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The Official Blog of the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Tax Day is quickly approaching, and this year more Americans are planning on filing their taxes online, according to McAfee’s 2021 Consumer Security Mindset Report. Filing taxes electronically is a more convenient and efficient process but may open you up to scammers hoping to steal …Continue Reading Protect Yourself Against Scams this Tax Season
There is no place like home. Or in this case, there is no better place to shop than close to home. Keeping small businesses in the Commonwealth alive and running has never been safer, easier, or more important. The My Local MA initiative, championed by …Continue Reading Buy Here: My Local MA Promotes Patronizing Businesses Close to Home
An informed consumer is an empowered consumer. Whether making cost-effective decisions or ones that help you avoid scammers, navigating the financial landscape can be overwhelming. But we are on your side – that’s why the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) is proud …Continue Reading National Consumer Protection Week 2021
Saving for a rainy day can be challenging, but when you put money away you are making a commitment to yourself and to your future financial security. This coupled with an effort to reduce debt will help you begin to build personal wealth. These are …Continue Reading America Saves Week 2021
Everyone wants to share Valentine’s Day with someone special, and online dating sites put hundreds of potential partners at your fingertips. Hoping to connect with you for their own gain, scammers use these same dating websites as well as social media to establish relationships and …Continue Reading Love, or Lies? What You Need to Know About Romance Scams
The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have sent millions of Americans a second round of stimulus payments this month. As checks roll out, scammers are working to defraud consumers of these funds. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that consumers lost over $200 million to COVID-19 …Continue Reading Fraud Alert: Stimulus Check Scams
If you are a small business owner who has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, more assistance is available through the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program. Funds of close to $700 million dollars will be distributed by Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) to those …Continue Reading Sector Specific Relief Grants Available for Small Businesses
Calling all T-Mobile customers, your mobile carrier has announced a data breach which might impact you. In a letter posted on their website, T-Mobile said: “Our Cybersecurity team discovered and shut down malicious, unauthorized access to some information related to your T-Mobile prepaid wireless account. …Continue Reading T-Mobile Data Breach
For the second year in a row we invited you to take a jog down memory lane with us as we looked back at the worst consumer products with our “Top 10 Worst Products for Massachusetts Consumers” list. The Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation …Continue Reading Top 10 Worst Products for Massachusetts Consumers of the Year 2020
The holidays are here and as you both give and receive gifts it’s likely you will find some cases in which items are the wrong size or style or color, are damaged, or otherwise just not right. This means one thing—returns. Unfortunately, there is no …Continue Reading Shopping Series 2020: Holiday Returns
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2021