MilConsumer Blog Feed

Army brats like me grew up around the word “readiness.” We knew it meant weeks or even months of a parent away on deployment, training for “What if . . .” scenarios. One of the reasons so many veterans have made the successful transition to entrepreneurship is that they continue to put readiness first. A recent FTC proposed settlement serves as a reminder to veterans who own businesses – and to all business executives – about the ongoing threats...

Many people think scams mostly affect older adults. But reports to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel tell a different story: anyone can be scammed. In fact, reports suggest that many scams are harming younger people more than older adults. While there’s more to the story, the broad theme is that scams affect every age group, but differently. In 2021, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Z young adults (ages 18-59) were 34% more likely than older adults (ages...

We’re told the name Nebraska comes from the Otoe term Ñí Brásg, meaning “serene water.” The Platte River flows across the state until it converges with the Missouri. From there, it meets the Mississippi, creating the unstoppable force that gives it the name “mighty.” Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of heartland geography, but our purpose today is to draw an analogy to the most recent recipient of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Partner Award...

Every year countless people are bilked by impersonation scams. Since 2018, the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network has received approximately 3 million reports of impersonation scams citing losses of more than $6 billion. Two particularly pernicious forms of the fraud are committed by crooks who pose as government officials or representatives of well-known companies. They use a false aura of authenticity in an effort to steal money or sensitive...

Who can forget the eerie admonition about Hotel California: “You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave.” It’s a feeling that may have been echoed by people who attempted to cancel their service with internet phone provider Vonage. In a $100 million settlement, the FTC alleges that Vonage thwarted the efforts of consumers and small businesses who to tried to cancel their service. It’s the latest action in the FTC’s ongoing...

PrivacyCon 2022 – the FTC’s annual gathering of the tech experts – convenes this morning, Tuesday, November 1st, at 9:00 ET, and you can watch the webcast live. Chair Kahn will convene the proceedings with opening remarks. After that, seven panels will focus on the hottest of hot privacy topics and will feature researchers discussing: Commercial surveillance Automated decision-making systems Children’s privacy Devices that listen to users...

Chegg, Inc., sells educational products and services directly to high school and college students. That includes renting textbooks, guiding customers in their search for scholarships, and offering online tutoring. But according to the FTC, the ed tech company’s lax security practices resulted in four separate data breaches in a span of just a few years, leading to the misappropriation of personal information about approximately 40 million...

Halloween is the perfect time to stream your favorite horror flick, but nothing comes close to the spine-tingling fright inflicted by businesses that fail to honor established consumer protection standards. Here is our Top 10 List of Really Scary Movies. Creature from the Hack Lagoon. Hackers won’t wait for Halloween to unleash their barrage of tricks. The best defense for businesses is a 360° approach that minimizes the collection of sensitive...

They say you can get pretty much anything delivered to your door and for customers of Drizly, that included beer, wine, distilled spirits – and the fall-out from Drizly’s alleged security lapses that led to the theft of personal information about more than 2.5 million consumers and its reappearance on the dark web. A proposed settlement with Drizly addresses the company’s actions – and inactions – alleged to be unfair and deceptive, in violation...

As the FTC observed in enacting the Funeral Rule, “A funeral is more than a social ritual: it is also an expensive consumer purchase.” But unlike other major expenditures, “Decisions must often be made while under the emotional strain of bereavement. In addition, consumers lack familiarity with the funeral transaction.” Those considerations are still at the forefront of the protections the Funeral Rule extends to grieving families, but traditions...