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Alerts

Consumer Action's Alerts highlights trends in consumer complaints, scams, outrageous fees and other notable consumer information.

The IRS wants to help people who can't pay their taxes (Mar 10, 2010)
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is taking steps to help people who can't pay their taxes because of unemployment or…
Revised rules for mortgage modifications (Jan 28, 2010)
The U.S. Treasury Department has revised its rules to help simplify and improve the process of obtaining a mortgage loan…
Proposed rules to tackle predatory home loans (Jul 24, 2009)
The Federal Reserve Board has proposed changes to Regulation Z of the Truth in Lending Act that would help protect…

IRS will check homebuyer credit eligibility (Jul 29, 2009)
Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced its first successful prosecution related to fraud involving the first-time homebuyer credit and…
Fed warns of phishing 'trojan virus' scheme (Jan 15, 2009)
Don't click on an email that claims to be from the Federal Reserve Bank. It contains a link with malicious…
Operation Clean Sweep targets 'credit repair' (Oct 21, 2008)
On Oct. 23, the Federal Trade Commission, in cooperation with 25 state agencies in 23 states, will hold a press…

New California Consumer Laws - 2009 (Mar 30, 2009)
The County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs Staff Training Academy has issued a comprehensive guide to new consumer…
'New low' in mortgage modification scams (Mar 13, 2009)
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today warned that scam artists have "sunk to a new low" and have…
California Legislative Summary (Nov 12, 2008)
During the 2007-08 session, Consumer Action supported 48 bills and took a position on 51 bills introduced in the California…

Insurance Premium Installment Fees (Jan 17, 2008)
We often hear the phrase, “The poor pay more,” and here’s a couple concrete examples of how people who can’t…
The Opt-Out Fee (Oct 02, 2006)
For years the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), an organization of businesses that send out bulk unsolicited marketing communications, has let…

Consumer Action Insurance Survey (Sep 25, 2008)
Update: The survey closed on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008. Please watch for the results in our Fall 2008 issue of…
Credit Limit Survey (Jun 24, 2008)
This survey closed on July 15, 2008. Click here to see the results…