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Don't Throw Away Your Second COVID Relief Payment with Your Junk Mail

1/6/2021

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Great Idea -- a public credit bureau

12/13/2020

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thehill.com/opinion/finance/529675-after-5-decades-of-private-credit-reporting-its-time-for-a-change?rnd=1607626407

After 5 decades of private credit reporting, it's time for a change | The Hill
Amy Traub and Chi Chi Wu, Opinion Contributors

* * *

Credit reports contain far too many errors for something so vital to our economic well-being, with one in five consumers having an error, and one in 20 having a serious error that would affect their ability to obtain credit or its pricing. Consumers are frustrated by the Kafka-esque system devised by the credit bureaus to process disputes, which often blocks them from getting relief. Credit reports and scores are used for inappropriate purposes, such as employment, insurance, and even immigration (their use is required as part of the Public Charge Rule.) Most critically, credit scores reflect and perpetuate thorny racial disparities, playing a role in financially entrenching America’s original sin.
* * * 
Many of the problems with credit reporting stem from its very nature. An oligopoly of three private companies governs our financial reputations, trading in and profiting from our data. We are captives because we cannot opt out of the system. Instead, creditors and other companies are the credit bureaus’ customers and constituency. There’s not much incentive for credit bureaus to create a system that works better for consumers, including disadvantaged communities. We can see the upshot of this dysfunction where credit reporting issues are often the number one source of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, including during this pandemic.

But there is a way forward. Among President-elect Biden’s economic proposals is an innovative plan to establish a public credit reporting agency, based on policy developed by Demos. This solution recognizes that access to consumer credit is a public good and would promote that public good by establishing a public institution to replace the private companies that now control credit reporting. A public credit reporting agency or registry would also be an effective way to build economic power for Black and Brown households by putting equity at the center of its decisionmaking and enabling them to exercise greater control over their economic lives. . . .

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You can apply for food, cash and other assistance from home during Oregon two-week freeze

11/19/2020

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All Oregonians can apply for food, cash and child care assistance provided through the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) from home without having to visit an office in person.

To apply from home, visit

                                  govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits

for information on how to apply for assistance using an online application, email, mail, telephone or application drop off.

Oregonians who need urgent and ongoing food assistance can visit needfood.oregon.gov.

For more ways to connect with ODHS or to find other types of assistance, contact 211info:
  • By dialing 2-1-1 from any phone
  • Text your zip code to 898211
  • By email at help@211info.org
  • 211info.org
  • covid19.211info.org
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Reminder of why we must remain in COVID mode for the long haul

10/21/2020

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Do you know any adult who didn't get the $1200 COVID Impact Check?

10/8/2020

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Deadline to get your payment has been extended until 21 November 2020 -- so if you are an adult who didn't receive the $1,200 check or direct deposit, make sure you don't miss out!  Free money doesn't come along often, this is one time when it sounds too good to be true but it really is true -- $1,200 per adult, but you have to make sure they know how to get your money to you.
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Useful Info on Avoiding Scams after the Wildfires

10/2/2020

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Some shady folks look at disasters and see dollar signs. Oregon DOJ has some useful information to help you keep from becoming a victim to those folks.  You can download them below.
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Vets need help year round, not just in November

9/23/2020

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No Veteran Should Be Without a Place to Call Home
Free Help for Homeless Veterans Dial 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) for 24/7 access to VA services for homeless and at-risk Veterans

Homeless Veteran Chat Confidential, 24/7 online support for homeless Veterans and friends

https://www.va.gov/homeless for more information

Are You a Veteran in Crisis or Concerned About One? 
Did you know that VA offers same day services in Primary Care and Mental Health at 172 VA Medical Centers across the country? Make the Connection Resource Locator
Contact the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 and press 1, Chat, or Text 838255.)
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Spear Phishing -- when a quick click can cost you a fortune

9/22/2020

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"Spear Phishing" or just "Phishing" is the term for email-based internet attacks by scammers where they trick you into clicking on a seemingly safe link or attachment in an email and that then causes all hell to break loose. There is pretty much no limit to the kinds of nasty things that can result, from infecting your computer and remailing the attack to everyone in your address book to locking up your computer entirely unless you pay thousands in ransom.

There's no easy answer to protect yourself. The open nature of email means that anyone who has your address (or has a computer capable of generating millions of addresses randomly) can send you a spear phishing email.

Thus, the only real solution is learning to be extremely skeptical of any emails you weren't expecting and always remembering to keep your hands away from the mouse -- that is, DO NOT CLICK on any unexpected email links or attachments unless and until you have verified (preferably from a trusted person known to you) that you aren't about to do the internet version of stepping on a land mine.

Today I got a pretty formidable phishing example that made me think the scammers are getting better all the time. And this one was extra potent because I have been dealing with First American Title lately. The scammers don't know that -- they sent this to millions of people, and of millions of people, some share of them are going to be dealing with any large company (such as First American, or Chase Bank, etc.). See below.

Luckily, the scammers are still not fully up to par -- and I know that September only has 30 days (the "9/31" was what first tipped me off to the fact that this email was just another scammer trying to make a buck at my expense). There are many other, more subtle, clues that this is a fraud (notice that there is no city or state in the address block for "Carin Wear," to name just one).

But, even with those errors, this is several times more convincing than the phishing attacks I used to get, and it suggests that it's just a matter of time until I am fooled.

The only thing that will protect me then is if I remember to stop before clicking and to get on the phone and call the local branch of whatever institution is supposedly sending me this email, and verify verify verify before clicking anything.

So, I urge you to join me in my rule: Assume any unsolicited or unexpected email is a ticking time bomb just hoping to explode on you. So never click attachments. Contact the supposed sender (NOT using the contact info in the email), and ask that the files be shared another way.


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Don't fall for a Foreclosure "Rescue" Scam -- BBB article helpful

8/18/2020

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Straight Talk: Don’t fall for foreclosure rescue scams

By Better Business Bureau
Posted Aug 9, 2020 at 11:00 AM

Are you facing the threat of losing your home? Be wary of individuals and companies offering to “help” you out of your difficult financial situation. Consumer advocates report an increase in complaints about foreclosure “rescue” scams. These scams specifically target homeowners who are in financial distress. Scam operators may advertise over the Internet and in local publications, plaster posters on telephone poles and at bus stops, stick flyers in people’s front doors or contact people whose homes are listed in public foreclosure notices. Sometimes they direct their appeals to specific religious or ethnic groups.

 
HOW THE SCAM WORKS
In one scenario, the scam operator offers to “buy” the homeowner’s property by paying off the amount that is overdue on the loan. The scammer convinces the homeowner to deed the property over to a third party. The homeowner is given the option of renting the property with the option to buy it back later. The rent payment on the home is often higher than the homeowner can afford. Frequently, the original homeowner cannot make the rent payment and is evicted from their home. Or, if the homeowner expresses a desire to buy back the property, the scam operator usually sets the price of the home higher than the homeowner can afford.


Hapless homeowners can lose their equity and their homes. Sometimes, the homeowner’s troubles go even deeper. In many cases, the initial mortgage has not been paid off and the deed was never transferred, as promised. Not only is the homeowner faced with eviction from the home, but the scam victim may still owe for the original loan amount.


In other versions of the scam, the homeowner receives a call, text, or email with the promise of lowering the mortgage payment and avoiding foreclosure. The scammer sometimes asks for payment for their services in the form of personal checks or gift cards. A recent victim in Ohio reported to BBB Scam Tracker that she sent $3000 in Walmart gift cards to a scammer asking for payment to help lower her interest rate.


The Better Business Bureau advises consumers who are tempted by such offers to recognize that they are at real risk of losing money, equity, their home or all three.
 


Tips to help if your mortgage is in arrears or you are facing foreclosure:
‒ Talk to your lender. Ask how to restructure your loan payment or how to refinance. Some foreclosure “rescuers” will offer to “negotiate” with your lender or lawyer. Know that such an offer is likely to involve a significant fee. If you are hesitant to talk to your lender yourself, engage the assistance of a trusted family member.
‒ Try selling the house on your own to pay off the lender. Signing over a deed in no way releases you from your mortgage responsibilities!
‒ Don’t allow anyone to complete paperwork for you, or ask you to sign a stack of documents, supposedly to secure a new mortgage. Victims have later learned that they signed a quit-claim deed to their home.
‒ Beware the personal approach. Some less-than-ethical businesses will stuff a handwritten note in your front door or mailbox that implies that “help” is available from someone you know or who has your best interests in mind. Foreclosure scam artists know exactly what neighborhoods to blanket with their offers.
‒ If a foreclosure “rescuer” instructs you not to contact your mortgage company or your attorney, beware. Your mortgage company is the very business that you should be in touch with! Furthermore, why would you agree to cease contact with your attorney when dealing with complicated financial matters that involve perhaps your biggest investment, your home?
‒ You should never sign a contract under pressure and never sign away ownership of your property when you don’t intend to sell it. Ask a trusted family member, your attorney or a financial professional to review any paperwork you may be asked to sign.
‒ Never pay with gift cards. A reputable company will not ask for payment via a gift card.
‒ Before signing any deals with a potential buyer, contact BBB to request a report on the company and check with your state Attorney General and local government department of consumer affairs.
‒ Seek foreclosure prevention information. Try calling the HOPE hotline, 888-995-HOPE, for free foreclosure prevention information, or visit their website at 995hope.org. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures website, the HOPE hotline is operated by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit “dedicated to preserving homeownership and preventing foreclosure.”
 


FOR MORE INFORMATION Read more about housing scams in BBB’s Scam Alert on Home Title Fraud. This can be found at www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22679-bbb-alert-home-title-fraud. If you encounter a scam, we ask that you report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker to help warn others.

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More Proof that Companies Use Forced Arbitration Because They Want to Evade the Law, not "streamline" it

7/6/2020

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Reuters carries a good "hoist on their own petard" story about textbook company CHEGG, which imposes a forced arbitration clause on students using its products. When CHEGG's negligence exposed the sensitive financial information of thousands of students, some filed suit, and CHEGG obtained a ruling that they all had to be kicked out of court and go file in arbitration.

And guess what, more than 15,000 of them did.

Suddenly CHEGG sees the wisdom of class actions, which allow people with similar cases to band together to have one procedure determine the result for all, at far less expense. Except that CHEGG also imposed a class action ban along with its forced arbitration clause!  

So now CHEGG is trying to evade the $7.5 million arbitration filing fee it agreed to pay for all those students it forced to file arbitration demands.

More proof (as if more was needed at this point)  that companies don't use forced arbitration for any of the reasons they claim they do -- it's not "better for our customers" or any of that crap these companies like to spew. They use forced arbitration because, most often, consumers will throw up their hands and walk away, letting the wrongdoers keep their ill-gotten gains.

But in this case, CHEGG's greed is going to get the better of them.  Good.
The background: As I told you in May, the plaintiff firm Z Law filed a class action in 2019 on behalf of millions of Chegg customers whose personal information was allegedly compromised in a 2018 data breach. Chegg’s lawyers at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe moved to compel arbitration, citing a mandatory arbitration provision in the user agreement its customers are required to accept. In April 2020, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett of Baltimore granted Chegg’s motion.
Z Law then filed more than 15,000 individual demands at the American Arbitration Association, asserting a claim of $25,000 for each Chegg customer. Z Law principal Cory Zajdel told me at the time that he sent six boxes of filings, containing individual demands by all of his 15,000 clients, to Chegg, hoping to foreclose arguments that his clients were not Chegg customers or did not exist.

In June, according to a July 1 letter from Zajdel to the AAA, the arbitration service instructed Chegg to pay about $7.5 million in fees to launch the arbitrations. (Chegg’s arbitration clause requires the company to pay the initial fees.)

I should say here that Chegg counsel Douglas Meal did not respond to my detailed email request for comment, so this account is based on Zajdel’s letter to the AAA.

Instead of paying the requisite fees and beginning the process of arbitrating with its customers, Chegg said those customers had breached their user agreements by asserting frivolous or improper demands for arbitration. Chegg unilaterally purported to terminate the agreements. The company then informed AAA that it was under no obligation to arbitrate with those customers, or, for that matter, to pay any fees associated with their arbitration demands.

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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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