If you’ve provided information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit to your community, know that the FCC has issued a consumer advisory warning the public about an imposter website. The site was collecting personal information from consumers and falsely claiming to provide free devices and services related to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
Consumers are reminded to only use the official Emergency Broadband Benefit website, GetEmergencyBroadband.org, to enroll in the program. Consumers can also contact a participating provider directly, but they should first verify that a provider is approved to participate in the program by visiting fcc.gov/emergency-broadband-benefit-providers and searching by their state or territory.
The WiFi Freedom USA website falsely claimed that it can provide consumers with free devices and services related to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Consumers may have also seen advertisements for WiFi Freedom USA’s website on social media platforms.
If your patrons provided personal information to WiFi Freedom USA, they should visit IdentityTheft.gov. If they made any payments to WiFi Freedom USA, they should contact their financial institutions to see if there are any remedies available. Individuals can file reports about government imposter fraud with the Federal Trade Commission at Reportfraud.ftc.gov and get information about how to recover any money paid.