The Consumer Sentinel Team deeply appreciates the strong cooperation demonstrated across the court community in directing consumer reports to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This collaboration greatly enhances our ability to protect the public and respond swiftly to emerging issues. We are especially grateful to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for its continued partnership and support, which has meaningfully strengthened our outreach and awareness efforts. We also extend our sincere thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service for its valuable assistance and ongoing commitment to safeguarding consumers and supporting our shared mission.
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The Sentinel Team presented Sentinel to and discussed jury scams with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ Jury Working Group in Washington, DC in April. (The Jury Working Group includes Clerks of Court/Deputy Clerks, Jury Administrators, and IT Directors/System Administrators.)
We discussed the FTC’s efforts to coordinate jury scam reporting, the FTC’s ability to offer district courts specialized links for reporting jury scams to the FTC, and consumer education on jury scams. At present, Sentinel receives thousands of Government Impostor scam reports from federal, state, and county courts to date.
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Reported losses to scams on social media were eight times higher than in 2020. Scammers reach people in many different ways – phone calls, texts, emails – but reports to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network point to social media as a scammer favorite. Check out the FTC’s Data Spotlight to learn more. |
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We are pleased to hear of another success story listed below where law enforcement used Sentinel data to stop fraud. The DOJ filed a civil complaint against B.E.S.T. GDR LLC and CEO Yosef Bernath for consumer deception in home repair sales, acting on an FTC referral.
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The Federal Trade Commission acknowledges the closure of the National Center for Disaster Fraud and appreciates the important role it has played as a long‑standing data contributor. Its partnership has significantly supported our efforts to identify emerging threats, protect disaster survivors, and strengthen consumer safeguards. Although the organization will no longer provide data moving forward, we remain grateful for its years of collaboration and the meaningful impact of its contributions to our shared mission.
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We are pleased to welcome our newest data contributors to the Consumer Sentinel Network. These organizations represent a broad and valuable range of partners, including state and county courts, law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, energy and transportation authorities, and national advocacy and regulatory bodies. We are grateful to the California Superior Court, North Carolina Judicial Branch, Hawai‘i State Judiciary, Virginia’s Fairfax County General District Court, the Ohio Franklin County Municipal Court, and the Sheriff’s offices in Chester County, Jefferson County, and Alexandria County for strengthening our connections across the judicial and public safety communities. We also extend a warm welcome to the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority, New York State Department of State, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Revenue, Puget Sound Energy, HSBC Bank USA, Visa Inc., the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the National Center on Elder Abuse. Their partnership expands the reach and effectiveness of the Consumer Sentinel Network, and we look forward to the important insights their contributions will bring to our shared mission of protecting consumers nationwide.
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The next online Sentinel training sessions will be held on the following dates. Please contact sentinel@ftc.gov to register or to learn about future monthly sessions.
Thursday, June 18th 12:00–1:10 PM EST
Wednesday, July 8th 12:00–1:10 PM EST
Tuesday, August 11th 12:00–1:10 PM EST
Jury scams can target anyone, and advances in AI and other technologies are making these schemes harder to recognize. Staying alert is your best defense. Here’s what to know—and how to protect yourself from falling victim to a jury scam. |
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