The phone rings and the caller ID says it's the sheriff's office. The voice is calm and official: you missed jury duty, there is a warrant, and you can settle it today if you pay right now. None of it is true.

On September 17 the FBI warned that this scam is surging. Since January 2025, nearly 61,000 people have reported fake calls, texts, and emails from crooks posing as police, federal agents, and government officials, with losses topping $1.6 billion. The script is always the same: a scary accusation (missed jury duty, unpaid taxes, a case with your name on it), a spoofed phone number and badge number to sell it, then a demand for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Many victims are even ordered to keep the call secret.

The rule: Real police and government agencies never call to demand payment. Not for warrants, not for jury duty, not for taxes. Hang up, look up the agency's real number yourself, and report the call at ic3.gov.

Source: FBI IC3: Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes

A farmer finds a good deal on a used tractor: a real company's name, a professional website, an official-looking invoice. The tractor does not exist.

On September 15 the FTC warned that scammers are impersonating farm equipment businesses. They run social media ads and paid search results that copy a real dealer's name and logo but swap in their own phone number and email. Ask about a machine and the paperwork arrives fast: a purchase agreement, an invoice, and a request to wire thousands of dollars. Once the money moves, the delivery excuses begin, then silence. The red flags: the seller only takes wire transfers, gift cards, or crypto; the price sits well below market; the contact info in the ad doesn't match the dealer's own website.

The rule: Find the dealer's real website yourself and call the number listed there before paying. Never wire money for equipment you haven't seen in person. A wire transfer is cash: once sent, it's gone.

Source: FTC: Scammers are impersonating farm equipment businesses

"You could earn $40,000 a year. You could replace your paycheck." That was the pitch. For most people who signed up, the real result was a loss.

On September 17 the FTC announced that Amway and two of its top promoter groups will pay $225 million, the largest amount the agency has ever recovered from a multilevel marketing company. The FTC says recruits were lured with false earnings claims, pressured to buy products they were unlikely to sell, and pushed to spend even more on training and mentorship that never paid off. The money goes back to people who lost out.

The rule: Before joining any program that asks you to buy in, ask one question in writing: what does the typical person actually earn? If the answer is a story instead of a number, walk away. Big income promises plus pressure to buy inventory is the signature of a bad deal.

Source: FTC: FTC Takes Historic Action Against Multilevel Marketing Operator Amway

Good news with a trap attached: Amazon Prime settlement refunds are getting bigger, and scammers know it.

On September 17 the FTC said payments from last year's $2.5 billion Amazon Prime settlement will be expanded and sped up. More people qualify, the cap per person rises from $51 to $200, and everything arrives automatically by PayPal, Venmo, or a mailed check. No claims, no forms, no phone calls. That last part matters, because when refunds make headlines, fake "refund helpers" start calling and emailing, asking you to verify bank details or pay a fee to release your money.

The rule: A real settlement refund never charges a fee and never calls you. The FTC says it is not contacting anyone about this money, and Amazon will never ask you to pay to get a refund. If someone does, it's a scam.

Source: FTC: FTC Announces Additional Payments to Consumers Stemming from the Amazon Prime Settlement