Consumer Protection

If you have credit cards, there's a good chance that sooner or later you could be a victim of credit card fraud. According to the Federal Trade Commission, credit card fraud has been the most common form of identity theft since 2017 and it is getting worse. The FTC says that the number of reported thefts increased by 15% from the fourth quarter of last year to the first quarter of 2022. In November 2021, Security.org reported that 127 million American adults, nearly half the total in the U.S., have had a fraudulent charge at least once on their credit cards.

Too many Americans are needlessly throwing money away when they file their income tax return. That's one of the conclusions to be drawn from a May 4 settlement agreement between all 50 states and TurboTax owner Intuit. That agreement, announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James, requires Intuit to pay $141 million in restitution to millions of Americans who were unfairly charged for services that should have been free. Taxpayers affected by this will automatically receive a refund.

The term "ghost kitchens" first appeared in a 2015 NBC New York article, but they are now an established presence in the restaurant world. Ghost kitchens are food preparation and cooking facilities, often shared by multiple operators, that produce delivery-only meals. When NBC New York pulled back…

In the past, if a patient got emergency care or was treated by an out-of-network provider, their insurance would cover less than if the care had been in-network, leaving the patient on the hook for the rest. Under the new law, out-of-network facilities and emergency services providers cannot charge patients more than the applicable in-network cost-sharing amount. However, there are certain situations where patients could still face a surprise bill.

Omicron's rapid spread means that those who suspect they've been infected or exposed may not be able to be tested right away due to high demand. So they often scour the internet in hopes of finding a provider that can do it quickly. Enter the latest wave of COVID-19 scammers.

On Oct. 28, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it is increasing enforcement to protect the public from the use of "dark patterns" by companies on the internet. So, what are dark patterns? If you're not familiar with the term, there's a good chance that you're familiar with their effects.