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Mass Consumer Affairs Blog
The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
It’s been an exciting 2015 for Undersecretary Chapman and the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. This year we focused on educating the consumer, alerting you to rights you may not have known you had and calling your attention to ways to protect …Continue Reading 2015 Recap: How the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation affects you
It’s that time of year when everyone is getting into the holiday spirit. So while you are prepping for the festivities, you may also want to make sure that your home is ready for Jack Frost and Old Man Winter. Preparing your home now …Continue Reading Tips for weatherizing that can save you money and protect your home against winter weather
With holiday shopping in full swing, millions of consumers are expected to ship gifts to their family and friends. However, sending the packages to the right address does not guarantee that they will be received by the intended recipient. Package thefts rise during the …Continue Reading Lost or Stolen Packages
Legislation passed by Congress and signed into law in 2015 requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to begin the process of issuing new Medicare cards that do not display Social Security numbers. The law requires HHS to issue modernized cards …Continue Reading Federal Government Phasing-Out Social Security Numbers on Medicare Cards
Have you ever received a gift card as a present? Do you know what fees are associated with that card? Do you know when it expires? Do you know where to report if you have a problem? Many consumers buy gift cards for others, …Continue Reading Gift Card Tips
The Massachusetts Division of Banks and 49 other state mortgage regulatory agencies have executed a Settlement Agreement and Consent Order with Prospect Mortgage, LLC. The California-based mortgage company is licensed in Massachusetts and wholly owned by Sterling Partners, a private equity firm. A multi-state examination …Continue Reading More than 6,600 Mass. consumers to receive refunds in mortgage lending settlement
The Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation along with The Department of Public Utilities would like to inform consumers of a phone scam that is affecting Massachusetts residents. Residents are receiving calls from a business that is claiming to be a solar developer, …Continue Reading Department of Public Utilities phone scam circulating in MA
Data Privacy Series: Spoofing What is Spoofing? Spoofing is a general term for tricking or deceiving. In the context of consumer data privacy, spoofing usually refers to email or caller ID spoofing. Spoofing is closely related to phishing and is sometimes used synonymously. How …Continue Reading Data Privacy Series: Spoofing
Committing fraud by stealing credit and debit card numbers continues to be a major data security issue and only seems to be growing worse. But there is an effort underway by the payment card industry to include chip technology in payment cards to make …Continue Reading EMV and Chip Technology – Protecting Your Payment Cards
With the Federal Reserve Bank expected to increase interest rates, many homeowners are considering refinancing their home. Scammers are taking advantage of this by offering cheap interest rates that require an upfront fee. They are also targeting homeowners who may be late on their mortgage …Continue Reading Home Refinancing Scam
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