What You Need to Know About Today’s Most Common Scams

During National Consumer Protection Week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a webinar to shed light on the latest tactics scammers are using. As fraud techniques evolve, staying informed is your first and best defense. This guide distills the key trends from that session into clear, actionable advice to help you protect your money and personal information.

What the FTC Wants You to Watch For

The webinar highlighted several persistent and evolving scam categories that continue to trap consumers. While the methods may be dressed up with new technology or current events, the core manipulative techniques remain familiar.

  • Phishing and Smishing: These aren’t new, but they’re more sophisticated than ever. You might receive an email or text that looks convincingly like it’s from your bank, a shipping company, or a popular subscription service. The message creates a sense of urgency—claiming there’s suspicious activity, a missed payment, or a package delivery issue—and urges you to click a link or call a number. The goal is to steal login credentials, credit card numbers, or install malware.
  • Government and Business Impersonation: Scammers pretend to be from entities you trust. This includes calls or messages claiming to be from the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or even a utility company. They often use threats—like arrest, deportation, or cutting off your service—to scare you into immediate payment, usually via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, which are nearly impossible to trace and recover.
  • Tech Support Scams: A pop-up alert or a phone call suddenly warns you that your computer is infected with a virus. The “technician” claims to be from Microsoft, Apple, or your internet provider, offering to fix the (non-existent) problem for a fee. They often request remote access to your computer, which gives them the ability to steal files, install tracking software, or lock you out until you pay a ransom.

The common thread across all these scams is pressure. Scammers create artificial urgency, fear, or a too-good-to-be-true opportunity to short-circuit your rational thinking.

Why This Information Matters Now

Understanding these trends is critical because scammers are agile. They constantly refine their pitches to exploit current news, tax seasons, global events, and new technologies like AI-powered voice clones. Falling victim can lead to significant financial loss, stressful identity theft, and a lengthy recovery process.

The FTC’s data shows these aren’t rare crimes; they are pervasive. By knowing the current playbook, you move from being a potential target to an informed skeptic, which dramatically reduces your risk.

Practical Steps You Can Take Today

Knowledge is only power if you apply it. Here are concrete actions you can implement immediately to shield yourself.

  1. Slow Down and Verify: Scammers rely on haste. If you get an urgent message, pause. Do not click links or call numbers provided in the message. Instead, contact the organization directly using a phone number or website you know is legitimate from a previous statement or bill.
  2. Spot the Red Flags: Be immediately suspicious of any communication that demands payment via gift cards, wire transfers (like Western Union or MoneyGram), or cryptocurrency. No legitimate government agency or reputable company will ever ask you to pay this way.
  3. Secure Your Accounts: Make two-factor authentication (2FA) standard on your email, bank, and social media accounts. This adds a critical second layer of security beyond your password. Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords for every site.
  4. Know How to Report: If you encounter a scam—even if you didn’t lose money—report it. Your report helps law enforcement spot patterns and crack down. The primary place to report is the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also file a report with your state attorney general’s office and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).

Staying safe is an ongoing practice, not a one-time fix. Treat unexpected requests for money or information with healthy suspicion. For ongoing updates, you can subscribe to consumer alerts directly from the FTC at ftc.gov/subscribe.

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