Columnist
Randy Hutchinson is the President and CEO of the BBB of the Mid-South, serving 28 counties in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. He graduated from Western Maryland College and has an MBA from Wilmington College. He can be reached at rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org
There are 73 articles by Randy Hutchinson :
Study after study show that 123456 is one of the most common passwords. Others in the top 10 include 12345678, qwerty (the first five letters on a keyboard), ********, 1q2w3e (check your keyboard to see why) and the word “password” itself.
Even if you’ve determined a business opportunity is legitimate, be sure it’s right for you. Ask what you’d be selling or doing, how shoppers would find you, what your expenses would be and when you could expect to turn a profit.
Charles Ponzi gave his name to a type of investment scheme, but they were around before him and are with us still. Here are some red flags from the SEC and BBB.
“Check washing” is a crime the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network says is surging despite the fact that the use of checks is declining.
“Doctors peddling phony promises should know that the FTC will use its strengthened authority from Congress to stop them from exploiting Americans struggling with addiction.”
The Federal Trade Commission is concerned that consumers will be mesmerized by such terms as “machine learning” and “neural networks” and fall prey to crooks who misrepresent or outright lie about how AI is used in their products.
With 43 million Americans resuming payments as the COVID-related moratorium ends and President Biden forgiving as many student loans as he can under various relief programs, the situation is ripe for student loan debt relief fraud.
If there’s an error in your credit report, you can do anything a credit repair company can do to fix it yourself at little to no cost. If you’re asked to pay an upfront fee for help, it’s likely a scam.
The FTC recommends that users of health apps look for a privacy notice that explains in simple terms what information the app collects, how it’s used, and if it’s shared with third parties and how they use it.
Synthetic identity fraud is harder to prevent or detect than other forms of identity theft. Children’s SSNs are particularly vulnerable because they often aren’t monitored and the theft may not be detected for years.
The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to be skeptical of miracle health claims. Consult your doctor before trying any product that claims to prevent, treat, or cure a serious illness.
Cosigning for a child with no credit record to buy a first car may be a good decision; cosigning a credit card for a delinquent brother-in-law not so much.
“When there’s a medical breakthrough, you’re not going to hear about it first through an ad or sales pitch.”
“Pig butchering” alludes to the practice of fattening up a hog before slaughter. The investment scam originated in Southeast Asia and spread worldwide during the pandemic.
If it’s important to you that a product is truly made in the United States, research the reputation of the manufacturer or marketer making the claim, including with the BBB, to be sure they’re trustworthy.
“It’s best to give to a campaign organized by someone you know. If you don’t know the organizer, check out the story as best you can and gauge the amount of your donation against the risk it may not be true.”
The FTC’s Contact Lens Rule requires prescribers to provide copies of prescriptions automatically — that is, the patient shouldn’t have to ask for it — and at no extra charge.
The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends that data breach notices explicitly recommend that victims freeze their credit and that credit reporting agencies create a common system for people to do so.
If you’re buying it from an online-only dealer, be sure you understand the return and refund policy and that the dealer’s reputation indicates it will stand behind the policy.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has opened an inquiry into Buy Now, Pay Later loans to determine if they require additional regulation.
The FDA says you may be putting your personal and financial information at risk when you deal with unsafe online pharmacies.
More than one in four people who reported to the Federal Trade Commission that they lost money in a scam in 2021 say it originated on social media, an 18-fold increase over 2017.
While the apps are a legitimate payment method, using them involves some risks that are greater than paying with a credit card.
A recent survey found that 77% of consumers “always” or “regularly” read reviews from other consumers. That was up from 60% in the prior survey.
From July 2020 to June 2021, 96,000 people reported an Amazon scam to the FTC. Only a small percentage of people report scams, so the actual numbers are much higher.