Consumer Law

Feds want to know what you think of credit freezes

Posted on January 10, 2008
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comments on the impact and effectiveness of credit freezes as part of a multi-pronged approach to combat identity theft ...

How difficult is it to steal from your bank account?

Posted on January 10, 2008
What happens when an identity thief has your bank account number? A British TV reporter wanted to find out. ...

AG McKenna requests consumer protection laws

Posted on January 04, 2008
Attorney General Rob McKenna released his 2008 legislative agenda yesterday, including several important consumer protection initiatives. McKenna's agenda includes bills to guard Washington residents from identity theft, protect consumers ...

Phishing scam targets Facebook users

Posted on January 03, 2008
A story from Wired Magazine, via the Seattle P-I, warns that hackers for the first time are targeting Facebook users in a scam that harvests their log-in details and passwords ...

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Notices from National Business Registration are likely a scam

Posted on January 03, 2008
The Secretary of State?s Office recently alerted Washington businesses to watch out for a possible scam involving a company named National Business Registration that has sent notices ...

Don't be tricked by car warranty notices

Posted on January 02, 2008
The official-looking postcard in your mailbox warns that your car?s warranty is about to expire and urges you to call a toll-free number to ensure you?re covered. But think twice before you dial. These mailers are actually advertisements aimed at pressuring you into buying an expensive service contract ...

Will you still be able to watch TV next year?

Posted on January 02, 2008
If you?re one of those folks who still uses an antenna or rabbit ears on top of your television, pay attention ...

Exercise your consumer smarts when joining a gym or diet program

Posted on December 31, 2007
You ate the holiday ham, devoured Grandma?s pumpkin pie and plunged wholeheartedly into your co-worker's bottomless candy dish. Then you stepped on the scale. Now, like much of the world, you?re resolved to hit the gym, flatten your tummy and switch from French fries to organic produce ...

New Year's resolution: shred

Posted on December 31, 2007
As you head to the store to exchange gifts, don?t forget to pick up this season?s must-have item ? a document shredder. Mike Benbow, the Everett Herald's business guy, explains why you need one ...

AG McKenna to lead public forums on gas prices

Posted on December 28, 2007
Attorney General Rob McKenna and UW economist Keith Leffler will discuss results from the first phase of the state?s ongoing investigation into gas prices and gather public comments during three evening public forums ...

New credit score formula on horizon

Posted on December 28, 2007
Your credit score helps lenders determine if you?re a good risk for a car loan, mortgage or credit card. Fair Isaac Corp., maker of the FICO score used by most banks and mortgage companies, is changing its formula in order to better predict the likelihood of a borrower defaulting ...

Freddie Mac?s YouTube video warns of foreclosure rescue scams

Posted on December 26, 2007
Freddie Mac, one of the nation's largest investors in residential mortgages, has posted a video on YouTube to keep borrowers from losing their homes to cons.

New MySpace graphics promote wise charitable giving

Posted on December 26, 2007
This time of year, charities are working harder than ever to obtain your donations. Because of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Washington state can?t require fundraisers to return a certain percentage of your money to their charity clients, nor can we regulate how much charities spend on overhead and marketing ...

Beware of phony football tickets

Posted on December 24, 2007
With college football?s bowl season kicking off this week and more than 1 million fans searching for tickets, con artists are banking on the frenzy ...

American Community Survey is in the mail

Posted on December 24, 2007
A consumer contacted our office to question the legitimacy of the American Community Survey mailed to him by the U.S. Census Bureau.  He was concerned that the survey advised him he was compelled by law to fill it out. It asks for personal information, so he thought it might be ...

Tips for hassle-free gift returns

Posted on December 24, 2007
A national survey reveals return policies that may surprise some people after the holidays ...

Cell Phones Under Attack: How to block text spam and viruses

Posted on December 20, 2007
Spammers aren?t just hitting your computer. Today, your wireless phone is also under siege. According to one research firm, U.S. consumers together receive about 800 million unwanted text messages ...

Health insurance scammers ordered to halt sales

Posted on December 20, 2007
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler ordered a Colorado man and a loose affiliation of companies to stop selling unapproved health insurance plans to Washington consumers. Investigators said that between 2003 and 2007, the companies sold bogus health plans or policies to 4,000 Washington residents ...

The price is right ? sometimes

Posted on December 20, 2007
When shopping this holiday season, check that the price scanned at the register is what you?re supposed to pay. The City of Seattle inspected 57 retail stores in November and found that three failed. During the same time frame, the state Department of Agriculture found that 18 of 88 stores in other cities failed  ...

Advice when your mortgage lender goes bankrupt

Posted on December 20, 2007
A new Federal Trade Commision brochure answers the question of what to do when your mortgage company closes or files for bankruptcy ...

Merchants can't print full card numbers on customer receipts

Posted on December 19, 2007
As merchants get busier with holiday shopping, the Federal Trade Commission is reminding them to be sure treceipts they give customers don't contain full credit or debit account numbers ...

Cheaper way to buy copies of property deeds

Posted on December 19, 2007
The Better Business Bureau issued a warning today that  property owners have received letters from National Deed Service, Inc. The letter explains that the U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center recommends you have a certified copy of your propery deed...

Nearly $10 million in Ameriquest checks in the mail to Washington consumers

Posted on December 14, 2007
December will be a bit warmer for 8,750 Washington residents. They?ll receive checks this month totaling nearly $10 million as part of last year's $325 million national settlement with former subprime lending giant Ameriquest....

Looking for love online? Watch out for flirty bots

Posted on December 13, 2007
Looking for romance online? You?re next scintillating chat may be with a computer, not a human. A Russian Web site called CyberLover is advertising a software tool that it claims can simulate flirtatious chatroom exchanges. ...

Refunds for travelers who use credit cards

Posted on December 13, 2007
We?ve received quite a few calls and e-mails this week from consumers who received letters telling them their entitled to a refund from a settlement. Many times, letters are scams. But this is the real deal. ...

Put your credit on ice

Posted on December 10, 2007
Following on the heels of Washington and other states that have approved credit freeze laws, the nation?s three leading credit bureaus recently announced they will provide all Americans with the opportunity to freeze unwanted access to their credit history...

Charity scams possible in the wake of the flood

Posted on December 06, 2007
Attorney General Rob McKenna today warned consumers to beware of possible flood-related scams including fraudulent home repair offers, phony charity pitches and cons posing as government officials. As sick as it may seem, cons like to prey on disaster situations...

New database for checking toy safety

Posted on December 04, 2007
The Washington Toxics Coalition, a nationwide coalition of environment groups, is scheduled to launch a new database Wednesday to inform parents about hazardous toys ...

Survey shows 8.3 million identity theft victims in U.S.

Posted on November 29, 2007
The Federal Trade Commission this week released a survey showing that 8.3 million American adults, or 3.7 percent of us, were victims of identity theft in 2005. Most of those cases involved misuse of existing credit card or other accounts, while 1.8 million found that new accounts were opened or other frauds were committed using their personal identifying information.

Social networking site users may be ripe for identity theft

Posted on November 29, 2007
The UK Times is reporting that banks may stop reimbursing identity fraud victims who post personal information on Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The Times doesn?t quote any bank officials in its story, strangely. But the article does help raise a red flag concerning the amount of personal information available on social networking sites.

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