Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Federated Realty LLC, also known as Federa, is accused of being a scam after a user lost $12,000 in a house bid and has been unable to recover the deposit. Complaints have been filed with multiple agencies including BBB, Florida Attorney General, and FTC, with DBPR currently investigating. The user warns others to check reviews before participating in Federa's online auctions.

A scammer can gather personal information about a person by simply Googling their name, finding results such as LinkedIn pages, Facebook profiles, addresses, and photos. This information can be used to target individuals for scams. The scammers can use Google's precision targeting tool to search for specific information.

A silent voicemail scam is targeting phone users, where scammers use automated robocall systems and caller ID spoofing to leave voicemails without the phone ringing. The goal is to confirm the number is active and valuable for future scams. Users are advised not to call back unknown numbers and to turn on built-in call filtering.

The FTC is banning Kochava from selling location data without explicit consent, settling charges that it sold precise geolocation data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices. The ban includes Kochava's subsidiary, Collective Data Solutions. This decision aims to protect consumer privacy.

Key deadlines in President Trump's executive order to regulate state AI laws were missed, with agencies like the FTC, Commerce Department, and FCC failing to deliver required actions. The delays raise questions about the administration's ability to enforce federal oversight of AI regulation, as agencies struggle to finalize guidance, evaluate state laws, and establish transparency standards.

Scammers exploit online games like Words With Friends to target grieving or vulnerable players, initiating friendly conversations that eventually shift to financial requests via gift cards. These romance scams, costing billions annually, often involve criminals hiding their identities and using email headers to mask their locations.

The FBI's 2025 internet crime report reveals a 70% surge in identity theft losses for Americans aged 60 and older, totaling $48.5 million. Older adults face higher losses due to fraud targeting bank accounts, retirement funds, and investments, while other scams like investment fraud and business email compromise caused billions in losses globally.