Tag: ftc
16 articles
Impostor Scams Expose Vulnerabilities, Cost $3.5B in 2025
Impostor scams are getting more sophisticated, with personalized attacks costing Americans a staggering $3.5 billion in 2025 - triple the losses since 2020. Social media platforms have become a primary channel for these scams, with $2.1 billion lost to online impostors alone.
Amazon Fined $2.25M for Withholding Fraud Evidence
Amazon has been fined $2.25 million for allegedly blocking identity-theft victims from accessing records of fraudulent transactions, violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The company reportedly told some consumers that they couldn't access the requested records, adding to the frustration of those trying to recover from scams.
FTC Warns of $3.5 Billion Losses to Imposter Scams
The Federal Trade Commission is sounding the alarm on imposter scams, which have led to a staggering $3.5 billion in losses - nearly triple the amount reported in 2020. This pervasive form of fraud has become the most reported category, accounting for almost a third of all fraud reports filed with the FTC.
FTC to Crack Down on Deepfake Takedowns
Get ready for a major crackdown on deepfakes - starting May 19, 2026, websites and online services must swiftly remove nonconsensual deepfake media within 48 hours or face fines and FTC action. The Federal Trade Commission is set to enforce the Take It Down Act, protecting victims and holding platforms accountable.
Northrop Grumman Seeks to End FTC Firewall on Solid Rocket Motor Business
Northrop Grumman is taking a major step to boost support for critical munitions and key missile programs by petitioning the Federal Trade Commission to lift a firewall on its solid rocket motor business. By removing this 2018 restriction, Northrop Grumman aims to better serve its customers' needs as a trusted supplier.
FTC Settlement Forces Kochava to Curb Location Data Sales
Big changes are coming for Kochava, a data broker that allegedly sold precise location data from hundreds of millions of smartphones without consent - under a proposed FTC settlement, they'll need to get explicit permission from consumers before sharing their sensitive info. This move could mark a major shift in how companies handle location data sales.
FTC Bars Kochava from Selling Location Data Without Consent
The Federal Trade Commission is taking a stand against Kochava, proposing an order that would require the company to obtain explicit consent from Americans before selling their precise location data, and only use it for services they directly requested. This move aims to put an end to the sale of sensitive location information without users' knowledge or consent.
FTC Warns of $2.1 Billion Losses to Social Media Scams
Scammers are making a killing on social media, with nearly one-third of reported losses - a whopping $2.1 billion - originating from these platforms in 2025, according to the FTC. That's an eightfold increase in just five years, making social media a primary target for scammers to swindle unsuspecting consumers.
FTC Bolsters AI Efforts to Combat Deepfakes and Voice Scams
The Federal Trade Commission is stepping up its game against AI-powered scams, gearing up to enforce new laws targeting sexual deepfakes and exploring ways to shut down voice clone scams. It's a crucial move in the cat-and-mouse battle to stay ahead of tech-savvy scammers.
Republican fundraising emails: Stunning Spam Risk Exposed
Are your messages being silenced—or just snagged by Gmail’s spam filters? As the FTC probes why WinRed emails are ending up in spam while similar Democratic messages reach inboxes, deliverability experts say high-volume, “spammy” sending patterns and poor sender reputation may be to blame more than political bias.
data destruction: Must-Have Guide to Avoid Risky Fines
Upgrading hardware? Improperly decommissioned SSDs and laptops can leave recoverable data that leads to fines, lawsuits and reputational damage—follow media-specific sanitization, certified destruction and auditable disposal practices to avoid costly penalties.
Ascension ransomware: Exclusive Risky Threat Exposed
Senator Ron Wyden has asked the FTC to probe whether Microsoft’s security practices and disclosure timelines helped enable the ransomware attack on Ascension, raising a pointed question: are the companies that power our hospitals and utilities doing enough—or profiting from insecurity? This probe could reshape how regulators hold tech vendors accountable for failures that put patients and critical services at risk.
Active Directory: Risky Stunning Defaults Endanger Hospitals
When attackers used Kerberoasting to cripple Ascension, Senator Wyden warned Microsoft’s defaults may be putting patients at risk — sparking an FTC probe and a wider debate over vendor responsibility versus hospital readiness. It’s a wake-up call: better identity hygiene and safer out‑of‑the‑box settings could be the difference between uninterrupted care and real harm.
fitness call recordings: Stunning Privacy Risk
Imagine your gym keeping 1.6 million unprotected call recordings—names, payment details and even voiceprints—on an open database anyone could access. This wake‑up call shows how easily convenience becomes a privacy disaster unless companies encrypt, limit retention and lock down access now.
political fundraising emails: Must-Have Best Practices
When Gmail’s filters started sending more GOP fundraising messages to spam, regulators and campaigns cried bias — but email experts say delivery problems usually come down to technical hygiene (bad authentication, high-volume blasts, low engagement) rather than political intent. The real takeaway: campaigns can fix inbox placement by cleaning up sending practices while platforms work to be transparent and fair.
Romance fraud scheme: Stunning $100M Risky Scam
When online romance turns into a $100 million criminal scheme, four Ghana-based suspects have been extradited to the U.S., spotlighting how emotional manipulation fuels sprawling scams and why stronger international cooperation is urgently needed.