A Free Public Service

March 24, 2025

SIGNS OF A SCAM

Attribution: US FTC.gov

Scammers tell all kinds of stories to try to get your money or information. They might call, pretend to be from a government agency, and say you owe a fine. Or they may pose as a friend or love interest online who supposedly needs money for an emergency. A scammer might offer you a (fake) job, but say you need to pay a fee before you get hired. Or they might tell a different lie.

Though the details might change, scams usually have some things in common. Knowing what they are can help you recognize — and then avoid — scams that come your way.

Scammers contact you unexpectedly.

Don’t respond to unexpected calls, emails, texts, or social media messages that ask for money or personal information. If you’re not sure if a call or message is real, reach out to the business, organization, or person — even if they’re claiming to be a friend or relative — using contact information you looked up yourself and know to be true.

Scammers tell you to hurry.

They don’t want you to have time to think or to check out their story. Instead, slow down. Talk to someone you trust.

Scammers tell you to pay — and HOW to pay.

Don’t pay anyone who contacts you out of the blue and insists you can only pay with cash, a gift card, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.

Scammers want you to pay these ways because once you do, it’s hard to track and hard to get your money back.

If you’ve lost money to a scam. 

 Reach out to the company you used to send the money right away and see if there’s a way to get it back. Then report the scammer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

 Find more information about protecting your money and personal information from scammers at consumer.gov.

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A Free Public Service

March 13, 2025

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

SIGNS OF A SCAM

Attribution: US FTC.gov

Scammers tell all kinds of stories to try to get your money or information. They might call, pretend to be from a government agency, and say you owe a fine. Or they may pose as a friend or love interest online who supposedly needs money for an emergency. A scammer might offer you a (fake) job, but say you need to pay a fee before you get hired. Or they might tell a different lie.

Though the details might change, scams usually have some things in common. And knowing what they are can help you recognize — and then avoid — scams that come your way.

Scammers contact you unexpectedly. Don’t respond to unexpected calls, emails, texts, or social media messages that ask for money or personal information. If you’re not sure if a call or message is real, reach out to the business, organization, or person — even if they’re claiming to be a friend or relative — using contact information you looked up yourself and know to be true.

Scammers tell you to hurry. They don’t want you to have time to think or to check out their story. Instead, slow down. Talk to someone you trust.

Scammers tell you to pay — and HOW to pay. Don’t pay anyone who contacts you out of the blue and insists you can only pay with cash, a gift card, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app. Scammers want you to pay these ways because once you do, it’s hard to track and hard to get your money back.

If you’ve lost money to a scam, reach out to the company you used to send the money right away and see if there’s a way to get it back. Then report the scammer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Find more information about protecting your money and personal information from scammers at consumer.gov.

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A Free Public Service

February 23, 2025

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

TAX FILING SCAM

Attribution: US FTC.gov

If you’re filing your taxes online this year, watch for signs of tax identity theft, like someone using your Social Security number (SSN) to file and claim a tax refund.

One way you’ll know is if the IRS rejects your tax return once you file. Learn to protect yourself while filing online and what to do if someone steals your tax refund.

If you use tax preparation software like TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, or TaxSlayer, 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. And always file early, if you can — before anyone else files using your personal information.

But even if you’re careful, someone might still use your SSN to steal your refund. Now, if the IRS rejects the tax return you submitted online or through a tax preparer, it could just mean missing or incorrect information. But if the IRS says there’s more than one tax return filed in your name or they see income from an employer you know you don’t work for, that’s identity theft. Don’t panic — but do act quickly to communicate with the IRS. Here’s how:

Report it to IdentityTheft.gov using as many details as possible. The site will create an FTC Identity Theft Report, an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, and a personal recovery plan.

Submit your IRS Identity Theft Affidavit through IdentityTheft.gov. This tells the IRS to begin investigating your case. Or get the Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039) and submit it by mail.

Follow the steps in your personal recovery plan — like freezing your credit and checking your credit reports — to limit the damage identity theft causes.

Share IdentityTheft.gov/Steps with friends and loved ones to help them protect their personal information and stay ahead of identity thieves.

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Attribution: scambusters.org

A Free Public Service

February 18, 2025

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

It sounds hard to believe but an estimated 100,000 people have willingly given away their usernames and passwords in an Instagram scam.

Instagram is one of the big players in the latest craze for image-sharing social networking sites.

It’s believed owned by Facebook and has more than 150 million members, many of whom use it to legitimately share family, fun and friendship photos.

It’s also used legitimately by many celebrities and businesses to visually promote themselves.

Often, Instagram photos are cross-shared via other networks, like Facebook and Twitter.

And, just like most social networking sites, it relies on “likes” and other actions to spread connections, which makes it another ready-made target for scammers.

Internet security company Symantec reported two big Instagram scams towards the end of 2013.

In the first, an app that was available on most smartphones and other mobile devices promised to get users lots more followers.

In return, they had to provide their Instagram sign-on details, which, when you think about it, then gave the app maker the ability to log on to victims’ accounts and use them to fulfill its offer of following others — and do whatever else they wanted!

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A Free Public Service

February 15, 2025

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

LOVE SCAMS 

Attribution: US FTC.gov

Thinking of trying your luck with an online dating app, or getting to know someone you’ve met on social media? Before you do, make sure you know how to spot a romance scammer.

Here’s a typical romance scam: You meet someone on a site or app, and they want to move the conversation off the platform. You might talk or chat several times a day. But they can’t meet up. They might say they live far away, maybe for work or because they’re in the military. Eventually, they start asking for money — maybe for a plane ticket to visit you or emergency surgery. Or they might say they can help you invest your money in cryptocurrency or the stock market. It’s all a scam to get your money.

Never send money or gifts to a love interest you haven’t met in person. If you suspect a romance scam:

Talk to someone you trust. Do your friends or family say they’re concerned about your new love interest?

Search online for the type of job the person has 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?

Also notify the app or site where you met the scammer.

If you paid a scammer, your money might be gone. No matter how you paid, it’s always worth asking the company you used to send the money if there’s a way to get it back. Read What To Do if You Were Scammed to learn more.

Tell the FTC about romance scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

January 30, 2025

UTILITY BILL SCAMS

Attribution: scambusters.org

Since most of us rely on utility companies for one or more services, it’s no surprise that crooks use them to pull off a number of different utility scams.

Overdue bill threats and phony financial aid offers are among the most common utility scams.

Although most of their con tricks have been around for years, scammers still know how to make them seem convincing, and they’re still responsible for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably millions, from us every year.

Some scammers steal power from utilities of heat, water and more providers — but some crooks rely mainly with their dirty work mostly on cheating via utility scams.

By far the most common utility scam at the moment is the bogus threat to disconnect your power supply because you’re supposedly late with your bill payment.

Legitimate utility firms simply don’t operate this way. They don’t cut you off without writing several times and then providing written notice of disconnection.

The crooks usually say your power will be cut within a matter of hours unless you send a wire payment — causing victims to panic into paying, even though they know they’re up to date.

Sometimes, the scammers supply another phone number you’re supposed to call, and give you a reference number to use before paying by credit card. So, if you get a call like this it’s 100% a scam. Hang up. But if you feel uneasy about it, call the utility company using the number you’ll find on your latest bill.

Also, report to US FTC.gov

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A Free Public Service

January 16, 2025

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

THEFT AWARENESS WEEK  

Attribution: US FTC.gov

Are you interested in learning more about how to protect yourself from identity theft?

Check out Identity Theft Awareness Week. During the week, the FTC and its partners will host free webinars and other events to talk about how to spot, avoid, report, and recover from identity theft. Mark your calendars. Identity Theft Awareness Week starts Monday, January 27!

Identity theft can happen to anyone and can take many forms. Someone could open a credit card or utility account in your name, or use your information to get a loan, a job, or medical care. They might even file taxes in your name to get your refund.

Identity Theft Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity to learn and talk about identity theft to help protect yourself, your family, and your friends. Here are some ways you can participate in and support your community during Identity Theft Awareness Week:

Visit the Identity Theft Awareness Week 2025 website to find out about scheduled events you can participate in. Get information in multiple languages about how to spot, avoid, and report identity theft at ftc.gov/languages and share it in your community.

Watch and share videos on social media in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.

Share images before and during Identity Theft Awareness Week on your social media to help gather support and attention.

Order publications, including bookmarks and one-page flyers, and share them with people you know or place them at places of worship and libraries where people can find them. Keep an eye out for updates on the Identity Theft Awareness Week events at ftc.gov/IDTheftWeek! Whether you’re chatting with friends and family, posting on social media, or speaking at a community group meeting, talking about identity theft can help protect you and your community.  

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A Free Public Service

January 11, 2025

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

GIG WORK GUESSWORK

Attribution: FTC.gov

Are you thinking about becoming a gig worker? Here’s how to evaluate the opportunity:

The US Federal Trade Commission says Handy’s ads displayed an inflated hourly rate that most people weren’t likely to make. Other ads claimed you could get paid right away but didn’t disclose a fee would be deducted to expedite payments. Handy, now owned by Angi Services, also charged gig workers fines for incomplete jobs if a customer didn’t properly cancel or let them do the work. The FTC says Handy failed to clearly explain how gig workers could avoid those fines.

To Do:

*Research the company online. Read about how it pays workers and any other conditions of the job. Understand any charges or penalties that may be deducted from your pay and how to avoid them.

*Consult with other gig workers. Ask them about their experiences, income, and expenses.

*Check earning claims. Find out if you’ll be paid hourly or by gig.

*Get a breakdown of your earnings when you’re on the job to see if you’re getting paid what they promised.

Do you suspect a company is not delivering on its hourly earnings promises or unfairly deducting money from your pay? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

December 16, 2024

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

During the holidays, adding a dog, cat, or other adorable animal to the family is top of mind for many, and scammers know it. While there are lots of fur babies waiting for their forever home, scammers try to take advantage of the situation by posting fake ads for pets — all designed to take your money and leave you in the doghouse. Here’s what to know.

Scammers are posting ads (particularly for puppies), pretending these precious pooches are for sale. You might see these ads online or on streetcorners — sometimes advertising purebred puppies for a few hundred dollars when they often cost thousands — pushing you to act fast before they’ve gone to other homes. The scammer hopes the irresistibly cute puppy picture they posted will be enough to draw you in, and they’ll insist you pay for it up front. But if you pay, not only will you never see that puppy (who might not even exist), but you might also never see that money again.

If you’re thinking of getting a furry friend for yourself or a loved one:

• Do some research. Search online for the name of the seller or business and words like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.” See what others are saying.
• Watch how you’re asked to pay. Only scammers say you must pay with gift cards, a payment app, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram since it’s hard to get your money back. Find out what to do if you sent money to a scammer.
• Consider a local rescue or animal shelter. Animals of all breeds and ages are waiting to be adopted. An online search will point you to them, where you’ll be able to adopt for a small fee.

If you spot one of these scams, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A Free Public Service

December 10, 2024

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

REFUNDS FOR FORTNITE UNWANTED ITEMS

Attribution: US FTC.gov  

Avoid scams related to the FORTNITE refunds program.

The FTC is sending out over 600,000 payments worth $72 million to Fortnite gamers charged for unwanted items.

If you submitted a valid claim by October 8, 2024, you’ll get the payment via the method you requested. If you get a check, cash it within 90 days. If you get a PayPal payment, accept it within 30 days. You don’t need to do anything else to get your payment.

If you submitted a claim after October 8, 2024, the FTC will review your claim. You don’t need to do anything else.

If you think you’re eligible for a refund and haven’t already submitted a claim, go to ftc.gov/Fortnite to learn if you’re eligible and how to apply. All claims are due by Friday, January 10, 2025.

The FTC will never ask you to pay money to file a claim. If you get an email or text message that tells you to click a link or pay to get your refund, it’s a scam. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Get more information about the FTC’s Fortnite refunds program at ftc.gov/Fortnite.

If you submitted a claim after October 8, 2024, the FTC will review your claim. You don’t need to do anything else.

If you think you’re eligible for a refund and haven’t already submitted a claim, go to ftc.gov/Fortnite to learn if you’re eligible and how to apply. All claims are due by Friday, January 10, 2025.

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