Education
BBB: Thoroughly research a for-profit school
Millions have advanced their careers attending for-profit schools that operate virtually as well as through physical campuses. But the industry has a checkered history.
Randy Hutchinson
Columnist
Randy Hutchinson is the President and CEO of the BBB of the Mid-South, serving 28 counties in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. He graduated from Western Maryland College and has an MBA from Wilmington College. He can be reached at rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org
There are 80 articles by Randy Hutchinson :
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August 2020
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Guest Column
Education
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July 2020
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guest column
BusinessCryptocurrency scams are on the rise
Consumers who were exposed to a cryptocurrency scam were far more likely to fall for it and lost far more money than the average for all scams. The median loss in a cryptocurrency scam was $3,000 compared to $160 for all scams.
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June 2020
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Business FTC warns companies about phony coronavirus claims
Famous, or infamous, people have peddled products they claimed could prevent or treat coronavirus.
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May 2020
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Business Kids more vulnerable online during pandemic
The FBI issued an alert warning that with schools closed and other activities curtailed, children spending more time at home and online are at greater risk.
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April 2020
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Business Seniors more vulnerable to scams during pandemic
In today’s coronavirus crisis, crooks impersonating the government promise seniors government grants and stimulus payments in exchange for an upfront fee or confidential information they’ll use to commit identity theft.
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March 2020
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Business BBB: Here come the coronavirus scams
In its first coronavirus-related fraud case, the Department of Justice shut down the website “coronavirusmedicalkit.com” that offered consumers a World Health Organization vaccine kit. There are currently no legitimate vaccines.
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Business Beware: Rental scams are rampant
A BBB investigations specialist estimated that more than 5 million consumers have lost money to rental scams. The average loss reported was $996.
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February 2020
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Business Don’t let a bad vendor ruin your wedding
There’s no second chance with a wedding, so brides and grooms and parents need to do their due diligence in choosing vendors.
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January 2020
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Business BBB: Scammers exploit Kobe Bryant’s death
Fake videos of Bryant’s helicopter crash have already shown up on YouTube and other websites, although it’s not clear if they’re nefarious or just cruel hoaxes.
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Business Be sure Internet-connected security cameras are secure
Four days after a DeSoto County couple installed a Ring system, their 8-year old daughter heard a man talking in her bedroom. The father disabled the system to stop the harassment and the couple is now dealing with their kids’ trauma.
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December 2019
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Business Beware of health claims for CBD products
Since 2015, the FDA has sent warning letters to at least 23 companies about claims regarding their products. The FTC co-signed some of the FDA’s letters, including three sent in March, and sent letters to three companies on its own in September.
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November 2019
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Business Online fraud picks up over the holidays
Crooks will often create lookalike websites with URLs that are a character or two off from the real thing. More sales are being made using mobile devices and the small screens make it more difficult to detect the deception.
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October 2019
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Business Report finds military consumers more at risk than others
The top industry generating complaints from military consumers for six years in a row is new car dealers. Service members also encounter more struggles than the general public in home-related needs because they move, on average, every two to four years.
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Business Think twice before clicking on lurid celebrity sites
Crooks exploit our fascination with celebrities by luring us to websites that may claim to have the latest gossip about a celebrity but that also contain malware.
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August 2019
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Business Vet a crowdfunding campaign before contributing
Crowdfunding platforms have rules for what kinds of projects can be posted on their website and vet them to some degree, but they don’t guarantee success. As with any new product, there are risks that include delays in completing a project or failure to bring a product to market at all.
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July 2019
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Business Ransomware can cripple organizations of all sizes
In 2017, the largest simultaneous ransomware attack ever affected tens of thousands of organizations in 74 countries, including FedEx’ Memphis operations. Collierville's town computer system was the target of a ransomware attack in July.
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Business Use caution with timeshare relief companies
People desperate to unload their timeshares are vulnerable to timeshare relief firms that offer to sell their property for an upfront fee. The firm collects the fee but never delivers the service.
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June 2019
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Business BBB: Get a home inspection
Be present during the inspection, which can take two to five hours. Most home inspectors will be fine with you tagging along and asking questions. You’ll end up with a much better appreciation for the condition of the property, good or bad.
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May 2019
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Business FTC shuts down sham veteran and police charities
The Disabled Police and Sheriffs Foundation received $10 million in donations over three years, but spent less than 6% of it to help officers and their families. A judgment of $9.9 million was imposed, but only $100,000 could be recovered. The American Veterans Foundation took in $3.5 million over three years but spent just $47,246 on care packages for service members.
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April 2019
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Business Pick a trustworthy mover
Last year, the Department of Justice charged 12 people with running a nationwide racketeering enterprise through 14 affiliated moving companies.
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Business FTC lands on company paying for fake positive reviews
Some companies charged with false advertising by the Federal Trade Commission were accused of writing fake five-star reviews themselves.
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February 2019
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Business Consumers and businesses may have unclaimed property
States hold billions of dollars in unclaimed property for both businesses and consumers. The Better Business Bureau has tips on how to locate and recover funds without falling victim to scams.
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January 2019
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Business FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule may help with buyer’s remorse
The Better Business Bureau often receives complaints that make it clear the consumers didn’t realize they had the right to change their mind about a transaction. The merchant involved may have been blissfully, or willfully, ignorant of its obligation to inform the consumers of their rights and to provide the required form.
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December 2018
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Business MoneyGram charged (again) with facilitating fraud
An old adage says “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” The Federal Trade Commission didn’t take kindly to being fooled twice by MoneyGram International and imposed a $125 million fine on the company, which operates a network of about 350,000 money transfer locations worldwide. The Department of Justice said MoneyGram also violated a similar agreement it reached with the company in 2012. -
Business Hutchinson: ‘All natural’ means all natural
Even if you’re not a chemist, you’ll probably surmise that butyloctyl salicylate and polyquaternium-37 are not naturally occurring substances. Yet they and other synthetic ingredients with similarly difficult-to-pronounce names were contained in products marketed as “all natural” or “100 percent natural.”
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