The FTC’s rule on government and business impersonation, in effect since April 2024, lets the agency seek money back for consumers and civil penalties from impersonators. In September 2026 the FTC asked whether to require platforms to keep ad tools from furthering impersonation scams, after 2025 reports of nearly $3.5 billion in imposter losses.
\nThe FTC’s announcement of the effective date of its rule on government and business impersonation said the rule gives the agency stronger tools against scammers who impersonate government agencies and businesses, enabling it to file federal court cases seeking money back for injured consumers and civil penalties against violators. It listed the most common tactics as copycat account security alerts, phony subscription renewals, fake giveaways, bogus problems with the law and made-up package delivery issues, with bank transfers and cryptocurrency leading reported losses.
\nIn a September 2026 release, the FTC said it is considering whether to update the rule or take other action to keep online platforms’ ad-optimization practices from furthering impersonation scams, and is seeking comment through an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. Measures it may consider include vetting advertisers, monitoring and investigating ads, removing confirmed impersonation ads and disciplining offending advertisers, and comments are due 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.
\nThe FTC said that in 2025 it received more than 1 million imposter scam reports with nearly $3.5 billion in reported losses, and that nearly 30% of consumers who reported losing money that year were first contacted on social media, with losses of $2.1 billion. Its rule page lists the advance notice with an October 1, 2026 date.
\nUse this if scammers use your company’s name, logo or look-alike websites to target customers or the public. The rule is enforced by the FTC, which takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
\nDSE recommends publishing how your business does and does not contact customers, watching for look-alike domains, ads and social accounts, and reporting impersonation to the FTC and the hosting platform. Register obvious look-alike domains, set DMARC to reject, keep a takedown contact list for major platforms, and tell customers where to verify suspicious messages.
\nReview monthly for new look-alike domains and impersonating ads or profiles, and log each report and takedown with its date.
\nFederal Trade Commission — FTC Announces Impersonation Rule Goes into Effect Today. Federal Trade Commission — FTC Seeks Public Comment on Whether to Update Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses to Address Platforms’ Role in Promoting Impersonation Scams. Federal Trade Commission — Impersonation of Government and Businesses Rule. Reviewed October 19, 2026.
", "content_text": "The FTC’s rule on government and business impersonation, in effect since April 2024, lets the agency seek money back for consumers and civil penalties from impersonators. In September 2026 the FTC asked whether to require platforms to keep ad tools from furthering impersonation scams, after 2025 reports of nearly $3.5 billion in imposter losses.\nSource facts\nThe FTC’s announcement of the effective date of its rule on government and business impersonation said the rule gives the agency stronger tools against scammers who impersonate government agencies and businesses, enabling it to file federal court cases seeking money back for injured consumers and civil penalties against violators. It listed the most common tactics as copycat account security alerts, phony subscription renewals, fake giveaways, bogus problems with the law and made-up package delivery issues, with bank transfers and cryptocurrency leading reported losses.\nIn a September 2026 release, the FTC said it is considering whether to update the rule or take other action to keep online platforms’ ad-optimization practices from furthering impersonation scams, and is seeking comment through an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. Measures it may consider include vetting advertisers, monitoring and investigating ads, removing confirmed impersonation ads and disciplining offending advertisers, and comments are due 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.\nThe FTC said that in 2025 it received more than 1 million imposter scam reports with nearly $3.5 billion in reported losses, and that nearly 30% of consumers who reported losing money that year were first contacted on social media, with losses of $2.1 billion. Its rule page lists the advance notice with an October 1, 2026 date.\nApplicability\nUse this if scammers use your company’s name, logo or look-alike websites to target customers or the public. The rule is enforced by the FTC, which takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.\nDSE recommendation\nDSE recommends publishing how your business does and does not contact customers, watching for look-alike domains, ads and social accounts, and reporting impersonation to the FTC and the hosting platform. Register obvious look-alike domains, set DMARC to reject, keep a takedown contact list for major platforms, and tell customers where to verify suspicious messages.\nVerification\nReview monthly for new look-alike domains and impersonating ads or profiles, and log each report and takedown with its date.\nOfficial references\nFederal Trade Commission — FTC Announces Impersonation Rule Goes into Effect Today. Federal Trade Commission — FTC Seeks Public Comment on Whether to Update Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses to Address Platforms’ Role in Promoting Impersonation Scams. Federal Trade Commission — Impersonation of Government and Businesses Rule. Reviewed October 19, 2026.", "content_markdown": "The FTC’s rule on government and business impersonation, in effect since April 2024, lets the agency seek money back for consumers and civil penalties from impersonators. In September 2026 the FTC asked whether to require platforms to keep ad tools from furthering impersonation scams, after 2025 reports of nearly $3.5 billion in imposter losses.\n\n## Source facts\n\nThe FTC’s [announcement](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-announces-impersonation-rule-goes-effect-today) of the effective date of its rule on government and business impersonation said the rule gives the agency stronger tools against scammers who impersonate government agencies and businesses, enabling it to file federal court cases seeking money back for injured consumers and civil penalties against violators. It listed the most common tactics as copycat account security alerts, phony subscription renewals, fake giveaways, bogus problems with the law and made-up package delivery issues, with bank transfers and cryptocurrency leading reported losses.\n\nIn a [September 2026 release](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/09/ftc-seeks-public-comment-whether-update-rule-impersonation-government-businesses-address-platforms), the FTC said it is considering whether to update the rule or take other action to keep online platforms’ ad-optimization practices from furthering impersonation scams, and is seeking comment through an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. Measures it may consider include vetting advertisers, monitoring and investigating ads, removing confirmed impersonation ads and disciplining offending advertisers, and comments are due 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.\n\nThe FTC said that in 2025 it received more than 1 million imposter scam reports with nearly $3.5 billion in reported losses, and that nearly 30% of consumers who reported losing money that year were first contacted on social media, with losses of $2.1 billion. Its [rule page](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/impersonation-government-businesses-rule) lists the advance notice with an October 1, 2026 date.\n\n## Applicability\n\nUse this if scammers use your company’s name, logo or look-alike websites to target customers or the public. The rule is enforced by the FTC, which takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.\n\n## DSE recommendation\n\nDSE recommends publishing how your business does and does not contact customers, watching for look-alike domains, ads and social accounts, and reporting impersonation to the FTC and the hosting platform. Register obvious look-alike domains, set DMARC to reject, keep a takedown contact list for major platforms, and tell customers where to verify suspicious messages.\n\n## Verification\n\nReview monthly for new look-alike domains and impersonating ads or profiles, and log each report and takedown with its date.\n\n## Official references\n\n[Federal Trade Commission — FTC Announces Impersonation Rule Goes into Effect Today](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-announces-impersonation-rule-goes-effect-today). [Federal Trade Commission — FTC Seeks Public Comment on Whether to Update Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses to Address Platforms’ Role in Promoting Impersonation Scams](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/09/ftc-seeks-public-comment-whether-update-rule-impersonation-government-businesses-address-platforms). [Federal Trade Commission — Impersonation of Government and Businesses Rule](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/impersonation-government-businesses-rule). 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In September 2026 the FTC asked whether to require platforms to keep ad tools from furthering impersonation scams, after 2025 reports of nearly $3.5 billion in imposter losses.", "articleBody": "The FTC’s rule on government and business impersonation, in effect since April 2024, lets the agency seek money back for consumers and civil penalties from impersonators. In September 2026 the FTC asked whether to require platforms to keep ad tools from furthering impersonation scams, after 2025 reports of nearly $3.5 billion in imposter losses.\nSource facts\nThe FTC’s announcement of the effective date of its rule on government and business impersonation said the rule gives the agency stronger tools against scammers who impersonate government agencies and businesses, enabling it to file federal court cases seeking money back for injured consumers and civil penalties against violators. It listed the most common tactics as copycat account security alerts, phony subscription renewals, fake giveaways, bogus problems with the law and made-up package delivery issues, with bank transfers and cryptocurrency leading reported losses.\nIn a September 2026 release, the FTC said it is considering whether to update the rule or take other action to keep online platforms’ ad-optimization practices from furthering impersonation scams, and is seeking comment through an advance notice of proposed rulemaking. Measures it may consider include vetting advertisers, monitoring and investigating ads, removing confirmed impersonation ads and disciplining offending advertisers, and comments are due 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.\nThe FTC said that in 2025 it received more than 1 million imposter scam reports with nearly $3.5 billion in reported losses, and that nearly 30% of consumers who reported losing money that year were first contacted on social media, with losses of $2.1 billion. Its rule page lists the advance notice with an October 1, 2026 date.\nApplicability\nUse this if scammers use your company’s name, logo or look-alike websites to target customers or the public. The rule is enforced by the FTC, which takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.\nDSE recommendation\nDSE recommends publishing how your business does and does not contact customers, watching for look-alike domains, ads and social accounts, and reporting impersonation to the FTC and the hosting platform. Register obvious look-alike domains, set DMARC to reject, keep a takedown contact list for major platforms, and tell customers where to verify suspicious messages.\nVerification\nReview monthly for new look-alike domains and impersonating ads or profiles, and log each report and takedown with its date.\nOfficial references\nFederal Trade Commission — FTC Announces Impersonation Rule Goes into Effect Today. Federal Trade Commission — FTC Seeks Public Comment on Whether to Update Rule on Impersonation of Government and Businesses to Address Platforms’ Role in Promoting Impersonation Scams. Federal Trade Commission — Impersonation of Government and Businesses Rule. 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All rights reserved.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Federal Trade Commission — FTC Announces Impersonation Rule Goes into Effect Today", "url": "https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/04/ftc-announces-impersonation-rule-goes-effect-today" } } ] } }