Losing money to a scam hurts. What comes next can hurt more. Days or weeks later, someone reaches out: a "lawyer," a "consumer advocate," even a "government agent." Good news, they say. They found your money. There's just a small fee to release it.

On August 3 the FTC warned that scammers buy and trade lists of people who have already been defrauded, then work those lists. They ask for an upfront "retainer," "processing," or "administrative" fee, or they ask for your bank account details "to deposit your refund." Pay the fee and they disappear. Hand over your account information and you are lined up for round three.

Real refund programs never work this way. Government agencies do not charge you to return your own money, and they do not call out of the blue to offer it.

The rule: Anyone who contacts you first and wants money (or bank details) to recover your losses is a scammer. Hang up and report them at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Source: FTC: Have you lost money to a scam? Watch for scammers who say they can help

A caller says they can unlock "missing benefits," push your VA disability rating to 100%, or move your claim to the front of the line. All you have to do is pay them.

The FTC warned on July 27 that scammers are impersonating the Department of Veterans Affairs by phone, text, email, and social media, charging veterans for benefit applications that are completely free. Some promise guaranteed approval or faster processing. Nobody can deliver that. Only the VA decides eligibility, and there is no line to skip.

If you want help with a claim, use a VA-accredited representative. You can verify anyone through the VA's Accreditation Search tool, and accredited reps generally cannot charge for help with an initial claim.

The rule: Applying for VA benefits is free. Anyone who charges you to apply, or guarantees approval, is a scammer. Report them at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Source: FTC: Veterans: Don't pay to apply for VA benefits

You are online the minute tickets go on sale. Ninety seconds later: sold out. That evening, the same seats appear on a resale site at triple the price.

Part of the answer is professional ticket brokers who cheat the line. On July 27 the FTC took action against one of them, Elite Events, for buying millions of dollars worth of tickets while dodging the purchase limits that are supposed to keep seats available to regular fans. That conduct violates a federal law called the BOTS Act, and the broker is paying a $300,000 penalty.

For you, the risk is what happens next: inflated resale prices, and fake "spare tickets" from strangers on social media and marketplace sites.

The rule: Buy from the official seller or the venue's own resale exchange first. A stranger's ticket that can only be paid for by app, wire, or gift card is not a ticket. It's a scam.

Source: FTC: FTC Takes Action Against Elite Events for Bypassing Ticket Purchase Limits

Open your junk text folder and you'll see the greatest hits: a package that needs a "redelivery fee," an unpaid toll, a friendly "wrong number" hello that wants to chat.

In a July 30 alert, the FTC said text messages are now the number one way scammers reach people, and imposter scams (someone pretending to be a company or agency you trust) are the top fraud it tracks. The endings all match: a demand to pay by bank transfer, crypto, a payment app, or gift cards.

The FTC's best defense is refreshingly low-tech: talk about scams with your friends and family. A scam someone has heard described is a scam they can spot.

The rule: Never reply to an unexpected text and never tap its link. If it claims to be your bank, USPS, or a toll agency, contact them through a number or website you know is real. Then tell someone about it.

Source: FTC: Talk to your friends and family to fight fraud