You Got an Email from the FTC Chair? Sorry, It's a Scam

Lina Khan is the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission, the agency that leads the charge against scam artists. She’s a highly qualified and capable person and you can believe what she says.

However, you can’t believe that email you may have gotten from her – you know, the one that says the FTC wants to send you some Coronavirus relief funds. All you have to do is reply with your name, address and date of birth.

Does this sound like a scam? That’s good, because it is.

Anytime you get an email or a phone call or a tweet or any other form of communique promising you money and/or fame in exchange for your personal information, it’s a scam.

If the government wants to send you money, it already knows who you are and where you live. (It knows a lot more than that, but that’s a topic for another day).

If you receive the phony Lina Kahn email, don’t reply to it, or to any other scam email. That just confirms your email address.

Instead, forward the email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If scammers contact you by text message or phone, report that, too, to the ReportFraud page on the FTC site.)

Scammers lie and make up fake stories to rip people off. Don’t help them.