Scam Alert

Ads and websites that guarantee loans or credit cards regardless of your credit history may be tempting, but remember: Legitimate lenders never "guarantee" or say you're likely to get a loan or a credit card before you apply, especially if you have bad credit, no credit history, or a bankruptcy. Read more

If you're facing foreclosure, scammers may try to take advantage of you and falsely promise to save your home. Listen to the stories of homeowners who were deceived by foreclosure rescue scams.

Whether you’re renewing your Green Card, becoming a citizen, or trying to choose the right forms, immigration issues can be complicated. It’s important to do things right.  Use these resources to help spot and avoid scams, and find the right kind of help.

Some seasonal home improvement workers show up in your community offering roof repairs or driveway blacktop that turn out to be scams. Read more.

At one time or another, everyone has received a chain letter scam through the regular mail or in an e-mail message. Chain mail letters promise a big return on a small investment. Don’t waste your money! Chain letters are illegal and they don’t work. Read more

Your child’s personal information is protected by law. Find out how your child’s information is collected, stored and used. Ask schools and other organizations to safeguard your child’s information to help reduce your child’s risk of identity theft.

Read BBB expert advice about buying and selling and being a savvy consumer. BBB Consumer Tips provide real-time news about hot marketplace topics, from choosing the right auto insurance to picking the right wedding photographer.

With hundreds of charities, for-profit companies, and political organizations soliciting for donations, it's hard to know which are legitimate.  Learn how to handle the offers of sweepstakes, emotional appeals, and confusing or misleading information before you contribute.

Georgia wants to crack down on businesses who disguise their out-of-state location by publishing a local number in a phone directory.  Read more about what to do if this happens to you.

Be wary of ads or emails that claim you can earn a college degree based on "real life experience." Use the internet to check with the U.S. Department of Education to see if a school is accredited by a legitimate organization.

Health fraud scams fool people about products that may not be all they seem. The scams bombard us with deceptive marketing. Read this brochure to learn how to identify and avoid health fraud scams. Read more

“Spam” usually means unsolicited mass commercial email messages from a sender who doesn't have a business relationship with a recipient. The Georgia Slam Spam E-Mail Act penalizes some abuses related to spam messages.

Many exhibitors at trade shows, fairs, or home improvement seminars are professional and reputable, but some vendors may be looking for potential victims to scam. Read more about what to watch for.

Has someone offered you a job working for them from your home? Did they send you a check or money order and ask you to send money somewhere as part of the job? Sorry, it’s a scam! Watch Consumer Federation of America’s funny video to learn how it works.

You can help empower people who may be targets of fraudulent telemarketers by describing some tip-offs to rip-offs, explaining their rights, and suggesting ways they can protect themselves.

Homeowners can get helpful information about avoiding foreclosure and foreclosure "rescue" scams.

Small businesses are the targets of fraudulent or deceptive sales practices including business opportunities, office supply scams, and phony billing schemes.  This guide explains the scams and how to handle them.  

Solicitations, calls, and mail from groups that claim to be affiliated with law enforcement or fire fighters may not be related to your local police or fire organizations. Before you donate, find out who is calling, whether they're registered, and what share of your donation goes to local police or fire fighters. 

Gifting clubs are a type of fraudulent money making operation often beginning in neighborhoods, churches, or similar small communities. Gifting clubs are a type of fraudulent money making operation often beginning in neighborhoods, churches, orsimilar small communities. The Internet is also a popular place to find a gifting club classified as a business opportunity or online money-making venture. In reality, the clubs are illegal pyramid schemes. Read more

Scammers sometimes impersonate government officials to get you to send them money. No federal government agency or legitimate sweepstakes company will contact you to ask for money. And no matter what, if you have to pay, it’s not a prize. Read more.

Wisconsin law applies to contests, sweepstakes, lotteries and other promotions.  Learn which promotions are permitted in Wisconsin and how to spot scams. 

Health fraud scams target people with promises of quick and painless cures. They waste money and can lead to delay in getting the proper diagnosis and treatment. Watch this video and learn how to recognize and avoid health fraud scams.

Scam operators use the phone and direct mail to entice U.S. consumers to buy chances in high-stakes foreign lotteries. The solicitations violate U.S. law, which ban selling or buying lottery tickets from outside the U.S. by phone or mail. The FTC has words of caution about responding to a foreign lottery.

Fraudulent telemarketers based in Jamaica call people in the U.S. and say they've won a sweepstakes or foreign lottery. The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Jamaican law enforcement say most of the promotions are tricks to try and get your money The agencies are working together to stop the scams.

Wisconsin law allows additional punishment to those who take advantage of people with disabilities and people 62 and older. Read more.

Malware (short for “malicious software") includes viruses and spyware that get installed on your computer, phone, or mobile device without your consent. Criminals use malware to steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud. Read more

Scammers use all kinds of stories to try to get you to wire money.  Read these tips before you wire money for "sweepstakes prize," "mystery shopper job," or because someone claims your friend "had an emergency in another country."

The FTC created the National Do Not Call Registry to offer consumers a choice about telemarketing calls. Find answers to frequently asked questions about how the registry works and how to register your phone number(s).

Fraudsters use email, voicemail, and text messages to try and capture your personal information.  Watch for warning signs and protect your personal information.

Some scam prize offers and sweepstakes use fancy certificates, official entry numbers, or envelopes that look like telegrams to trick people into thinking they're legitimate. Despite the fancy package, these offers will cost you money. Read more.

Hunting for a house or apartment to rent can be an adventure, and a balancing act. There's a lot to consider, like size, location, move-in date, monthly rent, parking, and utility bills. The FTC wants you to know how to avoid a rental scam.

Is your investment a scam? The FINRA Investor Education Foundation’s Scam Meter will help you find out. Learn more

Unscrupulous companies may "guarantee" they can get a scholarship for a student, or will "give" them a scholarship if they pay a fee. The company may give the student nothing for the fee, or tell them they were chosen as "finalists" and must pay another fee. The FTC cautions students to watch for signs of a scam.

Often spam is promoting get rich quick schemes and questionable products. Common scams are chain letters, work at home schemes, weight loss potions, credit repair offers, advance fee loans, vacation offers, and adult entertainment. Read more

Every year, thousands of people lose money to telemarketing scams. Telephone scammers will say anything to cheat people out of their money. There are ways to hang up on these scammers before they get the best of you and your money.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office protects timeshare owners by investigating the business practices of telemarketing companies that market their advertising services to timeshare owners who want to sell or rent their timeshare interests. Read more

Whether you want to take a cruise, stay at a resort, or join a travel club, it pays to be an informed traveler Before you choose, read a company’s cancellation and refund policies, and consider whether you want travel cancellation insurance.

Scam artists use many schemes to get your money; many involve transferring money through companies like Western Union and MoneyGram. According to the Federal Trade Commission, money transfers may be useful to send funds to someone you know and trust, but they’re completely inappropriate when you’re dealing with a stranger. Read more

Ads for envelope stuffing, making craft items, government employment, secret shopper, medical billing and other business schemes promise consumers hundreds to thousands of dollars a month for an investment of a few dollars. But complaints by consumers show the result is usually the same – consumers lose their money. Read more.