Open enrollment for Marketplace health insurance started November 1 and runs through January 15. Your feed fills up with ads and your phone with calls. One promises full coverage for almost nothing.

On October 29 the FTC warned that some of these ads and pitches are misleading. Some promise comprehensive coverage but sell limited plans that pay for far less. Others sell medical discount cards, which are not insurance at all. Some pretend to be the government or a well-known insurer. The same day, FTC staff sent warning letters to 25 health plan marketers and lead generators, reminding them not to misstate what a plan covers or costs. The red flags: a prerecorded call about health insurance (that's illegal), an ad that looks like it comes from the government, a promise of cash or rewards for signing up, and a "plan" that turns out to be a discount card.

The rule: Start at HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. Hang up on health insurance robocalls and report them at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Source: FTC: Seeing lots of ads for health insurance plans during open enrollment? Read this

Source: FTC: FTC Staff Warn Marketers of Healthcare Plans and Lead Generators Not to Deceive Consumers About Terms

The caller says he's with a charity you've given to. Good news: your donation entered you in a sweepstakes, and you won. You just need to pay a small fee, or confirm your Social Security number, to collect.

On October 26 the FTC warned that scammers are impersonating well-known charities and sweepstakes. They use a real charity's name or one that sounds close, call you or advertise on social media, and some even buy search ads so their fake details show up near the top of your results. They can fake caller ID too, so the call may show a real organization's name. The red flags: any fee to claim a prize, a request for your Social Security number or bank details, and being told to buy something to improve your odds. Making you pay to enter or win is illegal.

The rule: Real sweepstakes are free. If you have to pay to get a prize, it's a scam. Hang up, and look up the charity yourself before you give.

Source: FTC: Spot scammers impersonating well-known charities and sweepstakes

A mailer offers a free, no-risk preview of a helpful book for seniors. Mail back the card and the book arrives. So does an invoice.

On October 28 New York Attorney General Letitia James announced refunds and $23,500 in penalties from FC&A, a Georgia publisher of self-help books for seniors. Her office found the mailers stressed "free" while the price sat in much smaller print, next to a box that was already checked. Customers then got bills for $49.68, followed by "PAST DUE!" notices with late fees unless they paid or mailed the book back at their own cost. Caregivers made more than 650 calls from 2018 to 2024 about books their loved ones didn't remember ordering. The red flags: a "free" offer with the price in fine print, pre-checked boxes, and overdue notices for something nobody remembers ordering.

The rule: Read the small print before you mail back any "free" offer. If you help a parent with their mail, watch for surprise bills. Eligible New York customers can ask FC&A for a refund before April 23, 2027.

Source: New York Attorney General: Attorney General James Secures Refunds for Seniors Misled by Free Book Scheme

You search for help after a scam, or a message sends you a link to the "FTC." The site looks official. It isn't.

On October 29 the FTC said domain registrars took down 19 websites pretending to be the FTC after the agency flagged them. The fake addresses looked close to the real thing, like FTC-help.com, FTC-Complaints.org, federaltradecommission.net, and even a look-alike copy of the FTC's fraud reporting site hosted somewhere else. The FTC also said imposter scams have been the top reported type of fraud for several years. The red flags: a web address that doesn't end in ftc.gov, and any "FTC" site, call, or message that asks for money, makes threats, or promises a prize.

The rule: The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Type ftc.gov or ReportFraud.ftc.gov into your browser yourself instead of clicking a link.

Source: FTC: FTC Highlights Efforts to Combat Imposter Scams and Protect Consumers