Online Scam Awareness, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, PA (2026)

08/21/2025

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬

If you feel like you get more than your share of unwanted calls, you’re not alone. To slow down these persistent calls — some of which lead straight to scams — take a few simple steps.

Register your phone number for free in the National Do Not Call Registry. Registering will likely cut down how many unwanted calls you get. Unfortunately, it won’t stop calls from scammers to your home and mobile phone — and there are still organizations and groups allowed to call you.

Hang up on robocalls. Getting a lot of recorded messages trying to sell you something? Odds are the calls are not legal. Don’t press any numbers or call back. Instead, hang up and report them at news-cfpb.com

Use your phone’s built-in features. Many cell phones have settings that let you block calls from specific numbers or send certain calls straight to voicemail, especially if they come from a phone number you don’t recognize.

Check call-blocking or call-labeling services. Find out what your phone company offers by contacting their customer service using a phone number or website you know is right. Watch a short video to help you block unwanted calls on your cell phone or home phone.

Research apps to filter calls before downloading. Some call-blocking apps are free, while others charge. At ctia.org, you can see wireless industry lists of call-blocking apps. See what independent experts are saying and check the ratings and reviews on your online app store before you decide on a call-blocking app.

08/19/2025

⚠️⚠️⚠️ If you ever feel something is wrong, be brave — report it. Together, we can stop scams and protect each other.

08/19/2025

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝: “𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?”

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬—𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. What may seem like innocent flirting could actually be the start of a carefully crafted “romance scam.” In recent years, victims of love scams have been reported all over the world, with total losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

One notable case involves the scam operation known as “Liar Menting Lin Bi,” which highlights crimes rooted in romance and marriage fraud. Many online scammers are carefully selected for their appearance and communication skills, then forced into participating in fraudulent activities along border areas in Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar.

An investigative report by BBC International exposed the inner workings of such scams, including an exclusive interview with a former insider who revealed some of the most common tactics used to manipulate and trap victims.

These organized scams, often disguised as “travel recovery scams,” are essentially romance scams. Scammers contact their victims and, once they establish a relationship, use various unethical methods to get more money out of them.

𝐀 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦” 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞

Romance scams are one of the most widespread and deceptive types of online fraud today. Scammers exploit victims’ longing for love and emotional connection to carry out sophisticated financial traps.

Criminal groups often create fake social media profiles using stolen photos and made-up identities. They target individuals based on specific traits or interests. These scammers spend weeks—or even months—building trust with victims through constant communication, sweet talk, and empty promises, creating strong emotional dependence.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:

Fake emergencies requiring urgent financial help
Investment “opportunities” promising high returns
Requests for travel expenses to finally meet in person
Claims of being detained and needing bail money

𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟:

Be cautious with online relationships, especially if you’ve never met in person
Watch out for people who fall in love too quickly or move the relationship forward too fast
Never send money to someone you’ve only met online
Use reverse image search to verify if their profile photo is stolen
Talk to friends or family about your interactions and get a second opinion
Remember: Real love doesn’t come with a price tag. If you suspect you’re being targeted by a romance scam, stop all communication immediately and report it to the proper authorities.

08/19/2025

The Everyday Service Scam You Didn’t See Coming

08/18/2025

Awareness of Internet Romance and Marriage Fraud

08/18/2025

Beware of Online Identity Fraud

08/18/2025

Beware of telecommunications fraud

08/18/2025

𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞?

Imagine getting a call out of the blue, and the caller insists you owe money and threatens that you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay immediately. You have no idea what they’re talking about. What should you do?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that Global Circulation, Inc. (operating under names like Consumer Impact Recovery and Total Mediation Solutions) used illegal threats like this to scam thousands of people into paying debts they didn’t owe, totaling up to $9.6 million. As part of a settlement with the FTC, GCI will be banned from engaging in debt collection activities.

Here’s what you need to know:

Debt collectors cannot harass, lie, or treat you unfairly.

If you receive a call from a debt collector:

Know that you cannot be arrested or jailed for failing to pay a bill. There is a legal process for wage garnishment to settle debts. If the person contacting you says otherwise, it’s a warning sign that they may not be legitimate.
Before agreeing to pay anything, always ask for “verification” to ensure you actually owe the debt and that the amount is correct. If you still don’t recognize the debt — or if the amount seems wrong — you can dispute it by writing to the debt collector and requesting verification.
Remember, you have rights. If you feel the call is fraudulent or unfair, you have every right to question the legitimacy of the claim and take action to protect yourself.

08/18/2025

𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦

Scammers are still pretending to be police officers, calling you to say you’ve missed jury duty and need to pay a fine. But now, some of them are taking it a step further, directing you to fake websites to enter your personal information — all to steal your money and data.

Here’s how the scam works:

It begins with a call that seems to come from a local police officer (but it’s not). They claim you missed jury duty (even though you probably didn’t) and threaten to arrest you unless you visit a website to pay the fine (which isn’t real).

The website looks official, with a URL that sounds legitimate and a government seal that appears authentic (but it’s all fake). The site will ask for your date of birth and Social Security number to “check the amount you owe.” They may demand you pay up to $10,000 on the site or direct you to a “government kiosk” (which doesn’t exist) to pay with cryptocurrency. But all of this is a scam.

Here’s what you need to know:

Real law enforcement officers will never call you and threaten arrest if you hang up. Even if the caller ID looks like it’s from your local police department, scammers can fake this too.
Only scammers will insist that you can only pay with cash, gift cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram.
If you get a call like this, just hang up.
Don’t fall for it — protect your personal information and your money!

08/18/2025

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦: 𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭?

It’s likely that you’ve received a scam message about unpaid toll fees, or maybe you know someone who has. Scammers are now taking things even further by impersonating the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from states across the country. They claim you have an “overdue traffic ticket” and threaten to suspend your driving privileges (among other penalties) if you don’t pay. Here’s how this scam works:

You receive an unexpected message that looks like it’s from your state’s DMV, stating that you have an overdue traffic ticket. The message may include a link for payment and warns that if you don’t pay immediately, they will report you to the “DMV violation database,” suspend your vehicle registration, driver’s license, and driving rights, and even charge you an additional 35% service fee. The message might also threaten prosecution or damage to your credit score — but all of this is a scam designed to steal your money and personal information.

How to Avoid Falling for This Scam:

Don’t click on any links in strange messages or respond to them. Scammers want you to react quickly and provide personal information before you realize it’s a scam. Take a moment to pause and discuss the message with someone you trust.
If you’re concerned, contact your DMV directly. Use a phone number or website that you know is legitimate — not the contact info in the message. This way, you can verify if there is any actual issue with your account.
By staying alert and cautious, you can avoid falling victim to this type of scam.

03/15/2025

𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

The FBI warns the public about criminals targeting US stock investors through social media platforms and messaging service applications (apps). The scheme, known as a "ramp-and-dump" stock manipulation, targets US investors through online engagement, often via social media advertisements or messages promoting an "investment club" of fellow investors, some of which may be bots or fake accounts. These promotions typically direct victims to secure messaging apps where the group operates. To appear credible, perpetrators may impersonate legitimate brokerage firms or well-known stock analysts. They secretly control a large volume of a low-priced stock and coordinate efforts to inflate its price ("ramp up") by encouraging investment club members to purchase shares over a period of several weeks or months. Once the price is artificially elevated, the criminals sell off ("dump") their shares at a profit, leaving unsuspecting investors with significant losses as the stock value collapses.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 "𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐩-𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐝𝐮𝐦𝐩" 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝

So far in 2025, the FBI has seen at least a 300 percent increase in victim complaints referencing ramp-and-dump stock fraud from 2024. Investors can protect themselves from potential ramp-and-dump schemes by recognizing the following indicators:

Unsolicited investment tips received via "accidental" text messages or social media advertisements linking to online investment clubs, often hosted on secure messaging apps;
Claims from well-known financial advisors or wealth managers offering exclusive stock recommendations through these online clubs;
Pressure to act quickly based on a supposed market-moving event — such as a company breakthrough, new technology, or government approval; and,
Urgent pitches to purchase low-priced stocks in new or emerging companies, often paired with promises of dramatic price increases or guarantees to cover any investor losses.
If anyone requests your personal information, access to your financial account(s), or offers a financial benefit in exchange for sharing your information or opening an account, consider this a red flag; your information could be used to open an account through which another party can engage in manipulative activity.

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝

The CFPB Internet Crime Complaint Center confirms a sharp increase in complaints this past year referencing investment club fraud schemes or ramp-and-dump stock manipulation schemes. The CFPB requests investors who suspect they have been victimized by investment fraud to report the incident to the CFPB at news-cfpb.com as soon as possible.

11/09/2024

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬

In response to the devastating floods in Central Texas, many people are looking for ways to give and receive help. Unfortunately, scammers are also trying to exploit people’s goodwill. So, how can you ensure your donation goes to the right people in need and not into the hands of fraudsters?

Donate to charities you know and trust that have a proven track record in disaster response.
Before donating, do your own research on the charity — especially if the donation request was posted on social media. Check the charity’s information on Give.org from the Better Business Bureau or Charity Watch. Make sure you understand how your donation will directly benefit those the charity is committed to helping.
Avoid donating to anyone who asks for payment in cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. These are common methods used by scammers to receive funds. If you decide to donate, paying by credit card offers better protection.
Be cautious when donating to individuals via crowdfunding sites. Keep in mind that donations raised through a crowdfunding campaign typically go to the campaign organizer, not directly to the people or cause it’s intended to support. Review the platform’s policies — do they have measures in place to verify posts requesting disaster relief? And remember, donations made through crowdfunding platforms are not tax-deductible.
Verify phone numbers before texting to donate. If someone asks you to donate via text, call the number listed on the charity’s official website to confirm you’re using the correct number for donations.
By taking these precautions, you can help ensure your contribution goes to those who need it most, without falling victim to fraud.

Online Scam Awareness

08/21/2025

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