Consumer Resources
Articles Index
How to Order Greetings From the White House
The White House will send greeting cards signed by the President of the United States to commemorate special events, accomplishments or milestones free of charge to U.S. citizens. To request a greeting card from the President, just follow these guidelines from the White House Greetings Office.
New Anti-Flipping Rule Protects Homebuyers
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a new federal regulation designed to protect consumers from the predatory real estate lending practice called "flipping" on mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Identity theft complaints soared to 380,000 during 2002. Following these simple credit security tips from the Federal Trade Commission can help protect you, your identity and your money.
Government Assistance in Locating People
Looking for someone? Did you know that both the IRS and the Social Security Administration offer assistance in locating persons in the United States? They do, and the State Department can help you get in touch with U.S. Citizens living or visiting abroad.
Small Banks Could be 'Regulated' Out of Existence
Complex new laws and regulations could spell the end of small community banks, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Vice Chairman John M. Reich stated in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.
Government Can Help You Buy a 'Fixer-Upper' Home
You want to buy a house that needs repairs -- a "fixer-upper." Unfortunately, you cannot borrow the money to buy the house, because the bank won't make the loan until the repairs are done, and the repairs cannot be done until the house has been purchased. Can you say "Catch-22?" Don't give up. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a loan program that might just get you that house.[
First Arrests Made Under CAN-SPAM Law
Lots of people thought the federal CAN-SPAM law would not be enforced or even taken seriously. Don't tell that to two Detroit-area men arrested for allegedly sending hundreds of thousands of spam email messages advertising diet patches and other devices, while using fake headers to hide their identities.
Use Cyber Tipline to Report Deceptive Domain Porn Sites
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has announced the launch of its CyberTipline, an online resource for reporting Websites that trick minors into viewing pornographic and obscene materials.
CAN-SPAM Law Hits Sexually Oriented Email
Starting May 19, senders of sexually oriented spam will be required to include the warning "sexually explicit" in subject line of any email that contains sexually oriented material and in the electronic equivalent of a "brown paper wrapper" in the body of the message.
Big Mistake: Envelope Stuffing Schemes
"$550 to $3,000 weekly. Ten dollars for each circular you mail...Free Postage...Free Circulars...No Newspaper Ads...No Magazine Ads...No Bulletin Board Ads! Paychecks mailed to you every week!" Wow! Can you believe that? No, you can't.
Big Mistake: Credit Card Protection Scams
Telephone scammers are flat-out lying to consumers to get them to buy worthless credit card "loss protection" insurance. Don't buy it, advises the Federal Trade Commission.
The Death Master File
One of the government's most effective weapons against financial fraud -- and now terrorism -- is a massive database of dead people called the "Death Master" file.
Watch Out For "American Idol" Phone Scam
With at least 11 weeks of the popular TV show's current season left, "American Idol" fans should beware of a call-in voting scam that claimed at least 25,000 victims during the show's 2002-2003 season.
Deaths Bring CPSC Paintball Gun Warning
Based on its investigation of two deaths caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) canisters flying off paintball guns, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is issuing a new warning.
USPS to Drop Lance Armstrong Sponsorship
The US Postal Service (USPS) is reported by Advertising Age to be "poised to abandon its lead sponsorship of Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Pro Cycling Team" when their contract expires in December.
Why the Government Can't Clean Fish
Both the EPA and FDA have now issued warnings about eating fish with high levels of mercury. Why can't the federal government, with all its power and tax-payer money prevent the pollution of our waterways and the oceans they fill? Because the main source of this pollution is not Big Industry, it is us.
Spring Break Flying Tips
The last thing spring break fliers want is to be delayed by airport security. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), passing swiftly -- and uneventfully -- through screening is matter of following a few simple guidelines.
FTC Cracks Down On "Free" Grant Company
In the first of what may be a series of similar enforcement actions, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has halted the operations of a New Orleans-based company that promised to secure free government grants for consumers.
FedEx Pays $3.2 Million in Sex Discrimination Case
A female Federal Express driver, who had the brakes on her delivery truck sabotaged after complaining about gender-based hostility in her workplace, has been awarded $3.2 million after winning a civil rights violation lawsuit against the Memphis, Tenn.-based shipping giant.
This Ump is Out
Former Major League baseball umpire Alan M. Clark, 56 has pleaded guilty to fraud charges in connection with the authentication of hundreds of baseballs that he falsely represented had been used in notable games he umpired, such as Cal Ripken Jr.'s tying and breaking of Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played.
USPS Denies Black Heritage Stamp Rumor
Fast spreading Internet rumors that the U.S. Postal Service plans to discontinue its Black Heritage stamp series and destroy all remaining inventories of the stamps are totally untrue, according to Postal Service authorities.
FDA Warns of Fake Contraceptive Patches
FDA and Johnson and Johnson Co. of Raritan, NJ are warning the public about an overseas internet site selling counterfeit contraceptive patches that contain no active ingredients. These counterfeit patches provide no protection against pregnancy.
Zero Energy Home Produces Electricity
Homebuilders attending the 2004 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas can tour a new kind of home—a highly energy-efficient Zero Energy Home that will produce as much electricity as it uses over the course of a year.
Could Home PCs Soon Predict the Future?
Affordable home computers powerful enough to predict at least some aspects of the future may soon be available, according to scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratories.
Iraqi Language Lessons from NTIS
Persons preparing to leave for Iraq may want to the new "Basics of Iraqi Arabic" language training CD-ROM now available from the National Technical Information Service.