MilConsumer Blog Feed

“Unlimited data” sounds great, right? Browse the Internet, stream videos, use GPS, even make video calls – all to your heart’s content. But what if you bought an unlimited data plan and then weren’t able to do all those things? That’s what happened to some AT&T customers. From 2007 until 2010, AT&T offered unlimited data plans for smartphones. Even after it stopped offering unlimited data, AT&T allowed customers who already had unlimited plans to renew them.

Shopping for health insurance online? Before making your final purchase – read on. Health insurance scams have been preying on vulnerable consumers through websites selling medical discount plans.

How low can scammers go? As low as stealing from older consumers to line their own pockets. The FTC says some scammers claimed to be calling on behalf of the government to verify information for a new Medicare card or Medicare-related package. In fact, it was a ruse to get people’s bank account information to make unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts.

You just bought the latest smartphone. You loaded all your favorite apps — online banking, GPS, even an app to track your health. But now your phone is full of information about you — how much money you have, where you are and whether you’ve gained a little weight. Your information can cause problems if it’s in the wrong hands. Want to protect it? These tips are for you:

Happy October! Along with fall foliage, sweater weather, and shorter days, you’ve probably noticed Halloween-themed candy and décor lining store shelves. While the start of October may remind us that the spookiest day of the year is just around the corner, it also kicks off National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). National Cyber Security Awareness Month reminds everyone to practice safe online habits — not just this month, but throughout the year.

Would you be willing to exercise 3 minutes a day to get fit? It’s a compelling proposition. Unfortunately, in the case of the ab GLIDER, lost pounds, body inches, or clothing sizes weren’t just an easy glide away. Today the FTC announced that ICON Health and Fitness has agreed to pay $3 million to settle charges it made unproven claims about its ab GLIDER, violating a previous order related to other unproven exercise equipment claims.

Before you sign up and pay any money for health insurance or discount plans, check out all the available options — and any claims they make about coverage. Some people who call you up promoting a way for you to save could be pitching a scam. Today the FTC announced charges against Partners In Health Care and one of its marketers for tricking people — especially Spanish speakers — who were looking for affordable health insurance into buying worthless medical discount cards. According to the FTC, many people targeted by the scam were told they were buying a qualified health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many either had submitted their contact information to lead-generation websites that promised information about getting health insurance, or heard Spanish-language radio ads offering low-cost health plans.

The FTC recently attended DEF CON 22, and challenged the tech-savvy to help us zap “Rachel from Cardholder Services” and her robocall buddies. How? The agency hosted a contest to see who could develop a cutting-edge robocall honeypot — an information system designed to attract robocallers, and help researchers and investigators understand and minimize illegal calls. Today, the FTC announced the winners, who will receive a combined total of $12,000 in prizes.

Your caller ID says “FTC” or “IRS,” and the phone number has the “202” Washington, DC area code. You might even look the number up and see that it’s a real government phone number. But the person calling isn’t really from the FTC, IRS, or any other agency. It’s a government imposter whose goal is to convince you to send money before you figure out it’s a scam. The big giveaway? The caller wants you to send money. What imposters might tell you A lot of imposters pretend they’re with the government to scare you into sending money. They say you owe taxes or some other unpaid debt, and, hoping you’ll panic, warn that you’re about to be arrested if you don’t pay up. Before you can investigate, you’re told to put the money on a prepaid debit card and tell them the number — something no government agency would ask you to do. Other scammers promise you money — a big prize you need to claim. They say the FTC or some other agency is supervising the sweepstakes, and that the money will be released as soon as you pay for the shipping, taxes, or some other expense. But it’s all a fake. There is no prize and no money.

All parents think their babies rock. But when a company says its product will help a kid master reading Harry Potter during the potty-training years, it needs solid science to support those claims. The FTC says Dr. Robert Titzer and his company, Infant Learning, Inc., deceived consumers with ads for Your Baby Can Read, a set of DVDs, books and word cards that cost around $200. These ads and other promotional materials promoted the program’s ability to teach babies as young as nine months to read — with their skills advancing to books like Charlotte’s Web by ages three or four.