Consumer alert!

Hackers posing as employers have been gathering personal information from jobseekers for who knows what purposes.

Here’s the story.

The Federal Trade Commission approved the final terms of a settlement with Kmart over the sale and marketing of Kmart gift cards. The government said the company, among other things, didn’t inform purchasers that they would be billed a dormancy fee if they didn’t use the card within two years.

Kmart eventually will publicize the eligibility criteria and refund process on its Web site.

Here’s the FTC’s press release.

People complain about gasoline prices often, but not everyone stops to think how a price increase translates into out-of-pocket costs.

On July 31, this blog warned of an expected price spike in gasoline. Those who acted on that tip who went out and bought 20 gallons at the then-price of $2.83 a gallon, would have saved about 15 cents a gallon off current prices. That means they would have paid about $3 less for a fill up than they could today.

But when you’re trying to stretch a budget, every little bit helps.

The Department of Justice has reached an agreement with Doctors Associates, the private firm that franchises Subway sandwich shops, to make the 20,000 shops more accessible to the handicapped.

The effort will start with the firm surveying franchised establishments to make sure they are barrier-free.

Some details of the settlement can be found here.

A new study from Japan concludes that eating red meat does not necessarily put one at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. It also finds that eating fish does reduce the chances of getting such cancer.

Read a summary here.

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security said Friday that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through Sept. 30.

The government made the policy change for air travel due to high demand and longer than expected processing times for passport applications.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for citizens and legitimate international visitors.  WHTI requirements requiring passports for North American air travel took effect on Jan. 23.

Adults who have applied for but not yet received a passport should present government-issued photo identification and an official proof of application from the U.S. Department of State.  Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child’s proof of application.

U.S. citizens with pending passport applications can obtain proof of application at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html .

Can money be made via Internet casinos and other gaming sites?

Don’t bet on it, say your pals at the FBI. No matter how tempting it might be, odds are you could lose money or get into a heap of trouble by violating federal gaming laws.

Here’s a special alert from the FBI.

The Better Business Bureau of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan is warning that bogus charity appeals might crop up in the aftermath of the shootings at Virginia Tech.

“Everytime we experience a major tragedy, the BBB sees questionable or just plain dishonest appeals for money from con artists who exploit our emotions. Although most charities are honest and ethical, some solicitations are deceitful and, at worst, just plain crooked,” says Richard T. Eppstein, BBB president.

The BBB advises consumers to:

– Be wary of appeals that are long on emotion, but short on describing what the charity will do to address the needs of victims and their families.

– Be skeptical of nternet appeals. Most legitimate charities do not send out Internet appeals. We expect many will resemble legitimate charities but actually will be “phishing” efforts to obtain your credit card or checking account numbers.

– Watch for door-to-door or “card table” appeals from unknown solicitors. Store managers need to be very careful to check out soliciting organizations before giving them permission to set up a table in their entrances. Don’t assume they are legitimate. Call and check their references.

– Watch for excessive pressure for on-the-spot donations. Be wary of any phone requests where they offer to send a “runner” to collect the donation.

– Not provide your credit card number or other personal information to a telephone solicitor. Many use look-alike names that sound similar to established charities in order to trick you.

– Ask for written information that describes the charity’s programs and finances, such as its latest annual report and financial statements.

– Ask how much of your give will be used for the activity mentioned in the appeal and how much will go toward others programs and administrative and fund-raising costs.

Recent revelations about the amount of fraud involved in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort makes one pause to consider how low people might stoop to rip-off taxpayers, federal programs and insurers.

But there’s an aspect of the hurricanes, storms and other natural disasters that can victimize those shopping for a good car deal.

It involves people selling flood- or storm-damaged vehicles without telling the prospective buyers that they’ve been damaged. These are new and used storm-damaged cars that will be cleaned and repaired to hide the fact that they’s been salvaged and should be sold at sharp discounts.

It often means a storm-damaged car from New Orleans can should up in New York, or even Newport, with no indication that it might have hidden storm damage.

To spot flood-damaged vehicles, look for signs of water damage under the hood, under the seats and carpets, under the dash, and in the trunk. Beware of musty odors, or attempts to cover such odors. Look for rust on parts inside the vehicle and signs of repairs.

There’s also a chance a vehicle history report like those available through CARFAX will reveal the car as a salvage vehicle. Another place to check for VIN numbers of cars damaged in hurricanes and floods is the flood vehicle database kept by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Pumps sold through West Marine and used to inflate dinghys and other items can explode and throw plastic shrapnel all over.

Details of the recall are here.