Consumer alert!

At one time or another, you’ve probably received e-mail spam thanks to Robert Alan Soloway.

Known as “The Spam King,” the Seattle resident specialized in promoting software that could send out millions of commercial messages via “botnets” that flood e-mailboxes around the globe.

His e-mail lists and e-mail broadcast services were billed as containing the addresses of only those who had “opted in” to receive such messages.

Problem was, that wasn’t always the case.

Now federal prosecutors have indicted the 27-year-old on a variety of federal fraud charges.

The Spam King might soon be dethroned. Here are details.

Want the airlines to lighten your wallet? Travel with an overload of baggage.

Airline luggage restrictions are getting tighter and the costs for extra baggage are going up.

AARP has a nifty airline-specific chart that shows how much overpacking can cost you.

Check it out here.

Let’s say you book an airline flight for $269. Then, two days before your scheduled flight, the price drops to $169. Same airline, same flight, same destination. Did you know that most airlines will update your booking and give you a refund or ticket voucher for the difference?

It’s true. The problem is that prices can change within hours and unless you regularly visit airline Web sites, you won’t know when they change.

Now there’s help. It’s a new Web site called Yapta that will alert you via e-mail when prices for your flight change. Check it out.

First the government was wringing its hands over wheat gluten from China that contained traces of melamine, a plastic by-product that led to the sickness and death of pets nationwide.

Now Tembec, a Toledo firm, is among the domestic suppliers that has been found to use melamine in its products.

Here’s the latest from the Food and Drug Administration.

If you accepted magazine subscription offers from companies operating under the names “Magazine Solutions,” “United Publishers’ Service,” or “Read-N-Save America,” you might have been the victim of misleading or deceptive marketing, accordiing to the Federal Trade Commission.

The Pennsylvania-based telemarketing company behind the names is facing federal charges. Learn the details here.