MilConsumer Blog Feed

Phishing is when someone uses fake emails or texts – or even phone calls – to get you to share valuable personal information, like account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and passwords. Scammers use this information to steal your money, your identity , or both. Scammers often use familiar company names or pretend to be someone you know. They pressure you to act now – or something bad will happen. The FTC’s infographic...

Scammers are good at what they do – and they target all of us. They hope to get people off balance just long enough to take advantage. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 122,500 reports from military consumers – including current or former servicemembers or military spouses. The reports help us track how scams evolve and how they’re affecting the military and veterans communities. If you spot a possible scam, talk about it...

Gift cards are a convenient way for scammers to steal money from you. Many different kinds of imposters ask you to pay with gift cards , and they all have an urgent need for you to send money right away. The callers will often tell you to go buy a popular gift card (like, iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon) at a particular store near you (like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, or CVS). They may even have you buy several cards at several stores. Sometimes...

If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's a robocall. Technology has made it cheap and easy for scammers to make illegal calls from anywhere in the world, and to hide from law enforcement by displaying fake caller ID information. The robovoice may claim to be a utility, a government agency, or even a foreign consulate . Don’t believe them. Imposter scams often come by illegal robocall. Here are some steps...

It's Military Consumer Month! Did you know that scammers call and pretend to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA)? They say your Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended because of suspicious activity or it being involved in a crime. The FTC’s latest Data Spotlight finds that reports about SSA imposters are surging. People told us they lost $19 million to SSA imposters in the past year. Here's what to know: Your SSN is not...

July is Military Consumer Month and a good time to focus on scams affecting military consumers. Last year, imposter scams once again topped the list of frauds that military consumers reported to the FTC. More than 36,000 servicemembers, veterans, or family members reported an imposter scam. Although only 11% of them reported losing money, their total losses to this type of scam were $34 million, with a median loss of $900. Imposter scams can take...

By October 31 , the nationwide credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – must provide free electronic credit monitoring services to active duty servicemembers serving away from their usual duty station and to National Guard members. Why might you want this service? A credit monitoring service will track activity on your credit reports at the major credit reporting agencies. It can alert you to mistakes or problems on your...

November 11 is Veterans Day, a time to commemorate former servicemembers and recognize their service to the nation. In the U.S. today, there are more than 20 million veterans. Whether they’ve been out of the service for days or decades, they can benefit from Military Consumer’s tips on managing money, avoiding scams, and making the most of their service-related benefits. Share these tips with your military and veteran networks. For those vets who...

Free credit freezes and year-long fraud alerts are here, starting September 21 st , thanks to a new federal law. Here’s what you should know: Free credit freezes Security freezes, also known as credit freezes, restrict access to your credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Starting September 21, 2018, you can freeze and unfreeze your credit file for free. You also can get a free freeze for your...

Servicemembers understand the serious responsibility of enlisting in the armed forces. But some companies may try to take advantage. If you or a loved one is visiting military recruiting websites to research or enlist , don’t get the wrong impression. Double check that the military recruiting sites you land on are official websites of the U.S. Armed Forces, not ones in disguise made to collect, and sell, your personal information . According to a...