Every day, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receives numerous complaints from people who have been scammed. Some of these complaints are from people who are encouraged to reveal information about their salary, benefits, tax rebate, or bank information. In order to get this information, the criminals pose as Federal government representatives and make fake letters, e-mails, phone calls or websites that look real and official.
Protect yourself from scammers by following these recommendations:
Be wary of suspicious calls. Don’t reveal personal information like your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers to people who call and tell you they work for the government. No government agency will ever call you out of the blue and ask for personal data. Sign up on the National Do Not Call Registry to stop telemarketers from contacting you.
Don’t pay money when applying for a free scholarship or grant. Government agencies will not ask for money upfront to process any grants or subsidies. These transactions are free and only official government agencies provide federal scholarships or grants.
Don’t believe false job offers. Many scammers use websites that look like they’re associated with the government to post jobs and offer guaranteed employment in exchange for money. Do not send money or reveal personal and confidential information to people who hand out brochures or study materials for job placement exams. Job applications in all government departments are free.
File a complaint. If you have been scammed or you suspect someone is committing fraud, register a complaint or get in touch with the FTC at 1-877-382-4357.
When filing a complaint you may be asked for the following information:
- Date, time and phone number of the call you received
- Name, website or email address of the organization that contacted you
- The amount of money and form of payment that the scammer requested
- Other pertinent details and information