Week of November 3, 2026 · From All Systems Go in Troy, MT
Every week we round up the scams that are actually catching people right now, using alerts from the FTC, the FBI, AARP, the Better Business Bureau, and the Montana Department of Justice. It’s all in plain English: what to watch for and what to do. If something on your computer or phone doesn’t look right, bring it in or give us a call. We’d much rather look at it before you pay anyone.
1. “This is the FTC. Your phone number is being used for crimes overseas.”
How it works: Someone calls claiming to be an FTC official and reads off a “badge number.” They say a phone registered in your name is being used to scam people in another country, and they’ll shut off your number unless you cooperate. Then they “transfer” you to a fake police officer. They may even tell you to look up the police department’s number online and call it back, but scammers answer that number too. It ends with a demand for a “security deposit” so you won’t be arrested.
Red flags
- Threats to disconnect your phone or have you arrested
- Being told to keep the call a secret
- Being asked to send money, or being sent a photo of an “employee ID” to prove who they are
What to do: Hang up. The FTC says a real FTC employee will never ask you for money, never threaten to cut off your phone, and never tell you to keep it secret. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Source: FTC Consumer Alert, “The FTC is not calling to deactivate your phone number,” Oct. 22, 2026. In a Sept. 17, 2026 alert, the FBI said it received nearly 61,000 complaints about scammers posing as police or government officials between January 2025 and July 2026, with losses of more than $1.6 billion.
2. Medicare open enrollment scams (now through Dec. 7)
How it works: Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and scammers know it. AARP warns that scammers pose as Medicare representatives or offer “free” medical equipment in exchange for your Medicare number.
Red flags
- A call, email, or text out of the blue from “Medicare” asking for personal information or payment. AARP says Medicare will never do that.
- Anyone offering something “free” if you’ll just read them your Medicare number
- Pressure to decide right now
What to do: Don’t give your Medicare number to anyone who contacts you. If you’re unsure, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself. For free, unbiased help here in Montana, call Montana SHIP at 1-800-551-3191. Their counselors aren’t connected with any insurance company.
Sources: AARP news release, “AARP Urges Older Americans to Review Medicare Plans During Open Enrollment,” Oct. 15, 2026; Medicare.gov enrollment periods; Montana DPHHS SHIP program.
3. Fake “Microsoft” virus warnings that lock up your screen
How it works: You’re browsing and suddenly the screen fills with a “Windows Security” warning. Sometimes a voice tells you not to restart and to call a “Microsoft support” number, and the keyboard may seem frozen. If you call, the “technician” walks you through installing a remote-access program so they can get into your computer. In October, researchers at Infoblox described one of these operations that sends people to fake warnings from hacked websites and ads. They said it was spinning up hundreds of new fake web pages a day.
Red flags
- A phone number on a warning screen. Microsoft says its real error messages never include a phone number to call.
- Someone asking you to install a program or visit a website so they can “fix” your computer
- Being asked to pay with gift cards or to log into your bank “to get a refund”
What to do: Don’t call the number. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, close your web browser, and don’t reopen the old tabs when it asks. If you already let someone into your computer, unplug it from the internet, call your bank, and bring it to us or call 406-295-7059. We’ll check it for remote-access tools and clean it up.
Sources: Dark Reading, “Researchers Infiltrate Microsoft Tech Support Scam Operation,” Oct. 19, 2026 (on Infoblox’s research); Microsoft Support, “Protect yourself from tech support scams.”
4. Fake online stores and look-alike websites (holiday shopping edition)
How it works: You see an ad on Facebook, or at the top of a search, for a hard-to-find toy, holiday decorations, or a great deal on a vehicle or equipment. The website looks real, but the item is either a cheap knockoff or never shows up, and then the site disappears. In August, the Montana Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection warned about overseas scammers who post fake listings on social media marketplaces, then send buyers to near-perfect copies of real business websites to pay by wire.
Red flags (from Montana OCP and the BBB)
- “Placeholder” prices, like the rare collector car OCP saw listed at $12,345
- Prices way below everyone else’s
- No phone number or street address, or a web address that’s slightly off from the real company’s
- Being asked to pay by wire transfer, gift card, or payment app
What to do: Type the store’s address in yourself instead of clicking the ad. Pay with a credit card so you can dispute the charge. See big-ticket items in person before you pay. If you get burned, report it to Montana OCP at (800) 481-6896. They can also work to get fake sites taken down.
Sources: Montana DOJ / Attorney General Knudsen spoof-website warning, Aug. 28, 2026; BBB Scam Alert, “Looking for this season’s hot toy? Beware of scams,” Oct. 6, 2026.
5. “You won a sweepstakes from a charity you support”
How it works: A caller says they’re with a charity you’ve given to and that you’ve won its sweepstakes. To collect, you just have to pay a fee or “taxes,” or give them your Social Security number.
Red flags
- Any request for money to claim a prize. The FTC says real prizes are free.
- Caller ID showing a real organization’s name, which can be faked
- Sponsored search results that lead to look-alike “official” pages
What to do: Never pay to collect a prize. If you want to check, look up the charity’s real number yourself, and scroll past the paid ads.
Source: FTC Consumer Alert, “Spot scammers impersonating well-known charities and sweepstakes,” Oct. 26, 2026.
Bonus warning: “recovery” scams after you’ve been scammed
If you’ve already lost money, watch out for people offering to get it back. The FBI warns that scammers are posing as its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) on social media, and even using AI-generated videos of FBI officials. The real IC3 has no social media presence and will never ask for payment to recover lost money. File reports only at www.ic3.gov, and type the address in yourself.
Source: FBI IC3 Public Service Announcement I-072026-PSA, July 20, 2026.
Where to report a scam
- Montana Office of Consumer Protection: (406) 444-4500 or (800) 481-6896
- Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (non-emergency): (406) 293-4112
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- FBI: www.ic3.gov. People 60 and older can get help filing from the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
- AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360 (free, and you don’t have to be a member)
Think you clicked something you shouldn’t have?
Don’t wait. If a pop-up locked your screen, someone remoted into your computer, or you typed a password into a page that didn’t look right, call All Systems Go at 406-295-7059 or stop by 315 E Missoula Ave #6 in Troy. We’ll check your computer, remove anything that shouldn’t be there, and help you lock down your accounts.
Scam Watch is published every week by All Systems Go. Know someone who should see this? Share it with them, especially older family members.
