Fraud & Scams
Financial fraud, phishing, identity theft, scam alerts, data breaches, and how to protect yourself and your accounts.
Latest in Fraud & Scams
Fake unpaid-toll texts are now the fastest-growing government scam
Fake texts claiming drivers owe unpaid tolls have become the single fastest-growing category of government imposter fraud in the United States. Reports of government imposter...
A 97-year-old San Diego widow lost her entire life savings to a $65 million senior-scam ring — the man who laundered it is sentenced June 23
A 97-year-old San Diego widow who survived the Holocaust through her late husband lost every dollar she had saved over a lifetime. The money flowed...
A real bank will never tell you to move your money to a “safe account” — that one sentence is the costliest scam in America right now
Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, and one of the fastest-growing tactics behind those losses starts with a single instruction: move your money...
Comcast will pay data-breach victims $50, or up to $10,000 with proof, if they file by August 14
Nearly 36 million people affected by a Comcast data breach in late 2023 can file for a flat $50 payment or claim up to $10,000...
Americans reported losing billions to scams that started on social media, the FTC says
Americans reported losing $2.1 billion to scams that started on social media in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Nearly 30% of people who...
AIC will pay data-breach victims about $50, or up to $5,000 with proof, by July 22
People whose personal data was exposed in the American International College breach can expect payments by July 22, with most receiving roughly $50 and those...
Turning on account alerts for every transaction can catch fraud the same day it happens
Reported fraud losses in the United States hit $12.5 billion in 2024, and federal regulators are now telling consumers that a single settings change on...
Scammers are impersonating the FTC’s own chairman to talk people into emptying their savings
Scammers are calling Americans and claiming to be FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, pressuring targets to drain their bank accounts, 401(k) plans, and savings under the...
Opting out of pre-screened credit offers at OptOutPrescreen.com is free and cuts identity-theft risk
Every pre-screened credit card offer that lands in a household mailbox carries a quiet risk: if stolen from the mail, it can give a thief...
Flagstar Bank will pay breach victims about $60, or up to $25,000 with proof, if they file by August 11
Customers whose personal data was exposed in the Flagstar Bank breach can now file claims for roughly $60 each without documenting any losses, or pursue...
A surprise package with a QR code is the FTC’s newest scam — scanning it can hand over your bank logins
The Federal Trade Commission flagged a new breed of fraud that starts with a package nobody ordered. Inside sits a small item and a card...
No real government agency demands payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency
Every major federal law enforcement and tax agency in the United States has now issued the same blunt warning: no legitimate government office will ever...
Imposter scams stayed America’s No. 1 fraud for a ninth year, draining $3.5 billion as fake toll texts spread
American consumers lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams last year, keeping the category at the top of the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud rankings for a...
The FBI says Americans over 60 lost $352 million to AI-powered scams that clone voices to fake family emergencies
Older Americans lost $352 million to scams in which criminals used artificial intelligence to clone the voices of family members and stage fake emergencies, according...
Fidelity will pay data-breach victims $100, or up to $5,000 with proof of losses, if they file by July 27
Fidelity Investments is offering affected customers a flat $100 payment, or up to $5,000 for those who can document actual losses, following a data breach...
You can place a free one-year fraud alert on your credit file that forces lenders to verify your identity
A federal law that took effect in September 2018 replaced the old 90-day fraud alert with a free, one-year version, giving any consumer the ability...
Circle K is paying its data-breach settlement, a flat $50 or up to $2,000 with receipts, to customers who file by September 3
Customers affected by a Circle K data breach can file for a flat $50 payment or up to $2,000 with documented expenses before a September...
The FTC is refunding nearly $3 million to homeowners scammed by a mortgage-relief company
More than 1,800 homeowners who paid a mortgage-relief company for help that never came are now receiving refund checks from the Federal Trade Commission. The...
Scammers posing as the court are calling about “missed jury duty” and threatening arrest unless you pay — the FTC says hang up
Scammers are calling Americans, claiming to be court officials or U.S. Marshals, and demanding immediate payment for supposedly missed jury duty. The threat is always...
The FBI says scammers posing as banks and federal agents are increasingly sending couriers to pick up victims’ cash and gold
Scammers posing as bank officials and federal agents are dispatching couriers directly to victims’ homes to collect cash and gold bars, a tactic that has...