National Consumer Protection Week 2026: How to Spot Scams and Protect Your Money

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2026 started on March 2 and runs through March 6. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uses this week each year to draw attention to the most common scams, ways to protect personal information, and steps to take if you’ve been a victim of fraud. If you haven’t had a chance to look through the FTC’s resources yet, you still have time to make use of them—and many of the materials remain available year-round.

What happened

The FTC launched NCPW 2026 with updated consumer advice on its website, including articles on current scams, identity theft protection, and guides for reporting fraud. The agency also encourages people to talk about scams with friends and family, especially those who may be more vulnerable—like older adults, students, and small business owners. Earlier this year, the FTC published a “get ready” guide (February 20) and a “start planning” guide (February 4) for organizations and individuals who wanted to participate early.

While the official week is March 2–6, the FTC has been promoting NCPW since early February, and many partner organizations—such as libraries, community groups, and law enforcement agencies—have hosted events or shared materials. The theme this year continues the “talk about scams” emphasis from previous years, because one of the most effective ways to prevent fraud is simply to make it a normal topic of conversation.

Why it matters

Consumer fraud remains widespread. According to FTC data from recent years, Americans reported losing billions of dollars to scams, with imposter scams and online shopping fraud among the most common categories. The tactics used by scammers change quickly—they often adapt to current events, new technologies, and even other scams. For example, scams involving fake government messages, cryptocurrency investments, and AI-generated voice calls have all grown more common.

For people who are less familiar with how scams work—or who may not regularly check consumer alerts—the risk is higher. Seniors, for instance, are often targeted in grandparent scams or tech support scams. Students may fall for fake job offers or scholarship schemes. Small business owners can be hit with phishing emails that look like they come from vendors or tax agencies. NCPW is a focused time to raise awareness, but the need for caution is constant.

What readers can do

Even if you missed the first few days of NCPW, you can still take advantage of the FTC’s free resources. Below are practical steps to follow now.

1. Know the top scams to watch for in 2026
Based on recent FTC alerts and reports, some of the most active scams include:

  • Imposter scams: Someone pretends to be from the government (like the Social Security Administration or IRS), a tech company, or a family member in distress. They ask for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
  • Online shopping scams: Fake websites or social media ads offering popular products at steep discounts. You pay but never receive the item.
  • Investment and cryptocurrency scams: Promises of high, guaranteed returns, often through a “new” crypto opportunity or a fake trading platform.
  • Phishing texts and emails: Messages that look like they’re from your bank, a delivery service, or a streaming service, asking you to click a link or enter login credentials.
  • Job and business opportunity scams: Offers that require you to pay upfront for training, equipment, or “certification.” Legitimate employers never ask you to pay for a job.

2. Protect your identity and accounts

  • Use strong, unique passwords for each online account. A password manager can help.
  • Enable two-factor authentication wherever it’s offered, especially for email, banking, and social media.
  • Freeze your credit with the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). It’s free and prevents someone from opening accounts in your name.
  • Monitor your bank and credit card statements regularly for unauthorized charges.
  • Shred documents that contain personal information before throwing them away.

3. Report fraud if you encounter it
If you or someone you know has been scammed or targeted, you can report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps law enforcement build cases and track emerging scams. Even if you didn’t lose money, reporting is useful because it alerts authorities to what scammers are doing.

The FTC also provides a separate site, IdentityTheft.gov, with personalized recovery plans if your identity has been stolen.

4. Use additional FTC resources
During NCPW, the FTC makes available free materials such as:

  • Printable guides and tip sheets (available in multiple languages)
  • Short videos explaining common scams
  • Social media toolkits you can share with your community
  • Sample presentations for workplaces, schools, or senior centers

All of these are accessible through the FTC’s consumer advice page. The agency also encourages you to sign up for its Consumer Alerts email list, which sends notifications about new scams and consumer protection news.

Sources

The information in this article comes from the following FTC publications and resources:

For the latest scam alerts and consumer protection tips directly from the FTC, visit consumer.ftc.gov.