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04/25/2012
After seeing numerous consumers become victims to ruthless con artist each year, I always like to encourage everyone to think about how you can become a more educated consumer. While schemes and scams take infinite forms, there are basic principles underlying all of them. Knowing the common danger signals and ways to defend yourself can save you time, money and frustration.
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04/18/2012
There is a scam that continues to grow that preys on the emotions of seniors who want nothing more than to ensure the safety of their grandchildren. The BBB continues to receive reports about grandparents who thought they were aiding their grandchildren by providing money for an emergency situation but were in fact giving thousands of dollars to con artists.
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04/04/2012
In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, the Better Business Bureau will hold a nationwide “Secure Your ID” Day on Saturday, April 21, 2012. In Macon, we will be at Raffield Tire Master at 7020 Peake Road (just off Zebulon Road), in Warner Robins, we will be set up at Raffield Tire Master at 4001 Watson Boulevard and in Augusta we will be in the parking lot of Wal-Mart at 260 Bobby Jones Expressway. Individuals and small businesses are encouraged to stop by between 10 am and noon for free on the spot document shredding. BBB staff will also be on site to provide expert advice and tips on identity theft, investment fraud, and other financial topics.
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08/03/2011
Nowadays, cell phone users are surfing the web, receiving emails and watching movies all on their smartphone with just the click of a button from just about anywhere. However, when traveling abroad, many consumers fail to recognize that their data plan is constantly in use even when they think their phone isn’t. Better Business Bureau is advising consumers to either turn off their phone or make the necessary data arrangements with their cell phone provider to avoid thousands of dollars worth of data charges while traveling abroad this summer.
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08/02/2011
BBB cautions consumers to watch out for OnlineBusinessScams.com, a website that is falsely charging for BBB complaint resolution services.
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07/20/2011
Many advertisements seeking beauty pageant participants read, “Win Big Prizes! Scholarships! Cash! Become the Next Supermodel!” These ads are appealing to parents of young children, teens and others who are convinced they have what it takes to become the next big star. Participating in a beauty pageant may provide a rewarding experience, but many would-be contestants find that some pageant promoters do not deliver what they promise. While there are legitimate pageants, there are also those whose only purpose is to fatten the pockets of promoters.
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07/13/2011
The summer months are the perfect time for a vacation getaway. Unfortunately, they are also the perfect time for a home robbery. According to the FBI, the summer months of July and August have the highest rates of burglaries. Better Business Bureau is advising homeowners, who are looking to secure their property this summer, to do their research when picking a home security system.
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06/08/2011
Better Business Bureau receives thousands of complaints each year from consumers who have unknowingly purchased multi-year magazine subscriptions. Unscrupulous telemarketers sometimes trick consumers into paying hundreds of dollars for multi-year subscriptions to magazines they don't want or can't afford. BBB warns that deceptive door-to-door magazine sales crews are hitting the pavement and looking to earn a quick buck this summer.
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05/04/2011
Your home and wallet may take a serious beating when a big storm hits and with several recent storms and tornadoes, Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of fly-by-night “storm chasers,” as well as fraudulent charities promising to provide relief.
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05/04/2011
In the aftermath of the death of Osama Bin Laden this past weekend, the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia & the CSRA is warning consumers to watch out for a slew of cyber-scams that have popped up in the past few days
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05/02/2011
In conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent lawsuits on acai berry weight loss products, Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of phony “news” announcements of free trial offers for online diet pills.
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04/20/2011
Protecting your identity is important and with Wi-Fi networks popping up nearly everywhere, many consumers don’t realize the dangers that come with using a Wi-Fi connection that is not their own.
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04/13/2011
The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of free trial offers for e-cigarettes. Sounds like an unusual product to buy, however, over the past twelve months, BBB has received hundreds of complaints from consumers across the country who thought they were getting a free trial, but ended up losing often hundreds of dollars in recurring credit or debit card charges.
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04/07/2011
Just days after millions of customers' email addresses were stolen in one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history, the Better Business Bureau is seeing one of the first Epsilon data breach phishing scams.
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03/30/2011
Everyone loves a good movie and with today’s movie theater tickets costing more than ten bucks a pop (and that’s not even including the “pop”), many movie goers are opting to watch their favorite movies at home for free instead. “Free,” however, comes with a cost, a cost that many consumers don’t realize. The Better Business Bureau warns consumers against downloading “free” online movies.
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