Feb 19, 2008
Feb 17, 2008
Feb 15, 2008
WKOW-TV Troubleshooter Kim Sveum warns about getting your checking account debited without realizing it
After you buy tickets on movieFone.com, a screen, commonly called a pop-up window appears and asks you to take a survey to receive a rebate on the tickets you just bought.
By filling out the survey, you've given another company access to your credit card info that you just used to buy the movie tickets and you've signed up for a program that charges you monthly to be part of a club that offers travel discounts.
Feb 14, 2008
PUBLIC INVESTIGATOR: TAKING TIPS, CHASING LEADS/ ELLEN GABLER
Milwaukee Journal: "The retired law professor said he spent more than four weeks, 45 phone calls and countless hours winding through phone trees and talking to customer service representatives before his phone numbers finally worked right."
Feb 9, 2008
Feb 8, 2008
Feb 7, 2008
Feb 4, 2008
Life on a door-to-door magazine crew
This video from the New York Times shows the explotation of young people and how they are taught to lie and steal from customers. (13 minutes or so)
Feb 3, 2008
Feb 2, 2008
Kent Wainscott of WISN-TV tests fire safe cigarette
An interesting report that I missed when it aired a few months ago
Jan 26, 2008
Fortunes in foreclosures? Get rich quick in real estate?
After I stand in front of get-rich-quick meetings in Wisconsin hotels and warn consumers about questionable practices, I sometimes hear from John Reed, a national expert in real estate who shares my opinion that these meetings are mostly worthless and likely to put you in debt. John is quoted in this encore article in cnnmoney.com
Two video reports on why you should use a credit card instead of a debit card
Woman upset with double debits to her checking account
Below: The cost of questionable vacations
Jan 22, 2008
Here are seven common clauses consumers might watch out for when they sign up for a credit card or checking account
What your bank discloses but you may not know.
Jan 21, 2008
Jan 20, 2008
This space was going to warn about Superbowl scams. Instead, here is the "another-one-bites-the-dust" bird boogie:
You can bail out of this silly video after a minute or so...There's nothing new then.
Criminals con utilizing operators for the deaf
Criminals email relay operators and get them to make calls and unwittingly set up victims.
Jan 14, 2008
Jan 12, 2008
Be wary of questionable contractors
A storm of questionable contractors are flooding Wisconisn communities hit by tornados.
Thanks
The Milwaukee Journal linked to our video showing electronic devices used to steal our identies.
Jan 11, 2008
Jan 10, 2008
Jan 5, 2008
Advice from the WI Office of Privacy Protection
David Tatar, a Wisconsin Consumer Protection manager, demonstrates electronic devices used in ID theft and talks about what he's learned during the first year of the Office of Privacy Protection
Jan 4, 2008
Virtual credit card offers extra protection
The Wisconsin State Journal tells about a new type of credit card number that can be generated for one time use
Jan 2, 2008
Feds share $40 coupon to help with TV transition
Dec 25, 2007
Toy packaging creates headaches for parents
The reporter in this story uses a variety of potentially dangerous tools to make his point about how hard it is to open toy packages. It's a good point. Several years ago, I required hand surgery after using a scissors to remove plastic wrapping.
Dec 23, 2007
Weights and Measures inspectors protecting you from overcharges
Milwuakee Journal analyzes statistics from weights and measures inspections
Dec 19, 2007
Consumers will keep on paying for new TV's on monthly utility bills
Some of those new flat screen TV's use a lot more electricity than the old ones.
Dec 15, 2007
Dec 13, 2007
Dec 12, 2007
Mike Ivey: Gift cards: the $8 billion sucking sound
The Madison Capitol Times' Mike Ivey on gift cards
Dec 9, 2007
With the 11-2 Green Bay Packers winning the NFC North, look out for ticket rip-offs!
WBAY-TV in Green Bay interviews WI Consumer Protection on how to protect yourself
Dec 8, 2007
Consumer Reports on how to get the lowest price when online Christmas shopping
Consumer Reports says that dynamic pricing means that you may be charged more than someone else when shopping on line.
Contractor prosecuted after WI Consumer Protection investigates
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports on questionable contractors and how to avoid them.
Dec 7, 2007
Dec 6, 2007
Analysis of identity theft statistics
Dec 1, 2007
Nov 26, 2007
Nov 25, 2007
Nov 21, 2007
Grace period getting shorter for paying credit card bills
To avoid getting late payment fees, pay attention to notices from your bank.
Nov 18, 2007
Nov 16, 2007
Consumers misunderstand privacy notices
Those privacy notices you get in the mail may not be what you think they are. After the first paragraphs where the company tells you how important your privacy is, they may go on to tell you that they are actually sharing your private information.
Study finds many retailers easy to hack
Alleges that criminal can go down the street with a laptop and harvest and steal identities.
Nov 12, 2007
Nov 10, 2007
Nov 4, 2007
You can stop financial junk mail starting in January
Congress says financial companies have to offer you opt outs for junk mail.
Questionable marketing gets around No Call List
Some companies are trying to get you to unknowingly sign off on the No Call List.
More help for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commision?
Kipplinger's reports that Congress may provide more funding for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Oct 28, 2007
Oct 27, 2007
Keeping your car's repair codes a secret from you
The debate over car manufacturers keeping repair codes confidential.
Oct 24, 2007
Oct 21, 2007
Oct 19, 2007
When your significant other is your computer
We may be spending more time with our computers than with our loved ones.
Oct 14, 2007
The 6 most common fake check scams
Scammers using fake checks are taking a ton of money out of Wisconsin communities. You will never be scammed this way if you are suspicious of checks coming from strangers and refuse to wire or send money cards to them.
Dime stores have turned into dollar stores and then some
Although they are sometimes criticised for the quality of their products, dollar stores are fun and offer bargains. But I recently learned that not all stores with "dollar" in their names are alike.
When my 6-year-old granddaughter asked me to take her to a dollar store in her hometown, I found two stores very close to each other. But when we went into them, she kept finding items that cost $3, $5, and $7.
Now I don't mind a store selling $7 items, I just think the store should change its advertising to say "dollars" store.
Best Buy adds disclaimer to in-store web lookalike advertising
Best Buy customers can access price information at in-store kiosks by clicking on a tab labeled "BestBuy.com," even though they are really not connecting to the internet site. Because in-store prices may be higher, a disclaimer has been added.
Free phone service listens to your calls and displays relevant ads
Former intelligence officers give away free phone service to young people in exchange for listening to what they say.
Oct 13, 2007
Many online retailers don't answer emails
If you feel like your online complaints are going unanswered, you may be right. Glen Loyd from the state Office of Consumer Protection joined WLUK-TV'S Good Day Wisconsin with the results of a new survey about online retailers.
Oct 7, 2007
We've learned a lot about ID theft during the first year of the Office of Privacy Protection
We are here for journalists interested in ID theft in Wisconsin. Recently the Janesville Gazette asked about skimming.
Fond Du Lac reporter buys a car carefully
A Fond Du Lac reporter sets good example for other young people in doing her home work before buying a car