A company duping consumers into filling out loan applications and sold those applications – including consumers’ sensitive data – to virtually anyone willing to pay for the leads has been slammed with a $100 million+ judgement. The Federal Trade Commission alleges Blue Global Media and its CEO Christopher Kay operated dozens of websites that enticed…
It’s too easy to steal someone’s identity and drain their bank accounts today. Common schemes criminals use to steal someone else’s identity include dumpster-diving to steal unshredded bills and other documents containing personal information; sending suspicious emails or phishing scams to trick victims into revealing account numbers and passwords; stealing mail to obtain preapproved loan…
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received over 1,218,600 complaints as of June 1st. Debt collection and mortgage-related complaints account for 50% of the roughly 1.2 million complaints the Bureau has received. Though the Bureau only began accepting debt collection complaints in July 2013, debt collection has been the most complained about product or…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) nails a fake debt collection operation, sending refunds for a timeshare scam, and settled with a massive landline cramming operation. The FTC has charged a North Carolina debt collection operation and its owner with taking money from consumers for fake debts they did not owe. The action is part of the…
Elder financial exploitation is one of the most common and devastating forms of elder abuse. It can destroy the financial security of an older adult at a vulnerable stage of life. Financial exploitation can negatively impact physical and emotional health, or shorten an older person’s lifespan. Few cases of financial exploitation, relative to the number…
Nearly $3 billion is lost annually to scams explicitly targeting seniors. Older Americans currently hold more than two-thirds of all U.S. deposits, making them highly susceptible to scams, exploitation and abuse. Therefore it is imperative older Americans and their caregivers join the fight against financial abuse and take active steps to protect their finances from…
For four years an intertwined web of Orlando-based individuals and companies bombarded consumers with illegal robocalls from “Card Member Services,” pitching worthless credit card interest rate reduction programs. Today, at the request of the Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Office of the Attorney General, a federal district court judge has entered eight orders against…
Under the leadership of Richard Cordray the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has worked diligently to create a level playing field in financial markets and safeguards fairness for consumers. However, some members of Congress, and even the current President, want to squash the CFPB one way or another. This would be another stake in the heart…
It can take months and sometimes even years before a consumer’s name and credit are back in good standing, following having their identity stolen. With all the inventive ways scammers have developed to steal one’s identity, the best tool to help prevent becoming a victim of identity theft is to be informed about how to…
More consumers are being victimized at an alarming rate by fraudulent pop-up messages that warn computer users of a purported virus infection or urgently needed repair. The Tech Support Scam has cost computer users worldwide an estimated $1.5 billion, according to a study by Microsoft. The Federal Trade Commission and federal, state and international partners…
