Tag Archive for FTC

FTC Puts an end to “Robocalls” tomorrow

Monday, August 31, 2009 Alerts, Consumer Protection, Phones No comments

Ever get one of those automated phone calls with the taped (okay, recorded) voice? Most of the time its telling you about something you have no interest in, and you can tell right away you’re not interested, and now you have the added aggravation as you realize the “person” at the other end doesn’t even want to talk to you about it personally.

Well, many, many, many of those calls become history today. Sept. 1 marks the end of the pre-recorded telemarketing “robocall “.

The Federal Trade Commission** said it is banning “robocalls” to consumers, unless the telemarketer has “written permission” from a customer that they want to receive these calls. (Ooo! Ooo! Sign me up, please! …Not!)

Now, perhaps you noticed, I said “many” and not “all”. Did you see that? No? You didn’t? … Oh … you did? Yeah, well, don’t worry, there’s no catch, … really. There will be some automated calls that are allowed without written permission. For example, informative calls like flight cancellations, prescriptions from your doctor or pharmacist, delivery notices, and debt collectors calls will be allowed.

Hmm. I can happily live with the first three, but can I opt out of the last one? (Probably not).

Franly, there are a lot of other annoying calls that are still permitted, and those also include calls from politicians, charities, banks, insurers, phone companies, and survey calls. Why aren’t they banned, too? Because this is an FTC or Federal Trade Commission ruling, and not an FCC or Federal Communications Commission ruling. The FTC deals with trade and sales, not communications. Since the latter calls aren’t selling anything (at least not for money) they they aren’t part of the FTC’s jurisdiction.

Rats! What a difference one letter makes.

By the way, this kinda does away with the do-not-call list, and as of tomorrow no one should be receiving these “most” of these calls anymore; and if you do, now you can file a complaint with the commission at www.FTC.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. Under the new rules violators can expect to pay a $16,000 fine.

Loophole: This doesn’t put an end to annoying “live” calls. The robots may have lost some jobs here; but humans are still permitted to pick up the phone and personally annoy their fellow man (or woman).

** Think about who put this out. It’s important later.

Share

Spam Fighting Update

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 CAN SPAM, Computer Crimes, Email, Spam No comments

My blog post titled “I’m Fighting Acai Berry Spam Today” from August 14, 2008 is the 4th most read post on Skylarking. It has received a fair amount of commentary since April of this year. The comments have lead me to add an update to the post to clarify the intent and purpose of the article:

This post is about spam in general, using Acai Berry spam as an example. I aim to (1) illustrate that sometimes email addresses and web site addresses don’t match; and that when WHOIS is used, one may often find that they might not belong to the same person or organization. That should be a warning as to the legitimacy of the email message (or the site). Some readers have focused more on the email aspect of spam, but (2) much spam directs you to a web site. As some commenters have pointed out: email addresses can be spoofed, and tracking an email can be very difficult, BUT it is my opinion that web sites can be easier to track.

So my point is that spam is often associated with a web site, and discrepancies between a web site and an email message can often help determine the validity of the email and/or the site.

You can read the updated post and comments here.

Thanks to everyone who has commented, and added their thoughts, ideas, and knowledge concerning the subject. And thank you for leading me to elaborate further. I look forward to hearing more comments and thoughts on the subject.

Share

Free Credit Report Scams

Saturday, March 14, 2009 Alerts, Consumer Protection, Web Site Reviews 15 comments

Seen those catchy FreeCreditReport.com ads? Pretty funny, eh?

The funny part is that although it is there to allow you to see your credit report from the top three credit reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — the site is actually owned by Experian. So once you go there you will be exhorted repeatedly to sign up for one of their pay services.

On Friday, March the unlucky number day, I was surfing the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) web site looking for scam alerts, and I found out the following

AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source to get your free annual credit report under federal law.

AnnualCreditReport.com

AnnualCreditReport.com

Pretty interesting. It’s AnnualCreditReport.com, and not FreeCreditReport.com. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you access to a free credit report from each of the three nationwide reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – every twelve months.

The Federal Trade Commission has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report, but instead paid hidden fees or agreed to unwanted services. Don’t be fooled by TV ads, email offers, or online search results. Go to the authorized source when you request your free report.

So if you’re looking for a real free credit report start by:

AnnualCreditReport.com even has their own commerical spot which pokes fun at the better known FreeCreditReport.com ads.

Best Way to Check Your Credit Report
The Fair Credit Reporting Act entitles you to a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies every 12 months. Most people order all three at once, but a better approach is to spread them out or stagger them. That is, don’t get them all at once; instead, order one from one agency in January, then from a different one in May or June, and then from a different one in September or October. Then when the new year begins you can repeat the process. This allows you to montior your credit report all year round.

No matter how you request your report, you have the option to request all three reports at once or to order one report at a time. By requesting the reports separately, you can monitor your credit more frequently throughout the year.

Why should you request a credit report?
Because the information in your credit report is used to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and renting a home, you should be sure the information is accurate and up-to-date. In addition, monitoring your credit is one of the best ways to spot identity theft. Check your credit report at least once a year to correct errors and detect unauthorized activity.

What should I look for when I review my credit report?
If you see accounts you don’t recognize or information that is inaccurate, contact the credit reporting agency and the information provider. For more information, read the FTC’s tips on how to dispute credit errors.

Lastly, if you suspect identity theft, you may need to place a fraud alert on your credit report, close compromised accounts, file a complaint with the FTC, or file a police report. Start by visiting the FTC’s identity theft website.

Check back here at Skylarking for more scam info. Next up: Free Government Grant and Economic Stimulus Scams on TV and Online. You can also watch the FTC news conference on these scams which was recorder earlier this month.



Post Comments or Questions with the link below. Keep up-to-date with Skylarking: By Email or RSS Newsfeed or on Twitter. You can also send questions with my email form.

Share
« Older Entries