Showing #scams articles:
What are people reporting at DoNotCall.gov?By Amy Hebert, Federal Trade Commission
Jan 4, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams
In the past 18 years of the National Do Not Call Registry , those of you signed up for the registry (244 million phone numbers right now) have reported millions upon millions of unwanted sales calls over the years. Here’s a quick look at what you’ve reported this year at DoNotCall.gov about the... |
The Google Voice scam: How this verification code scam works and how to avoid itBy Alvaro Puig
Dec 27, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
It’s Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. If there’s one constant among scammers, it’s that they’re always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Have you heard about it? Here’s how it works.... |
Scammers are tricking more people into buying gift cardsBy Cristina Miranda, Federal Trade Commission
Dec 21, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
According to the newest Data Spotlight , 40,000 people reported losing a whopping $148 million in gift cards to scammers during the first nine months of 2021. Those are staggering numbers that have increased each year for the past several years. Since 2018, gift cards have been the most... |
’Tis the season for student loan scam callsBy Emily Wu
Dec 15, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
If you have a federal student loan, you probably already know that the Coronavirus emergency relief program that has paused your payments is ending. Repayments will begin again after January 31, 2022. Scammers know it, too, and are looking for ways to take advantage: they’re calling, texting,... |
Child Tax Credit scammers are still reaching outBy Emily Wu
Dec 8, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
Many people have gotten their advance Child Tax Credit payments this year, but scammers are taking advantage of this new program to try to trick you out of money or information. They’re pretending to be the IRS, contacting people by phone, text, email, and social media — and sending people to... |
Looking for a new job? Watch out for scamsBy Ari Lazarus, Federal Trade Commission
Nov 30, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
As we wrap up National Caregiver Month, the FTC wants to recognize all the incredible work that caregivers like you do every day. The work is seen and unseen and helps people in both physical and emotional ways. We know caregiving can be tough on your finances, too. So if you’re looking for a... |
Watch out for charity scamsBy Rosario Méndez
Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
Every year, charity regulators from around the word get together to raise awareness about charity fraud. The FTC joins this effort again this year because it’s so important to know how to spot a charity scam. The more you know, the less likely you’ll donate to a bogus charity. Better yet, you’ll... |
Amazon impersonators: what you need to knowBy Maria Mayo
Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
Has Amazon contacted you to confirm a recent purchase you didn’t make or to tell you that your account has been hacked? According to the FTC’s new Data Spotlight , since July 2020, about one in three people who have reported a business impersonator scam say the scammer pretended to be Amazon.... |
Keeping older adults safe from scamsBy Bridget Small
Oct 28, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
As last week's annual report to Congress makes clear, the safety of older consumers in the marketplace is a priority for the FTC. Protecting Older Consumers 2020 – 2021: A Report of the Federal Trade Commission summarizes the agency’s ongoing law enforcement efforts, new research results, and... |
Spot the pandemic scam: emergency broadband program impersonatorsBy Carly Johnson
Oct 13, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
Have you seen ads on social media that offer to “help” you sign up for a government program that will give you a “free” device and internet service in exchange for money or personal information? While there is a real government program to help people connect during the pandemic, there’s no... |
SCAM ALERT: Fake Email Targeting DirectLink Members' Payment Information
Aug 16, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
We have received reports of an email scam targeting DirectLink members that seeks to gain access to sensitive payment information. If you receive an email that looks like the image above, do not click on any of the links in the message – this is a scam email. The fake email claims that... |
Don't Send Them The Money Just Yet - Family Emergency Scams On The RiseBy Lisa Lake
Jun 17, 2021 | posted by Charlie Mouy
Instead of telling you a ghost story around a summer campfire, we have an all-too familiar tale to share: Myra’s grandson, Jon, is in Mexico for the summer. They video chat every week. One day, Myra gets a call from someone who says he’s Max, a friend of Jon’s: “He was arrested last night and... |
Scammers Pretend to be from Fraud DepartmentsBy Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press
Jun 3, 2021 | posted by Charlie Mouy
Recently, there has been a spike from scammers pretending to represent Fraud Departments of well-known organizations such as Chase, the Social Security Administration and Amazon to name a few. There are many variations of the scam, but it might start out as an email or text with a warning... |
'Suspicious Activity' Surge, As Scammers Impersonate AmazonPhone scammers claim to be from AmazonBy Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press
Jun 3, 2021 | posted by Charlie Mouy
Amazon scam calls have surged significantly over the past few months. Consumers are now regularly receiving anywhere between 100 million and 150 million robocalls per month from fraudsters claiming to be with Amazon, according to YouMail, which has a robocall blocking app. Some of those... |
Hang up on auto warranty robocallsBy Emily Wu
May 20, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
Have you gotten a recorded phone message from “Susie” with the “Vehicle Service Department” calling about your vehicle warranty? That’s, like, so retro. But fanny packs, scrunchies, and tie dye are back — and so are vehicle warranty robocalls. It starts when you pick up a call and hear a... |
Stay Safe from Scammers. Visit the new DirectLink Scam Prevention Page
May 18, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams
Have you ever received a text message or an email that looks or feels a little suspicious? Maybe it came from an odd email or number you don’t know, or there are several misspelled words throughout. And why does a prince halfway across the globe want to give you his $100 million inheritance... |
Unwanted calls: Just block ’em and report ’emFTC Consumer Information
May 13, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
Unwanted calls are annoying. They can feel like a constant interruption — and many are from scammers. Unfortunately, technology makes it easy for scammers to make millions of calls a day. So this week, as part of Older Americans Month, we’re talking about how to block unwanted calls — for... |
When it’s Not Really the Government CallingBy Emily Wu
Mar 19, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
Lots of people are having trouble sleeping, thanks to the pandemic and all the parts of our lives it’s affecting. And it doesn’t help when you get a call saying you owe the government money. Oh, and, they add, you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay up immediately. That’s a scam, and nothing to lose... |
Fake Price Offers Don't PayBy Bridget Small
Mar 12, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
The pandemic has caused financial distress because of lost jobs, income, and homes, and emotional distress because of social isolation. This week, during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), we want your help to reach people who might be a bit cut off from their social network. The FTC... |
EMAIL SCAM ALERTFake Email to Expose Member InformationBy Conner Williams
Feb 9, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
We have received reports of an email scam targeting DirectLink members that seeks to gain access to sensitive email login information. If you receive an email that looks like the image below, do not click on any of the links in the message – this is a scam email. The screenshot below shows in... |
SCAM ALERT: Fake Email to Expose Member Payment and Password Information
Jan 4, 2021 | posted by Jason Nugent
We have received reports of an email scam targeting DirectLink members that seeks to gain access to sensitive payment information. If you receive an email that looks like the image below, do not click on any of the links in the message – this is a scam email. The fake email... |
Fake Calls from Apple and Amazon
Dec 4, 2020 | posted by Jason Nugent
We are receiving reports from members about fake calls from Apple and Amazon trying to scam them. The FTC has an article out describing these scams and providing information on what you should do. For the most part, just hang up and ignore, but view the article from the FTC here for more... |
Be aware of scam email posing as DirectLinkBy Conner Williams
May 13, 2019 | posted by Conner Williams
Several of our members have made us aware of a scam email message from a sender posing as DirectLink. The sender name appears as “DirectLink”, but the email address does not match any of our company addresses that we use to communicate with members. The message asks the recipient to... |
Be on the lookout for the "one ring" phone scamBy Conner Williams
May 7, 2019 | posted by Conner Williams
Be on the lookout for the latest robocall scam that rings once and aims to get people to call the number back. It spoofs caller ID and looks like it's coming from a nearby number, but actually originates outside of the United States, creating the possibility of excessive long distance charges.... |
SCAM ALERT!By Jason Nugent
Feb 15, 2018 | posted by Jason Nugent
There is a new scam email floating around, and the scammer is attempting to masquerade as DirectLink (or Web-Ster in the example below) in order to gain the confidence of potential victims. DO NOT CLICK on any links within the email or reply to it. Our engineering team is already working on a... |
