The FBI’s cyber team is reminding residents not to fall for “secret shopper” scams that convince consumers to cash a counterfeit check and wire part of the proceeds to a third party. The scams usually leave the consumer on the hook for thousands of dollars once the banks learn the cashed checks are counterfeit.
For more details, click here.
Archive for January, 2010
FBI warns of secret shopper scams
Thursday, January 21st, 2010Office chairs can topple, injuring users
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010Ergonomic office chairs made by MooreCo are being recalled because they can cause the user to fall.
For details on the recall, click here.
Detroit job market worst in nation
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010The Detroit area is the toughest place to find a job in America, according to Juju.com, an online job search engine. The area was ranked dead last among major U.S. job markets. Juju said there are at least 20 persons unemployed for every advertised job opening. For more details, click here.
Counterfeit weight-loss pill being sold on Web
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that a counterfeit version of Alli, the increasingly popular over-the-counter weight loss pill, is being sold on the Internet. There’s no evidence so far that the bogus pills have made their way into stores. The phony pills look exactly like the genuince article, except lack a key ingredient that makes them work. Instead they contain a controlled substance that could have bad consequences for certain patients.
For details and photos that show the differences between the real product and the fake one, click here.
Food products might be contaminated
Monday, January 18th, 2010Parkers Farm of Coon Rapids, Minn. is recalling a variety of food products that might be contaminated with bacteria. A range of products is affected, marketed under different brand names and sold at stores ranging from Kroger to Walmart and Target.
For more details and a list of affected products, click here.
Pier 1 tea lights, holders recalled
Friday, January 15th, 2010Both Glitter Tea Lights and Santa Tea Light Holders sold at Pier 1 Imports are being recalled because they pose fire hazards.
Infant pouch meals being recalled
Thursday, January 14th, 2010Some HAPPYTOT and HAPPYBABY pouch meals are being recalled because the packages contain a defect that might make them leak or swell and cause bacteria to enter the meal.
For details on the recall, click here.
Be wary of Haitian relief scams
Thursday, January 14th, 2010The FBI is warning that some appeals for Haitian relief following the devastating earthquake might be scams.
Scammers commonly come out of the woodwork after any tragedy or natural disaster of any consequence.
The FBI offers the following tips to avoid being scammed:
Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations through various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.
Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.
Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
LED light kits have faulty wiring
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010LED light kits made by the Rockler Companies are being recalled because they have defective wiring. The devices include either a light or lighted magnifying glass.
For more details, including photos, click here.
Bicycles, frames recalled for faulty forks
Wednesday, January 13th, 20102010 model Redline Conquest bicycles and framesets are being recalled because the forks can fail, causing the rider to fall.
For more details on this recall, click here.
Weight-loss product marketers busted
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010Marketers of Chinese Diet Tea and Bio-Slim weight loss patches will have to pay the feds $2 million for selling products using unsubstantiated claims.
For details, click here.
Test show poisonous cadmium in kids’ jewelry
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010Alarmed by the findings of Associated Press testing of some jewelry products, Walmart pulled Chinese-made items from its shelves that might contain high levels of cadmium.
The results were from tests of bracelet charms sold at Walmart stores, at the jewelry chain Claire’s and at a Dollar N More store. High amounts of cadmium also were detected in “The Princess and The Frog” movie-themed pendants.
Cadmium, which is known to cause cancer, is a soft, whitish metal that occurs naturally in soil. It’s perhaps best known as half of rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, but also is used in pigments, electroplating and plastic.
Cadmium is attractive to Chinese manufacturers because it is cheap and easy to work with. But, like lead, it can hinder brain development in the very young, recent research shows.
Children can be exposed by sucking or biting such jewelry. But without direct exposure, most people do not experience its worst effects: cancer, kidneys that leak vital protein and bones that spontaneously snap.
Lab tests were conducted for the AP on 103 pieces of low-priced children’s jewelry such as charm bracelets and pendants purchased around the country. Virtually all were imported from China.
Twelve items had cadmium levels of at least 10 percent by weight. One piece had a startling 91 percent, and others contained more than 80 percent. The government has no restrictions on cadmium in jewelry.
Australian sweepstakes is a scam
Monday, January 11th, 2010Letters touting an Australian Sweepstakes and air miles promotion are being mailed across the nation in hopes that recipients will cash the counterfeit cashier’s checks drawn on Broadway National Bank of San Antonio, Texas.
It’s all a scam and the checks, rangings in amounts from $6,000 to $7,000, could leave those who cash them on the hook for thousands of dollars.
For more details about the scam, click here.
Big Rex & Friends can poison your kid
Monday, January 11th, 2010A cloth book called “Big Rex & Friends,” published by St. Martin’s Press, is being recalled because a red dot in the book contains lead levels in excess of federal safety standards.
For details on the recall and a photo, click here.
Home improvement books have wiring flaws
Monday, January 11th, 2010Nearly a million home improvement books, sold under nine different titles, are being recalled by Oxmoor House due to faulty wiring instructions that could cause electric fires or shocks to consumers. Consumers are entitled to a full refund.
For details, click here.