MilConsumer Blog Feed

If you suffered damage from Hurricane Dorian, or if you’re looking for ways to help those in need, start at ftc.gov/weatheremergencies. You’ll find ways to spot the scams that often follow disasters. After a storm like Hurricane Dorian, scammers often target people who need to get their homes cleaned up or repaired, or find a new place to rent. Scammers might pose as a government official, asking for financial information or money to apply for...

Dishonest companies set up websites that look like legitimate places to get information on finding a job, joining the military, or getting government benefits. But they might not help you with any of those things. Instead, they’ll take your personal information and sell it to other companies. The companies that buy those “leads” then try to pitch you products or services you didn’t ask for. The FTC has reached a settlement with Career Education...

If you needed yet another nudge to start keeping an eye on your credit report to protect against identity theft, Capital One has delivered it with its announcement that a data breach has exposed the personal information of 106 million of its credit card customers and credit card applicants in the United States and Canada. News of the Capital One breach comes just one week after the Federal Trade Commission announced that Equifax agreed to pay up...

We’re seeing a new spin on gift card scams. This time, scammers are pretending to be a pastor, rabbi, priest, imam, or bishop. They’re asking worshipers for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Appeals are often made by email, but we’ve heard people are also getting texts and phone calls, too. The bogus emails often include the name of the local pastor and a legitimate looking email address. But a closer look should raise some red flags...

Military Consumer Month is drawing to a close for this year — but the work to stay ahead of con artists doesn’t stop. Here are some resources to share with your social networks throughout the year. Learn more about how to avoid scams: https://youtu.be/HrzN1e1qgLc Want to let others know how to avoid the latest rip-offs? Encourage your buddies, colleagues, and neighbors to sign up for free email updates from MilitaryConsumer.gov . Connect with us...

Have you heard about fake Medicare calls? Scammers say they need your Medicare number so you can get a back or neck brace. Or they need your information or money so you can get a new Medicare card. If you or someone you know gets a call like this: Hang up. If someone calls claiming to be from Medicare, asking for your Social Security number or bank information to get your new card or new benefits, it’s a scam. Don’t trust caller ID . Scammers can...

Here’s one that goes to show just how creative scammers can be. The FTC is getting reports that callers claiming to be from Medicare are asking people for their Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal information…in exchange for DNA testing kits. The callers might say the test is a free way to get early diagnoses for diseases like cancer, or just that it’s a free test, so why not take it? But the truth is, Medicare does not...

Misadventures in Money Management ( MIMM.gov ) is the CFPB’s virtual learning tool to help military personnel navigate ways to avoid financial pitfalls. Recently, the CFPB expanded the availability of MiMM.gov to all active-duty servicemembers, including those in the Reserve or the National Guard. This education tool uses the style of “graphic novel meets choose your own adventure” and lets people choose a financial path and see how the choice...

Celebrities, from movie stars to professional athletes, take to TV, radio, and social media to endorse a wide variety of products – sometimes even investment opportunities. But a celebrity endorsement does not mean that an investment is legitimate or that it is appropriate for all investors. It is never a good idea to make an investment decision just because someone famous says a product or service is a good investment. Celebrities, like anyone...

The next time users visit Facebook, things might not look different, but big changes are brewing behind the scenes. The FTC’s record-breaking $5 billion settlement requires Facebook to conduct a massive overhaul of its consumer privacy practices. The settlement also makes major changes to Facebook’s operations and CEO Mark Zuckerberg no longer has sole control over privacy. First, some background. Facebook is a social networking site, but it...