National healthcare reform sparks concern about scams
by Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times
The national health reform law is expected to open the door for identity theft and insurance scams when millions of uninsured Americans begin enrolling in coverage this fall, officials and advocates warn. The Federal Trade Commission said dozens of consumers have reported fraud since last summer’s Supreme Court ruling upholding the law, and officials predict widespread abuse when enrollment begins in October. Read More ›
Infographic: Who’s checking your credit score?
by Juan Rodriguez and Kristie Aronow, creditcards.com
While 94 percent of consumers said they know that making credit card payments on time will help raise their credit score, the study found most consumers don’t realize who may be evaluating their credit score to measure their creditworthiness. Read More ›
How to protect your privacy from Facebook Graph Search
by Elizabeth Palermo, TechNewsDaily
After keeping it in beta for six months, the social networking site has finally unveiled its much-hyped new feature, which mines the data found in millions of Facebook profiles — and it could reveal more about you than you’d like. Read More ›
Senator Elizabeth Warren: It’s obscene that the government profits off of student loans
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
Proponents of the idea say the profit will be used to pay down the national debt, but Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts believes it’s wrong to saddle young borrowers with higher interest just because the government hasn’t been able to maintain its books properly. Read More ›
Millions of US license plates tracked and stored
by Ed Pilkington, The Guardian
A new report from the ACLU has found an alarming proliferation of databases across the US storing details of Americans’ locations. The technology is not confined to government agencies – private companies are also getting in on the act, with one firm National Vehicle Location Service holding more than 800m records of scanned license plates. Read More ›
Electronic medical records allow more people access to your private health information
by ABC, News 10
Privacy advocates are now bracing for full implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act, which calls for more electronic record keeping and more opportunities for database mining of health records by marketers, credit agencies and law enforcement. Read More ›
Billboard seeks to name and shame in California automobile forced arbitration case
by Will Carless, Voice of San Diego
A San Diego consumer bought a “certified” used car that turned out to be a nightmare. His ordeal has been featured in Consumer Reports magazine and is garnering national attention about forced arbitration clauses in contracts. See the YouTube video about his plight that has attracted over 550,000 views so far. Read More ›
Senate confirms Cordray to head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
by Kevin Lam, Reuters, Washington Post
The Senate confirmed Richard Cordray to head the CFPB, ending years of contentious political wrangling over the leadership of one of the most influential agencies in Washington. The vote came hours after lawmakers averted a showdown over Senate rules governing whether a filibuster could be used to block presidential appointees. Read More ›
Hazardous lead paint: Legal battle comes to trial in California
by Howard Mintz, San Jose Mercury News
From old cottages in Berkeley and Palo Alto to ranch-style homes in Silicon Valley, the remnants of a hazardous past can lurk in the walls — lead paint. And now 10 California cities will finally get to try to make the powerful paint industry pay dearly to remove those poisonous ghosts from millions of homes around the state. Read More ›
74% of consumers support approving CFPB director
by Mary Beth Quirk, Consumerist
This week the Senate will vote to confirm a director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray, who has been overseeing the bureau for the entirety of its existence since Jan 2012. Read More ›
New round of fire fee bills coming
by Michael Gardner, San Diego Union Tribune
A controversial fire prevention fee charged to Californians who live in rural regions defended by Cal Fire enters its second year with a new round of bills going out July 12. When California lawmakers adopted the annual fire fee of $150 per home, they reasoned that those who live in those regions — called “state responsibility areas” — should help cover some of Cal Fire’s costs. Read More ›
Fraud fear raised in California’s health exchange
by Judy Lin, Associated Press Writer, Daily Democrat
As California prepares to launch its health care exchange, consumer groups are worried the uninsured could fall victim to fraud, identity theft or other crimes at the hands of some of the very people who are supposed to help them enroll. Read More ›
Urban Outfitters slapped with lawsuit over consumer data collection
by Sapna Maheshwari, Buzz Feed
It has become standard practice in the retail business for cashiers to request the ZIP code of customers paying with a credit card. But while most consumers readily supply this information, it isn’t required to check out. In fact, giving the impression it is required may be illegal. Read More ›