January 2021 • Issue 7, Volume 11 • www.consumer-action.org
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What people are saying
Good work. You stay on TOP of scams. Thanks!
-SCAM GRAM reader Daralynne
Did you know?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces consumer protection laws to stop illegal business practices and get refunds to people who have lost money. The agency returned more than $610 million to consumers during the 2019-2020 fiscal year. (If you include all consumer refunds administered by federal agencies, the figure rises to $1.5 billion!) To learn more, read "Recent FTC Cases Resulting in Refunds." Consumers who receive a refund check may wonder if the refund is legitimate: Here is what the agency has to say about how to identify a legitimate FTC refund check.
Don't leave thousands on the table this tax season!
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) puts money back in the pockets of low- and moderate-income workers who file a tax return. Updated every year, our free, multilingual EITC guide helps filers claim the dollars they're entitled to. Read more...
Navigating children's and teens' mental health, privacy in a pandemic
Consumer Action's recent webinar on the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and privacy of children and teens revealed that, with 50 million students learning remotely and having their homework assignments (and homes) captured and scrutinized via computer, now is a critical time to research and discuss how to protect your family (both online and off).
Read more...
Hotline Chronicles: A surprise $1,500 bill for a 'free' COVID test
Despite federal laws passed during the pandemic to help people access free coronavirus testing, obstacles abound, especially for people who lack health insurance.
Read more...
Coalition Efforts: Protection from debt collectors, lenders, Big Tech
Consumer Action often joins its allies in letters, comments and complaints calling for change, standing up for consumer rights, supporting or opposing proposed laws and objecting to corporate misbehavior, among other activities. We collect these in the Coalition Efforts section of our website. Each month in the INSIDER, we highlight some recent activities. Read more...
CFPB Watch: Nationstar, LendUp settle wrongs; right to 'innovate'
In this regular feature, we detail recent actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This month, we report on the case of a giant mortgage servicer charged with striking struggling homeowners when they were down. We also shine a light on the Bureau's unsettling pause on oversight (in the name of "innovation"). Read more...
Class Action Database: Capital One's cash withdrawn over ATM fees
Consumer Action maintains a database of class actions so that interested consumers can learn more, join a pending action or make a claim. Class action lawsuits are an important element of consumer protection and can force changes to anti-consumer business practices and make bad actors return ill-gotten gains to consumers. Read more...
About Consumer Action
Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low- and moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.
By providing consumer education materials in multiple languages, a free national hotline, a comprehensive website (www.consumer-action.org) and annual surveys of financial and consumer services, Consumer Action helps consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and make financially savvy choices. More than 6,000 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support. Read more...
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