake recruiter scams:

• Ignore generic and unexpected texts, WhatsApp, or Telegram messages about jobs. Real employers will never contact you that way.
• Never pay to get paid or get a job. That’s a sure sign of a scam.
• Don’t trust anyone who says they’ll pay you to give a positive rating or like things online. No honest company will do that.

Learn more about spotting and avoiding scams at ftc.gov/scams. And report scams you see to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

Attribution: FTC.gov

April 29. 2026

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

Did you get a text with a picture of what looks like an official notice of a traffic hearing? You’re not alone. The FTC has seen a spike in reports about this text scam in the last month. It’s just the latest story of how scammers are trying to separate people from their money. Here’s how this scam works — and how to avoid it.

It starts with a text message with a QR code. The message says you need to scan it to pay for a traffic violation to avoid court. The text might look official with a seal from whatever state it claims to be from and a (fake) case number. It’ll tell you when your (fake) hearing is scheduled — date and time — and will give you two options: go to the (fake) hearing, or pay the fine now. More on that in a minute.

Scammers want you to act quickly, so the text will also list bad things that can happen if you don’t respond now: default judgements, fines, enforcement actions. All stuff to scare you into (supposedly) making it all go away by scanning the included QR code to settle your (fake) unpaid balance. If you scan it, they’ll try to steal personal information (like your Social Security or credit card number), download malware on your phone, and steal your money.

If you get a text like this, don’t respond, and don’t scan the QR code. If you think the message might be real, check the court’s website for case information or call the court directly — but use a website or phone number you know is correct, not info from the text message.

Already paid or gave your information to a scammer? Read What To Do if You Were Scammed to find out what to do next. And tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

Attribution: US FTC.gov

April 19, 2026

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

You might be interested in making money through investments. Who isn’t? So offers that promise big returns might draw your attention…and scammers know this. They use those promises and clever schemes to lure you in and, unfortunately, people are losing big money on investment scams. In fact, FTC data shows reports of more than $7.9 billion in losses to investment scams, with a median individual loss of more than $10,000 in 2025. Do you know how to spot and avoid investment scams?

Scammers might reach you through social media, WhatsApp, or through online ads, promising you’ll make a lot of money quickly. These messages might also come from a friend or love interest offering you “coaching” to learn how to make a fortune in stocks, forex, or cryptocurrency. After you invest, they’ll often say your investments are doing well, maybe even showing fake “proof” that you’re making money. The reality? The investment isn’t real and you end up losing all your money.To avoid an investment scam:

• Remember that investments always involve risk. If anyone plays down the risk of an investment or acts like risk disclosures are just a formality you don’t need to worry about, keep your money. Those are scammers who want you to think their opportunity is risk-free when it’s not.
• Check out the reputation of the investment company, its officials, and its promoters. Search online with their name plus words like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.” Go through several pages of search results.
• Check for licenses and registrations. Many investment scams start with unlicensed people or unregistered firms, so use the free search tool on Investor.gov to check out anyone recommending or selling investments. For investments in precious metals or coins, check out the CFTC database.

Report investment scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

Attribution: US Federal Trade Commission

April 12, 2026

SCAMS BULLENTIN HOST Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California, USA.

Scammers say you need to click on a link to save your points or they’ll expire today. But if you click, they’ll try to steal your personal information (like your Social Security or credit card number) or download harmful software on your phone. 

If you receive a text like this, resist the urge to click. Firdt, check it out first. Go to the company’s website or app, but find it yourself. Don’t use any links from the text. Then check your rewards points. Are they really expiring?

Here are some other ways to protect yourself from phishing scams:

• Turn on filters on your phone. Adjust your settings, use carrier tools, or try a call-blocking app (some also help with texts) to limit how many unwanted texts you get.
• Update your phone’s software regularly. Updates often include critical patches and protections against security threats. These can come in handy if you accidentally do click on a phishing link.
• Report spam. Whether you have an Apple or Android phone, there are steps to report junk or spam. 

Notify US Federal Trade Commission FTC.gov of your experience.

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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inaactive attorney in San Mateo County, Califoria, USA

A Free Public Service

Attribution: US FTC.gov

April 6, 2026

Mortgage assistance does exist, but scammers try to take advantage of homeowners looking to save their home. The scammers often call unexpectedly, promising to modify your mortgage or give you a way to avoid foreclosure — if you make a payment upfront.

But don’t pay. It’s illegal for companies to charge a fee before you get any services. Anyone asking you to pay upfront is giving you a warning that you might be dealing with a mortgage relief scam.Here are more signs of that scam:

• Scammers tell you to stop communicating with your lender…but you always have the right to contact your lender directly to see if you have other options.
• Scammers want you to pay them only by cashier’s check, wire transfer, or a mobile payment app because it’s hard to get your money back.
• Scammers try to convince you to transfer the deed to your home to them. But if you do, you probably won’t get it back.
• Need help managing your debt?
• Call the companies you owe money to right away. Explain why you’re having trouble paying and ask for a payment plan.
• Find legitimate help from housing counselors if you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, or find a credit counselor to help make a plan to repay your debt.

Tell the FTC about any mortgage relief scams you spot at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general.

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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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