April 30, 2008

• FBI Alert on Scam Subpoena Email

  The Federal Bureau of Investigation is alerting computer users about a new scam email that contains a fraudulent "court subpoena" purportedly from a federal district court in California, and instructs recipients that they are to appear and testify before a grand jury.
  The New York Times reports that thousands of company executives nationwide have received the [...]

April 7, 2008

• Feds Investigate Infomercial King Kevin Trudeau

  You've seen Kevin Trudeau's ads on TV for everything from memory aid to weight loss to credit card debt reduction programs.  You'll probably be surprised to know that:

  In 1991, Trudeau was convicted of credit card fraud in Massachusetts and spent 21 months in jail. In 1998, the FTC barred him from making false or unsubstantiated [...]

March 28, 2008

• Read This Before You Cosign on a Loan

  What would you do if a friend or relative asked you to cosign a loan? Before you answer, make sure you understand what cosigning involves. Under federal law, creditors are required to give you a notice that explains your obligations. The cosigner’s notice states:

  You are being asked to guarantee this debt. Think carefully before you [...]

March 24, 2008

• What happens to your credit in a divorce?

  Susan and Ted recently divorced. Their divorce decree stated that Ted would pay the balances on their three joint credit card accounts. Months later, after Ted neglected to pay off these accounts, all three creditors contacted Susan for payment. She referred them to the divorce decree, insisting that she was not responsible for the accounts. [...]

February 20, 2008

• How to Dispute Credit Report Errors

  Your credit report–a type of consumer report–contains information about where you work and live and how you pay your bills. It also may show whether you've been sued or arrested or have filed for bankruptcy. Companies called consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) or credit bureaus compile and sell your credit report to businesses. Because businesses use [...]

June 19, 2007

• How to Safely Use Online Payments

  The Internet has taken its place beside the telephone and television as an important part of people's lives. Consumers use the Internet to shop, bank and invest online. Most consumers use credit or debit cards to pay for online purchases, but other payment methods, like "e-wallets," are becoming more common.
  The following information will show you [...]

May 26, 2007

• How to Write Readable Warranties

  Introduction
  Organizing a Written Warranty
  Titling a Written Warranty "Full" or "Limited"
  Writing Clearly and Simply
  Making Your Warranty Visually Clear and Attractive
  Testing Your Warranty to Make Sure Your Customers Will Understand It
  Introduction
  In 1975, Congress enacted the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. One of the goals of the Act is to encourage businesspersons like you to write your warranties in "simple [...]

July 11, 2006

• Consumer Fraud Against the Elderly

  During a visit with your mother, you notice a stack of wire transfer receipts totaling more than $65,000. When you ask what they’re for, she says she’s investing in a new hi-tech company. After you investigate further, you think she’s being scammed by fraudulent telemarketers. What can you do?

  Consumers lose more than $40 billion a [...]

March 28, 2005

• Aging Parents and Adult Children

  An estimated 22.4 million U.S. households — nearly one in four — now are providing care to a relative or friend aged 50 or older or have provided care during the previous 12 months. So says a recent survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Other surveys [...]