National Consumer Protection Week 2026: FTC’s Top Tips to Avoid Scams

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2026 took place March 2–6, but the advice released by the Federal Trade Commission doesn’t expire. If you missed the event — or even if you caught a few headlines — the information remains useful year‑round. Scammers keep refining their tactics, and the fundamentals of protection haven’t changed: know the warning signs, secure your accounts, and report fraud when you see it.

What Happened During NCPW 2026

The FTC and its partners used the week to publish a series of consumer alerts and tip sheets. The agency’s “Welcome to NCPW 2026” page on Consumer Advice highlighted the most common scams reported in recent years. According to FTC data, imposter scams (callers pretending to be from the government, a tech company, or a family member in distress) remain the top complaint category. Tech support scams, romance scams, and investment fraud also continue to drain billions from consumers annually.

Many of the resources from that week are still posted on the FTC’s site, including guides on how to block unwanted calls, what to do if you paid a scammer, and how to set up a credit freeze.

Why This Matters All Year

Scams are designed to create urgency. A caller says your Social Security number is about to be suspended. An email warns that your Netflix account will be canceled unless you click a link. A new “friend” on a dating app asks for money to cover an emergency.

These tactics work because they bypass rational thought. The FTC’s data consistently shows that adults aged 50 and older lose more money per incident to fraud than younger groups, though younger people report scams more often. Anyone can be caught off guard, but older adults are especially targeted in imposter and tech support schemes.

The advice from NCPW 2026 is relevant now because the methods evolve faster than most people can keep up. Gift cards, wire transfers, and cryptocurrency are still the preferred payment methods for scammers — because those payments are nearly impossible to reverse.

What You Can Do Right Now

Spot the red flags.
The FTC’s “how to spot a scam” checklist is straightforward:

  • Unsolicited contact (phone call, email, text, or social media message).
  • A demand for immediate action.
  • A request to pay with gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
  • Caller ID that looks real but can be faked (spoofing).

If you see any of these, stop. Hang up. Do not reply.

If you think you’ve been scammed, act fast.

  • Contact your bank or credit card company immediately. They may be able to stop a transaction or reverse a payment.
  • Change passwords on any accounts that may be compromised.
  • Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps the agency track patterns and can lead to enforcement actions.
  • If your personal information was stolen, go to IdentityTheft.gov. The site walks you through creating a recovery plan.

Build longer‑term habits.

  • Freeze your credit at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). It’s free and stops criminals from opening accounts in your name.
  • Use a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords for every account.
  • Turn on two‑factor authentication wherever it’s available — especially for email, banking, and social media.

Where to Find Help

The FTC’s Consumer Advice section (consumer.ftc.gov) is the central repository. There you’ll find the NCPW 2026 materials, as well as guides on specific issues like online shopping, debt collection, and medical identity theft.

Your state or local consumer protection agency may also offer resources and a place to file complaints. Many have partnerships with the FTC and can connect you with mediation services.

No single week can stop every scam, but the tools released during NCPW 2026 give you a solid foundation. Bookmark the FTC’s advice page, talk about it with family members — especially older relatives — and treat every unsolicited request for money or personal information as suspicious until proven otherwise.

Sources

  • FTC Consumer Advice – “Welcome to NCPW 2026” (March 2, 2026)
  • FTC Consumer Advice – “Start planning for National Consumer Protection Week 2026” (February 4, 2026)
  • FTC data tables on top fraud categories (2025, 2026)
  • IdentityTheft.gov recovery guides