All Consuming

Data Privacy Day: Promoting privacy awareness and best practices

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:05:31 GMT

January 28 is Data Privacy Day, an international event promoting awareness of how personal information is collected, stored and shared – and how that information may be better protected. Attorney General Rob McKenna and King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, who are Co-Chairs of Washington’s Law Enforcement Group against Identity Theft (LEGIT), are taking this opportunity to ask businesses to reinforce their work to protect consumer data.

Help! My tree has fallen and it can’t get up.

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:37:47 GMT

The storm has passed and now we begin the process of assessing the damage and cleaning up the mess. At my home in Olympia, we had more than 15 inches of snow, which combined with thick ice brought down numerous branches and two entire trees. Thankfully the trees didn’t fall on our house or cars, but we can’t just leave them lying in the yard. Like many of you, we need to hire someone to help. But how do we make sure we hire the right help and not a greedy dishonest scammer?

Scammers posing as grandkids in need continue to prey on compassion of elderly

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:21:57 GMT

We have been warning seniors about “grandparent scams” since 2008, but grandparents continue to wire money to these imposters because it’s hard to say no when Johnny calls desperate for money to help him out of a bad situation.

New Year’s resolution: Don’t get scammed while getting fit

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:50:12 GMT

My New Year’s resolution for 2012 is to make healthier decisions; that means eating better, exercising more and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I know I’m in good company since many Americans also choose resolutions about health and wellness. In our noble efforts to improve our physical health, we need to be sure to guard our financial health as well.

Consumer Safety Tips to Guard against Online Counterfeiting and Piracy

Public Affairs Unit — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:37:43 GMT

Today, many consumers aren’t “shopping ‘til they drop.” Rather, they’re clicking on online deals until they get carpal tunnel syndrome. Beyond the tingling, weakness and finger or hand-muscle damage that comes with the syndrome, there are other dangers, too.

Be a smart and safe shopper

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:18:09 GMT

Shopping during the holiday season can be exhilarating if you find a treasured item for a bargain price, but it can also be a nightmare if the gift never arrives, you’re mugged on the way to the car or your bank account is drained by a phishing scam. Here are a few tips and resources to help keep you, your purchases and your finances safe.

Everett mover ordered to cease operations, pay fine

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:34:14 GMT

Today the Utilities and Transportation Commission ordered Everett-based residential moving company A & R Moving to cease and desist. The mover was also fined $10,000 for refusing to obtain a permit to legally operate a residential moving company within Washington state.

Protect Your ID Week: Shred to Protect

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:02:30 GMT

A great way to help protect your identity is to shred anything that contains sensitive personal information, including account numbers, birth dates, passwords or PINs, signatures, or Social Security numbers.

Protect Your ID Week: Child Identity Theft

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:36:35 GMT

Children, as well as adults, are at risk of being victims of identity theft. It is a growing problem that can go on undetected longer and is harder to recover from. Unlike adults, who should be checking their bank and credit card statements and credit reports regularly, children often don’t know they have become a victim until they grow up and are denied a student loan or credit card. By then, the damage has been done and can be extensive.

Protect Your ID Week: What to do if you’re a victim of ID theft

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:32:20 GMT

As a victim of identity theft or fraud, you should take the following steps as soon as possible.

Report the crime to the police or sheriff's office.
Place a fraud alert and/or security freeze on your credit reports.
Report the crime to your bank, creditors and credit reporting agencies.
Ask businesses to provide info about transactions made in your name.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Hotline 1-877-IDTHEFT.

Tips to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:11:09 GMT

You can reduce your likelihood of becoming an identity theft victim, as well as cut down on unwanted sales pitches, by following these guidelines.

It’s National Protect Your Identity Week

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:54:58 GMT

I will be sharing tips all week on how to guard against identity theft and what to do if you are a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing consumer scams in America. It’s difficult to know exactly how many victims exist, but the numbers are staggering. A nationwide survey by Javelin Research estimates that 8.1 million adult Americans were victims of identity fraud in 2010. Identity theft topped the FTC's list of consumer complaints again in 2010, accounting for 19 percent of the 6.1 million complaints.

Reebok will atone with refunds for deceptive advertising of EasyTone shoes

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:07:41 GMT

According to the Federal Trade Commission complaint, Reebok made unsupported claims in advertisements that walking in its EasyTone shoes and running in its RunTone running shoes strengthen and tone key leg and buttock muscles more than regular shoes.

Beware, anyone can fall victim to a skimming scam

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:28:03 GMT

We have warned you before about skimming scams, and how hard it is to detect the small bits of plastic on ATMs. Anyone can fall victim and not realize it until after the thieves have racked up large purchases using the stolen card information. This is includes our state’s top law enforcer, U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan.

DOJ files antitrust suit to block the AT&T and T-Mobile merger

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:15:26 GMT

At the end of today’s Backpage.com news conference, Attorney General Rob McKenna spoke about the civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice to block AT&T Inc.’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA Inc.

My first order of business: Clean out the backlog of comments

Sarah Lane All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:49:06 GMT

Hello All Consuming blog readers. I am your new Blog Moderator, Sarah Lane. As you know, Kristin Alexander has left the office to pursue her theatrical dreams. So, I will be taking over as the main contributor to the blog and the comment reviewer.

Kristin Alexander takes her curtain call

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:26:25 GMT

As she departs her job to pursue a dream, All Consuming blog moderator Kristin Alexander touts a career in public service.

California authorities sue law firms for mortgage fraud

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:07:43 GMT

California authorities sued multiple lawyers and others last week for allegedly taking millions of dollars from homeowners in states including Washington who were promised mortgage relief.

Driving fair car ads through settlements with dealers

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:06:13 GMT

The Washington Attorney General’s Office says too many car ads violate consumer protection laws. The office announced eight settlements today that are part of its ongoing work to steer dealers toward fair business practices.

FBI, eBay warn of car sales scam

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:46:46 GMT

Thinking of buying a car online? Read this first.

Keys to avoiding locksmith fraud

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:03:14 GMT

Locking yourself out of your car or home is frustrating enough. But imagine calling a locksmith then being charged double – or even more – the quoted fee.

AG sues ReconTrust for illegal foreclosures

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:20:32 GMT

The Attorney General's Office is suing ReconTrust Company, a subsidiary of Bank of America, for conducting illegal foreclosures on thousands of Washington homeowners.

Too much of a good thing: Julia Roberts’ airbrushed face banned in the UK

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:32:56 GMT

The UK Advertising Standards Authority determined two airbrushed magazine ads are "misleading."

Don’t get burned by summer scams

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:12:52 GMT

It’s summer, and the sun is finally out! Unfortunately, so are summer scammers, looking to make quick money by cheating you. To help you stop them, the New York Attorney General’s Office has published a brochure about how to identify and avoid summer scams. And even though the information comes from across the country, scammers operate the same way in Washington, and it’s a good idea to be aware of the dangers out there this summer.

Be careful about what you carry in your wallet

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:53:23 GMT

Lots of Americans carry wallets around every day. It’s a great way to keep your cash, cards, and IDs organized. But wallets are also easily lost or stolen, and if that happens to you when you’re carrying around the wrong kinds of information, it could make you an easy target for identity theft. Fortunately, Mellody Hobson and ABC News have some great tips on what to put—and what not to put—in your wallet.

Google warns users infected by malware

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:08:45 GMT

Yesterday, Google started putting a yellow box with a warning at the top of search results pages for users who may have been infected with a certain kind of malware.

WSBA Foreclosure Legal Aid Project gets $1 million boost

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:50:14 GMT

The Washington Bar Association's Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project will continue helping homeowners, thanks to a $1.1 million grant from the Attorney General's Office. Since the program began in June 2009, the WSBA, Northwest Justice Project and hundreds of volunteer lawyers have helped Washington families in crisis.

Beware of DOL-related phishing schemes

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:35:33 GMT

The Department of Licensing's blog has a warning about a phishing scheme.

New programs to help save your home

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:19:40 GMT

Facing foreclosure? New help is available.

Feds host child identity theft forum

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:08:24 GMT

The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime are hosting a public forum on child identity theft today in Washington, DC. The program is webcast live.

Voice mail snooping: how to protect yourself

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:14:01 GMT

The phone hacking scandal that led to the shutdown of a British tabloid has many wondering whether the same thing could happen in the U.S. The answer, apparently, is yes. Quite easily, in fact, if you have never set a password on your mobile phone’s voicemail.

Attorneys general: Banks regulator still blocking our way

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:40:39 GMT

The federal regulator of the largest U.S. banks wants too much power, state attorneys general complained this week in a 6-page letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. ...

Credit-card scammer wakes hotel guests

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:17:39 GMT

The Puget Sound Business Journal reported that scammers somehow hacked the phone system at a Seattle hotel in an effort to obtain credit card numbers. Reports out of Texas prove this isn't an isolated incident.

Credit check company fined for selling consumer info

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:02:44 GMT

Teletrack, Inc,. has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that the company sold credit reports for marketing purposes, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. According to the FTC’s complaint, Teletrack sells credit reports and other services to businesses that mainly serve money-strapped consumers.

Will your Facebook photos destroy your job search?

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:56:09 GMT

Human resources professionals have rejected job applicants based on what they found online. We’ve told you that. But now there’s a company that creates a file of your online photos and posts for employers.

Math disorder may make consumers victims

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:03:01 GMT

Do you joke that you’re not a “numbers person”? If so, you may be among the estimated 1 in 20 adults impacted by dyscalculia, a sort of math dyslexia.

Happy birthday! Please sign our card.

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:56:03 GMT

Kristin's musings on signing coworker birthday cards. ... And, oh yeah, it's All Consuming’s 4th birthday. Will you be so kind as to sign our virtual card by leaving a comment?

Advance-fee loan scams: don’t pay an up-front fee for a credit card

Public Affairs Unit — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:19:48 GMT

You shouldn’t have to pay an up-front fee for a lower interest rate credit card offer. In advance-fee loan scams, the lender guarantees a credit card in advance for a fee before you even apply and regardless of your credit rating. These offers are illegal and often target people with credit problems.

Foreclosure prevention event this Saturday in Renton

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:51:29 GMT

The Korean Community Service Center and Northwest Justice Project will host a free foreclosure prevention workshop this Saturday, June 18, in Renton. Korean language interpreters will be provided.

Illuminating tips for cutting your electric bill

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:17:21 GMT

A light bulb just went off above someone’s head at the Federal Trade Commission. The agency had the bright idea to launch a campaign to educate consumers about newer light bulbs. Halogen incandescent, CFLs and LEDs last longer and use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

The Wrong Help Can Hurt

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:02:00 GMT

Federal and state officials banded together yesterday in Seattle to expose immigration services scams and direct immigrants to real help.

Phone scam targets Medicare participants

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:16:31 GMT

Foreclosure mediation training

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:26:42 GMT

The Washington Department of Commerce is offering a foreclosure mediation training program on June 28 and June 29, 2011, at the Lynnwood Convention Center.

Revamped car stickers incorporate smartphone technology

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 27 May 2011 22:07:34 GMT

Want to know which new car is "greenest" or will really drive down your cost at the pump? The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled the next generation of fuel economy stickers required for new cars and trucks starting with 2013 models. Automakers also have the option to start using the labels for 2012 models.

Free credit monitoring for Sony PlayStation breach victims

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:21:11 GMT

Sony is promising a year of identity theft protection services for PlayStation Network and Qriocity users, following its recent data breach.

Sole, Inc., footing the bill for undelivered massage chairs

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Thu, 26 May 2011 21:23:54 GMT

Consumers who bought massage chairs, bath tubs and range hoods from a Bellevue-based company were left waiting … and waiting … for their simulated shiatsu, soaks and steam ventilation, said the Washington Attorney General’s Office.

Bogus debt collectors seeking personal info

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Sat, 21 May 2011 00:50:39 GMT

The Olympia Police Department is warning the public not to give information to callers posing as debt collection companies who attempt to collect personal information.

Countering skimming scams

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:18:48 GMT

Skimming scams are on the rise in Western Washington, according to local cops, and you may not realize you’ve been taken until long after thieves have stolen your credit card or debit card information. Here's how to protect yourself ...

Cheney High School students show off their LifeSmarts

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:46:50 GMT

Congratulations to Cheney High School students, who clung to pole position for two days during the national LifeSmarts championship before ultimately taking eighth place out of 33 teams. The competition tests students' wits about finances, technology, health, government and the environment.

Tips for data breach victims

Kristin Alexander All Consuming Blog Moderator — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:20:36 GMT

If you shop, play video games or blog, your information may have been compromised as part of a recent pile-up of data breaches. We tell you what to do to minimize the chance that thieves make off with your money or destroy your credit.