Data privacy is so important, there’s a day dedicated to it. The National Cyber Security Alliance is kicking off Data Privacy Day with an event on January 28, 2013, at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.
Winter’s here, and boy, does your utility bill show it! If you’ve got a minute, take a listen to some tips from the FTC on how to cut your energy costs.
If you’re behind in paying your bills, you may be contacted by a debt collector — someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Have you seen websites or ads, or gotten telephone calls that say a home-based internet business could be your ticket to making easy cash? Some claim a business coaching program will help you get going. Before you respond to an offer for business coaching services, keep your money in your wallet and your eye on a recent case brought by the FTC.
It’s that time of year again. If you’re a college student seeking financial aid, you should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as you can. While the deadline for submitting the FAFSA is June 30th, many states and schools allocate funds on a first-come, first-served basis, and some states have deadlines for filing the FAFSA to be eligible for certain kinds of aid.
Assistant Director, Consumer & Business Education, FTC
A favorite trick for rip-off artists is to pretend to represent a trustworthy and respected organization. Today — and we mean that literally — we’re hearing from businesses that have received email exploiting the good name of the Federal Trade Commission. We don’t want you to lose money or valuable information to a scam artist sending a phony message claiming you’re a target of the FTC.
Immigration can be a complicated process. It’s reasonable to want help navigating it. And it’s vital to find qualified help. But it’s equally important to be careful about who helps you. Friends and relatives may offer advice, or a business owner or notario may promise good results for a low fee. Here at the Federal Trade Commission, we hear from people who have gotten bad advice from trusted friends and relatives or who have lost their money to unscrupulous notarios. In the worst cases, they’ve lost their chance to immigrate.
Let me guess… one of your resolutions is to lose weight this year. And, sure, there are products that claim they can help you shed the weight. But an FTC case reveals some weight-loss claims are hard to swallow.
Got a minute? Get the skinny on diet ads and weight-loss products from the FTC’s new audio tip:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the nation’s consumer protection agency. The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace.