Topic: U.S. Federal Trade Commission

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Tax day 2011: Four ways to protect your tax returns from data thieves

Tax-related identity theft is the fastest growing kind of identity theft. Between 2005 and 2009 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission tripled from 11,000 to nearly 34,000, according to a Scripps Howard News Service investigation. Thieves steal personal information to use for themselves or sell, or they take it to divert a tax refund into their own pockets. Identity theft, as a whole, is on the decline, but the abundance of personal information in circulation during tax season makes it a prime time for thieves to strike. Here are four tips for keeping your information safe:

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Saving Money
Buying and selling timeshares: eight tips

In the current market, finding and buying a timeshare is easy. Selling one is a different story. Here are four tips for each that could help.
1940 Census data: A treasure trove for con artists?

Data from the 1940 census, released Monday, has excited Americans looking for more information about their heritage. But the information could also help identity thieves.
Jedi knights of online privacy strike back at data-mining empires

Firms such as CloudCapture, which launched Wednesday, and Abine, which debuted its 'Do Not Track Plus' app in February, see a ripe opportunity to turn the technology developed to mine personal data into a tool consumers can use to fight its abuse.
Inside the Keystone pipeline: How much would it really help US consumers?

Politicians paint a rosy picture of lower gas prices and abundant supply, but Canadian firms behind the Keystone pipeline expect it to supply Gulf Coast export markets and raise Midwest oil prices.
Google privacy changes allow company to dig deeper into users' lives: Q&A

Google says the changes will make its privacy policy easier to understand. Critics argue that Google is trampling on people's privacy rights in its relentless drive to sell more ads.
Keep Calm
Interpol arrests Anonymous hackers: Do they warrant the attention?

Anonymous hackers were allegedly preparing to shut down Chilean and Colombian government websites. But these attacks are like digital graffiti.
White House releases 'privacy bill of rights': what it promises online consumers

While falling short of law, the consumer 'privacy bill of rights' would give consumers 'new legal and technical tools to safeguard their privacy,' according to the White House.
iPhone tracking: Is Google breaking its privacy pledge?

iPhone privacy feature was circumvented to allow Google to track what iPhone users were doing, privacy researcher says. Google settled another privacy case in October.
Privacy for children who use mobile apps

App stores and developers are lapse in helping parents protect the privacy of a child using smart phones and tablets. From Google to Apple, finds an FTC report, clear information is needed.
New consumer agency targets debt collectors. Who can argue with that?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which faces stiff GOP opposition, picks what may be politically palatable targets for regulation: debt collectors and the credit-rating industry.
With Facebook IPO, time to friend privacy

Facebook's IPO, or initial public offering, will lead to shareholder pressure on the firm to squeeze profits out of users' personal data. Google, too, faces more scrutiny as it mines user data even more. Privacy watchdogs need to be on the alert.
World markets rattled, but Dow only down six

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At the retail store, a long line of questions at checkout

Retail stores are increasingly barraging their customers with questions. It's marketing for them. Is it good for you?
As government shutdown looms, lawmakers squabbling over policy, not pork

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Horizons
Facebook tracking now under federal investigation

Facebook tracking triggers another round of criticism for the social network. This time, the FTC is offering the company a settlement over a legal complaint, while a Senate committee starts to ask: is Facebook tracking both users and non-users?
Robert Reich
'Occupy Wall Street' the Left's Tea Party? Maybe, but...

If Occupy Wall Street coalesces into something like a real movement, the Democratic Party may have more difficulty digesting it than the GOP has had with the Tea Party.
Reebok refund: You might get shoes for free

Reebok refund involves its toning shoes, which federal government says were deceptively advertised. The size of the Reebok refund could be up to $100 for a pair of shoes, about what consumers paid for them.
Is OnStar turning your car against you? Senator Schumer thinks so.

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The Simple Dollar
Can a Gap card wreck your credit rating?

Store credit cards, Roth IRA vs. 401k's, and other reader questions
Chapter & Verse
Apple, leading US publishers, charged with collusion

Two plaintiffs in an anti-trust lawsuit claim that Apple and five publishers colluded to drive up Amazon's low e-book prices, raising profits for publishers and making Apple's iPad more competitive against Amazon's Kindle.
Facebook 'Spam King' allegedly broke into a half million user accounts

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Patents: Google buys 1,000 of them from IBM

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Google investigation: Is it abusing its dominance?

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Sony hackers: Yet another network intrusion

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Smartphones: What tracking means for you

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