Recent Articles

A corporate scam allegedly duping small business owners out of more than $1 million is the target of New York state prosecutors in a newly filed lawsuit. The scam works like this, according to New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman: Company owners receive a letter that's designed to look...

Hundreds of consumer complaints have poured in to the Better Business Bureau regarding a smokeless-cigarette promotional offer that appears to have left trial-minded customers with the impression that they were burned. Direct E-Cig's starter smokeless-cigarette kits are supposed to provide a...

State officials in New York want an allegedly deceptive auto lender to pay back its customers for what attorneys say were unscrupulous demands on would-be buyers with poor or limited credit histories. In a lawsuit filed on March 31, the New York Attorney General's office accuses One Source...

Three companies in three states have agreed to pay consumers back for what amounts to years of unwanted, unauthorized charges on their local phone bills, a practice commonly called "cramming." In some cases, the charges had nothing to do with using the phone. The companies agreed to refund a total...

Customers who hand over credit cards to bartenders and wait staff deserve better protection than they got from a large restaurant chain, say state attorneys who recently won a six-figure settlement for a restaurant group's data-security failures. The Briar Group, in Boston, agreed to pay...

States across the country are pushing for tougher consumer protection rules to address debt-collectors' use of cell phones and text messages, as well as better govern what happens when debts are sold on from creditors to collectors. The same rules that guide the way debt collectors are supposed to...

Internet scammers finding it harder to get away with the same old scheme on Facebook may be turning to easier and greener pastures on Twitter. Experts at security firms such as Sophos say they've seen the social network's security teams recently crack down on the "watch-this-video,...

State officials are warning homeowners to take a second look before leaping into "mortgage-assistance" deals offered by what appear to be companies tied to their own banks. The latest warning comes from Connecticut, where state Attorney General George Jepsen called out two California companies --...

Complaints about a concert promoter who did not issue refunds after a canceled Bret Michaels concert spurred state officials to take action in response to a rock show gone wrong. "My office will always stand up for consumers who do not receive the products they paid for -- whether it be a...

As parents begin to sort out summer camp options for young ones, this year the Better Business Bureau cautions families to look beyond a glossy brochure and friendly sales pitch to make sure the camp they have in mind is safe, well-supervised, and not a money trap. "Many parents don't know that...