Category: Consumer Watch
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The Grandparent Scam: The Script Criminals Read From
Grandparent scams follow a predictable script: a fake emergency, a demand for secrecy, untraceable payment. Here is each step and the family rule that beats it.
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Robocalls and the Do Not Call List: What Actually Works
258.5 million numbers sit on the Do Not Call Registry, yet phones keep ringing. What the list can and cannot do, and the steps that actually cut robocalls.
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Class Action Settlements: How to Find the Ones You Qualify For
Real settlement money goes unclaimed every year. Where to check for FTC refunds and class action claims you qualify for, and the scams to avoid.
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Check Washing Is Back: How Thieves Steal From Your Mailbox
Check fraud reports nearly doubled to over 680,000 in a single year. How check washing works, who covers the loss, and how to protect the checks you mail.
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Gift Card Payments: The Surest Sign You’re Talking to a Scammer
No real business or government agency will ever demand payment by gift card. How the scam works, the scripts criminals use, and the freeze numbers to call fast.
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Car Recalls: How to Check Your VIN in Two Minutes
NHTSA logged nearly 1,000 recall campaigns in 2025. A free two-minute VIN check tells you if your car has an open one, and the fix costs you nothing.
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The Phone Call That Empties Bank Accounts: How Imposter Scams Work
Imposter scams were the most-reported fraud of 2024, with $2.95 billion in losses per FTC data. The script scammers follow, and what real agencies never say.