Consumer Law

Judge ponders prison time for 'Spam King'

Posted on July 15, 2008
A federal judge is apparently having a difficult time determining an appropriate penalty for ?Spam King? Robert Soloway.

Bonnie of 'Bonnie and Clyde' ID thieves pleads guilty

Posted on July 15, 2008
Justice caught up to a 22-year-old identity thief on Monday on Philidelphia. Jocelyn Kirsch, a former Drexel University student, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and other federal charges. ...

Call forwarding scam a favorite for inmates

Posted on July 09, 2008
Inmates have discovered a sneaky way to trick consumers into paying for long-distance phone calls ? often to foreign countries. The "call forwarding" or "*72" scam has been around for years but many consumers don?t know about it.

?Grandparent scam? targets Washington elderly again

Posted on July 09, 2008
If your grandchild called seeking help, would you send money? The Washington Attorney General?s Office is warning Washington residents about the ?grandparent scam,? where cons posing as relatives try to convince elderly victims to wire cash to help pay for emergency car repairs, medical bills ? or even post bail.

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FAQ about Washington?s new distressed homeowner law

Posted on July 07, 2008
A new state law proposed by the Washington Attorney General?s Office to help protect financially strapped homeowners from equity skimming and foreclosure rescue scams became effective in Washington on June 12 ...

FTC survey - Do current laws help ID theft victims?

Posted on July 07, 2008
The Federal Trade Commission plans to survey identity theft victims to inquire about their experiences when they contacted credit reporting agencies for help. ...

Banking by phone? Zip your lip in public.

Posted on July 01, 2008
Banking by phone is convenient, but some folks carelessly share their private financial information within range of eavesdroppers. ...

State gas tax increases today

Posted on July 01, 2008
Washington's gas tax increased today by a penny-and-a-half to 37.5 cents a gallon. Here are tips to help you spend less at the pump.

Free: TransUnion credit monitoring and score

Posted on June 27, 2008
TransUnion reached a preliminary agreement in a class action lawsuit last month, under which millions of consumers will get their credit score and up to nine months of credit-monitoring service for free. ...

States accuse Countrywide of predatory lending

Posted on June 26, 2008
Gov. Chris Gregoire and the state Department of Financial Institutions have accused Countrywide Financial Corp. of discriminating against minority borrowers ...

Washington woman sentenced in fake check scam

Posted on June 26, 2008
An Olympia, Wash., woman was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison for her role in an counterfeit check scam ...

Ebay adds fraud protection for PayPal users

Posted on June 24, 2008
EBay is promising full protection for buyers who pay for items using its PayPal system....

More on the digital TV switch -- and misleading ads!

Posted on June 24, 2008
As we?ve mentioned on All Consuming, TV is going digital. ... But an Ohio-based company called Universal TechTronics is running misleading ads promising a free a digital converter box.

Former smoke shop owner guilty of debit-card scam

Posted on June 20, 2008
A former smoke shop owner pleaded guilty in federal court to skimming information from debit and credit cards belonging to 300 victims, the Seattle P-I reported.

Expired tires can lead to a blowout

Posted on June 10, 2008
Your tires, like the cans in your pantry, have an expiration date. If your wheels aren?t fresh, you may be headed for a blowout.

Dying hard drive? Try the freezer.

Posted on June 10, 2008
While working on a late-night deadline assignment several years ago, I spilled a glass of water on my office laptop. The liquid flowed through the keyboard into the circuitry. Suddenly, the screen went black. Then an ugly image appeared ...

Phony escrow companies take your money and run

Posted on June 03, 2008
Better Business Bureau (BBB) headquarters issued a warning this week to online car shoppers: Watch out for phony escrow services. 

States take stance on product safety standards

Posted on May 28, 2008
Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna today urged members of Congress to adopt legislation that would increase the ability of state attorneys general to protect consumers from lead-tainted products ...

Make sure your limo is licensed

Posted on May 23, 2008
It's prom and wedding season. If you plan to hire a limo or town car to celebrate, make sure it's licensed and legitimate, says the state Department of Licensing.  

Miracle fuel boost? ?Just add water?

Posted on May 21, 2008
Have you seen ads claiming you can increase your car?s gas mileage at least 25 percent by purchasing devices and then simply adding water?

?Baby, You Ought to be in Pictures? - ? Evading Modeling and Acting Scams

Posted on May 21, 2008
Think you or your kid has what it takes to become the next Covergirl or Hollywood sensation? Some so-called ?talent scouts? are more interested in your money than your talent. Read today?s Ask the AG column to learn how the industry works and help meet a legitimate talent agent in our market.

Comparison of local grocery prices

Posted on May 21, 2008
Do those grocery ?rewards? cars actually save you money? KING 5?s Tim Robinson visited QFC, Metropolitan Market and Safeway in Seattle and bought the same eight items at each store ? chicken, spaghetti sauce, pasta, milk, eggs, bread, pizza and soda.

Recognizing a phone scam

Posted on May 20, 2008
Can you recognize a phone fraudster? The Federal Trade Commission today announced a new consumer education campaign named "Who's Calling?" that aims to combat telemarketing scams ...

FTC's major telemarketing fraud crackdown

Posted on May 20, 2008
The Federal Trade Commission today announced its largest telemarketing fraud sweep ever. Called ?Operation Tele-PHONEY,? the crackdown includes 180 criminal and civil cases involving advance-fee loan offers, sweepstakes pitches, ?free? gifts, prescription drug plans, bogus tax rebates and scams where consumers were sent households goods they never ordered ...

Major FTC crackdown on telemarketing fraud

Posted on May 20, 2008
The Federal Trade Commission today announced its largest telemarketing fraud sweep ever. Called ?Operation Tele-PHONEY,? the crackdown includes 180 criminal and civil cases involving advance-fee loan offers, sweepstakes pitches, ?free? gifts, prescription drug plans, bogus tax rebates and scams where consumers were sent households goods they never ordered...

Don't ignore a parking ticket on a private lot

Posted on May 20, 2008
Ever since our 2007 case with Parking Enforcement Services, our office receives questions from drivers concerning whether they can be ?ticketed? when they park on private property.

Son's $ 5,174 cell phone bill includes a good lesson

Posted on May 19, 2008
A KOMO news report about a mom whose son ran up a $5,174 cell phone bill includes a good lesson.  According to the story, the consumer didn?t pay to block Internet access because her son had agreed not to use his phone online.

Your gift card may be in Chapter 11

Posted on May 19, 2008
Gift cards are convenient and extremely popular. But consumers who don?t plan to use gift cards quickly may be throwing away their money. ...

Save while using your cell overseas

Posted on May 09, 2008
Here's a useful article from the Columbia Tribune in Missouri ? via the Missouri AG?s Consumer Corner blog --  on how to save money when using your cell phone in another country.

Parents reminded to view video game ratings; Grand Theft Auto IV controversy

Posted on May 09, 2008
?Grand Theft Auto IV? sold 6 million copies in its first week. Parents whose kids are begging them to buy what has quickly become the most popular video game or other games, for that matter, are reminded to read ratings to ensure that content is suitable for their children ...

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