US government shutdown: FTC has important notice for Americans on fraud, says, 'they cannot ...'

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has suspended a broad array of consumer protection services, including fraud reporting and Do Not Call Registry registrations, due to the US government shutdown that began on October 1st. While the Premerger Notification Office remains operational for accepting filings, critical consumer-facing functions are entirely closed, significantly hindering public access to regulatory protections and oversight. This disruption impacts the FTC's ability to address consumer complaints and enforce market integrity.

Analysis

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said that a wide range of essential consumer protection services are suspended due to the US government shutdown, which began at midnight on Wednesday, October 1, following a lapse in government funding. In a public notice, the FTC stated that it is completely closed, meaning consumers are temporarily unable to report fraud, register for the National Do Not Call Registry, or file identity theft claims. âThe FTC is closed during the government shutdown. This means we wonât be able to answer your questions on X. Consumers cannot report fraud or register for Do Not Call during this time,â FTC said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Gemini Comes To Chrome: How Google Is Improving Browser With AI - Explained Read FTCâs full notice: The FTC is closed as of midnight Wednesday, October 1, 2025, due to the lapse in government funding. Website information and social media properties will not be updated until the government re-opens. All FTC events are postponed until future notice. Some online services are available, and some are not. The status of online services is listed below.The following services WILL NOT be available during the shutdown:National Do Not Call Registry (For consumers)National Do Not Call Registry (For telemarketers)ReportFraud.ftc.gov (For consumers to report fraud)IdentityTheft.gov (For consumers reporting ID theft)Econsumer.gov (For consumers reporting international complaints)Bulkorder.ftc.gov (For ordering printed educational materials)The following services WILL be available during the shutdown under these conditions:Consumer Sentinel Network (For law enforcement)The Consumer Sentinel Network (Sentinel) will remain available to law enforcement during the shutdown. However, no new complaint data will be entered and no new agencies will be approved for access until the government re-opens.Public CommentsPublic comments can be submitted through www.regulations.gov, but the FTC will take no action on these comments until the government reopens.E-filingIndividuals can submit documents to be filed, but the FTC will take no action until the government re-opens.FOIAFOIA requests may be filed, but they will not be processed until the government re-opens.Registered Identification Number (RN) DatabaseThe RN Database will be available but staff are not available to respond to queries.PremergerThe Premerger Notification Office (PNO) will remain open to accept filings. PNO staff will be online from 9 am to 1 pm ET each business day. During the shutdown, the PNO will not answer HSR questions or grant early termination. As usual, filings may be submitted at any time, but any filing received after 5 pm ET will be treated as filed on the next regular business day. Waiting periods will be unaffected and run as usual.Filing a complaint with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) HotlineIndividuals can submit complaints to the OIG hotline. The OIG will take not action on the complaints until the government re-opens unless the complaint relates to a credible and imminent threat to the safety of human life or property. The US government shutdown initiated on October 1st has resulted in the closure of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), suspending the vast majority of its consumer protection and regulatory functions. Critical services for the public, including the National Do Not Call Registry, fraud reporting via ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and identity theft support through IdentityTheft.gov, are completely unavailable. This cessation creates a significant gap in regulatory oversight and leaves consumers without key resources to address market abuses. While most operations are halted, the Premerger Notification Office (PNO) remains partially functional, accepting M&A filings between 9 am and 1 pm ET. However, the PNO will not grant early terminations or answer substantive questions, meaning statutory waiting periods will run without the possibility of acceleration. This directly impacts the M&A landscape by introducing potential delays and uncertainty into transaction timelines, as deals cannot be cleared ahead of schedule, affecting the risk profile of merger arbitrage strategies.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors with exposure to M&A arbitrage or companies involved in active deals should factor in extended closing timelines, as the FTC will not grant early terminations during the shutdown.
• While companies under FTC investigation may experience a temporary halt in regulatory pressure, investors should anticipate a potential intensification of scrutiny once the agency reopens and works through its backlog.
• Firms in consumer-facing sectors like e-commerce and financial services should be monitored for risks associated with the lapse in federal fraud and identity theft reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor the duration of the government shutdown, as a prolonged closure will increase macroeconomic uncertainty and negatively impact deal-making confidence beyond the immediate FTC-related delays.