Your phone rings. The caller says he's with the Federal Trade Commission, reads you a badge number, and says your phone number was used to register a phone tied to scams in another country. Cooperate, he says, or your number gets shut off.

On October 22 the FTC warned that this call is a scam. Next, the caller transfers you to a "police officer" to file a report, or tells you to look up a police department's number yourself. Whoever answers is part of the scam. They ask for your ID and tell you to keep it all secret. Later they say you're under arrest and must travel abroad, unless you pay a "security deposit." The red flags: a threat to cut off your phone, a demand for secrecy, a photo of an ID texted to you, and any request for money.

The rule: Hang up. The real FTC never threatens to disconnect your phone, never asks you to keep a call secret, and never asks you to send money. Report the call at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Source: FTC: The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number

A caller says he's from your bank or credit card company. He can cut your debt by 75 percent or more. You just need to pay a fee first.

On October 14 a federal court, at the FTC's request, permanently banned the operators of Accelerated Debt Settlement and related companies from the debt relief business, with a $106.8 million judgment against the companies. The FTC says the operation targeted seniors and veterans, posed as banks, credit card companies, and government agencies, found people through phone calls, mailers, and online ads, and charged illegal upfront fees. The red flags: a caller who claims to be your bank but called you first, a promise to erase most of your debt, and any fee charged before your debt is actually settled.

The rule: Hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Real help with debt never starts with a fee paid up front. Report debt relief calls at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Source: FTC: Court Permanently Shuts Down Illegal Debt Relief Operation Following FTC Allegations

Need a passport for a holiday trip? You search "passport renewal," click the top result, and pay. What you bought may be a form you could have filled out for free.

On October 22 the FTC sued GovAssist, Entry, and their owner, Scott Zuckerman. The FTC says paid search ads put GovAssist.com, Entry.com, and IVS.us at the top of passport searches, where they looked connected to the State Department. They advertised $89, but the FTC says the lowest real price was $148, and buyers still had to pay the government's passport fee on top. The sites also promised faster service than the State Department itself offers, backed by fake reviews. These are allegations, and a court will decide the case.

The rule: Apply or renew only through the State Department at travel.state.gov, typed in yourself. The top search result is often an ad, not the official site.

Source: FTC: FTC Sues Perpetrators of Government Impersonation Scheme Over Deceptive Ads, Misleading Promises and Fake Reviews

The invitation comes from someone you trust, like a friend from church or a member of your WhatsApp group. Join this crypto fund, they say. It pays a little every week, and you get a bonus for bringing others in.

On October 22 New York Attorney General Letitia James announced nearly $6 million from four promoters of NovaTech and AWS Mining, crypto companies her office says ran a pyramid scheme. Promoters recruited through prayer groups, WhatsApp chats, and social media, often in Haitian Creole with religious messages. Investors put in more than $1 billion in crypto, but less than $26 million was ever traded. When NovaTech collapsed in 2023, tens of thousands of people couldn't get their money out. The red flags: steady weekly or monthly returns, bonuses for recruiting, and licenses you can't verify.

The rule: Real investments don't promise steady returns or pay you to recruit. Look up any seller at investor.gov before you invest, even when a friend sent the link.

Source: New York Attorney General: Attorney General James Secures Nearly $6 Million From Crypto Scammers Who Targeted Haitian Communities