Massachusetts state law clamps down on corporate security breaches

The Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts has a new law going into effect in January that will require corporations to strictly control the data ... .  But what if you do become a victim of identity theft? The answer is:  Do a credit freeze! Here is the full ... residents. Much like the FTC Safeguards Rule, the Massachusetts regulations require [more...]

Date: 2008-10-21 19:26:24

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Massachusetts state law clamps down on corporate security breaches

The Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts has a new law going into effect in January that will require corporations to strictly control the data ... .  But what if you do become a victim of identity theft? The answer is:  Do a credit freeze! Here is the full ... residents. Much like the FTC Safeguards Rule, the Massachusetts regulations require [more...]

Date: 2008-10-22 06:09:13

NACUBO: The FTC's Red Flag Rule Identity Theft Prevention Rule May Affect Colleges

The National Association of College and University Business Officers notes that the FTC's Red Flag rule likely applies to colleges ... of consumer reports must develop reasonable policies and procedures when they receive notification from a credit agency that there is an address discrepancy. Second, that financial institutions [more...]

Date: 2008-09-26 17:00:00

FTC: Beware of hurricane relief telemarketing scams

As sure as there will be hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico each year, ... that people should be wary of bogus fundraising operations that are trying to steal consumers' credit ... hurricane-related trickery that's going on -- there are reports of potential gasoline price gouging [more...]

Date: 2008-09-15 21:16:29

How to Report Identity Theft

by Paul Wilcox Identity theft has now become a major problem. It grows more each year and can nearly destroy people in the process ... on your reports and by informing them, you are more likely to recover from this problem with your credit still ... or even people not included here. Notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can do this via [more...]

Date: 2008-11-09 13:48:37

FTC vs Kevin Trudeau

In my opinion, Kevin Trudeau is one of the most notorious snake-oil pushers of our generation. After spending time in prison for bad checks and credit card fraud, he would have us believe that he somehow hit upon “cures they don’t want you do know about.” Isn’t it interesting that convicted con-artists always seems to hit upon such well-guarded secrets. Dennis Lee claims to have found the secret of limitless energy, if only he were not attacked by Big Oil and a corrupt government. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-15 12:00:32

Why Do You Need My Kid’s Social Security Number?

Most parents think it’s crazy to worry about their kid’s credit and financial reputations, but in recent years, children and adolescents have become the fastest growing sector of identity fraud victims. Sadly, from the time your children receive Social Security numbers, which often happens within days of birth, their personal information needs to be monitored and protected so that they don’t become targets of identity fraud . A parent’s list of worries seems never-ending. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-14 09:12:09

Library groups step up criticism of Google settlement; FTC jumps in; Google agrees to draw up privacy policy

Norman Oder of Library Journal reports: In a flurry of comments filed with the federal court New York overseeing the proposed Google Book Search settlement, library groups have stepped up their criticism, joined by several industry heavyweights. On the other side, a variety of supporters have emerged, notably smaller academic institutions that believe that the institutional subscription database (ISD) would be a far better deal than having to try to match a major research library. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-03 22:39:28

Kevin Trudeau’s Legal Trouble

Kevin Trudeau has made millions of dollars selling dubious medical products. He started his snake-oil salesman career selling coral calcium through infomercials. Trudeau claimed that this magical form of calcium could cure cancer and whatever ails you. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated Trudeau, who was making millions off his claims, and found that he was being, let us say, less than honest. As a result the FTC banned Trudeau from selling health products through infomercials. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-16 12:34:45

Gut Feelings, Deception and Action

Image by Andres Rueda via FlickrThe Baltimore News reports on a foreclosure scam:A Baltimore woman who tried to save her home from foreclosure by answering a television advertisement claims she's now in worse financial trouble and could lose her home. Claretta Taylor said she has lived in a modest row home for 12 years and has been struggling to keep it. She said she was reeled in by Michael K. Lewis when she saw a television commercial for his business that seemed to fit her predicament. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-12 15:59:37

AEI Interns’ Transcripts in Date Order: Their Own First Draft of History

First of all, I want to reemphasize everything Laurie just said. This is not a new threat, and this is not a threat we did not know about. Saddam Hussein has, in many ways, openly dreamed of mass death in the United States. He has shared his dreams with his nation and the world many times. We also know he has actively planned to do so many times, and Laurie’s book is a rather convincing argument that he is active and successfully implemented plans to do so as well. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-28 08:30:21

Make Your Smile Brighter Instantly

DISCLAIMER: This posting is based on information widely available in the public media and medical journals that deal with losing fat and/or colons and/or skincare and/or whitening teeth. Nothing contained here is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her doctor or other medical specialist. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-20 17:49:20

Make Your Teeth Better At Once

DISCLAIMER: This posting is based on info widely available publicly online and medical journals that deal with losing fat and/or cleansing and/or skincare and/or whitening teeth. Nothing herein is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of doctor’s advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her doctor or other medical specialist. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-14 21:24:50

BlueHippo: under attack from state & fed officials

After watching BlueHippo run roughshod over the poorest consumers for years, federal and state officials are banding together for a full attack against this computer finance company that has ripped off hundreds, if not thousands of its customers.Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said he has received scores of complaints from consumers of paying BlueHippo hundreds of dollars or more for computers without getting one. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-24 19:18:54

Bally Sends Fake Past Due Bills To Ex-Members To Get Them To Rejoin [Ripoffs]

Reader Jordan writes in to share a past due "bill" that he received from Bally Total Fitness , where he had previously been a member. It turns out that the letter, which specified the amount Jordan owed and threatened to report Jordan to a collection agency if he didn't pay, was actually a sneaky solicitation to get him to renew his contract. Jordan writes: Hello, Writing to let you know about an interesting letter two friends and I received from Bally's. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-22 19:28:03

Make Your Smile Hotter At Once

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on information widely available publicly online and medical journals that deal with losing weight and/or cleansing and/or skincare and/or whitening teeth. Nothing herein is meant to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her physician or other medical specialist. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-16 15:57:20

Make Your Smile Hotter At Once

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on information widely available publicly online and medical journals that deal with losing weight and/or cleansing and/or skincare and/or whitening teeth. Nothing herein is meant to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her physician or other medical specialist. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-16 15:57:20

NRMLA Questions Validity of Consumer Reports Reverse Mortgage Investigation

When researching a product, be it a flat-screen television or a car, many of us often turn to Consumer Reports for an evaluation of what is available.   But after reading their reporting on reverse mortgages in the September 2009 issue (“Reversals of fortune: The next financial fiasco?  Can it be reverse mortgages”), one has to question whether there is any validity to anything that ever appears in the magazine. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-03 18:18:01

Credit Card Fraud–How to Protect Yourself

This is a guest post by Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com . This week, Albert Gonzalez was charged with involvement in the biggest case of credit/debit card data theft in United States history. Federal prosecutors allege that he was part of a group of hackers that seized access to 130 million credit and debit accounts. This is a startling number and a good reminder of the importance of protecting account information. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-20 18:57:27

How The FTC Helps To Protect Your Credit Repair Consumer Rights

by Tanner Sims The FTC or Federal Trade Commission investigates consumer complaints of fraud and unfair business practices throughout the US for more than 90 years. They also inform and educate the consumer with published information on credit repair and credit repair agencies. Some credit repair agencies have been charged with making fraudulent claims and you should be aware of this. Some companies might claim to repair your credit in a short period of time and the FTC says this is illegal. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-26 11:11:24

A Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Your (Actually) Free Credit Report without Accidentally Signing Up For Extras: Part Two – Experian

In part two of our series, we’ll be showing you how to pull your credit report from Experian without accidentally signing up for any subscriptions (check out Part one – Transunion ). That is, we’ll be getting your credit report absolutely free, in spite of nearly every other force colluding to induce you to buy something. In part one of our series, we walked through the process of starting an AnnualCreditReport.com session. We’ll pick up where we left off there. 1. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-13 12:09:10

Education & Government

PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Education & Government ___________ TOPIC ALERTHealth Care Reform (continued, 2 responses)_____________ EXPERT ALERTS1. Education: New GI Bill Helps Veterans Go to College 2. Government: Proposed FTC Rules Could Change the Debt Relief Industry 3. World Affairs: China in Decoupling Path? Let’s Hope SoHEALTH CARE REFORM (continued)We’ve added the following to items posted previously at http://budurl.com/healthcarereform1. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-06 19:22:55

Attacking Arbitration; Benefitting the Plaintiffs’ Bar

It isn’t on the House Judiciary Committee’s website yet, but it looks like a subcommittee and then the full committee may act this week on H.R ... containing such agreement. Former FTC Commissioner Christine Varney, now at Hogan & Hartson ... of consumer contracts — for everything from credit-card agreements to cell phones to health-insurance [more...]

Date: 2008-07-14 14:19:26

Database and P2P bills in Congress tomorrow

Two bills are coming up in Congress tomorrow (Wednesday) in the House Energy and Commerce Committee that have important privacy implications. Andrew Noyes reports: The House Energy and Commerce Committee is slated to vote Wednesday on legislation that would require strong security policies from firms that collect and store individuals’ sensitive information and provide for nationwide notification in the event of a data breach. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-30 01:11:36

Payday Loan Ballot Language Approved… But Law Is Already Killing Off Ohio Jobs in Steubenville

From WTOV: Despite a push to repeal a statewide crackdown on payday lenders in Ohio, some local companies are still closing ... worse economic decisions- such as bouncing checks, paying late fees on credit cards, or taking a black ... been media reports of an increase in fraudulent short-term loans being conducted through the mail, where [more...]

Date: 2008-07-15 12:28:03

Remind students heading off to college….

I received this press release from the NYS Consumer Protection Board about educating your children about ID theft and good safety precautions as they head off to college: As students prepare for the fall semester of college, the New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) is reminding young consumers to protect their identities while working on their computers, using the Internet, living in their dorms or while shopping. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-17 20:57:29

Online advertising - Ap » Hitech - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier

The advertising market is gloomy, and radio is in a particular funk. But Doug Perlson still feels pretty good. Perlson heads TargetSpot Inc ... fourth quarter, they’re facing a fast-proliferating scam that seeks to trick them into supplying credit ... and is stocked with new content partners, reports Variety. Hulu, long unnamed before it launched [more...]

Date: 2008-12-12 02:15:07

FTC WARNS OF INCREASE IN INTERNET SCAMS

Commission says scammers taking advantage of woes in financial marketsFROM MSNBC E-mail scams that “phish” for personal information may increase amid ... , the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said it has received numerous reports of a fraudulent ... to confuse consumers into parting with valuable personal information,” the FTC said in an advisory note [more...]

Date: 2008-10-11 01:01:29

Does FACTA affect your biz?

The Nov. 1 deadline for new federal identity theft regulations required for organizations that provide financing is fast approaching ... in the decision to extend, renew, or continue credit.” A business alert issued by the FTC adds, “ ... . Known as FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), the rules require covered entities [more...]

Date: 2008-10-23 14:07:52

How to Prevent Identity Theft

Identity theft is still around. Of course, it always has been, but sometimes it takes a story to bring things back into the spotlight ... before it happens. The FTC lists several, including: Protect Yourself: Click here to monitor your credit for identity theft. Protect Your Social Security Number — It’s a key ID thieves can use [more...]

Date: 2008-07-22 19:36:23

FTC Loses Lap Tops With 110 Employees Personal Data

Hey I thought the Federal Trade Commission was suppose to catch Identity Thieves not give out personal employee information to them? What gives this time? Well it appears that the mighty FTC had some laptops stolen in Scottsdale ... they screwing off using government credit cards again? Oh boy, and look what happen while they were [more...]

Date: 2008-10-19 08:01:16

Worried About Losing Dollars? You Better Watch Your Data Too…

By Anthony M. FreedYesterday another story emerged that has created some buzz regarding the current threats to our nation’s information security, ... information, credit reports, social security numbers and other sensitive information that was found ... to the reports of FBI officials who arrested him in August, 36-year-old Rene Rebollo spent his Sunday [more...]

Date: 2008-12-10 05:23:46

Simple Credit Repair Anyone Can Do - Even You!

by Mark Alison Regardless of your track record or credit history, you can take some simple steps and do your own credit repair. You can begin right away, and it won’t cost you anything - but the improvement can be gigantic! You can begin by ordering a copy of your credit reports, going through them, and understanding them. There are three different credit reporting bureaus, and each one may have slightly different information. [more...]

Date: 2009-08-14 23:57:11

Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) Identity Theft and Teens

Source: Connect with Kids“If they’ve managed to get a hold of your Social Security number and take out credit card applications in your name, ... the problem.”– Suzanne Boas, president, Consumer Credit Counseling ServiceIdentity theft is an ever-increasing threat for all consumers -- one that could damage your credit ratings and cost you thousands [more...]

Date: 2008-10-18 12:59:00

Consumer Headaches: 15 ways to get help

My two-month-long fight with Qwest, which barring a stroke of luck will no doubt go on a lot longer, ... serious problems that might damage your credit rating or cost you big bucks requires you to roll ... and all sorts of enlightening reports will come up. This is where I learned that Qwest had pulled the “let [more...]

Date: 2008-10-26 02:56:28

Beware of Background Screening Checks

Employee background screening is an unregulated industry with easy money and not a huge emphasis on compliance or on hiring quality people to do the screening. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act covers background screeners, but it hasn't ... possible accuracy." It also requires employers to give a copy of background reports to rejected [more...]

Date: 2008-06-03 17:50:00

Did Racism Help Cause the Mortgage Crisis? The Bubble Bursts

Carter Glass copyright © 2008 Ralph Brauer. The Strange Death of Liberal America In 1997 the FDIC published an imaginary interview with Carter ... dispels this notion. It found: Credit quality alone therefore does not fully explain the extreme reliance of black households on the subprime market. Further research by Freddie Mac reports [more...]

Date: 2008-12-23 03:29:43

Beware of Debt Reduction Advice

In a recessionary period like the one we are experiencing today there is a natural increase in personal financial turmoil ... associated with servicing such debt at very high interest rates, in particular credit card debt. People with high outstanding balances in their credit cards find themselves in a bind as they struggle [more...]

Date: 2008-12-12 11:00:20

How To Avoid Credit Repair Scams And Get Your Credit Repaired Safely

Sep 18th, 2009by Steven Mueller. The FTC or Federal Trade Commission investigates consumer complaints of fraud and unfair business practices throughout the US for more than 90 years. They also inform and educate the consumer with published information on credit repair and credit repair agencies.Some credit repair agencies have been charged with making fraudulent claims and you should be aware of this. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-18 09:14:42

Millions Affected by Small Fraudulent Charges Nationwide

Internet complaint boards have been busy and credit card fraud departments are scratching their heads ... is trying to find out whether an illegally obtained credit card number will work before making a bigger charge, or they’re trying to rip off tiny amounts from tons of people.” So far, most reports [more...]

Date: 2009-01-13 18:00:58

(Yet Another) Trap for Home Buyers to Avoid

In his superb Washington Post Column, Ken Harney analyzed a little publicized settlement between the FTC and fallen Investment Bank firm Bear ... . ??From the column, the complaint against Bear Stearns’ subsidiary EMC was: But the FTC’s complaint and settlement ... that were designed to get collectors into houses illegally, and failed to tell national cre [more...]

Date: 2008-09-24 15:59:13

“I’m calling to offer you a green way to pay your bills. And also, this is a stickup."

Here's another collection of tales about why business “self regulation” is the rough equivalent of no regulation at all ... more quickly from the Registry. At the FTC’s behest, the DMA submitted a sample list of 20,000 ... be treated as active registrations, the FTC continued.For the arithmetically challenged, that means [more...]

Date: 2008-11-10 19:53:13

FACTA is coming up fast

On November 1, your biggest problem might be the amount of Hallowe’en candy you ate the night before ... and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) comes into effect. You might also know it by its more common ... patterns, practices or specific activities that could indicate identity theft,” according to the FTC [more...]

Date: 2008-10-17 12:47:42

Crime doesn’t pay…

sourceFor many of us, the stock market debacle of 1929 conjures images of devastated investors leaping from upper-story windows; ... today.As the Financial Times reports, corporate fraud is spiking:Fraud is closely correlated with the business cycle… As the downturn deepens and companies struggle for credit, the more managers [more...]

Date: 2009-01-09 00:31:49

Did Racism Help Cause the Mortgage Crisis? The Bubble Bursts

Carter Glass In 1997 the FDIC published an imaginary interview with Carter Glass that predicted what would occur with the repeal of the ... . Yet data from a 2002 Fannie Mae report dispels this notion. It found: Credit quality alone therefore ... research by Freddie Mac reports that as much as 35 percent of borrowers in the subprime market could [more...]

Date: 2008-12-15 00:20:33

Dear Bank of America

Dear Bank of America September 29th, 2008 The first I knew that my credit card number had been stolen was when I received a fraud notice from you ... , thank you. I paid the new charges in full, as I do every month, since I use this credit card ... fraud alert has been initiated by me. No updates, no reports, no conclusions, only my steadily [more...]

Date: 2008-09-30 02:08:41

Researching “American Agencies” @ 1-877-728-8912

Note: This article is taken as true on “presumed honesty” and is more just a culmination of the Internet version of group-think — people posting ... online and looking up 1-877-728-8912, random-ish and mostly-anonymous reports seem to pop ... of a collections agency. Another commenter reports being told they owed money for AT&T and that after [more...]

Date: 2008-11-19 20:46:30

Does FACTA affect your company?

The Nov. 1 deadline for new data security regulations required for many companies has just arrived. Known as FACTA ( ... to extend, renew, or continue credit.” A business alert issued by the FTC adds, “Accepting credit cards ... Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), the rules require covered entities to re-examine [more...]

Date: 2008-11-03 10:00:35

Consumers - Fight Back With FTC&#39s Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission has rolled out it’s National Do Not Call Registry and the registration site already has over 700,000 registrants ... phone numbers at one time. This is a free service established by the FTC and your “do not call” ... is one of them, you do not need to re-register for the national registry. CAUTION: There have been reports [more...]

Date: 2008-10-28 06:13:33

Tips for Women on Building Their Credit Score

During this political campaign, women have proven that they are qualified and capable to hold the highest political offices in our country ... have higher interest rates and lower credit limits If you get a secured card, make sure the card reports ... of her credit score. Since this directly affects her financial future and the rate she will pay for any [more...]

Date: 2008-09-05 01:14:47

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