Fraud & Scams
Financial fraud, phishing, identity theft, scam alerts, data breaches, and how to protect yourself and your accounts.
Latest in Fraud & Scams
$5,500 is what Pawn America data-breach victims can claim for losses, by July 13
People affected by the 2021 Pawn America data breach have until July 13 to file claims for up to $5,500 in documented losses. The breach...
A scammer who collected elderly victims’ cash and gold by courier just got 18 years in prison
A 23-year-old courier who helped strip elderly Americans of their savings has been ordered to spend 18 years in federal prison. Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, of...
A Florida widow, 79, lost $200,000 to a crypto scam, then helped police trap the courier sent back for $30,000 more
A 79-year-old Florida widow who had already lost $200,000 to a cryptocurrency scam agreed to cooperate with law enforcement when the same fraud network sent...
$3 million in FTC refunds is going out to homeowners deceived by the Home Matters mortgage-relief scheme.
The Federal Trade Commission is sending checks to 1,821 homeowners who paid illegal upfront fees to a mortgage-relief operation that falsely promised lower payments and...
Freeze a grandchild’s credit to block identity thieves from opening accounts for years.
Children who have never applied for a loan or a credit card can still become victims of identity theft, and the fraud often goes undetected...
Comcast data-breach victims can claim about $50 with no proof, or up to $10,000 with records, with claims open this summer
Nearly 35.9 million Comcast and Xfinity customers whose personal data was exposed during an October 2023 breach can soon file claims for compensation, with a...
Enroll Confidently data-breach victims can take about $100 with no proof, or up to $3,500 with records, before the July 22 deadline
People affected by the Enroll Confidently, Inc. data breach face a narrow window to file settlement claims, with a July 22 deadline that splits claimants...
Compex data-breach victims can claim $100 to $200, or up to $5,000 with proof of losses, before the August 19 deadline
People affected by the Compex Legal Services Inc. data breach face a narrow window to file claims for payments ranging from $100 to $200, or...
Signing up for free USPS Informed Delivery shows you photos of incoming mail so you can spot a stolen check or card
Federal prosecutors charged three Philadelphia-area men for allegedly stealing checks from USPS collection boxes and washing them for redeposit, while the FBI warned that mail-theft...
Flagstar Bank will pay data-breach victims about $60 with no proof, or up to $25,000 with documentation, if they file by August 11
Roughly 1.5 million people whose personal information was stolen in a late-2021 hack of Flagstar Bank now face a decision with a hard deadline: file...
A free one-call fraud alert forces lenders to verify your identity before opening credit, and it lasts a full year
Any consumer in the United States can pick up the phone, call one of the three major credit bureaus, and place a fraud alert that...
A lawsuit says Bitcoin Depot’s crypto ATMs let scammers drain $76,000 from a victim
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell filed a lawsuit against Bitcoin Depot, alleging the crypto ATM operator let scammers drain $76,000 from a single consumer...
No real government agency will ever ask you to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or cash handed to a courier
Scammers posing as federal agents are pressing victims to buy gift cards, wire money, or hand cash to couriers, and three separate U.S. agencies have...
The FTC is mailing a third round of refunds from a $586 million fund to people who were scammed through Western Union
About 6,000 people who lost money through fraud schemes facilitated by Western Union are receiving checks as the Department of Justice distributes roughly $66 million...
Imposter scams remain America’s top fraud, and the safest move is to hang up and call the number yourself
Americans lost nearly $3 billion to impersonation fraud in 2024, and the single best defense costs nothing: hang up the phone and call the company...
Scammers copy the codes off store gift cards before you buy them, so check the packaging first
Thieves are tampering with gift cards hanging on retail store racks, copying the card numbers and PINs, then waiting for an unsuspecting buyer to load...
Report an unauthorized debit-card charge within 60 days and your bank must put the money back
Anyone who has watched a mysterious charge drain their checking account knows the panic that follows. Federal law sets a hard deadline: consumers who notify...
A free credit freeze at all three bureaus blocks crooks from opening new loans in your name
Anyone whose personal data has been exposed in a breach can now lock down all three credit bureaus at no cost, stopping thieves from taking...
Thriveworks therapy patients can file a $10 claim over a data breach before July 21
Patients who received therapy through Thriveworks face a tight deadline to file a claim for a fixed payout tied to allegations that the company shared...
The FTC is mailing $3 million in refund checks to 1,821 homeowners caught in a mortgage-relief scam
The Federal Trade Commission is sending refund checks to 1,821 homeowners who lost money to a mortgage-relief operation that falsely promised government-backed help. The payments...