National Consumer Protection Week March 6-12 is a time to help people understand their consumer rights and avoid frauds and scams. The Federal Trade Commission leads the national outreach for the week of events. It’s focusing on how fraud affects every community.
Due to the war in Ukraine, consumers in the United States could experience impacts. They should be on the lookout for potential price gouging of fuel and other goods and services. And consumers should be aware that there may be cyberattacks.
Scammers are always lurking in the background. When a new disaster or event occurs, they fine-tune their toolkit. With the war in Ukraine, scammers are on the move. They know that millions of people want to support the Ukrainian people. They’re setting up fake charities that look and sound like real ones.
“You’re beautiful and gorgeous. You have lovely eyes and sexy lips that are kissable.” That’s what a stranger wrote to me on Instagram. Fortunately, since I write about fraud frequently, I can recognize a potential romance scam. Unfortunately, the FTC reports more consumers are falling prey to romance scammers.
Americans are expected to lose even more money to romance scams in 2022. With Valentine’s Day coming up, scammers are at work now targeting those looking for love. In 2020, reported losses to romance scams reached a record $304 million, up about 50 percent from 2019. For an individual, that meant a median dollar loss of $2,500.
Coins and collectables can be an interesting and rewarding hobby. However, since the price of precious metals can fluctuate widely, it can also be a stressful investment. Knowing what you’re buying, and who you’re buying it from are very important.
Amazon will shut down the “Sold by Amazon” program nationwide following a price-fixing investigation by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. As part of a consent decree, Amazon is required to stop the “Sold by Amazon” program and provide the agency with annual updates on its compliance with antitrust laws.
In 2021, Congress expanded tax benefits and made other advanced payments in response to the covid-19 pandemic and the resulting financial impact. This may increase the amount of money you’ll receive through your tax refund. You also may be eligible to access other benefits when you file a tax return.
If you’re like me, you’ve done more cooking during the pandemic than in any recent time period. In fact, for the first time, I got tired of cooking. This list of 19 cookbooks from the Food Tank brightened my day. The cookbooks are full of bright flavors, personal stories, and rich traditional knowledge.
