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Life is Good is the subject of a federal complaint that its online assurances about the security of sensitive customer financial were misleading, largely because a hacker got into the system in 2006 and accessed customer information.
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment about a proposed settlement with the company. All sorts of details can be found here.
Some Cranium Cadoo board games are being recalled because they have dice with surface paint that exceeds federal lead standards.
Lead is a neurotoxin that can make your cranium malfunction.
Two types of candles are being recalled because they pose fire risks.
The candles include about 185,000 egg- or oval-shaped ones sold at Pottery Barn stores have exterior paint that can ignite and candles made by Wick & Petal Co. have an extrordinarily high flame.
About 17,000 “My First Kenmore” play stoves sold through Sears and Kmart stores have a bracket connecting the door to the stove that can cause the toy to tip over and possibly injure the child playing with it.
The companies say the hazard can be eliminated by removing the metal bracket that connects the door to the stove.
Details are here.
A poll of truckers DOES NOT list Michigan as having the worst roads in the nation.
It doesn’t list it among the best either. But it does list Ohio as among the best.
The poll obviously is geared more to freeways and other routes commonly taken by long-haul truckers, not places like Rauch Rd.
Read the press release here.
The Food and Drug Administration is advising parents not to use over-the-counter cough and cold suppressants on youngsters age 2 and younger, due to possible side effects and the prospect that the drugs will do no good anyway.
Here is the agency’s press release.
Monroe area residents are getting recorded telephone messages telling them their accounts at Monroe Bank & Trust or the Monroe County Community Credit Union have been suspended. The recording instructs the customer to contact “Security Department” at 615-323-5847 (a Tennessee area code).
Those who responded were welcomed to the “Security Department.” Once on the fraudulent “Security Department” line, callers were instructed to press 1 and give their 16- digit account number.
Callers also were told that “to reactivate your card,” you must provide the expiration date and personal PIN number. Thursday morning, the recording at the number only said the call was being answered by an automated voice mail system and invited callers to leave a message at the tone.
Bank and credit union officials say they never request customer account numbers, PIN numbers or other account information over the phone or by email, and customers should never provide personal or financial information over the phone in response to an unsolicited call, letter or e-mail.
The Gift Wrap Co. is recalling gaily decorated photo frames designed to hold a picture of a baby because the paint they are decorated with violates federal standards for lead content.
The frames were made in China and sold mainly through Babies R Us stores.
Details are here.
Counterfeit checks in the names of Simmons First National Bank of Pine Bluff, Ark. and First National Bank of Spearman, Texas are being used as part of various scams.
Federal officials are warning that the Simmons’s cashier’s checks are being sent sometimes as payment for rental properties advertised on the Internet. The checks that appear to be from the Spearman bank are used as part of an foreign lottery scam that’s been traced to Ontario.
The Insurance Information Institute is offering free, downloadable software to help homeowners inventory their household possessions in case of theft, fire or some other disaster.
You can get the free download at http://www.knowyourstuff.org. The software and your personal home inventory files are all stored on your computer to safeguard your privacy; the I.I.I. does not have access to any of the information about your home or possessions that you input.
To view a video about taking a home inventory, go to: www.iii.org/static/video/mediaplayer/hinventory.wmv.
Each year, the Internal Revenue Service battles with people who refuse to pay taxes based on any number of leal arguments.
Each year, the IRS also adds to the list arguments that it says are baseless. Here are four claims it is publicizing this year, along with some links about “frivolous” claims.
Makers of widely advertised “Slim Coffee,” which was supposed to produce easy weight loss, have agreed to pay nearly a million dollars to settle federal charges that their claims were misleading.
Details are here.
Charter Communications was at the center of a Supreme Court case that has limited investor lawsuits against companies that manipulate their stock prices.
Read the AP story.
The small action figures were sold at dollar stores and are imported from China.
The lead content exceeds federal standards. Check out the recall notice.
Statistics show that more people moved out of Michigan to moved to the state last year, putting it in the top five for outbound migration.
Now, ABF U-Pack Moving, a national moving service, has launched Moving Survival Guide, a blog to help the 40 million Americans who relocate each year. It features advice, information, visuals, tips, answers and more.
Twelve professional moving coordinators will contribute regularly to the blog, answering questions, responding to comments and sharing experiences. Visitors can communicate with the experts and learn about a variety of moving-related topics.
Users also can view “how-to” videos and other detailed instructions on topics such as packing to protect belongings. Specific questions are answered in the “Ask the Expert” section. Visitors can read posts on frequently asked questions, such as: loading properly, parking issues, legal moving guidelines, offshore moves, hiring moving labor and avoiding moving scams.
“Blogs provide access to a real person who can answer questions and provide valuable information. This improves the moving experience, which is a priority at ABF U-Pack Moving,” said Kay Lynn Clay, ABF manager of business development.
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