April 10, 2025
By BCP Staff
Kids and video games often go together like peanut butter and jelly. Here’s something else that goes along with some video games: Ads competing for your kid’s attention at every stage of their video game-playing experience — while they look for video games on the app store, while they select and download games, and during gameplay. Learn how to deal with ads that encourage kids to spend money — sometimes without your knowledge or approval.
Some kids’ video games say they’re ad free…but they’re not. Next thing you know, your kid starts seeing ads for things to buy to unlock additional game features. Or maybe you pay for a game subscription thinking it’ll give your kid full access to the game. Except while playing the game, they see ads for parts of the game they can only get to if they click. What the game might not make clear? Each click is a payment.
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April 2, 2025
Alert Number: I-040225-PSA
The FBI is warning the public about criminal actors stealing US taxpayer identities to file false tax returns and fraudulently claim refunds. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has received over 1,000 complaints about identity theft in connection with tax returns within the past year representing a 26% increase from the previous year. Stolen refunds are often redirected by criminal actors to accounts or addresses they control, including bank accounts, prepaid debit cards, mail drops and/or third-party accounts.
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April 3, 2025
By BCP Staff
Online search results can offer significant benefits to consumers, helping people find what they’re looking for. But online search results are also used by scammers to steer you in the wrong direction.
In fact, scammers sometimes use paid search results to trick you. They might use another company’s name, include the name of a government service, or use misleading tag lines to make you think you’re dealing with someone else. They might even put their number alongside a trusted company’s name or link to a website that looks official to steer you away from the business or government agency you were looking for. Their goal is to get your money or your personal or financial information to steal your identity.
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Online Safety and Privacy
You can protect your online accounts with more than just a password.
Multifactor authentication (MFA) adds another layer of protection—think of it like securing your front door with both a deadbolt and a keypad lock. MFA is a simple, effective way to keep hackers out, even if they manage to get your password.
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Online Safety and Privacy
Cybercriminals love to go phishing, but you don't have to get hooked.
Phishing is when cybercriminals use emails, social media posts, or direct messages to trick you into clicking harmful links or downloading malicious files. Phishing is a common "social engineering" attack in which a hacker attempts to deceive you instead of directly attacking your system. Falling for a phishing scam can expose your personal information, like passwords or credit card numbers, and can even result in cybercriminals installing malware on your device.
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Online Safety and Privacy
Keeping your information private is a challenge, and in many cases, you might not have a choice. But there are tech tools now available that are in your corner. From private browsers to data removal tools and all-in-one privacy suites, these programs let you take back some control of your digital footprint.
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March 13, 2025
Scammers tell all kinds of stories to try to get your money or information. They might call, pretend to be from a government agency, and say you owe a fine. Or they may pose as a friend or love interest online who supposedly needs money for an emergency. A scammer might offer you a (fake) job, but say you need to pay a fee before you get hired. Or they might tell a different lie.
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March 6, 2025
On National Slam the Scam Day and throughout the year, recognize Social Security-related scams and stop scammers from stealing your money and personal information.
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Cybersecurity for Tax Season: Protect Your Identity and Refund
Tax season brings enough stress without adding scammers to the mix. But the reality is that criminals ramp up attacks in the first few months of the year, often impersonating the IRS or trusted services like H&R Block and TurboTax.
By adopting smart security habits, you can protect your data and ensure your tax refund goes where it belongs—your bank account.
Essential cybersecurity tips for tax season
1. File your taxes early.
Here's our top tip for tax time cybersecurity: file your taxes as soon as possible. Filing quickly reduces the risk of tax fraud. A common scam is for criminals to try to submit fraudulent tax returns using stolen Social Security numbers to claim refunds. Employers must send out W-2s and 1099 forms by January 31, so once you have your documents, don’t delay. If a criminal files before you do, reclaiming your refund is a lengthy and stressful process. If you are in this situation, contact the IRS as soon as possible.
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Online Safety and Privacy
Online scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting people of all ages. But with some knowledge, you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
Scammers stay scamming
Preventing a scam is easier than getting money back after a scam. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most common scams out there today:
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After extreme weather and disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes, you might need to quickly hire someone for rebuilding or repairs. Before you do, know how to avoid unlicensed contractors and scammers that promise to help, but leave you worse off.
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You want your donations to count, so it’s important to do some research before giving to a charity. Here are some things you can do to learn more about a charity and avoid donating to a scam.
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If it’s not scammers spamming your phone with texts or filling up your inbox with emails, it’s your mailbox crammed with ads and other mail you didn’t ask for. The junk messages and mail might seem endless, but there are some ways to help scale it back.
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January 17, 2025
Andrew Rayo, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Whether you’ve driven through a toll recently or not, you might’ve gotten a text saying you owe money for unpaid tolls. It’s probably a scam. Scammers are pretending to be tolling agencies from coast to coast and sending texts demanding money. Learn how the scam works so you can avoid it.
You get a text out of the blue that says you have unpaid tolls and need to pay immediately. The scammy text might show a dollar amount for how much you supposedly owe and include a link that takes you to a page to enter your bank or credit card info — but it’s a phishing scam. Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info (like your driver’s license number) — and even steal your identity.
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January 27 – 31, 2025
Data Privacy Week is an international effort to empower individuals and businesses to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust.
2025 Theme
You have the power to take charge of your data. This is why we are excited to celebrate Data Privacy Week 2025 with the theme:
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Online Safety and Privacy
You can be a target of credit card skimming when you least expect it.
One moment, you might be filling up on gas or withdrawing some cash from an ATM. You go about your day but later learn that criminals stole your card details and are racking up charges. While card technologies are improving, we must stay informed about the latest credit card scams, because scammers always look for ways to overcome security improvements.
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December 11, 2024
Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Scammers love a good disguise. One day they show up texting you about a delivery you missed, the next they say you need to sort an issue with your Netflix account. Here’s how to avoid these phishing scams.
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. Maybe it’s an unexpected email or text message pretending to be from a company you know or trust, like a utility company asking you to make a payment. Or maybe it’s an unexpected party invitation that looks like it’s from a friend or family member.
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December 4, 2024
Online Safety and Privacy
Gift cards make for easy, versatile gifts, especially during the busy holiday season. But they’re also prime targets for scammers who use "gift card draining" to steal funds before the recipient can even use the card. Let’s break down how these scams work and how you can stay safe.
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Online Safety and Privacy
Online shopping may be convenient but it can present many opportunities for scammers and cybercriminals.
For many people, online shopping is simply “shopping.” Who can resist one-click ordering and next-day delivery? However, bad actors and cybercriminals may try to trick consumers into paying for goods that don’t exist or seek to capture personal information for financial gain.
You don’t need to abandon your cart, though. With some simple preventative measures, you can enjoy your online shopping spree with peace of mind.
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December 3, 2024
Alert Number: I-120324-PSA
The FBI is warning the public that criminals exploit generative artificial intelligence (AI) to commit fraud on a larger scale which increases the believability of their schemes. Generative AI reduces the time and effort criminals must expend to deceive their targets. Generative AI takes what it has learned from examples input by a user and synthesizes something entirely new based on that information. These tools assist with content creation and can correct for human errors that might otherwise serve as warning signs of fraud. The creation or distribution of synthetic content is not inherently illegal; however, synthetic content can be used to facilitate crimes, such as fraud and extortion.1 Since it can be difficult to identify when content is AI-generated, the FBI is providing the following examples of how criminals may use generative AI in their fraud schemes to increase public recognition and scrutiny.
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December 2, 2024
Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
During the holiday season, you might expect to get more deliveries. Some might even be surprise gifts. Scammers are counting on that when they send fake delivery notifications to you by email and text, hoping you’ll click. Here’s how to spot these scams.
You get an email or text and it says you missed the delivery. Or it might say your item can’t be delivered because you need to update your street address or zip code. Sometimes these scammers create a sense of urgency by saying if you don’t respond right away, they'll return your package to the sender. The scammers say both of these issues can easily be fixed: just click on a link.
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November 26, 2024
Amy Hebert, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
There’s no shortage of good causes to donate to this holiday season. But before you give somewhere new, make sure you’re not donating to a scam.
Scammers are pros at tricking people into donating. They’ll often even use names that sound a lot like other charities you’ve heard of to get your money. Here’s how to make sure your money is going to support the cause you care about:
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November 1, 2024
Before you buy something online, shop around and check out sellers and products. Also, keep records of purchases, like receipts and emails, to make sure you’re able to hold a seller to its promises.
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October 29, 2024
Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Hackers target your email and social media accounts to steal your personal information. Like your username and password, bank or credit card account numbers, or Social Security number. If they get it, they use it to commit identity theft, spread malware, or scam other people. So, what are signs that someone hacked your account, and how can you recover a stolen account?
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September 11, 2024
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an international initiative that educates everyone about
online safety and empowers individuals and businesses to protect their data from cybercrime.
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September 11, 2024
Imagine carrying a written copy of all your conversations with you everywhere you went. Or copies of your account numbers, usernames, and passwords. Or all the photos and videos you’ve ever taken. I bet you’d do just about everything in your power to protect all that valuable information. Well, your mobile phone holds all that stuff — and maybe more. Are you doing everything in your power to keep it from ending up in the wrong hands? Here are three things you can do today to protect the personal information on your phone.
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August 15, 2024
In August 2024, a new class action lawsuit claimed that every American’s Social Security number was stolen in a data breach that occurred in April 2024.
The lawsuit says that hackers stole the personal information of 3 billion people, including every existing Social Security numbers, from background check company National Public Data (NPD). If true, this would mean every American is at risk of having their identity stolen.
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August 23, 2024
Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
We’re living in the data age. The things we do on our phones and computers, on our internet-enabled smart devices, and on websites leave a trail of our activities and our personal information. That personal information has value — not just to us, but to scammers and hackers who want to steal our identities. Here are five things you can do to keep scammers and hackers at bay.
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July 8, 2024
Terri Miller Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Did someone supposedly spot fraud or criminal activity on one of your accounts? Did they offer to help “protect” your money by moving it from your bank, investment, or retirement account? Maybe they even asked you to share a verification code? If anyone did any of those things, it’s always a scam. So, what do you do next?
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June 28, 2024
Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Some student loan debt relief companies will lie and say they’re affiliated with the Department of Education when they’re not. They want their bogus claims of “guaranteed” loan forgiveness (for a fee) to seem more legitimate (they’re not).
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Terri Miller, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
When you log into your bank or credit card account, you might get a text message or email with a verification code. You then enter it at the login screen to confirm it’s really you. That’s a form of two-factor authentication that adds a layer of security to your account — and keeps would-be scammers and hackers out.
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Colleen Tressler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Imposter scams often begin with a call, text message, or email. The scams may vary, but work the same way – a scammer pretends to be someone you trust to convince you to send them money or share personal information.
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April 16, 2024
Terri Miller, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Hearing a lot about federal student loan forgiveness in the news? You’re not alone — scammers are, too. You might get a call from someone saying they’re affiliated with Federal Student Aid (FSA) or the Department of Education. (They’re not.) They’ll say they’re following up on your eligibility for a new loan forgiveness program, and might even know things about your loan, like the balance or your account number. They’ll try to rush you into acting by saying the program is available for a limited time. But this is all a scam. What else do you need to know to spot scams like this?
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March 7, 2024
Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
One way to spot a scam is to understand its mechanics. A new and complicated scam starts with a call or text message about a suspicious charge on your Amazon account. But it’s not really Amazon. It’s a scammer with an elaborate story about fraud using your identity that ends with you draining your bank or retirement accounts.
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February 27, 2024
Cristina Miranda, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
If you’re in the checkout line with a gift card (or several) in your hand, ask yourself: is the gift card you’re buying for a gift? Or is someone on the phone with you as you’re checking out telling you what to do – like buy a gift card to pay for something and give them the numbers? Gift cards are ONLY for gifts. That means if the gift card isn’t for someone’s birthday, anniversary, or for any other gift giving reason, it’s a scam.
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February 14, 2024
Bridget Small, Consumer Education Specialist
When you have a new romance there’s so much to talk about. But if your new sweetheart only wants to talk about your money and how you should invest it, stop talking. They might be a romance scammer, like those who stole more than $1 billion from people last year. How do the scams start, and what can you do to avoid one?
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National Cybersecurity Alliance
Data privacy might seem abstract, but it couldn’t be more personal. You generate lots of data every time you access the internet, and sometimes, when you don’t – your home address, health records, and Social Security are all pieces of data. While you can’t control the fact that your data is collected, you can take charge of how and with whom you share data with in many cases.
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If you have a cell phone, you probably use it dozens of times a day to text people you know. But have you ever gotten a text message from an unknown sender? It could be a scammer trying to steal your personal and financial information. Here’s how to handle and report unwanted text messages.
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