Judge: NSA’s mass collection of telephone data is legal
by Doug Stanglin, USA Today
A federal judge ruled that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of millions of Americans’ telephone and Internet records is legal and a critical component of the country’s effort to combat the threat of terrorism.
Read More ›
Target confirms PIN data also stolen in credit/debit card hack
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
After days of denying a report that hackers had stolen encrypted PIN data from some 40 million Target shoppers, the retailer has finally admitted that yes, this information was indeed collected during the 3-week-long data breach. Read More ›
American Express to refund $59.5 million over bad billing & deceptive marketing
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, between 2000 and 2012, three American Express subsidiaries, along with aligned vendors and telemarketers, engaged in misleading and deceptive tactics to sell some Amex add-on products. Read More ›
Data miners collect more of your information than you know
A new federal report sheds light on the hidden world of data brokers. These multi-billion dollar companies collect data on hundreds of millions of Americans, which they analyze, package, and sell without consumer permission or input. Read More ›
TV/Radio: CFC’s Richard Holober discusses email receipts waiving consumer privacy
Richard Holober, CFC Executive Director, explains how email receipts compromise consumer privacy on CBS Channel 5, KGO 810 Radio, KTVU Channel 2, and NBC Bay Area Channel 11. Read More ›
Receive an awful gift? Return policies now tighter
by Herb Weisbaum, Today.com
Most stores try to make it easy for you to get a refund, but a few big-name retailers have tightened up the rules a bit this year. Some still have restocking fees and most require a picture ID if you want to make a return without a receipt. Read More ›
How to determine if that Comcast tech at your door is the real deal
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
If someone shows up at your door claiming to be from Comcast — or any utility, cable, satellite, or other company — and you’re not expecting them, here are the steps you should take to verify their identity. Read More ›
Alert: Target & Secret Service investigating credit/debit card breach
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
Target confirms that the “unauthorized access to Target payment card data” at its retail locations lasted from Nov. 27 to Dec. 15, encompassing the store’s holiday shopping business and affecting 40+ million Target shoppers. Read More ›
Five holiday scams you didn’t know to avoid
by Jennifer Calonia, GoBankingRates.com
Whether online or in-store, you’ll need to safeguard yourself from one of these potential credit report nightmares by recognizing the warning signs of fraudulent activity. Read More ›
Holiday shopping tip: Agreeing to email receipts waives your privacy rights
To circumvent this consumer privacy law, customers are being asked if they want to provide their email address to have a digital receipt sent to them. Retailers would like you to say “yes” to paperless receipts because your email address is worth money to them. Read More ›
Thinking about buying an extended warranty? Read this first
by Herb Weisbaum, Today.com
It’s the holiday shopping advice you hear every year at this time: Skip the extended warranties. Consumer advocates have repeated this mantra for decades. Read More ›
Inspector General finds improper airplane fuel deal with NASA netted savings for Google executives up to $5.3 million
by John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog
NASA should evict a fleet of planes owned by Google’s billionaire top executives from Ames Research Center after an audit by the agency’s Inspector General found they received an unwarranted discount worth up to $5.3 million on jet fuel purchased from the government. Read More ›
Assisted living fines often go uncollected
by Jeff McDonald and Matt Clark, San Diego Union Tribune
The majority of fines either don’t get paid or are satisfied weeks, months or even years after they are billed. One factor at play: There’s no penalty for late payment. Read More ›