Topic
Financial Scams
Protecting Seniors from Identity Theft
Identify theft is an unfortunate reality of our times, and seniors can be especially vulnerable to this life-altering crime. If you’re a senior yourself or are helping care for an elderly friend or family member, there are a number of things you can do to protect personal information from falling into the hands of the […]
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How to Handle the Home Depot Data Breach
If news of the Home Depot data breach has you worried about the security of your personal and banking information, you’re not alone. The nation’s largest home improvement retailer estimates the account information of more than 56-million customers may have been compromised. If you shopped at a Home Depot store between April and September of this […]
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Learn How to Haggle and Save Big
Whether referred to as haggling, bargaining or negotiating, there was a time when a buyer and a seller working out what both agreed was a fair price was commonplace in American commerce. But over time, the process died out and was replaced by a fixed-price model where consumers pay the listed price for just about […]
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Are You Committing Coupon Fraud?
The popularity of the television show ‘Extreme Couponing’ has created an unprecedented level of interest in using coupons to save money. Those highlighted on the show use extreme measures to save tremendous amounts of money and often stockpile canned and boxed food, health and beauty products, and household items. Unfortunately, the increased interest in couponing […]
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Signs of Housing Scams & Fraud
When the housing bubble burst in 2007, a slew of scam artists started targeting homeowners facing foreclosure. It quickly became difficult to sort the real help from false hopes. Consumers around the country were scammed out of thousands of dollars, and even their homes. It’s important to know that legitimate help is widely available. The […]
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Spring Break Travel Discounts May Come with “Baggage”
It’s that time of year, folks across the country are itching for a much-anticipated break from school and work. It’s also the time when eager spring breakers put down their guard and fall victim to travel scams. March is National Consumer Protection Month, a perfect occasion to review tips for fending off swindlers and ensuring […]
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How to Spot and Protect Yourself from Online Job Scams
When you’re looking for work, it can be tempting to respond to every offer or opportunity. Unfortunately, scam artists take advantage of this uncertain time in people’s lives by stealing personal information through bogus job offers, fake website applications and fake job postings. To help you better interpret employment postings, we’ve put together the following […]
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How to Prevent Identity Theft
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that as many as 9 million Americans become victims of identity theft every year. The crime ranges in form and severity, from nabbing a credit card to stealing a Social Security number. While some thefts can be corrected within a couple days, others can take months or even years […]
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How to Avoid Internet and Email Scams
The Internet has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives, from communication to personal finance. Navigating the web and sending emails has become second nature to most. Scammers are continually developing new ways to take advantage of this reliance and trust. Consumers must be cautious with any online transaction. Below, we’ve outlined tips on how to […]
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Phishing and the Target Data Breach
Not only are more than 40-million Target customers dealing with news of the data breach that compromised their credit and debit card information, they also need to be on the lookout for fraudulent, “phishing” emails hoping to take advantage of it. Shortly after news of the data breach went public, some consumers began receiving phishing […]
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