Twitter will pay $150 million to settle a lawsuit – filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on the Federal Trade Commission’s behalf – that said Twitter collected users’ information for one purpose, to secure accounts, and used it for another, targeted advertising, the agencies announced Monday. Read more →
Target Corp. has agreed to pay about $5.4 to settle a lawsuit that alleged Target overcharged customers. The lawsuit was filed by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office along with district attorneys of Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, Ventura, and San Diego counties. Read more →
California is investigating some businesses operating loyalty programs and notices have been sent out alleging they aren’t complying with consumer laws. Businesses that offer discounts or free items in exchange for personal information in California are required to provide a notice of financial incentive. Read more →
Scammers and fraudsters are always lurking around, and they’re especially adept at taking the latest happenings and pouncing. It’s not a surprise then that fake and unauthorized at-home testing kits are popping up online as scammers take advantage of the increase in demand. Read more →
Covid-19 certainly is having an impact on this holiday season: flights canceled, schools closed, and vacation plans changed. And, supply chain issues continuing. With the omicron variant so prevalent, people need to keep being careful. Wear a mask inside and social distance when you can. Read more →
Many of things you may buy for the holidays, such as toys, laptops, and phones, have chips in them. Since there’s a global chip shortage, prices are going up, and items with chips will probably be harder to find. Scammers are taking advantage of these shortages and are trying to sell items in short supply. Read more →
Every year, June 15 is recognized as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The purpose of Elder Abuse Day is to raise awareness to the abuse and neglect experienced by elderly people around the world through cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes. Read more →
The FTC, along with law enforcement agencies from six states, sued Internet service provider Frontier Communications, alleging that the company didn’t provide many consumers with Internet service at the speeds it promised them, and charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed service. 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 →
Verizon is recalling about 2.5 million Ellipsis Jetpack mobile hotspots. The lithium ion battery in the hotspots can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards. Verizon has received 15 reports of overheating, including six reports of fire damage to bedding or flooring and two reports of minor burn injuries. Read more →