Consumer Fraud Prevention Resources

Why This Page Exists

Texas Money Exchange is committed to helping its customers avoid becoming victims of fraud. The patterns below are commonly reported across the financial services industry. If a situation you are facing resembles any of them, please pause before sending funds and consider the guidance below.

Recognized Fraud Patterns

Gift Card Scams

You are told to purchase gift cards (Apple, Google Play, Target, Amazon, etc.) and read the card numbers to someone over the phone. No legitimate government agency, utility, employer, or law enforcement officer will ever ask to be paid in gift cards. If you are asked to do this, it is a scam.

Romance Scams

Someone you have only met online builds an emotional relationship with you and then asks you to send money for an emergency, a flight, hospital bills, customs fees, or to claim an inheritance. You have never met this person in real life. If you have not met someone in person, do not send them money under any circumstance.

Government Impersonation

A caller claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, local police, or another agency, and threatens arrest, deportation, or suspension of benefits unless you pay immediately. No legitimate government agency demands payment by money transfer or in cash from a third-party location.

Lottery, Prize, and Sweepstakes Scams

You are told you have won a lottery, sweepstakes, or grand prize but must first pay a processing fee, tax, or customs charge to release the winnings. You cannot win a lottery you did not enter, and no legitimate prize requires you to pay anything in advance to receive it.

If You Are Unsure

If you are unsure whether a request you have received is legitimate, do not send funds. Take time to verify the request through an independently obtained contact channel (for example, look up the agency's official telephone number on its government website and call back). Speak with a trusted family member, financial professional, or our branch staff before acting.

Reporting Suspected Fraud

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consumer complaint portal: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov [VERIFY CURRENT CONTACT DATA AGAINST AGENCY WEBSITE BEFORE PUBLICATION]
• FTC consumer hotline: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) [VERIFY CURRENT CONTACT DATA AGAINST AGENCY WEBSITE BEFORE PUBLICATION]
• Texas Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection [VERIFY CURRENT CONTACT DATA AGAINST AGENCY WEBSITE BEFORE PUBLICATION]
• Texas Attorney General consumer protection hotline: 1-800-621-0508 [VERIFY CURRENT CONTACT DATA AGAINST AGENCY WEBSITE BEFORE PUBLICATION]
• If you believe you are a victim of fraud, contact local law enforcement and your financial institution immediately.

Our Role

TME staff are trained to identify common scam patterns and may pause a transaction to ask questions about its purpose. If our staff raises a concern, it is because we want to protect you. Customers retain the right to decide whether to proceed with a transaction, subject to applicable law.