As part of National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), from March 2–8, 2025, postal inspectors are reminding consumers: Beware of the person on the other end of that digital communication — they might not be who they claim to be.
The United States Postal Inspection Service® works with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) during each annual NCPW campaign to help consumers understand their rights and avoid fraud and scams.
During the 2025 NCPW campaign, the Inspection Service and the FTC will warn consumers about “imposter scams,” designed to steal money and identity. Each of the four types of imposter scams starts with messages like, “I’m in trouble…,” “I need…,” “You’ve won!” or “I have a great offer for you!” These scammers lull consumers into a false sense of trust, gain access to privileged information, and then drain financial accounts.
But you don’t have to be a victim. If you recognize a scam, you can stop a scam.
Beware of the following four types of scams:
1. Investment Scams
Investment opportunities or “get rich quick” schemes are a favorite of fraudsters. Whether they sell bogus securities or commodities, oil wells, or gold coins, these fraudulent promoters try to get you to invest your money — and lots of it.
Even smart investors can fall for a well-orchestrated investment scam. Take the Ponzi scheme, for example. Named for Charles Ponzi, who in the early 1900s duped 30,000 Americans out of an estimated $10 million. Ponzi schemes rely on money from new investors to pay the promised returns, rather than any actual profit. Inevitably, the earnings are less than the payments, the scheme fails, and the investors lose money.
Oil and gas production and gold coin scams are other types of investment fraud. These scams use telephone solicitors and high-pressure sales tactics that promise high profits. All of these “get rich quick” schemes have one thing in common: You won’t get your money back.
PROTECT YOURSELF
To protect yourself from investment scams, do the following:
n Do your research.
n Independently verify promises of profitability. Never invest solely on what you read in one source of information. Check out the reputation of any company with the Better Business Bureau or your state’s Office of the Attorney General.
n Watch out for high-pressure sales pitches.
n That “once in a lifetime” chance is probably too good to be true.
n Remember, there are no guarantees.
n Investing in oil, gas, or gold can be risky, and return on a legitimate investment is never promised.
2. Grandparent Scams
Have you ever received a frantic call from someone posing as your grandchild? Scammers will call or email grandparents and, while pretending to be their grandchild, make urgent requests for the following:
n Bail money,
n Lawyer’s fees,
n Hospital bills, or
n Other fictitious expenses.
To make the story seem plausible, the scammer will add details about how, what, or where the emergency happened, or tell you that a third person, such as a lawyer, doctor, or police officer, will “explain everything to you” if you call him or her. Once the money is sent, the scammers bolt, and the grandparent loses hundreds, even thousands of dollars.
PROTECT YOURSELF
To protect yourself from these types of scams, do the following:
n Verify the story before sending money.
n Before sending any money, verify the details of the story with the relative that the scam artist is claiming to be.
n Be suspicious of urgent requests.
n The scammers’ preferred methods of payment are wire transfers or reloadable prepaid credit cards. Be suspicious of any urgent requests to wire money or provide credit card numbers over the phone.
n Be wary of late-night calls.
n Remember, scammers may call late at night to confuse their potential victims.
n Think before acting.
n Don’t be quick to act; be quick to think.
Unfortunately, the Internet, social media, and dating websites are perfect for tricking susceptible consumers into romantic relationships. Anyone who is socially isolated is susceptible to this scam. Scammers will pretend to be interested in an unwitting person and, after building a rapport, ask them to send money or to cash a check or money order. Often, the scammers create urgency by claiming to have a medical emergency or promising to come to the U.S. to be with that person—just as long as a check or money order is sent to cover expenses. None of their stories are true.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Do the following to protect yourself from romance scams:
n With any Internet-based relationship, keep your personal details to yourself.
n Next, do a quick Google search of the other person’s name and the town they claim to be living in.
n From there, proceed slowly and look for any inconsistencies in the other person’s profile and the information they share.
n Keep conversations on an official dating site’s platform.
n Apply the brakes if your new friend pushes to take the conversation to private email.
n If your new love interest begins to ask for money to visit you, or for any emergent need: Stop.
n This is a red flag that you may have encountered a romance scammer.
You’ve Won! A familiar phrase, filled with excitement. However, that joy will be short-lived if you fall victim to a lottery or sweepstakes scam. Lottery and sweepstakes offers are designed to pull you in with the excitement of a “big win,” but all these offers are worth nothing more than the ink on the paper you received in the mail, or the time you spent on the phone with the scammer. If you have to pay to play, it’s a scam.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Do the following to protect yourself from foreign lottery and sweepstakes offers:
n Never pay to win.
n A sweepstakes contest you pay to enter is considered an illegal sweepstakes. Don’t pay to enter or to win.
n Avoid foreign sweepstakes.
n If a lottery or sweepstakes is based in another country and conducted through the mail, it’s illegal.
n Don‘t give out financial information.
n Never give out personal financial information such as bank accounts or credit card numbers to enter a sweepstakes contest.
n Don‘t feel pressured.
n Take your time when deciding to enter a contest, making a purchase, or giving a donation.
Remembering these tips will help you identify a scammer and put a stop to their web of lies. For more information on fraud prevention and tips, go to uspis.gov/ncpw-2025.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud or any crime related to the U.S. Mail, report it at uspis.gov/report, or call 877-876-2455.
— Communications, Governance, and Strategy,
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, 2-20-25
