Identity theft is terrible. It’s ruins your day, week, month, and probably more. The average data breach in 2022 cost a company $9.44 million and took 277 days to contain. To determine where Americans are most susceptible to such crimes, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia on 14 key items.
For years, I had credit card debt. As a single woman, the expenses of running and maintaining a household, plus some travel to visit my daughter in Spain, were more than I could manage on my salary. However, when I paid off my house early, I was able to pay off my credit cards quickly.
Comcast is one of the companies that I dislike the most. I’m using polite language here because it’s best thing for bloggers to do. I’ve had poor customer service many, many times, and one customer service manager used abusive language, calling me derogatory names. Another thing that irks me about Comcast is mandatory fees.
It’s great progress that 40 state attorneys general have reached a $391.5 million settlement with Google over its location tracking practices. The Big Four – Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook – have tremendous power over our personal information and more needs to be done to rein them in.
It’s one of the biggest frauds unleashed on the American public: high gas prices despite falling oil prices. As consumers prepare to vote, it’s often the high gas prices that are on their minds. Recently, I wrote about price gouging: about one-third to half of the current inflation in the U.S. is being caused by corporations making excessive profits.
When I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile, it wasn’t a problem to cancel once I finally got the correct information on what to do. However, some consumers have found it difficult or nearly impossible to cancel a service because companies illegally trick or trap people who use their services. An example is the phone company Vonage.
For years, I’ve suggested that consumers consider banking with a credit union rather than a bank. Why? Consumers often can’t trust banks not to gouge them with high interest rates and fees. It was great to listen to President Biden speak on the radio and on television about the action his administration is taking on “junk fees.”
Recently, I wrote about how price-gouging by corporations is responsible for a third or more of the inflation consumers are experiencing these days. Now, another instance of corporate wrongdoing that’s costing consumers millions has been exposed. Tyson Foods, the largest chicken producer in the nation, will pay $10.5 million to settle a lawsuit.
On Facebook this week, a woman in a financial group told about how she almost paid $2,500 to a scammer on Zelle. It was the government imposter scam. A guy told her she owed $2,500 because she’d missed a court date. The calls went on for about an hour. A friend on another line kept telling her not to send the money.
