Each year, National Consumer Protection Week takes place as a dedicated time to inform and empower individuals about their consumer rights. It’s not just a week to promote awareness—it’s an opportunity for you to strengthen your knowledge about avoiding fraud and scams.

Scammers use various tactics to deceive people and steal their money or information. Their ultimate goal is to either gain access to your financial details or impersonate you to misuse your accounts. Common signs of a scam include scammers contacting you unexpectedly, creating a false sense of urgency, and telling you exactly how to pay, often through gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or payment apps—all methods that make it hard to recover your money.

 

To Protect yourself:

Avoid responding to unexpected messages asking for money or personal information.
Take your time to think and verify the situation—legitimate organizations will not pressure you.
Never agree to pay in ways scammers prefer, such as gift cards or cryptocurrency.

To report a scam to the Federal Trade Commission, visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call 1-877-382-4357.