Recognize an FTC Impersonator

You’re not the only one getting scammy text messages about unpaid toll charges or issues with your Amazon account. Chances are your tweens and teens with phones are getting them, too. Sure, you can tell your kids to delete and never respond to unexpected texts. But if you want them to understand why, the FTC can help you make a game plan.

Using old tactics and new twists, scammers are impersonating government agencies, including the FTC, to try to steal people’s personal information and money. The FTC is committed to combatting these imposter scams, and there’s encouraging news these efforts are making a difference to American consumers.

Scammers sometimes make you think you’ve hit a stroke of good luck. But if your million-dollar cash prize letter comes with instructions to pay a small fee — maybe for taxes, reporting, or handling — it’s not luck. It’s a scam. If you pay, you’ll lose your money and find out there’s no prize. Can you spot a prize scam?