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While die-hard fans are preparing to support their countrymen, scammers are looking to take advantage of the rush for tickets. Learn how to make your World Cup experience scam free. [View all Consumer Alerts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts) [Get Consumer Alerts](https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFTCCONSUMER/subscriber/qualify) - Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items ## Credit, Loans, and Debt Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. 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[View Jobs and Making Money](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money) ## Video ## Topics ## Topics - [Money-Making Opportunities and Investments](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money/money-making-opportunities-and-investments) - [Jobs](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money/jobs) - [Education and Training](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money/education-and-training) ## Consumer Alerts ### [Protecting franchisees: The FTC’s case against Xponential Fitness](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/03/protecting-franchisees-ftcs-case-against-xponential-fitness) March 18, 2026 BCP Staff If you’re thinking about opening a franchise, you’re probably looking for things like name recognition, training, and support to help you grow your business. What you’re probably not looking for is for a franchisor to mislead you about the risks and costs of opening a franchise. That’s exactly what the FTC alleges Xponential Fitness, one of the world’s largest franchisors of boutique fitness studios, did to prospective franchisees. [View all Consumer Alerts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts) [Get Consumer Alerts](https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFTCCONSUMER/subscriber/qualify) - Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items ## Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. [View Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/unwanted-calls-emails-and-texts) ## Video ## Topics ## Topics - [Unwanted Calls](https://consumer.ftc.gov/unwanted-calls-emails-and-texts/unwanted-calls) - [Unwanted Emails, Texts, and Mail](https://consumer.ftc.gov/unwanted-calls-emails-and-texts/unwanted-emails-texts-and-mail) ## Consumer Alerts ### [How to handle unexpected calls about unclaimed funds](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/03/how-handle-unexpected-calls-about-unclaimed-funds) March 30, 2026 BCP Staff Did you get a call or text saying you’re eligible for thousands of dollars in unclaimed property? Don’t get excited yet. It might be a scammer looking to steal your money or personal information. Here’s how to avoid that scam — and find out if a government agency has money, stocks, or another asset that belongs to you. 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[View Identity Theft and Online Security](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security) ## Video ## Topics ## Topics - [Identity Theft](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/identity-theft) - [Online Privacy and Security](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/online-privacy-and-security) - [Protecting Kids Online](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/protecting-kids-online) ## Consumer Alerts ### [Could that mortgage relief offer be a scam?](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/04/could-mortgage-relief-offer-be-scam) April 2, 2026 BCP Staff Life happens and sometimes you end up with trouble paying your mortgage. Maybe you were affected by a natural disaster, lost your job, or got stuck with a bunch of medical bills after an illness. Then, suddenly, you get an unexpected call offering you mortgage relief. But could it be a scam? [View all Consumer Alerts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts) [Get Consumer Alerts](https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFTCCONSUMER/subscriber/qualify) - [Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams) - [Search](https://consumer.ftc.gov/search) Show/hide Search menu items - [Español](https://consumidor.ftc.gov/) - [Report Fraud](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/) - [Read Consumer Alerts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts) - [Get Consumer Alerts](https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFTCCONSUMER/subscriber/new?topic_id=USFTCCONSUMER_8) - [Visit ftc.gov](https://ftc.gov/) ## CFG: Main Navigation - [Shopping and Donating](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-donating) Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items - [Shopping](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/shopping) - [For the Home](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/for-the-home) - [Health](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/health) - [Funerals](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/funerals) - [Buying and Owning a Car](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/buying-and-owning-car) - [Donating to Charity](https://consumer.ftc.gov/shopping-and-donating/donating-charity) - [Credit, Loans, and Debt](https://consumer.ftc.gov/credit-loans-debt) Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items - [Credit and Debt](https://consumer.ftc.gov/credit-loans-and-debt/credit-and-debt) - [Loans and Mortgages](https://consumer.ftc.gov/credit-loans-and-debt/loans-and-mortgages) - [Jobs and Making Money](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-making-money) Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items - [Money-Making Opportunities and Investments](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money/money-making-opportunities-and-investments) - [Jobs](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money/jobs) - [Education and Training](https://consumer.ftc.gov/jobs-and-making-money/education-and-training) - [Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts](https://consumer.ftc.gov/unwanted-calls-emails-texts) Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items - [Unwanted Calls](https://consumer.ftc.gov/unwanted-calls-emails-and-texts/unwanted-calls) - [Unwanted Emails, Texts, and Mail](https://consumer.ftc.gov/unwanted-calls-emails-and-texts/unwanted-emails-texts-and-mail) - [Identity Theft and Online Security](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-online-security) Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items - [Identity Theft](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/identity-theft) - [Online Privacy and Security](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/online-privacy-and-security) - [Protecting Kids Online](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/protecting-kids-online) - [Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams) Show/hide Scams menu items - [Gift Card Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/gift-card-scams) - [Government and Business Impersonators](https://consumer.ftc.gov/government-business-impersonators) - [Phone Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/phone-scams) - [Romance Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/romance-scams) - [Scams Against Immigrants](https://consumer.ftc.gov/all-scams/scams-against-immigrants) - [Scams Against Older Adults](https://consumer.ftc.gov/all-scams/scams-against-older-adults) - [Scams Against Small Businesses](https://consumer.ftc.gov/all-scams/scams-against-small-businesses) - [Wire Transfer Scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/all-scams/wire-transfer-scams) # New crypto payment scam alert By Cristina Miranda Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC []()[]()[]() There's a new spin on scammers asking people to pay with cryptocurrency. It involves an [impersonator](https://consumer.ftc.gov/imposters), a QR code, and a trip to a store (directed by a scammer on the phone) to send your money to them through a cryptocurrency ATM. It works like this: someone might call pretending to be from the government, law enforcement, or a local utility company. Maybe a romantic interest you met online calls, or someone calls to say you’ve won the lottery or a prize. They’ll wind up asking you for money. If you believe the story they tell and you seem willing to engage, they’ll stay on the phone to direct you to withdraw money from your bank, investment, or retirement accounts. Then they’ll tell you to go to a store with a cryptocurrency ATM (and they’ll stay on the phone the whole time). Once you’re there, they’ll direct you to insert your money into the ATM and buy cryptocurrency. Here’s where the QR code comes in: they send you a QR code with their address embedded in it. Once you buy the cryptocurrency, they have you scan the code so the money gets transferred to them. But then your money is gone. Here’s the main thing to know: nobody from the government, law enforcement, utility company, or prize promoter will ever tell you to pay them with cryptocurrency. If someone does, it’s a scam, every time. Any unexpected tweet, text, email, call, or social media message — particularly from someone you don’t know — asking you to pay them in advance for something, including with cryptocurrency, is a scam. If you spot something like this, tell the FTC right away at [ReportFraud.ftc.gov](http://www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/). And to learn more about avoiding cryptocurrency scams, visit [ftc.gov/cryptocurrency](https://consumer.ftc.gov/www.ftc.gov/cryptocurrency). 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There's a new spin on scammers asking people to pay with cryptocurrency. It involves an [impersonator](https://consumer.ftc.gov/imposters), a QR code, and a trip to a store (directed by a scammer on the phone) to send your money to them through a cryptocurrency ATM. It works like this: someone might call pretending to be from the government, law enforcement, or a local utility company. Maybe a romantic interest you met online calls, or someone calls to say you’ve won the lottery or a prize. They’ll wind up asking you for money. If you believe the story they tell and you seem willing to engage, they’ll stay on the phone to direct you to withdraw money from your bank, investment, or retirement accounts. Then they’ll tell you to go to a store with a cryptocurrency ATM (and they’ll stay on the phone the whole time). Once you’re there, they’ll direct you to insert your money into the ATM and buy cryptocurrency. Here’s where the QR code comes in: they send you a QR code with their address embedded in it. Once you buy the cryptocurrency, they have you scan the code so the money gets transferred to them. But then your money is gone. Here’s the main thing to know: nobody from the government, law enforcement, utility company, or prize promoter will ever tell you to pay them with cryptocurrency. If someone does, it’s a scam, every time. Any unexpected tweet, text, email, call, or social media message — particularly from someone you don’t know — asking you to pay them in advance for something, including with cryptocurrency, is a scam. If you spot something like this, tell the FTC right away at [ReportFraud.ftc.gov](http://www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/). And to learn more about avoiding cryptocurrency scams, visit [ftc.gov/cryptocurrency](https://consumer.ftc.gov/www.ftc.gov/cryptocurrency).