CURRENT
Dated notes from Federal Trade Commission consumer alerts and FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center announcements. The advice is the same as the manual: stop, and check the official source yourself.
September 28, 2026 · FTC Consumer Alert
Scammers and dishonest sellers pay to appear above Medicare.gov and HealthCare.gov while people look for a plan.
What to do: Type Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov yourself. Do not use a phone number or a link from an advertisement.
Official sourceSeptember 17, 2026 · FBI IC3 public service announcement
The FBI says impersonators are still threatening arrest, a fine, or a missed court date, and then demanding payment.
What to do: Hang up. Look up the agency yourself. No police department or court collects payment by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency.
Official sourceSeptember 15, 2026 · FTC Consumer Alert
The Federal Trade Commission says scammers pose as equipment sellers in social media and search ads, then take a wire deposit for a tractor that is never delivered.
What to do: Search the business name plus the word scam before you pay. Do not wire money, send a gift card, or pay with cryptocurrency because an ad told you to.
Official sourceSeptember 3, 2026 · FTC Consumer Alert
People have reported stickers placed over a real parking-meter code that open a page built to steal a card or personal information.
What to do: Do not scan a sticker that looks newly placed. Pay through the city’s own app or a meter that has not been covered.
Official sourceJuly 22, 2026 · FTC Consumer Alert
The Federal Trade Commission says an unexpected demand that can only be paid by wire, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or a gift card is a scam.
What to do: Do not pay. If you already did, contact the company you paid and tell them it was fraud.
Official sourceJuly 20, 2026 · FBI IC3 public service announcement
Scammers impersonate the FBI and the Internet Crime Complaint Center, sometimes with a copied video or a look-alike website, to steal more money from people who already lost some.
What to do: The real Internet Crime Complaint Center does not call to recover your money. File at ic3.gov yourself.
Official sourceJune 15, 2026 · FBI IC3 public service announcement
The FBI warns that investment scammers send a person to the door to collect cash, often after telling an older adult the money is being protected.
What to do: Do not open the door and do not hand over cash. Call the police if someone is on the way.
Official sourceMay 21, 2026 · FTC Consumer Alert
The Federal Trade Commission says more people report being contacted by text than by any other method, usually with a fake delivery, loan, or toll notice.
What to do: Do not tap the link. Delete the text. If you use that service, open the app you already installed.
Official sourceKeep a copy of the habits by the phone. Open the fridge sheet.