Verizon accused of forcing Internet phones on land-line users
by Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times
Two years ago, California’s two giant telecom companies and their Silicon Valley allies won passage of a law freeing phone-over-the-Internet calls from government regulation. But this deregulation was never supposed to affect phone customers who didn’t want to give up their traditional copper-wire land lines. It also expressly banned phone providers from forcing people to give up their copper-line phones. Now, complaints are mounting that at least one telecom, Verizon Communications Inc., is doing just that. Read More ›
California DMV reports possible breach of credit card data
by David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle
The DMV, which lets Californians pay many fees online, first learned of the potential problem from law enforcement authorities, according to a statement the department posted Saturday on its website. Read More ›
Consumers Not Powerless in the Face of Credit Card Fraud
by Ron Lieber, New York Times
Whether you’re using a debit or credit card, there are all sorts of ways to limit the damage a thief might do, or at least get a quick warning that one is on the loose. Read More ›
Control of car data at stake in Bill Monning bill
by Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee
Framed by a computer-equipped car parked on the steps of the State Capitol, Monning said his Senate Bill 994 would allow consumers to see what data their car generates and decide with whom they want to share the information. The measure is sponsored by AAA Northern California and its south state counterpart, the Auto Club of Southern California. Read More ›
Proposed Rules Take Second Stab At Holding For-Profit Colleges Accountable For Graduate’s Success
by Ashlee Kieler, Consumerist
The Department of Education is making a second attempt to rein in those for-profit colleges that benefit from financial aid to students without providing them the education needed to find gainful employment after graduation. But some consumer advocates say the proposed regulations don’t do enough to help students. Read More ›
Will a proposed airfare transparency law help consumers, or let the airlines be deceptive?
by Christopher Elliott, Washington Post
At best, the proposed Transparent Airfares Act of 2014 would open a window into the many taxes and mandatory fees attached to your airline ticket. At worst, the proposed law would give airlines a license to quote an artificially low ticket price, undoing years of regulatory efforts to require the display of a full fare. Read More ›
Five Signs of Financial Elder Abuse You Can Spot Now
by John Wasik, Forbes
Some of the most insidious swindles involve exploitation of older Americans. Fortunately, there are some clear warning signs of chicanery. Here’s what you need to look for. Read More ›
U.S. Health Care System Has $5.6 Billion Security Problem
by Herb Weisbaum, NBC News
Health-care organizations are under attack. A recent survey found the overall number of reported data breaches at health-care organizations declined slightly last year, but criminal attacks on health-care providers increased dramatically — up 100 percent since 2010. Read More ›
States’ Attempts to Reform Payday Lending Often Smoke & Mirrors
by Ashlee Kieler, Consumerist
A number of state legislatures are discussing payday lending reform bills, which they say will make short-term loans safer for consumers. But are they truly helpful to those who need them? Not quite, say consumer advocates. Read More ›
Google Sued Over Kids’ In-App Currency Purchases
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
Because Google makes it so easy for users to make these in-game purchases, the plaintiff argues that games and apps are being created primarily for the purpose of enticing consumers to spend money on things like in-game currency. “Such games, by design, are highly addictive,” reads the complaint. Read More ›
How this one innocuous tweet could hack a bank account
by Zack Whittacker, ZDNet
One tweet was enough to start a chain reaction of information-gathering that could have rivaled the work of a government intelligence agency. And with data, a hacker could have ended up ruining one man’s life. Read More ›
Credit Reports Created With Your Online Information Are Mostly Inaccurate
by Ashlee Kieler, Consumerist
More than 64 million Americans are cut off from access to traditional banking because they lack credit history. To better serve these unbanked consumers financial institutions are relying on the promises of big data brokers to accurately determine the creditworthiness of consumers. But is the new method a reliable way to provide affordable access to credit? Read More ›
Email Scams to Avoid This Tax Season
by Daryl Paranada, Huffington Post
Not many people like tax season. It can be stressful, complicated, and financially draining. But tax time is enjoyable for some folks — scam artists. Read More ›