"It's not enough to stay in Washington D.C. She said issuing consumer alerts prompts a "ripple effect" in communities. "You tell us what's happening, we do something about it, we tell the public so they can protect themselves in the future," Mendez said. Mendez said the FTC has the power to investigate and shut down businesses acting in bad practice, but it can't happen without people speaking out and staying informed on what common scams look like. "That is the most that we have ever seen before," said Rosario Mendez, an attorney and senior member of the FTC's Division of Consumer and Business Education in its Bureau of Consumer Protection. According to recent data collected by the FTC, 2.4 million victims across the country lost a record $8.8 billion in 2022 - a 30 percent increase from the year prior. People are losing more money than ever from scamming. "We are able to enforce the law in ways that private lawyers cannot," Chiu said. Residents and small businesses that believe they are victims of a scam are encouraged to contact Chiu's office, as it is capable of enforcing the law despite arbitration clauses that prevent the creation of private class action lawsuits. He mentioned a lawsuit that the city filed in early March against a direct marketing company, which allegedly impersonated the government to sell workplace compliance posters. Small businesses are another common target. How to Protect Yourself From Tax Fraud and Scams, According to Cybersecurity Experts
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