Fraud Tips
FeedConsumer Ally Warns About Phony Debt Collector Calls
Jorgen Wouters
Dec 20th 2010 at 8:00AM
Filed under: Debt, Fraud, Consumer Ally
Harassing calls from debt collectors are bad enough, but when you don't even owe the debt, that's a whole lot worse.
Susan McCafferty, a 63-year old resident of Harvey, La., and a Consumer Ally reader, says she's been getting those kinds of calls. And, it seems, so are others.
As countless consumers struggle to pay bills, debt collectors are resorting to increasingly belligerent methods. Some of these aggressive debt collectors are literally barking up the wrong tree, hounding consumers for debts they never incurred.
The 20 Worst Charities in America, According to Oregon's Attorney General
Dawn Fallik
Dec 17th 2010 at 4:00PM
Filed under: Family Money, Charity, Fraud, Consumer Ally
It feels good to give to needy organizations, whether it's a homeless shelter or a firefighter's charity. But how would it feel to know that most of the money you donated went to the telemarketing company making the call?Oregon Attorney General John Kroger released a list of what he calls the 20 Worst Charities, hoping that consumers would make sure to avoid scams and give money to those groups who actually put it to good use.
Tales of Identity Theft and Five Tips to Avoid it While Holiday Shopping
Josh Smith
Dec 17th 2010 at 3:00PM
Filed under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally, Credit Reports, Credit Cards, Holiday Shopping
Identity theft is a problem that isn't going away anytime soon. With more than 11 million victims in the U.S. in 2009, it's a very real problem that can become an even bigger hassle during the holiday shopping season, when we are busier (and more distracted) than usual and hunting for a good deal.While thieves often often use a victim's identity for credit card fraud, they'll also use it to get a job or to receive health care, according to CreditCards.com. Thieves also don't care whether a victim has good credit or bad, as long as they can use their good name to commit fraud they'll be happy to steal their identity.
FDA Warns Dietary Supplements Marketers to Stop Deceptive Claims
Gergana Koleva
Dec 17th 2010 at 12:45PM
Filed under: Recalls, Health, Fraud, Consumer Ally
In a letter sent to dietary supplement manufacturers this week, the Food and Drug Administration addressed escalating concerns about undeclared or deceptively labeled ingredients in products marketed as "natural" alternatives to prescription drugs. The letter comes after nearly 300 consumer alerts and numerous consumer complaints of injury associated with the substances.A string of recalls due to marketers' failure to disclose dangerous ingredients, which can be harmful when taken in combination with other drugs, have highlighted the risks to consumers seeking alternative treatments that claim prescription-strength results.
Worker Background Checks Rise -- and So Do Errors
Jonathan Berr
Dec 16th 2010 at 10:00AM
Philadelphian Kenneth Hutchinson thought he had put unemployment behind him when he was hired at a GameStop in September. Things were looking even brighter when he landed a second job as an overnight manager at Walmart. But then both positions came to an abrupt halt after criminal background checks turned up a 1996 felony cocaine conviction in Gloucester County, Va.-- charges that Hutchinson had never heard of or been convicted of.
"I have never even been to Gloucester County, Va.," Hutchinson told the Philadelphia Daily News. "Back then, I was still in high school."
To privacy advocates, Hutchinson's story is a familiar one. Employers are increasingly conducting background checks on prospective employees and even existing ones. They are done for reasons of both security and liability.
My Google Work-At-Home Opportunity Turned Out to Be a Scam
Aaron Crowe
Dec 15th 2010 at 1:00PM
Filed under: Make Money Fast, Fraud, Recession, Consumer Ally
"Online jobs with Google." The email subject line caught my eye.My first thought was, "Who wouldn't want an online job with Google, one of the biggest companies in the world?"
But after a few clicks, it was clear something was amiss. I quickly discovered that some scammer is trying to get $2.97 out of my pocket for shipping and handling of a work-at-home kit from Google so I can post links and make $5,500 a month, as one person claims on the fake news website the scammers put up.
Disney Vitamins Marketer, Others Settle Charges About Bogus Claims
Gergana Koleva
Dec 13th 2010 at 5:30PM
Filed under: Shopping, Health, Fraud, Consumer Ally
Three major marketers of children's vitamins sold under the Disney and Marvel Heroes logos have agreed to pay the Federal Trade Commission $2.1 million to settle charges that the companies falsely claimed their supplements promote healthy brain and eye development in children.
The FTC charged NBTY, Inc. and two subsidiaries, NatureSmart LLC and Rexall Sundown, Inc., with making false claims about the amount of DHA -- an Omega-3 fatty acid -- used in their products. While the vitamins' packaging extolled the health benefits of 100 milligrams of DHA, a daily serving of the Disney and Marvel multivitamins for children ages 4-years and older contained only a negligible trace of that amount.
According to the agency, one tablet or two gummies of the Disney and Marvel lines -- the equivalent of a daily serving -- contained just 0.1mg of DHA, or one-thousandth of the 100mg amount referred to in product advertising and packaging by the companies.
You Better Watch Out Before Emailing Wish Lists to Santa
Linda Doell
Dec 13th 2010 at 5:00PM
Filed under: Technology, Fraud, Consumer Ally, In the News
Before allowing children to email their Christmas wish lists to Santa Claus, parents better watch out how the website collects and uses personal information.The Council of Better Business Bureaus' Children's Advertising Review Unit said more than 60 domain names are registered in the name of Santa Claus this year and recommended parents check out the site before their children do.
"What we hope parents are mindful of is that any site directed at children is required to abide by pretty basic privacy rules," Linda Bean, CARU's communications director, told Consumer Ally. "That includes sites that seem so innocent and charming as a letter-to-Santa site."
One in Four Households Victim of White Collar Crime: Report
Jorgen Wouters
Dec 13th 2010 at 3:05PM
Filed under: Fraud, Identity Theft, Consumer Ally
White collar crime now affects more Americans than all other forms of crime combined, according to the a new report published by the the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).Conducted by the NW3C and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the 2010 National Public Survey on White Collar Crime found that nearly one in four American households were victims of white collar crime during the past 12 months.
