Scammers lie and pretend to be someone they’re not to trick you into giving them money, access to your accounts, or your personal information. They pretend to be from a business you know or from a government agency — or both. In the latest twist on these constantly evolving schemes, scammers are claiming to be FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson.

New year, new chance to think about ways to protect yourself from identity theft. What’s one way? Freeze your credit.

March is coming right up — which means National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) isn’t far behind. This year, NCPW is March 2-8, 2025. Now’s the time to start planning.

During IDTAW, the FTC and its partners work together to share information on what identity thieves want to steal and why, understand how identity theft happens, and learn how to avoid it. Identity theft can happen to anyone, but there are things you can do to reduce the chance that someone will steal your identity.