Federal Trade Commission

Some of my columns spark more outrage than others and, to my surprise, a brief report several years ago about random text messages supposedly awarding $1,000 Best Buy gift cards continues to rank near the top. More than 150 people from all over the...

The Federal Trade Commission revised its guidelines for digital advertisers Tuesday, clarifying what the agency expects by way of disclosures on Twitter and in texts. In a nutshell, it said that even brief marketing messages have to make "clear and...

SAN FRANCISCO -- With consumers increasingly connecting to the Internet on their phones and tablet computers, advertisers got a reminder from the federal government Tuesday that they must still abide by consumer protection laws when putting ads on...

The first caller told Norman Breidenbaugh he had won $2.5 million in a foreign sweepstakes, but there was a catch: Breidenbaugh needed to send $2,000 in fees before collecting his earnings. Other calls followed, promising Breidenbaugh millions more...

Have you been duped, scammed or over charged for services? Have you hired no-show contractors or bought food already past its expiration date? Then let's celebrate National Consumer Protection Week, when no American should be afraid to admit he or she...

For the past 15 years, a coalition has worked to share tips and information about privacy protection, money and debt management and recognizing identity theft, frauds and scams. University of Maryland Extension — Washington County is joining the...

The Federal Trade Commission opened a potentially significant new front Friday in its efforts to protect consumers against data theft. The commission announced a settlement with mobile device manufacturer HTC America that requires the company to plug...

Consumers continue to get dinged and, worse, surprised by "resort" fees that often aren't quoted upfront in the hotel booking process. This one lump-sum fee often covers such items as phone calls, bottled water, Internet access, access to the pool or...

Mouse print: It's the catch, the gotcha, the bait-and-switch. It's print advertising's tiny type, fit for reading by mice, or a speed-talked disclaimer on TV or radio that often makes an advertised claim false or misleading. "FREE BOX OF CORN FLAKES...

Anthem Blue Cross is backing off a decision to require some policyholders to buy their prescription drugs from a single mail-order pharmacy — a requirement that the California attorney general's office said may be illegal. Anthem, California's...

About 10 million consumers, through no fault of their own, have serious errors on their credit reports, raising troubling questions about people's ability to secure loans and the fairness of interest rates they're charged. In the first study of its...

A young Poconos man nearly was in tears when we talked about his credit reports. He said his father's medical debts mistakenly were showing up on his reports, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get them removed. He was trying to get loans to...