An old scam is making a strong comeback this month. The Better Business Bureau is warning that secret shopper offers are reappearing. Citing at least two new reports of the scam, the Bureau is cautioning consumers to steer clear of employment pitches that purport to set up recipients a secret shoppers, but that first require the victim to wire part of a large check to some other place, supposedly...
The Federal Trade Commission ordered a pair of smartphone-application marketers to stop advertising that their software can treat acne. In a pair of settlements, two companies have agreed to stop marketing their apps under those claims. “Smartphones make our lives easier in countless ways, but unfortunately when it comes to curing acne, there’s no app for that,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. Mobile applications AcneApp and Acne Pwner are the...
The FBI is warning consumers of online scam artists who claim to sell bargain-rate cars but end up exploiting consumers in need of quick, cheap wheels — sometimes using the guise of legitimate Internet channels. Shopping for a car can be scary enough — what with lemons, crafty sales reps, and everyone you know telling you the best make and model to buy — but these scam artists make...
A nationwide debt settlement company that has already created a multi-state trail of state-filed lawsuits alleging scams has agreed to pay Maine some $150,000 and to stop doing new business in the state. Texas-based Credit Solutions of America took advance payments from consumers in Maine who were trying to get out debt, and then failed to solve the customers’ problem with creditors as promised. “Despite CSA’s claims that consumers...
Job seekers looking for exposure to that next potential employer are finding exposure of an entirely different kind via online searches. Scammers are making hay out of the newest wave of personal information that’s flooding job boards, and the Better Business Bureaus has issued a fresh warning to would-be online applicants. “Before posting your resume to a career site or inquiring about a job, make sure you know with...
The grandparents scam is alive and kicking. While it might seem hard to imagine that everyone hasn’t heard about this phone-based scheme already, new victims are reporting the crime daily. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine recently blogged a new warning about grandparent-scamming phoners who, in some cases, are taking the unsuspecting for more than $10,000 a piece. As it turns out, the calls are still succeeding around the country...
Hundreds of nursing students discovered that their schools were allegedly running a wide-scale scam, according to state officials who have charged five institutions with defrauding enrollees of more that $6 million in tuition. While the schools promised training and certifications in preparation for state tests to become professional nurses, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the only thing the classes provided was a way to spend $7,000–$10,000 for...
While Groupon has made a name for itself in the world of super-sized discounts on restaurants, takeout, and other services, 2011 seems to be the year the company gets more than it bargained for. On top of multiple lawsuits around the country, state officials are now investigating the Chicago-based company’s business practices. In a letter to Groupon’s CEO, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen posed more than 20 questions to...
Consumers could be giving away more than they bargain for when they turn in their computers and related equipment to Staples, according to consumer protection advocates. According to a new report, the previous owners’ private information is showing up on some of Staples’ resold electronics. Officials in at least one state are pressing the home- and office-supply giant for more information about what exactly it does to wipe private...
It’s not a secret that the web is a hotspot for predators seeking under-aged victims for unwanted sexual come-ons, but perhaps less well known is that kids online are subject to scammers too. That’s the warning coming from consumer protection officials this summer. The long and sunny afternoons between June and September are well underway for most school-aged kids across the United States, but, for online-safety advocates, those languid...
