consumer tips

Consumer Daily Scam Reviews

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The Internet has several websites under the Consumer Daily banner that each purport to provide consumers with real strategies and tips to save money. Are these websites consumer-friendly? Are these websites helpful? The answer to both questions is an unequivocal and resounding NO. The Consumer Daily review websites purporting to be news or unbiased review sites are scams. No question about it.

What is the Consumer Daily Scam

The Consumer Daily scam is a series of websites designed to look like legitimate news stories or reviews about specific services and products. Instead of providing fair and honest consumer reviews however, these Consumer Daily scam review sites provide sales pitches pretending to be unbiased news articles and consumer reviews. Indeed, these Consumer Daily scam review sites are actually selling the products and services it is pretending to review. To me such dishonesty is a scam.

Consumers click on these website ads looking for tips on saving money but are instead sent to fake reviews with links to purchase various products and services. Consumers are not provided real, unbiased, or uncompensated reviews. In return for the sales pitch, the Consumer Daily scam websites receive a commission for deceiving the consumers into believing they are getting a special deal or inside trick into saving money. Consumer Daily is basically an affiliate of each of the companies it pretends to review. The scam is nothing more than paid affiliate advertising veiled as news or reviews and it is dishonest to say the least.

How to recognize a Consumer Daily Scam Review

Consumer Daily scam reviews are actually quite easy to spot. Any website banner advertisement that talks about a “trick,” “loophole,” or “secret” for saving money on something is your first clue. Some Consumer Daily scam ads talk about how insurance companies hate a certain trick or how some local housewife in your area made more money in one month working part time from home than you earn in a year. It’s all a lie. There is no special trick and there is no worthwhile work-at-home opportunity at the end of that rainbow. Click on the ad and instead you will see nothing more than a page full of paid links to buy products and services that give a commission to the Consumer Daily companies. They are literally fishing for suckers.

No legitimate review website will ever accept payment in exchange for a review. Ever. That is the whole point of legitimate reviews. They are supposed to be unbiased, unsolicited, and uncompensated. If you ever read a review and it provides you with a paid link to purchase that product or service you shouldn’t be surprised when that review is favorable to the company. It is all a scam. Making such advertising appear to be news or unbiased discussion is what separates legitimate advertising from a Consumer Daily scam.

How to Avoid a Consumer Daily Scam Review

Avoiding a Consumer Daily scam is actually quite easy. Don’t click on a banner advertisement that appears to be a review or news article. If you do, pay close attention to the message to see if it is highly favorable to the company being discussed. Then look for the paid link or telephone number to buy the product or service. That paid link or phone number is your best clue that you are being scammed.

Another good clue is what product or service is being sold. Typically, the Consumer Daily scam review sites sell the same services you normally see saturating Internet affiliate advertising. These services include car insurance, mortgage loans, debt consolidation plans, penny auction gambling scams, credit repair, and fitness plans to name a few. Yes, there are legitimate companies out there but the ones who have to force-feed you their advertising every time you open a web browser are best avoided. Use some common sense here. If a company calls a product or service a miracle or makes wild claims that seem unbelievable and then provides you a paid link to buy the product or service it just pretended to review, run away. The old adage stands firm. If something seems to good to be true it probably is too good to be true.

Conclusion

Legitimate companies never make wild claims. If a company brags about its miracle product that helps you lose 75 pounds overnight, makes you $6000 a month by working from home, and saves you $300 a year in car insurance all at the same time is lying. Legitimate advertising doesn’t make unsubstantiated claims and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than advertising. In contrast, the Consumer Daily scam review websites are not legitimate. No matter how you cut it, pretending to provide consumers a product review that you are paid to provide is a scam. Run away and don’t be a victim.

Note

Please note that this article discusses material found only on the following websites and no other: consumerdaily.org, consumerdaily.com, and consumerdailyalerts.com. We make no representations herein about any other website, company, service, or product that use the term consumer daily though there are probably at least several other websites and companies also participating in the consumer daily scam.

Fight Telephone Scams and Stop the Calls

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The local news recently reported that a new telephone scam is running in Utah. The telephone scam is not actually new at all but does raise the point that consumers need to be aware of these telephone scams and how to fight back.

Here are a few tips to avoid becoming a victim of a telephone rip off.

Telephone Scam Tip 1: Recognizing a Telephone Scam

You must first learn to recognize a telephone scam. This is actually the easy part. Anyone calling you and asking for your personal, private, or financial information is a scam. Legitimate companies NEVER call to ask for your social security number, date of birth, bank account number, or other similar information. NEVER. If anyone calls for that information they are attempting to scam you.

Telephone Scam Tip 2: Hang Up

Once you recognize a telephone scam, hang up. Don’t give any information and don’t push any buttons on the phone if it is a recording calling you. Just hang up. If you have a call block feature on your telephone you can then block that number from ever bothering you again but even if you don’t, simply hanging up prevents the caller from getting any private information from you.

Telephone Scam Tip 3: Record the Call

If legal in your state and the state of the caller you should record the call. In Utah, it is legal to record telephone calls as long as one party consents to the recording. Recording the telephone rip off call is an excellent way to prove your case if litigation ever becomes necessary.

Telephone Scam Tip 4: Ask Questions

If you really want to tick off a telephone con artist, ask him questions. They hate inquisitive consumers. Indeed, they hate smart consumers so much that asking questions will almost always result in the con artist hanging up on you. In fact, I once had a telephone scam artist so irritated by my questions that he threatened to kill me. That is another excellent reason to record the calls.

If you ask questions you are unlikely to get any actual answers from the con artist but some will give you useful telephone numbers, names, or even addresses. It is rare to get information from a con artist however. Most will simply get mad that you aren’t falling for the scam and hang up on you.

Telephone Scam Tip 5: Don’t Waste Your Time

Don’t waste your time filing a complaint with the FBI. Let me be clear on this point. The FBI is supposed to investigate and prosecute people for committing telephone scams but they will not do it. At least not in Utah. I know because when I tried to report the con artist who threatened to kill me, the FBI outright refused to take a report. To say the FBI agent I spoke with was corrupt and incompetent would be kind. The lesson here is don’t waste your time dealing with the morons at the FBI to stop the morons perpetrating telephone scams. It won’t happen. The FBI is just too ignorant and corrupt to help you.

Telephone Scam Conclusion

The best way to fight back against a telephone con artist is to be able to recognize when a caller is a scam. The next step is to ask questions or hang up. Don’t waste any time with the idiots at the FBI, just hang up and keep your personal information private.

How to Spot a Telephone Scam

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Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year to telephone scams. The simple fact is that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam. There are many forms of telephone fraud but here are a few of the most common.

Travel Offers

Travel offers by telephone are a major area for consumer telephone scams. It involves a company calling consumers and falsely informing them they have been personally selected to receive a special offer. In reality, the consumer hasn’t won anything but was randomly called by an autodialing system in most cases. The so-called offer is usually a discount travel package, travel club membership, or timeshare. These offers are not prizes but are actually solicitations. Additionally, these telephone scam travel offers are never actually a good value. They include exorbitant hidden fees and costs and often require you to sit through long-winded sales presentations for over-priced and under-valued travel packages.

Free Prize Notifications

Telephone scams often involve fake prize notifications to obtain money and information from consumers. The telephone scam works like this. The company calls consumers randomly to inform the consumer they have won a prize. They then require a payment of fees from the consumer for shipping, handling, membership, or some other nonsense. Some of these con artists are stealing the fees outright while others use the credit card or banking information fraudulently to steal even larger amounts. Many of these prize notification scams are also framed as travel offers as discussed above.

Charities

It is unconscionable that anyone would steal money from consumers under the guise of soliciting charitable donations but the simple fact is that it happens every day. Many calls you receive are actually from charities with legitimate needs but never pay them by telephone unless you know exactly who they are through some independent means. For example, Friends of MS calls my home four or five times every year but we know exactly with whom we are dealing. The same caller, whom we now know by name, calls us each time and never even asks for money by telephone. Instead, they want clothing donations left on our doorstep. In contrast, the people committing telephone scams won’t want clothing, they will want cash or credit card information by telephone and they will want it right now.

Under Utah Law legitimate charities are required to obtain registration from the state and provide you with their permit number and what percentage of your donation will go toward the charitable purpose. You can check these permits at the Utah Division of Consumer Protection website.

Fraudulent Debt Collections

Some telephone scam artists will call you to collect a debt you do not owe. Venerable consumers sometimes make a payment over the telephone just to escape the uncomfortable pressure exerted by these crooks. If a company calls to collect a debt always ask for written validation of the debt but do not provide them with your address. If the debt is actually yours they already have your contact information. If they then fail to send written proof of the debt and their identity and you don’t recognize the debt as yours they are probably scamming you.

Advance Fee Loans

Some telephone scam companies will call to offer you a loan. To do so they will require a payment from you in advance. These companies are either stealing from you outright by using the information for that advance fee to access and drain your account or they are planning to deny your loan while keeping the non-refundable advance fee. Either way, it is a scam. Use banks or credit unions if you need a legitimate loan.

Investment Fraud

Investment advice is never reliable when obtained through a telephone call you did not initiate. Nonetheless, many consumers fall victim to investment telephone scams when they think they are privy to inside information about an investment. These con artists will use every high-pressure sales technique in the book and even instruct you to keep your involvement secret as if you are somehow invited into an inner circle of investment gurus. The truth is that actual investment advisors never cold call potential investors and request money over the phone.

Conclusion

The best advice to avoid being ripped off by a telephone scam artist is to never buy anything from a company or person calling you cold. If they won’t provide you with written notification of a prize, travel offer, debt collection, or other solicitation then they are scamming you. Legitimate companies will always openly and willingly provide you with written information about themselves and their services and products and a telephone scam company usually won’t.

Identity Theft Targeting Younger Victims

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Identity theft is targeting younger victims and still a growing crime according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, recently released by the Federal Trade Commission. Not surprisingly, the age of the victims is dropping each year as younger consumers increasingly shop online without properly protecting their personal information. It seems the younger generation, though raised on personal computers, lacks the street smarts needed to match the identity thieves’ techniques.

Most surprising are the FTC’s recommended solutions for restoring your identity after a theft occurs. With two million victims every year – and growing – you would think the FTC would advise consumers to do more than merely report identity thefts and place initial fraud alerts. Yes, a fraud alert is an important step in the process but much more needs to be done. Reporting the crime to the FTC as they recommend is just an exercise in futility, doing nothing to actually help the victim restore their stolen identity.

Most important in reporting identity theft is the method by which the identity restoration is approached. There are several critical legal issues involved with reporting identity theft that if done improperly can have disastrous results for the consumer. For example, if consumers fail to include certain documentation or use the correct language in their communications with creditors and debt collectors they can be held liable for identity theft debt. The same problem arises when consumers try to remove identity theft debt from credit reports. Using the wrong language or taking the wrong approach in dispute or challenge letters will result in denials to investigate or delete the information. At a minimum the process of identity restoration will be delayed by failing to take the proper steps.

In addition to the financial ramifications, identity theft can also be emotionally devastating to the victims. Many victims of identity theft report symptoms of emotional distress similar to victims of violent crime. Restoring the consumer’s identity after a theft occurs simply adds to the stress these victims face.

The best advice to consumers is to report identity theft correctly and carefully. If consumers are unsure how to do so or if they are a victim of criminal identity theft they should contact an experienced consumer protection attorney who can walk them through the process.

How to Report Identity Theft

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How to report identity theft.

It only takes a few simple steps to report identity theft and clear up your good name and end the devastating financial and emotional harm caused by identity theft.

Step One

Set an initial fraud alert with at least one of the three major credit bureaus. Only one is needed because the credit bureaus are required to alert each other when a fraud alert is placed. If you want to be sure fraud alerts are placed on all three then feel free to contact all three. It doesn’t take much time to take this first step to report identity theft and doing so will give you a little additional peace of mind.

Step Two

Obtain your free annual credit report and review it closely to identify which accounts are the result of identity theft.

Step Three

Complete an identity theft affidavit. Be sure to fill it out accurately and completely. You can be criminally prosecuted for lying in an identity theft affidavit.

Step Four

File a police report of the identity theft. No, the police probably won’t do anything to actually help; however, the police identity theft report itself is an invaluable and often required part of clearing up your credit information resulting from identity theft.

Step Five

Contact the three major credit bureaus in writing and request they delete the information that is the result of identity theft. Identify the information clearly and include a copy of the police report and identity theft affidavit to prove your request is valid.

Step Six

Contact each creditor involved and close all accounts that are the result of identity theft. As you did earlier, include a copy of the police report and identity theft affidavit. When you close the accounts also ask the lender to send you all the documentation it has about the account. This will later help with the investigation of the identity theft.

Step Seven

The final step to correctly report identity theft is to set an extended fraud alert on your credit reports. This alert is valid for seven years and works well to prevent future theft of your identity from occurring during that time.

Conclusion

Not all identity theft can be corrected in this way but the more simple case can be. If the above steps to report identity theft fail or if more complicated issues arise, such as criminal identity theft or mortgage identity theft, you should contact an attorney to assist you.

How to Prevent Identity Theft

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Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in history but it is relatively easy to prevent identity theft in most cases.  Millions of consumers fall victim to it every year and regrettably, the effects of identity theft are significant.  Many victims of identity theft are so traumatized they often report symptoms of mental and emotional distress similar to victims of violent crime.

The good news is that it is easy to prevent identity theft from happening to you.  Here are a few tips to stop identity theft before it ever occurs:

  • Use only secure Internet connections, websites, and browsers
  • Never open an email originating from an unknown source
  • Never click a link or open an attachment send to you by email
  • Use different passwords for different websites and make sure the passwords are too long and complicated to guess or decipher
  • Use security questions and answers for online websites to which you enroll
  • For online purchases use a credit card rather than a debit card
  • Always use software such as virus protection, firewalls, malware protection, and spam filters; even on smartphones and tablet computers
  • When possible use cash to pay for purchases
  • Never give out personal information over the telephone unless you initiated the call and are 100% certain you are giving it to a trusted company
  • Never carry you social security card in your wallet
  • Don’t disclose your social security number to anyone unless absolutely required
  • Carefully review all your financial records and billing statements every month to watch for unauthorized charges
  • Obtain your free Annual Credit Report once a year to check for unauthorized accounts opened in your name

Taking all of the above steps will prevent identity theft most of the time though it won’t prevent it all.  Even so, use caution in disclosing your personal information and you will be far less likely to become a victim than someone who is less guarded. The simple fact is that you are your own best defense to prevent identity theft.  If your identity does get stolen there are several steps you can take to restore your identity though it is better to avoid identity theft in the first place.

How to Get a Refund

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It can be hard to get a refund for something you bought that doesn’t work or doesn’t do what the salesman said it would do. The good news is that it is often easier than you might think to get a refund. Here are step-by-step instructions that will work in many situations. In more complicated situations you may need to contact an experienced consumer rights attorney for assistance.

Step One:

Call and ask about getting a refund. Explain the problem and be as nice as possible.  Many companies pride themselves on good customer service and are more than happy to help you get a refund. Being nice is the key here. Don’t yell, swear, or threaten anyone. Be nice even if they turn down your refund request.

Step Two:

If the company refuses your first refund request give the matter a day or two and then call back and speak with a supervisor or manager. Many companies will either refuse to escalate the call or even put a low-level customer service agent on the phone pretending to be a manager but ask anyway.  Proceed as you did in Step One and simply and nicely ask for a refund. Don’t get angry no matter what response you get. You can get a refund if you don’t give up. It just might take a little more effort.

Step Three:

If the company rejects or ignores both of your verbal refund requests it is time to write a letter to the company requesting a refund. Again, be nice. Simply explain the issue without making any threats and send the letter to the company’s billing dispute department if it has one. If not, send it to their customer service address. Send the letter by certified mail and allow the company 30 days to investigate your complaint. It may call, so be prepared to calmly discuss the issue.

Step Four:

If the company doesn’t respond and fails to issue the refund after 30 days, it is time to escalate your complaint. Write a second letter and this time send it to an executive such as the company president or vice president. Use the Internet to find the correct name and address. Stay nice and calmly explain your complaint and why you want to get a refund. Do not threaten them in any way. Send the letter certified mail. If after 30 days they still fail to respond or issue a refund, proceed to Step Five.

Step Five:

If you are sure you have a legal basis to get a refund your next step is to advise the company of your intention to sue. Have an attorney review your complaint to be sure you are justified in requesting a refund. An official opinion about the merits of your case from a consumer law attorney will help you avoid wasting any time or money pursuing a losing issue. Frankly, if you are not absolutely certain you have a legal justification, you should have stopped trying to get a refund at Step Two. Furthermore, do not threaten to sue unless you absolutely WILL sue. Empty threats make you a jerk, not an informed consumer. In the letter you still need to be nice even though you are advising the company you plan to sue. Respect goes a long way here and if you show anger or frustration the company is less likely to take you seriously. Again, send this letter by certified mail.

Step Six:

If, after 30 more days, the company still has not issued a refund or contacted you to discuss the matter it is time to sue. Typically, suing in small claims court is your best option but, in many cases, hiring an attorney and proceeding in a higher court is more likely to succeed in getting you a refund. It really depends on how much money is at issue. Either way, going to court is a drastic and sometimes stressful occasion so don’t do it alone if you aren’t sure of your ability to handle it properly.

If needed, feel free to review our previous article for more information about the process of suing a company in small claims court.

How to Sue in Small Claims Court

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Small claims court is often the best option available to enforce your rights against a deceptive or abusive company. Filing fees are much lower than in higher courts and the procedural and evidentiary rules are relatively relaxed and simple. Indeed, the small claims court judges themselves will typically apply the rules appropriately and fairly and will interpret the legal issues necessary to rule in your case. In most cases you will simply tell the judge your side of the story and he will do the rest. The process is designed to be as simple and consumer-friendly as possible.

To start your small claim court case, your first step is to determine which small claim court is most appropriate to hear it. In a contract dispute the appropriate court will be located in the county in which the contract was entered or the work was to be performed. In injury cases, the small claim court used will normally be where the injury occurred. If the case involves a real property dispute the proper court will typically be the county in which the property is located. If you are unsure, consult your state’s rules governing small claims procedure to determine the appropriate venue for your case.

Your next step is to download and complete the following forms from the court’s website:

  • Small Claims Court Complaint (sometimes entitled Affidavit)
  • Summons
  • Military Affidavit

Once the forms are completed, file the Small Claims Complaint or Affidavit and Military Affidavit with the court. You will pay a filing fee at that time and the court will issue the Summons and return it to you.

Your next step is to serve a copy of the Complaint and Summons on the Defendant. Some small claims courts will have a box or shelf where you can place a copy of the Complaint and Summons to be served but, if not, process servers are easy to find online. Once the process server delivers the documents to the Defendant he will notify the court that the Defendant has been served and send you a bill. Pay it quickly, it is money well spent. You cannot serve the Defendant so do not try. A disinterested person of suitable age must serve process and certify under oath and penalty of perjury it has properly served the Defendant. Your case dies if this doesn’t occur properly. In limited circumstances you can serve the Defendant by mail but check your local rules for the exact requirements. Again your small claims court case dies if this is not done correctly.

Your next step is to prepare for trial. Make three copies of all documents on which you plan to rely; one for you, one for the Defendant, and one for the court. Make a checklist of your talking points and important facts but do not waste any time or effort preparing a detailed script. You will not need it.  If you have witnesses make sure they are coming to the trial. If needed, you can have the small claims court issue a subpoena to make them appear but only do so if the witness is openly hostile and you think they probably won’t show up. Seriously, you will almost certainly be sleeping on the couch if you subpoena your spouse.

At trial, simply tell the small claims court judge your story.  Use your checklist to be sure you don’t forget any important facts. The judge will ask you and your witnesses questions and he expects very concise and specific answers. He does not want a long monolog detailing every nuance of your feelings about the situation. The judge only wants the facts important in deciding how to apply the law to your case.  He will know what questions are important and what issues on which to focus. If you think he is missing an important fact or issue tell him what you think he needs to know, but again, keep it brief.

Once he has heard from the parties and witnesses the judge will then make his ruling from the bench.  On rare occasions he will take your case under advisement and issue a ruling in a couple of weeks but doing so is extremely unusual so don’t expect it. If you win your case, the court will provide you with a judgment form. Send a copy to the Defendant by certified mail even if he appeared in court. You want proof he received it. The Defendant will typically have up to 30 days to appeal the small claims court judgment but you can begin collecting on the judgment immediately if you wish.

Now that you know how to take a case to small claims court you can be your own advocate. In many cases where deceptive and fraudulent sales practices are involved, however, you may want to consult with a consumer law attorney to determine whether or not a particular statute can help to maximize your damage award. In consumer law cases statutory damages are frequently higher than your actual damages. It is an important detail you do not want to miss.


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