Other LanguagesA Washington-based company that sells search-engine optimization services to small businesses is prohibited from selling or advertising them to new customers and must permit cancellation of existing contracts, according to a settlement announced Tuesday by Attorney General Rob McKenna. Internet Advancement, of Redmond, which also does business as 4GreatBuys.com, was accused of misrepresenting its ability to provide top search-engine rankings and increase Web traffic, even after being sued by our office years ago for essentially the same allegations.
If your computer is running Microsoft Windows and you haven’t downloaded on the latest patches and updates, you may be vulnerable to a type of scam that uses Windows Messenger Service pop-ups. We filed a lawsuit today accusing a Scottsdale, Ariz., man of coercing consumers to buy software to block computer pop-ups by first bombarding them with ads for pornography and Viagra. The suit alleges that computers capable of receiving Windows Messenger Service pop-ups, also known as Net Send messages, were vulnerable to the attacks ...
In case you missed the news, two high-profile Internet crooks appeared in federal court in Seattle in the past few days. Spam King” Robert Alan Soloway pleaded guilty. ... Gregory Kopiloff was sentenced to four years in prison. ... The Seattle P-I ran an interesting article about the rise of Seattle as a hub for spam-related lawsuits ...
We've warned you before about so-called freebies. Now online advertiser ValueClick, Inc., will pay a record $2.9 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertising claims and e-mails were deceptive and violated federal law. ...
Washington residents like to shop, but our records show they don’t always have a positive experience. ... Complaint analysts in our Consumer Resource Centers say they frequently hear disputes over refund policies and shipping costs. ... But consumers could avoid many unpleasant surprises if they take the initiative ...
A Valentine’s Day e-card that infects your computer, cons who pose as online suitors and a futuristic software program that tricks you into revealing personal information are just a few of the hazards lurking online. The Washington Attorney General’s Office urges Internet users to be skeptical and take precautions to avoid Cupid’s arrow from hitting their wallets or poisoning their PCs. ...
Kudos to the staff at the Federal Trade Commission’s regional office in Seattle for turning the tables on an attempted phishing scam. ... Cons have now altered their messages to ask recipients to call a local “customer service” number instead ...
Identity thieves keep hatching new ways to trick folks into revealing personal information. Here are three new twists on telemarketing and e-mail fraud occuring in our state ...
If you receive an e-mail from the IRS suggesting your tax refund has been delayed, don’t click on the reply link. It’s a phishing scam ...
Attorney General Rob McKenna released his 2008 legislative agenda yesterday, including several important consumer protection initiatives. McKenna's agenda includes bills to guard Washington residents from identity theft, protect consumers ...