October 04th, 2024
Did someone tell you to buy a gift card to pay a fine or bill? Stop. It’s a scam. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. Here’s how to spot and avoid gift card scams.
Gift card scams start with a call, text, email, or social media message. The person contacting you is, they say, from the government or a company you know. (They’re not.) They say to pay right away or something terrible will happen. (It won’t.)
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Gift card scams start with a call, text, email, or social media message. The person contacting you is, they say, from the government or a company you know. (They’re not.) They say to pay right away or something terrible will happen. (It won’t.)
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October 03rd, 2024
The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $1.1 million in refunds to consumers who were misled by deceptive bait-and-switch advertising by LCA-Vision, the nation’s largest LASIK surgery provider.
According to the FTC’s January 2023 complaint, LCA-Vision, doing business as LasikPlus and Joffe MediCenter, used deceptive bait-and-switch advertising to trick consumers into believing they could have their vision corrected for less than $300. In reality, only 6.5% of consumers lured in for consultations were eligible for the advertised promotional price for both eyes. To be eligible for the promotion, consumers had to already have near-normal vision (good enough to drive without glasses).
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According to the FTC’s January 2023 complaint, LCA-Vision, doing business as LasikPlus and Joffe MediCenter, used deceptive bait-and-switch advertising to trick consumers into believing they could have their vision corrected for less than $300. In reality, only 6.5% of consumers lured in for consultations were eligible for the advertised promotional price for both eyes. To be eligible for the promotion, consumers had to already have near-normal vision (good enough to drive without glasses).
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August 04th, 2023
The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is expected to run dry this month, during hurricane season. The Biden Administration deliberately chose to ignore several requests for the need to supplement the DRF.
U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting current DRF levels, a plan for when the account runs dry and reasoning behind the lack of response from the Biden Administration.
“The uncertainty resulting from the DRF’s projected shortfall two months into hurricane season is unacceptable. The Biden Administration has been completely silent on the need to act. A deficit to the DRF cannot be ignored and we demand action before a crisis emerges and the American people suffer from the administration’s poor planning.”
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U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting current DRF levels, a plan for when the account runs dry and reasoning behind the lack of response from the Biden Administration.
“The uncertainty resulting from the DRF’s projected shortfall two months into hurricane season is unacceptable. The Biden Administration has been completely silent on the need to act. A deficit to the DRF cannot be ignored and we demand action before a crisis emerges and the American people suffer from the administration’s poor planning.”
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August 03rd, 2023
MANISTEE, Mich. — U.S. Coast Guard, along with state and local agencies continue to respond Thursday to the motor vessel Manitowoc diesel fuel spill in Lake Michigan.
The motor vessel Manitowoc has activated their response plan and their Oil Spill Removal Organization is on scene at this time working to clean up the spill. The vessel is no longer leaking diesel fuel. Internal fuel transfers lowered the level of diesel fuel in the leaking tank below the hole. The hole has been temporarily plugged and temporary repairs have been made using epoxy.
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The motor vessel Manitowoc has activated their response plan and their Oil Spill Removal Organization is on scene at this time working to clean up the spill. The vessel is no longer leaking diesel fuel. Internal fuel transfers lowered the level of diesel fuel in the leaking tank below the hole. The hole has been temporarily plugged and temporary repairs have been made using epoxy.
more...
June 21st, 2023
Online shopping can be convenient and easy. But with sometimes lots of screens before you get to check-out, you could wind up signed up for a service without even knowing it. What’s worse, it can be tough to cancel. Read on to learn how to protect yourself from unwanted services and charges.
Today, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Amazon, saying the company violated the law by enrolling people in its Amazon Prime subscription service without their permission, continuing to charge them, and making it hard to cancel.
The FTC says the company used a series of hurdles — known as “dark patterns” — to make it hard for customers to understand that they were starting a Prime subscription. more...
Today, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Amazon, saying the company violated the law by enrolling people in its Amazon Prime subscription service without their permission, continuing to charge them, and making it hard to cancel.
The FTC says the company used a series of hurdles — known as “dark patterns” — to make it hard for customers to understand that they were starting a Prime subscription. more...
June 21st, 2023
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is promoting resources that advise Title X family planning clinics to deliberately leave parents in the dark as their children receive advice on sex, birth control use, pregnancy testing, sexually transmitted diseases, and other important questions about sex and family formation.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra regarding the Biden Administration’s effort to alienate parents from Title X family planning services for minors.
“Healthy parental involvement is one the most powerful protections for children’s health. More importantly, parents have a right to oversee their children’s development and to be involved in their health decisions. Violating this right is detrimental to children and, in this case, it is against the law.”
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U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra regarding the Biden Administration’s effort to alienate parents from Title X family planning services for minors.
“Healthy parental involvement is one the most powerful protections for children’s health. More importantly, parents have a right to oversee their children’s development and to be involved in their health decisions. Violating this right is detrimental to children and, in this case, it is against the law.”
more...
