Consumer Fraud

Wherever there is money, there is going to be fraud. Con artists use the telephone, the Internet and the mail to steal your money. While there are always going to be variations of the different...

People need to be made aware of how to prevent an unapproved withdrawal from their bank account when using classmates website. If you are lured in with the $9.95 yearly membership, classmates will...

Identity theft occurs when a would-be thief acquires an individual's personal information illegally. An identity thief can ruin a person's finances, creditworthiness and reputation.

Phone scams have been around as long as there have been telephones. A recent scam involves phone calls from criminals posing as federal agents, and claiming those being called were going to be...

A credit card chargeback is a request to undo a legitimate charge made on a credit card, filed by the consumer with his credit card company. A credit card chargeback is very similar to...

Though the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has strengthened its address-change policies in recent years, you may still fall victim to a fraudulent change. This is commonly associated with identity...

When a creditor sells a debt to a collection agency, it provides the company with the amount owed and all of the personal information it currently has on the debtor. The collection agency then...

There's nothing like the joy and excitement of winning a contest or sweepstakes. Unfortunately, not all sweepstakes are held with forthright intentions. As a result of entering an unscrupulous...

A brute force credit card attack occurs when would-be thieves mechanically input random credit card numbers, hoping to find a valid number they can use. These attackers are merely guessing at...

The Tissot watch company was established in 1853 in the small village of Le Locle, Switzerland. The company provides high-quality timepieces to consumers in 150 countries as of 2009. Because of...

Finding a charge on your credit card statement that you did not make yourself or finding a bank account suddenly depleted of its funds can be a scary and frustrating experience. A consumer may...

Pyramid schemes are illegal marketing efforts where people are compensated for recruiting new members. The people who originally start the pyramid scheme generally do very well financially....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees false claims of medicinal effects for products such as acai berry. You can file a complaint with this agency to report possible scams or fraudulent...

A certificate of origin is a legal document stating that goods in a specific export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured, or processed in a particular country of origin. These...

Determining fake checks is just as important as determining fake monetary bills. With the rise of technology came the misuse of different machines that made it possible for someone to make a fake...

Scammers taking advantage of gullible consumers during an economic downtown spurred the Federal Trade Commission to form a task force to conduct a law enforcement sweep that commenced in July...

The newest fraud in this time of hard financial times comes from all businesses that use cash registers.

Consumer protection laws are intended to guarantee fair business practices. A business that does not operate within these laws can be sued for damages. If you think that a business owes you...

Fraud is always a serious matter, but scammers who use the U.S. Postal Service elevate the severity of their crime. Under the United States Code, using the postal service to conduct fraud is a...

"Cash Gifting" is not illegal in the United States. In fact, it is a perfectly legal way to lower future estate tax debt. However, pyramid schemes that claim to use "cash gifting" as a method to...

There are steps you can take if you are in debt that has now risen to the point that bankruptcy is the only option. If you are ineligible, or do not wish to apply, for Chapter 7, and complete...

Identity theft is a growing problem in Pennsylvania. Credit card fraud, bank fraud, utilities fraud and other types of identity theft affect thousands of Pennsylvanians every year. The office of...

Need to report a lost of stolen debit card (atm card)? Credit card fraud can be implemented in a matter of seconds. Your bank account could be drained before you even notice that your card is...

When your credit card is stolen, the thief can do a multitude of things with it. The first and foremost thing a thief might do is immediately purchase something with it, presenting themselves as...

Brand name clothing is often faked and sold for much less than its usual price. Telling the difference between the genuine article and fake items isn't always easy, and requires an eye for detail...

The rise in popularity of the Internet and email has not stopped criminals from attempting mail fraud. This is a federal crime, and the best thing you can do when you suspect a scam is to report...

Credit card fraud is the use of a credit card as a false or illegal source of funds in a business transaction. Many times, identity theft victims are commonly subject to this type of fraud.

There can be many reasons to make changes to a rental agreement. They can either be related to the landlord's needs such as a need to increase the rent, or the tenant's needs such as a need to add...

Some people love them and some people hate them, but no matter what you are feeling, timeshares remain a very popular vacation option. These businesses offer the consumer a guaranteed room,...

Check fraud ranked sixth in the 2008 top ten crime complaints reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, and number one for median dollar loss ($3,000). The National Check Fraud center says...

The availability of information on scams and a general rise in consumer awareness has decreased the success rate of scam artists. However, some people still get fooled into sending a check to an...

Each year, about 9 million Americans become victims of identity theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Thieves assume an identity other than their own and use either the victim's Social...

Trying to come up with unique passwords that you will easily remember can be a nuisance. The strongest passwords are the most difficult to remember, and this is a good thing for your internet...

With the incredible surge in credit card fraud these days one may think that it is a relatively harmless crime with few repercussions other than a slap on the wrist. On the contrary, credit card...

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program was created to provide financial help to elderly, disabled and blind individuals who have little, if any, income. SSI also helps children with severe...

You know you're right but they won't listen to you? Here's some ways to get their attention. They will sit up and take notice when you do any of these in response to their unwillingness to help.

No one takes Social Security fraud lightly, least of all the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration (SSA). When he was appointed to the position in 2004, former Secret Service...

Until about June, I did not believe that anything on the Internet was free and therefore never gave out a credit card number to anything except absolutely protected sites for which I wanted to...

The National Do Not Call Registry was initiated in 2003 to allow individuals to register their home phone number and cell phone number to avoid unwanted telemarketing solicitors. If you register...

If you are dealing with a dispute with a credit card company, rest assured that there are laws creditors must follow to report your credit information accurately and provide you with accurate...

In this internet age, consumer fraud is running rampant. As a consumer, we must do all we can to shield ourselves against identity fraud crimes. We all know that we must shred our documents that...

A thief has many ways to get someone's personal information. Some methods are electronic in nature, while some involve face-to-face business transactions that turn out to be fraudulent. Several...

The Products Labeling Act, also known as the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA), requires labels on all products to state the identity of the product, the name and place of the manufacturer,...

I want to warn you about a telephone con and how to avoid a $2,425 phone call. The scammers get you by calling from an 809 area code to tell you that they have some important information for you....

Every legal resident in the United States has his own unique personal identification number assigned to him by the Social Security Administration. This number helps identify him to the U.S....

Many companies that offer credit repair services make aggressive claims in their marketing, "guaranteeing" they can remove negative marks from your credit report. But the Federal Trade Commission...

Credit fraud occurs when someone uses your identity to make unauthorized charges to your credit accounts, opens new accounts in your name or makes any unauthorized use of your personal...

Anyone who writes a check knowing they do not have the funds available to cover the cost of the check in their bank account is doing so fraudulently. This is illegal, and can be punishable with...

The Federal Trade Commission reports approximately 8.3 million people were victims of identity theft in 2005. Identity theft happens in a wide variety of ways and affects people in all income groups.