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Warning RE: Identity Theft Losses - You likely won't get the money back

6/27/2022

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Sad news, friends.

If you are a victim of identity theft, if they manage to get money out of your bank, investment, or retirement accounts, you are probably never getting that money back.

You can go to IdentityTheft.gov for a good checklist of things to do if you've been a victim, but they don't suggest anything to help you get the bank or investment broker to take mercy on you and make you whole. (Indeed, from their point of view, if they started paying off on identity theft claims, they would multiply exponentially as people would not take precautions against identity theft.)

If you are not a very comfortable Internet user -- such as if you don't know how to set up and use and maintain unique strong passwords for each different site you subscribe to or each business you patronize on the Internet, you might want to consider NOT doing any business on the Internet and asking for trusted friends to buy things for you and you give them cash or checks for those things.

If you aren't able to clearly recognize spam and phishing attacks promptly, you may need to adopt a strict "no click" policy of never clicking on anything in an email, just like you would never invite people into your home before looking through the door to see who is out there.

(And if you're a super-comfortable Internet user, don't get cocky! People who are experts fall for scams online all the time. Remember, in the old days, you could pretty much only get ripped off by local criminals. Now, every criminal in the world is just one click away from you.)

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Very Good Article on the truth about "Certified Used Cars"

6/14/2022

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Consumers' Checkbook, a consumer-oriented site, has a very good article on "certified" used cars -- if you are considering one, you will want to read the whole article carefully before you go shopping. Short excerpt below ...

https://www.checkbook.org/puget-sound-area/used-car-certifications-often-not-meaningful/


Used-Car Certifications Often Not Meaningful
by Anthony Giorgianni
Last updated May 2022

Dealers promise rigorously inspected rides and peace-of-mind warranties, but we found some consumers get rebuilt wrecks and even a former crash-test vehicle.

Most used-car shoppers find the process a stressful ordeal filled with possible perils. They worry they’ll end up with an unreliable vehicle, and they don’t feel comfortable dealing with car salespeople: A 2022 Gallup poll found them to be the second-most-hated profession in the U.S.; only lobbyists fared worse. Worst of all, supply-chain problems for new-car factories have created a surge in demand for used ones—during the first quarter of 2022, average prices for secondhand rides were up 35 percent compared to the previous 12 months. Competition is so stiff that many used cars are purchased sight unseen by desperate buyers.

To reassure used-car buyers worried about getting stuck with a lemon, manufacturers in the 1990s began offering “certified” used cars. They’re marketed as the crème de la crème of the secondhand auto world and even come with manufacturer-backed warranties.


But our research uncovered that certified labels don’t guarantee vehicles won’t have serious hidden mechanical or structural problems. We were astonished by some of the flaws we discovered, many that should have been noticed during promised inspections. We also found certified cars that were totaled wrecks that were rebuilt and resold, and even an SUV previously owned by the government and used in crash tests.


Because manufacturers count on their dealers to conduct the promised inspections needed to certify vehicles, certification labels are only as reliable as the diligence of the dealerships and their mechanics in doing the screening tasks and fixing any problems they find. And our research indicates they’re not always diligent. . . .


(Read the whole thing at https://www.checkbook.org/puget-sound-area/used-car-certifications-often-not-meaningful/)

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Watch the Griftocurrency Plunder Tally Climb

6/14/2022

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The current meltdown in "cryptocurrency" (more aptly named griftocurrency) demonstrates that ordinary consumers have no business messing with it.

Here's a great website that keeps track of the KNOWN loot scammed from people via griftocurrency plays
https://web3isgoinggreat.com/

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Oregon should follow suit promptly! Bring Right to Repair to Oregon

6/5/2022

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Today, the New York State legislature passed an electronics Right to Repair bill: As of mid 2023, manufacturers who sell “digital electronic products” in New York will have to make parts, tools, information, and software available to consumers and independent repair shops. We still await a final signing by the governor, but advocates don’t expect a challenge. . . .

For independent repair shops, this news is huge: Independent shops will finally be able to compete with manufacturers, resisting the repair market consolidation manufacturers have created by restricting access to parts and tools. In a recent California survey, 59% of independent repair shops said they might have to close their doors without the passage of Right to Repair. 

For the rest of us, the passage of this bill means that repairs should become less expensive and more comprehensive: People who want to fix their own stuff can. And your repair experience should improve even if you’re intimidated by the thought of cracking open your laptop or phone (Don’t be! You’ve got this! We can help!). Where before, manufacturers could push consumers to use manufacturer-authorized shops, now they’ll have to compete. Independent repair shops are often able to do repairs the manufacturer told a customer were impossible. Every day, microsolderers like Jessa Jones’s crack team of former stay-at-home moms breathe life back into devices authorized repair shops had written off as dead.   
Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director of the Repair Association, said, “Every consumer in New York is going to benefit from this landmark legislation. We’ll all be able to fix the stuff we like,  stop being forced to buy new things we don’t want, and make it possible for the secondary market to provide high quality options for reuse.”
This bill covers most products containing electronics, but has some notable carve outs. It does not include motor vehicles (these are already handled by a national Right to Repair agreement between the automakers and the aftermarket), home appliances, medical devices, public safety communications equipment like police radios, agricultural equipment, and off-road equipment. We expect to see future legislation address these sectors.

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Another warning on Griftocurrency (aka "cryptocurrency")

6/3/2022

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New Analysis Finds Consumers Reported Losing More than
$1 Billion in Cryptocurrency to Scams since 2021

Most of the Losses Consumers Reported were to Bogus Cryptocurrency Investment Scams

Consumers reported losing over $1 billion to fraud involving cryptocurrencies from January 2021 through March 2022, according to a new analysis from the Federal Trade Commission. Fraud reports suggest cryptocurrency is quickly becoming the payment of choice for many scammers, with about one out of every four dollars reported lost to fraud paid in cryptocurrency.

The FTC’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight finds that most of the cryptocurrency losses consumers reported involved bogus cryptocurrency investment opportunities, which totaled $575 million in reported losses since January 2021. These scams often falsely promise potential investors that they can earn huge returns by investing in their cryptocurrency schemes, but people report losing all the money they “invest.”
After cryptocurrency investment schemes, the next largest losses reported by consumers were on:
  • Romance Scams: These often involve a love interest who tries to entice someone into investing in what turns out to be a cryptocurrency scam.
  • Business and Government Impersonation Scams: Reports show these scammers often target consumers by claiming their money is at risk because of fraud or a government investigation and the only way to protect their cash is by converting it to cryptocurrency.
Reports suggest that cryptocurrency-related scams often begin on social media. Nearly half of consumers who reported a cryptocurrency related scam since 2021 said it started with an ad, post or message on a social media platform.
People ages 20 to 49 were more than three times as likely as older age groups to have reported losing money to a cryptocurrency scam. Older age groups, however, reported losing more money when they did report a cryptocurrency-related scam.

Some of the red flags consumers should watch out for include:
  • * anyone who claims they can guarantee profits or big returns by investing in cryptocurrency;
  • * people who require you to buy or pay in cryptocurrency;
  • * and a love interest who wants to show you how to invest in cryptocurrency or to send them cryptocurrency.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov, or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

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John Gear Law Office LLC and Salem Consumer Law.  John Gear Law Office is in Suite 208B of the Security Building in downtown Salem at 161 High St. SE, across from the Elsinore Theater, a half-block south of Marion County Courthouse, just south of State Street. There is abundant, free 3-hour on-street parking throughout downtown Salem, and three multi-story parking ramps that offer free customer parking in downtown Salem too.

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