July is Military Consumer Month 2022

FTC Consumer Alert

By Carol A. Kando-Pineda

June 28, 2022

July is Military Consumer Month. Whether you’re a new recruit, a servicemember PCS’ing with your family, or a soon-to-be veteran, the FTC wants to share some ways to steer clear of rip-offs and scammers.

If you’re preparing to leave the service, you might be looking at ways to make a living while you’re exploring new career options. Maybe you’ve arrived at a new duty station and your spouse is looking for work. Today we’re talking about how to avoid job scams and bogus money-making schemes. Here are some things to know to sidestep potential pitfalls.

• Scammers advertise jobs and business opportunities online in ads, on job sites, and social media. Search online for the name of the company or the person who’s hiring you, plus the words “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.” You might find out they’ve scammed other people.
• Honest employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. Anyone who does is a scammer. Honest employers also will never send you a check and then tell you to send them part of the money. That’s a fake check scam.
• Success stories and testimonials might not be true or typical. Glowing stories of success could be fake or misleading, and positive online reviews may have come from made-up profiles.

Take some time to talk to someone you trust about ads for jobs or business opportunity offers. And learn more at ftc.gov/incomescams.

During the month, we’ll post more consumer know-how. Share it with your family, friends, and buddies. Tell them to follow Military Consumer on Facebook and Twitter to be part of the conversation. If you spot a scam, protect the military and veteran communities by reporting it. Let the FTC know at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.