NAHB, Other Organizations Urge FTC to Act on Government and Business Imposters
NAHB, other trade associations and organizations with business events have sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to urge the agency to finalize its proposed rule targeting government and business imposters.
Comments were submitted more than three months ago to the FTC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Government and Business Impersonation Fraud, and the initial Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published in December 2021.
In that time, impersonation scams impacting organizations, including trade shows such as the International Builders’ Show (IBS), have continued to increase. These increasingly sophisticated impersonation scams often use trademarked event names, logos and fake email signatures to create the illusion that the efforts of the scammers are conducted with the approval of the event organizers and service providers.
The FTC itself noted in a recent blog post that impersonator scams were the most reported type of scam in 2022, with an estimated $2.6 billion in losses. Unlike many other forms of fraud that primarily target consumers, these impersonation scams have serious economic consequences for businesses, including nonprofits. Reported losses from scammers impersonating businesses grew nearly 50% compared to 2021.
The coalition is requesting the FTC adopt a final rule as soon as possible. Read the full letter here.
Latest from NAHBNow
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have announced new Opportunity Zone designations for more than 6,500 communities nationwide, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Member-to-member recruitment is essential for growing NAHB’s membership. Here are the perks members are being rewarded with for their efforts.
Latest Economic News
The U.S. labor market rebounded in October, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing by 165,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declining to 4.1%. However, the improvement in overall employment contrasts with continued weakness in residential construction, where employment fell by 16,400 jobs, the largest monthly decline since March 2021.
New multifamily housing confidence weakened year-over-year in the third quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 41, down five points year-over-year, while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) had a reading of 69, also down five points year-over-year.
Mortgage application activity declined in October as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply again. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, fell 14.1% month-over-month in October on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications were 39.8% lower.