How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams | Consumer Advice How To Recognize Phishing Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts Or they could sell your information to other scammers Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful
Don’t take the bait on phishing scams | Consumer Advice If you clicked on a link in an unexpected email, update your security software and run a scan to look for viruses and malware Then report the phishing scam Tell the FTC at ReportFraud ftc gov, forward suspicious texts to SPAM (7726), and forward suspicious emails to ReportPhishing@apwg org Comments closed
Protect yourself from phishing scams | Consumer Advice Do you feel like you’re getting more emails from strangers than messages from people you actually know? These unexpected messages are often phishing scams trying to steal your money and personal information FTC data shows that email was the top method scammers used to contact people in 2024 To help you avoid these scams, here’s what to know
Phishing Scams | Consumer Advice The FTC is getting reports about a new phishing scam that looks a lot like the CAPTCHA requests you might be used to seeing Real CAPTCHAs give you image- or text-based tasks to prove you’re not a robot — something like typing letters and numbers exactly as they appear, or matching pictures of things like fire hydrants or traffic lights
Dealing with spam texts, emails, and junk mail | Consumer Advice Scammers send phishing texts and emails that look legit to trick you into giving them personal or financial information Legit companies might send mail that you just don’t want — things like magazines, catalogs, or prescreened offers of credit and insurance While these aren’t necessarily scams, they can pile up quickly
Phishing | Consumer Advice In fact, FTC data shows reports of more than $7 9 billion in losses to investment scams, with a median individual loss of more than $10,000 in 2025 Do you know how to spot and avoid investment scams? What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams
Phishing scams can be hard to spot | Consumer Advice Here’s how to avoid these phishing scams Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment Maybe it’s an unexpected email or text message pretending to be from a company you know or trust, like a utility company asking you to make a payment
Scammers are delivering phishing messages this holiday season During the holiday season, you might expect to get more deliveries Some might even be surprise gifts Scammers are counting on that when they send fake delivery notifications to you by email and text, hoping you’ll click Here’s how to spot these scams
How To Get Less Spam in Your Email | Consumer Advice How To Get Fewer Spam Emails Use an email filter Check your email account to see if it has a tool to filter out unwanted emails or to funnel them into a junk email folder Many email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo) have strong spam filters turned on by default But there are ways to make them work even better