Fraud Prevention

Spotting Today’s Top Scams: What the FTC Wants You to Know Every year, National Consumer Protection Week serves as a crucial reminder to review our digital habits. This March, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a timely webinar, distilling the latest scam tactics they’re seeing into essential warnings for the public. The landscape of fraud is constantly shifting, and understanding these trends is the first step in effective defense. ...

The Silent Weapon Against Scams: Why and How to Report Fraud It’s a sinking feeling—the moment you realize you’ve been targeted by a scam. Whether you lost money or simply recognized a fraudulent attempt, the immediate reactions are often anger, embarrassment, or a desire to just forget it ever happened. But there’s one crucial, empowering step that follows: reporting it. ...

New York Officials Warn of a Growing Threat: How to Lock Down Your Accounts Before It’s Too Late If you’ve ever felt a jolt of panic after seeing an unfamiliar login notification or a password reset email you didn’t request, you’re not alone. According to a recent alert from the New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection, account takeover incidents are on the rise. This isn’t just about someone hacking your social media to post spam; it’s a serious form of identity theft where criminals seize control of your email, bank, or shopping accounts to steal money and personal information. ...

The FTC Just Flagged These Rising Scams: Here’s What to Watch For Every year, National Consumer Protection Week serves as a crucial reminder to review our digital defenses. This year, a key webinar hosted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) put a spotlight on the specific scam tactics that are proving most effective—and costly—for consumers right now. The discussion moved beyond broad warnings to detail the exact methods scammers are refining. For anyone who banks online, shops on the internet, or simply uses email, understanding these trends is the first step toward avoiding them. ...

That Text About Your Parking Ticket? It Might Be a Scam. If you’ve ever hurried back to your car, heart sinking at the sight of a ticket on the windshield, you know the feeling. Now, scammers are exploiting that very anxiety through a new wave of fake parking violation notices. According to a recent consumer alert from the North Carolina Department of Justice, drivers are being targeted with deceptive texts and emails designed to steal money and personal information. While the warning originates in North Carolina, this scam is a template that can—and does—appear anywhere. ...

FTC Webinar Reveals the Current Scams You Should Watch For Staying ahead of scammers feels like a full-time job. Just as you learn to spot one scheme, another evolves to take its place. That’s why tuning into guidance from the experts isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for protecting your finances and personal information. ...

What Are “Pig Butchering” Scams, and How Can You Avoid Them? You receive a friendly, seemingly accidental message on a social platform or dating app. The person on the other end is charming, builds rapport over weeks, and gradually steers the conversation toward a “can’t-miss” investment opportunity. This is not the start of a romantic or financial success story. It is the opening act of a sophisticated financial scam known as “pig butchering.” ...

The Latest Scam Playbook and How to Shield Yourself Each year, scams grow more sophisticated, targeting our wallets and personal information through increasingly believable lies. During the recent National Consumer Protection Week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a webinar to cut through the noise and highlight the most prevalent and damaging scam trends affecting consumers right now. The insights from this session are a crucial update for anyone looking to protect themselves and their families from financial fraud. ...

Don’t Get Towed by a Fake Ticket: How to Spot a Parking Violation Scam If you’ve recently received an urgent text, email, or letter demanding payment for a parking ticket you don’t remember getting, you’re not alone. The North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) issued a consumer alert in March 2026 warning drivers about a new wave of sophisticated parking violation scams. These cons are designed to create panic and trick you into paying money or surrendering personal information to criminals. ...

That Friendly Online Investor Might Be Fattening You Up for a Slaughter You strike up a conversation with someone on a dating app, social media, or even through a seemingly wrong-number text. They’re charming, interested, and over weeks or months, a genuine connection seems to form. Eventually, the topic turns to money—specifically, an incredible investment opportunity they’ve found. They show you screenshots of their own massive profits and encourage you to join in. What begins as a small, successful test deposit can spiral into a devastating financial loss. This isn’t a bad romance or a lucky break gone wrong; it’s a sophisticated fraud known as “pig butchering.” ...