Washington, DC - For companies that follow what’s going on at the FTC, a letter with the agency seal signed by “FTC Director Jessica Rich” might attract attention. But there’s one letter that claims to be from the FTC that we suggest you ignore.

That’s because the sender says you’ve won a sweepstakes and Jessica Rich of the FTC will help you claim the cash - after you pay a $5,000 “Legal Registration Bond,” of course.

What’s truthful about those letters? There is a person at the FTC named Jessica Rich. As it happens, she heads up the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

What’s false? Everything else.

You didn’t win a prize.
The FTC doesn’t dole out sweepstakes winnings.
Legitimate promotions don’t do business that way.
And Jessica didn’t send the letter.

It’s not the only FTC imposter scam we’ve seen lately. Businesses have sent us emails that look to be from the FTC, demanding account numbers and other confidential information related to unspecified “investigations” or “consumer complaints.” Some try to make things look legit by misappropriating the name of a real FTC staffer. If you’re ever in doubt about whether a contact from the FTC is authentic, the better approach is to call someone at the agency using a phone number you know is genuine.