Digital-Safety

National Consumer Protection Week 2026: A Practical Guide to Scam-Proofing Your Year National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is here again. Organized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), this annual event in March is more than just a calendar note; it’s a concentrated opportunity to reset your personal defenses against fraud. For 2026, the core message remains vital: understanding current scams and building stronger habits is your best protection. This isn’t about temporary vigilance but integrating smarter practices into your daily digital life. ...

Spot and Stop New Scams: Essential Tips from Consumer Protection Week Every year, National Consumer Protection Week serves as a crucial reminder to stay vigilant against fraud. This March, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a webinar to shed light on the latest scam trends, providing a timely update on what tricks fraudsters are using now and how you can protect yourself. ...

Watch Out for That Parking Ticket: A New Scam Is Targeting Drivers You return to your car and see it: a parking violation notice tucked under your windshield wiper. Or perhaps a text message or email arrives, demanding immediate payment for a parking fine to avoid additional penalties. Your first instinct might be to pay it quickly and move on. But a new consumer alert warns that scammers are exploiting this very instinct, creating convincing fake violations to steal money and personal information. ...

What National Consumer Protection Week Means for Your Digital Safety For one week every March, a spotlight shines on the scams, frauds, and privacy pitfalls that can trip up consumers. That’s the purpose of National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), an annual campaign led by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). With NCPW 2026 on the horizon, the event serves as a timely reminder to review your defenses and understand the threats that are actively targeting wallets and identities. It’s not just about awareness; it’s about equipping yourself with practical steps that work year-round. ...

How to Protect Yourself From the Latest Wave of Consumer Scams Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a timely webinar as part of National Consumer Protection Week, shining a light on the scam tactics that are currently costing people the most money and causing the most stress. While scammers constantly update their playbooks, the FTC’s insights help cut through the noise and point to the specific threats you should be watching for right now. Understanding these trends is the first, most critical step in building an effective defense. ...

The “Pig Butchering” Scam: How Fraudsters Fatten Victims Before the Slaughter You receive a friendly, unexpected message. It might be on a dating app, social media, or even via a seemingly wrong-number text. The person on the other end is charming, builds rapport over weeks, and eventually shares a secret: they’ve made incredible profits through an online investment platform. They offer to help you do the same. This is the opening act of a “pig butchering” scam—a ruthless long-con where victims are emotionally “fattened up” with trust before their finances are slaughtered. ...

That ‘Unpaid Parking Ticket’ Text Could Be a Scam If you’ve received a sudden, urgent message demanding payment for a parking violation you don’t remember, pause before you click. Authorities in North Carolina and beyond are warning drivers about a sophisticated new scam that uses the fear of an unexpected fine to steal money and personal information. ...

What Consumer Protection Week 2026 Means for Your Online Safety Every year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) spearheads National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), a dedicated campaign to arm the public with knowledge against fraud and scams. The recently announced theme for NCPW 2026 continues this mission, offering updated resources and warnings tailored to the current digital landscape. For anyone who banks online, shops on the internet, or simply has a digital footprint, this isn’t just a bureaucratic event—it’s a timely checklist for your personal security. ...

Don’t Get Slaughtered: How to Spot a “Pig Butchering” Scam You meet someone new online. The conversation starts casually—maybe on a social media platform, a dating app, or even via a seemingly wrong-number text. They’re friendly, engaging, and share details about their successful life. Over weeks or months, a bond forms. Then, they mention an incredible, can’t-miss investment opportunity. If this sequence sounds familiar, you could be the target of a “pig butchering” scam, a devastating fraud that has prompted official warnings, including a recent consumer alert from New York Attorney General Letitia James. ...

Consumer Protection in 2026: Practical Ways to Spot Scams and Secure Your Data With National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) 2026 on the horizon this March, it’s a fitting moment to review the essentials of digital safety. The landscape of fraud constantly shifts, but the core principles of vigilance and proactive defense remain your best tools. Drawing on guidance from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other trusted sources, here’s a focused look at how to protect yourself in the coming year. ...