What the FTC Wants You to Know About Today’s Top Scams

In early March, as part of National Consumer Protection Week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a webinar to brief the public on the most pressing fraud trends of the moment. The goal was straightforward: to arm everyday people with the knowledge to recognize and stop scams before they cause harm. As our financial and social lives become increasingly digital, the tactics used by scammers evolve in parallel, making this kind of timely advice more critical than ever.

The FTC’s experts highlighted several scam categories that are currently seeing high volumes of reports and sophisticated new twists. Understanding these is the first step in building a defense.

  • Phishing Gets More Personal: The classic “phishing” email or text message is far from dead; it’s just gotten better. Scammers are now using more targeted information, often gleaned from previous data breaches, to make their messages seem legitimate. You might receive a text that appears to be from your bank or a package delivery service, using your name and referencing a familiar city or recent transaction. The link, however, leads to a convincing fake login page designed to steal your credentials.
  • Investment and Cryptocurrency Fraud: Promises of guaranteed, sky-high returns continue to lure victims. The FTC specifically noted a rise in scams pushing fake investment “opportunities” in cryptocurrencies or other digital assets. These often originate on social media, through online ads, or even via romantic partners met on dating apps (a tactic known as “pig butchering”). The common thread is pressure to act quickly and transfer funds to a seemingly legitimate platform that is, in reality, controlled by the fraudster.
  • Scams Targeting Military Personnel and Veterans: A dedicated portion of the webinar focused on financial scams that disproportionately target service members, veterans, and their families. These can include fraudulent schemes related to benefits claims, shady lending practices, or fake offers for military discounts on essential services. Scammers exploit the unique challenges and trust within the military community.

Why This Information Matters for You

You might think, “I’m careful, I wouldn’t fall for that.” But the sophistication of these operations is the real threat. Scammers invest significant resources into making their schemes look authentic. They create professional-looking websites, spoof legitimate phone numbers, and craft compelling narratives that play on emotions like fear, urgency, or excitement. The result is that anyone, regardless of age or tech-savviness, can be a target. The financial and emotional toll of these crimes is substantial, and early recognition is the most powerful tool for prevention.

Practical Steps You Can Take Today

Knowledge only helps if you apply it. Here are actionable strategies distilled from the FTC’s guidance to integrate into your daily digital life:

  1. Slow Down and Verify. Urgency is a scammer’s best weapon. If a message, call, or online offer pressures you to act immediately, consider it a major red flag. Hang up the phone or close the message. Independently look up the official contact information for the company or agency that supposedly contacted you and call them directly to verify the claim.
  2. Assume Unsolicited Contact is Suspicious. Be highly skeptical of investment offers, prize notifications, or tech support alerts that come out of the blue. Legitimate businesses and government agencies will not demand payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
  3. Fortify Your Accounts. Use strong, unique passwords for different accounts and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever it is offered. This adds a critical second layer of security, even if a scammer gets your password.
  4. Leverage Credit Freezes. One of the most effective ways to prevent identity theft is to place a free security freeze on your credit reports at the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). This locks your credit file so new accounts cannot be opened in your name without your explicit permission using a PIN.
  5. Report What You See. If you encounter a scam—even if you didn’t lose money—report it. Your report helps law enforcement build cases and spot trends. The primary place to report is the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If the scam impersonates a specific company, report it to that company’s fraud department as well.

Staying safe is an ongoing practice, not a one-time fix. By understanding the current tactics and making these defensive habits routine, you significantly reduce your risk. For ongoing updates and resources, bookmark the FTC’s consumer advice site at consumer.ftc.gov.

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