Apps that provide access to credit scores may not offer all of the benefits users expect, and they can come with extra costs and risks that people may not foresee, Consumer Reports said. Americans can get access their credit reports for free once a year, but they don’t have a similar right to their credit scores, except in some cases. Read more →
We’ve all seen the TV ads, especially late at night, when the rates are cheaper. A guy says he can solve consumers’ timeshare problems and get them out of their contacts. If the exit company can’t get the contract canceled, he says, no worries, his company offers a money-back guarantee. Read more →
Every consumer needs to watch the documentary series “LuLaRich,” about LuLaRoe, a multilevel marketing scheme that sells colorful clothes and tights. It’s on Amazon Prime and hopefully will be available elsewhere, too. It shows in detail the thin line between multilevel marketing and pyramid schemes. Read more →
Will you be able to get a deal on a new or used car at the Labor Day car sales this year? Maybe. About 87 million Americans will be shopping for cars this Labor Day weekend, that’s 23 percent more than Labor Day weekend 2019. Read more →
Identity thieves are targeting millions of people with scam phishing texts aimed at stealing personal information, unemployment benefits, or both. The phishing texts try to trick you to click a link to “make necessary corrections” to your claim, “reactivate” your account, or “verify” your personal information. Read more →
After another death of a young child in a residential elevator, the CPSC Tuesday asked vacation rental platforms, AirBnB, Vrbo, and others, to take steps immediately to protect consumers. Small children can be crushed to death in a gap that may exist between the doors. Read more →
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday on promoting competition in the American economy. It launches a government effort to combat growing market power in the U.S. economy by seeking to ensure that markets are competitive. Read more →
People are starting to travel again, and they’re finding problems getting rental cars. With rental car availability at an all-time low, prices are very high. So, if you suddenly find an available car at a cheap price, you might be dealing with scammers looking make money on the rental car shortage. Read more →
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Maxtrade are warning consumers to immediately stop using Maxtrade’s Coolster youth ATV-3050-C and ATV-3050-B models to avoid serious injury or death. These youth ATVs don’t meet CPSC’s mandatory safety standards. Read more →
For three years, people have reported losing more money on romance scams than on any other fraud type identified in Sentinel, a fraud database. In 2020, reported losses to romance scams reached a record $304 million, up about 50 percent from 2019. Read more →