News

• May 24, 2013 How to turn on Twitter’s new security feature — and why you should
• May 22, 2013 New ad platform targets mobile users by scouring social media
• May 18, 2013 Privacy watchdog EPIC files complaint against Snapchat with FTC
• May 17, 2013 Google Glass privacy issues raised by congressional caucus
• May 16, 2013 Preteens’ use of Instagram creates privacy issue

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CA News & Special Reports

Consumer Action INSIDER - May 2013 The May 2013 edition of the INSIDER features stories about our activities at various financial literacy events, some considerations when teaching older adults and a new credit resource created by our staff. Hotline Chronicles looks at the case of a woman who was convinced against her better judgment to purchase a timeshare. ( Tuesday, April 30, 2013 )

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Five Recent Publications

Monday, October 15, 2012

Elder Fraud - Leader’s Guide. According to AARP, older people who fall for scams tend to believe the pitches they hear. Many believe they have a good chance of actually winning a prize or that the products they see advertised are worth the price. This manual is written in question and answer format to allow you to quickly find the answers to questions about the myriad of scams that target seniors.

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

ID Theft & Account Fraud - Leader’s Guide. This 21-page backgrounder guide is written in question-and-answer format to help you anticipate frequently asked questions about identity theft and account fraud. Reading this guide can help prepare you for in-service or train-the-trainer presentations. Topics include an overview of ID theft and account fraud, how to prevent ID theft, advice for victims and helpful ID theft resources that you can use to find more information or to file complaints.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

How to Complain. Consumer Action has updated its perennial favorite guide, How to Complain. The free and comprehensive booklet is designed to help you complain effectively and get results. How to Complain includes advice on how to approach businesses with a complaint; escalating a complaint through customer service or a company’s executive offices; writing emails and letters about your complaint; and documenting your complaint.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Your Digital Dollars - Safety and privacy in online and mobile transactions (Chinese). As more daily tasks, from shopping and banking to working and socializing, get done on a computer or mobile device, the opportunities to expose personal data increase.

Saturday, June 02, 2012

Your Digital Dollars - Safety and privacy in online and mobile transactions (Spanish) Protect your identity and data while banking or paying digitally. A medida que más tareas diarias se hacen por computadora o dispositivo móvil, incluso compras, operaciones bancarias y actividades del trabajo y sociales, las oportunidades de revelar información personal aumentan.

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Recommended Publications

Monday, December 19, 2011

Chronology of Data Breaches. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has been tracking breaches since 2005 and publishes a Chronology of Data Breaches.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Protect Your Child from ID theft. The California Office of Privacy Protection (COPP) has released a fact sheet for consumers on how to check their child's credit records and other ways to protect them from identity theft.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Protect yourself while using a mobile device. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has published three fact sheets for consumers on protecting your identity while using a smartphone or similar mobile device. The three fact sheets, a part of ITRC's project Best Practices for Safe Mobile Device Usage, offer a detailed look at how mobile devices can expose you to privacy and security threats, and what to do about it.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Are social networks “friends” with law enforcement?. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a privacy coalition partner with Consumer Action, has released more information on how the government seeks and obtains personal information from social media companies like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. EFF asked the Department of Justice and other federal agencies for copies of guides, not previously made public, that these sites send out to law enforcement explaining how agents can obtain information about users and what kinds of information are available. The guides reveal that social networking sites have struggled to develop consistent, straightforward policies to govern how and when they will provide private user information to law enforcement agencies.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

An online guide to practical privacy tools. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) publishes on its website a comprehensive and useful list of ways to protect your privacy, from how to surf online anonymously to keeping your emails from prying eyes.

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