Blog

Before you sign up and pay any money for health insurance or discount plans, check out all the available options — and any claims they make about coverage. Some people who call you up promoting a way for you to save could be pitching a scam. Today the FTC announced charges against Partners In Health Care and one of its marketers for tricking people — especially Spanish speakers — who were looking for affordable health insurance into buying worthless medical discount cards. According to the FTC, many people targeted by the scam were told they were buying a qualified health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many either had submitted their contact information to lead-generation websites that promised information about getting health insurance, or heard Spanish-language radio ads offering low-cost health plans.

The FTC recently attended DEF CON 22, and challenged the tech-savvy to help us zap “Rachel from Cardholder Services” and her robocall buddies. How? The agency hosted a contest to see who could develop a cutting-edge robocall honeypot — an information system designed to attract robocallers, and help researchers and investigators understand and minimize illegal calls. Today, the FTC announced the winners, who will receive a combined total of $12,000 in prizes.

Your caller ID says “FTC” or “IRS,” and the phone number has the “202” Washington, DC area code. You might even look the number up and see that it’s a real government phone number. But the person calling isn’t really from the FTC, IRS, or any other agency. It’s a government imposter whose goal is to convince you to send money before you figure out it’s a scam. The big giveaway? The caller wants you to send money. What imposters might tell you A lot of imposters pretend they’re with the government to scare you into sending money. They say you owe taxes or some other unpaid debt, and, hoping you’ll panic, warn that you’re about to be arrested if you don’t pay up. Before you can investigate, you’re told to put the money on a prepaid debit card and tell them the number — something no government agency would ask you to do. Other scammers promise you money — a big prize you need to claim. They say the FTC or some other agency is supervising the sweepstakes, and that the money will be released as soon as you pay for the shipping, taxes, or some other expense. But it’s all a fake. There is no prize and no money.

All parents think their babies rock. But when a company says its product will help a kid master reading Harry Potter during the potty-training years, it needs solid science to support those claims. The FTC says Dr. Robert Titzer and his company, Infant Learning, Inc., deceived consumers with ads for Your Baby Can Read, a set of DVDs, books and word cards that cost around $200. These ads and other promotional materials promoted the program’s ability to teach babies as young as nine months to read — with their skills advancing to books like Charlotte’s Web by ages three or four.

You may have heard about it in the news: reports that Russian hackers have stolen more than a billion unique username and password combinations, and more than 500 million email addresses, grabbed from thousands of websites. What should you do about it? We asked our resident expert, Maneesha Mithal, director of our Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.

If you’re a servicemember getting ready to deploy, you most likely have a “To Do” list. FTC staff suggest your list include placing an active duty alert on your credit reports to help minimize your risk of identity theft.

Are you tired of getting telemarketing calls even though your number is on the national Do-Not-Call registry, or of running to pick up the phone only to be greeted by a pre-recorded sales pitch? You’re not alone. Our annual survey state and local consumer protection agencies revealed that Do-Not-Call violations and other telemarketing abuses were the fastest-growing complaints they received in 2013.

Ever wonder how a lender decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring systems to determine if you’d be a good risk for credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages. These days, other types of businesses — including auto and homeowners insurance companies and phone companies — are using credit scores to decide whether to issue you a policy or provide you with a service, and on what terms.

Whether you’re a first-time investor or have been investing for many years, there is some basic information you should know. Here are 10 tips that may help you make informed financial decisions and avoid common scams .

Today, we announce an enforcement action against Colfax Capital Corporation and its subsidiary Culver Capital, LLC for engaging in unlawful lending practices that targeted and financially harmed servicemembers. Although the name Colfax Capital Corporation might be new to some, this is actually the last gasp of a chameleon-like company with a long and deplorable record of preying on servicemembers. Formerly known as Rome Finance Co. Inc. and Rome Finance Company, LLC (collectively Rome Finance), this unlicensed lender provided financing that merchants, such as SmartBuy, used when selling products to military members. Rome Finance’s contracts inflated the disclosed prices of the products to hide the true finance charges that the servicemembers would have to pay, typically by military allotment. This trapped servicemembers in contracts that generated millions of dollars for the company and substantial debt for its customers.