The Press Release Resource

Unique resources offer tailored advice for all types of credit card holders Better Business Bureau has rolled out a free, new online program called “Managing Credit – Made Simpler.” (www.bbb.org/credit-management) In a partnership between Better Business Bureau and Capital One Financial Corp., Managing Credit – Made Simpler offers tailored advice on all aspects of managing …

As summer approaches, consumers are beginning to book travel packages to get away from it all. Unfortunately, because of a number of travel industry scams, Connecticut BBB is advising consumers how to spot and avoid the threat of vacation and travel-related fraud. In 2009, Better Business Bureaus nationwide received 7,040 complaints about travel agencies and …

BBB urges family discussions to avoid getting swindled Grandparents from Connecticut to British Columbia, Canada are being targeted in another wave of the so-called “Grandparent Scam.” The scheme, which preys upon grandparents’ love of their grandchildren, has proven to be a lucrative venture for con artists. The ruse begins with a telephone call from someone …

Award recognizes high ethics, integrity and academic accomplishments Wallingford, CT – February 4, 2010 – Connecticut Better Business Bureau is now accepting entries for the sixth annual CT BBB Student Ethics Scholarship Award. The winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship to go towards attendance at an accredited college or university of his or her choice. …

Connecticut Better Business Bureau clarifies census confusion Wallingford, CT – February 2, 2010 – An e-mail which falsely claims to be from Better Business Bureau about the upcoming 2010 Census is causing confusion among consumers. According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti, part of the confusion about the census involves its timing. “We …

More than 30 of 1,360 complaints against peel inc. come from Connecticut consumers Wallingford, CT – January 6, 2010 – Connecticut Better Business Bureau is cautioning consumers about unscrupulous tactics used by Internet distribution company Peel Incorporated, because of more than 1,360 complaints to Better Business Bureau in the past year from consumers in 49 …

Free Web browser plug-in identifies BBB Accredited Businesses in Web searches

Connecticut BBB advises consumers to research charitable organizations before donating, to ensure their gifts reach their intended recipients.

Rebates can offer substantial savings at the time of purchase, however some have strings attached that can annoy consumers.

Census-related scams are popping up, including people posing as census-takers who are “phishing” for personal information.

Simsbury High School Senior Receives $2,500 Scholarship for Student Ethics Award

Consumers are finding out “free” teeth whitening offers are not what they appear to be.

Biggest red flag simple to spot: Request to wire transfer money.

Consumers should try to come to an agreement with a lender to avoid car loan default, repossession and the negative effect on personal credit scores.

Most Americans Have No Documents Spelling Out Their Wishes in the Event of Their Death

Some prepair phone card companies whittle away at the promised hundreds of minutes with exorbitant fees and service charges.

BBBs across the country have heard from victims who look in online classified ad Web sites for rental properties, wire money to a prospective landlord and turn up at the would-be rental property ready to move in, only to discover the home is already occupied – by the home’s owners.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau is calling on its accredited businesses and non-accredited companies to apply or submit a nomination for any one of a series of prestigious awards.

The incidence of identity theft in the United States continues to increase, despite consumer education efforts.

According to the Javelin Strategy & Research Center, nearly 10 million Americans were victims of ID theft in 2008, a 22 percent increase over the previous year.

Millions of unemployed Americans are signing-up for online education with hopes of increasing their value to potential employers. Earning a diploma is one way of standing out from the crowd, but for many the first lesson is a bitter one: buyer beware.

Consumers may soon find relief from fake product testimonials posted on Internet blogs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposes changes to its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

The move is in response to consumer complaints and a growing trend of false or unrepresentative consumer testimonials posted on the Web by companies and or their competitors.

Cyber criminals are using the Telephone Relay System (TRS) to cheat businesses out of money. TRS, or as it is also known, TeleTYpewriter (TTY), enables telephone conversations between people with and without hearing or speech disabilities.

The TTY was established for people with hearing impairment, to enable them to call a TRS provider, and use a keypad and a trained operator to relay typed content to the voice user and vice versa. However, BBB is now hearing reports of the system being used to launder money from stolen credit cards on a variation of what is known as advanced-fee fraud.

Although any business can fall prey, Connecticut Better Business Bureau warns, at the moment the auto repair industry is being targeted in many other states.

n light of the recent arrest of two New York men who tried to cheat a Milford homeowner, Connecticut Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about chimney cleaning scams.

The arrests followed an investigation by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), which alleges the men turned a $39.95 chimney cleaning estimate into a recommendation for $3,200 in unnecessary repairs. Charges against the pair ranged from impersonating home contractors to performing work without a license.

This is not a new scam, and the intervention by Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) shows its potential to cheat consumers.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau is warning consumers that if they are buying Michael Jackson memorabilia with hopes of it increasing in value over time, they may be disappointed.

Immediately following news of Jackson’s death, entrepreneurs took advantage of demand for various commemorative items honoring the pop star, producing and selling them at inflated prices. Many of these may only be worth their sentimental value, and their prices are expected to drop over time.

FBI says insurance fraud assumes many forms

Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous information being added to a person’s medical record, or even the creation of an entirely fictitious medical record in the victim’s name.

Wallingford, CT – May 19, 2009 – As the 2010 Census gets under way, Connecticut Better Business Bureau cautions consumers to be cooperative but careful about providing personal information to would-be census workers who make contact by phone or show up at their front door.

Brochures alone may not give an accurate picture of facilities

Trying to help a good cause could get you ripped off by fraudulent magazine salespeople

Some companies are keenly aware of the importance of their customer service, and they go to great lengths to ensure clients are satisfied in a polite, timely and satisfactory manner, so that a problem may be turned into an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with clients.

Unwitting consumers face confiscation and potential criminal charges