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Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel : Consumer Alerts
News Releases from the office of Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel
- Don't Get Reeled-in by Medicare Phishing Scheme
LITTLE ROCK - More than 400,000 Arkansans are enrolled in Medicare, and recently, the Attorney General's Office has received numerous complaints about a phishing scheme targeting these beneficiaries. While this scam is not new, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert today to warn consumers about its recurrence.Phishing is an attempt to deceptively acquire sensitive info... - How's Your Gift Card IQ?
LITTLE ROCK - With the holiday shopping season in full-swing, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to encourage Arkansans to read the fine print when it comes to gift cards."Gift cards make great presents but if you plan to buy some this holiday season, you should know that many stores and companies attach restrictions to them," said McDaniel. "Consumers should take an... - Decorate with Care
LITTLE ROCK - After Thanksgiving, many Americans start to decorate for the holidays, and while decorations add seasonal flare to any home, putting them up can be risky business. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 10,000 people each year are treated in hospital emergency rooms as a result of falls, cuts, shocks and burns related to holiday decorating. Thus, Attorney G... - Know Your Rights Before You Fly
LITTLE ROCK - Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday travel season, and as many Arkansans head to the airport next week to either board a flight or pickup those returning home for the holiday, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to advise airline passengers of their rights.Flight delays and cancellations can occur due to bad weather, mechanical problems, and a ho... - Favorite Grandson Scam
LITTLE ROCK -Scam artists will do just about anything to steal from seniors, including posing as a favorite grandson or granddaughter. The "favorite grandson" scam is not new, but resurfaces frequently among Arkansas's elderly population. Thus, today, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to warn the public about this scheme and provide tips to avoid falling victim.In... - Beware of Bogus IRS Refund Emails
LITTLE ROCK - Every April, people rush to turn in their federal tax forms, hoping to get a big refund check in return from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). But imagine opening up your inbox in November and reading an email, seemingly from the IRS, alerting you that you have a refund waiting for you now. Sound too good to be true? Well, it is, and, recently, a number of Arkansans have receive... - FTC Amends Expiration Policy for Numbers on National Do Not Call Registry
LITTLE ROCK - In her testimony before Congress this week, Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Lydia Parnes announced that the FTC will not drop any phone numbers on its National Do Not Call Registry based on the five-year expiration deadline. Today, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to advise Arkansans of this policy change."The ... - Don't Let Your Money Go Up In Smoke
LITTLE ROCK - With the cooler weather already moving into Arkansas, many consumers may begin to think about purchasing firewood. Accordingly, today Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert to help clarify certain aspects of purchasing wood to be burned in the fireplace or used as fuel.The Arkansas Bureau of Standards has imposed precise regulations, which stipulate that a... - Save Your Money, Claim Your Property
LITTLE ROCK - Each year millions of dollars in unclaimed property-un-cashed checks, bank accounts, utility deposits, and stock certificates-are turned over to the State by companies who cannot locate the owners. Many Arkansans, who want to find out if they have any unclaimed property, decide to pay a third party to search for them. Unfortunately, those Arkansans later discover that paying for s... - Don't be Fooled by Phony Checks
LITTLE ROCK - The scam is not new. You get a letter notifying you that you are a big winner in a lottery. You may even get the prize check in the mail with the congratulatory notice. All you have to do to become a big winner is deposit the check and wire money to the sender to cover some taxes and fees. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Most consumers realize that it is too easy, and recognize this as a... - McDaniel Investigates Hannah Montana Ticket Sales
LITTLE ROCK - When tickets to Hannah Montana's December 1 concert at Alltel Arena went on sale recently, many Arkansans logged onto the Ticketmaster Web site and tried to purchase them. Other consumers appeared in person at Alltel Arena to buy directly from the box office. However, only a few minutes after the sale opened, consumers were informed that the concert had sold out. Other consumers w... - Keep Telemarketers at Bay by Renewing Your "Do Not Call" Registration
LITTLE ROCK - In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission created the "National Do Not Call Registry." By including their phone numbers in the Registry, Americans can limit the number of telemarketing calls they receive. Once a home or mobile phone number is added to the registry, most telemarketers have up to 31 days from the date of registration to stop calling. Since it came into operation, more tha... - AG Announces Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period
LITTLE ROCK - Over the past two months, almost every day reports have surfaced across the nation about the use of deceptive sales tactics by some Medicare Advantage insurance companies. As a result, last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that oversees Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, announced that it established a "special election" disenrollment period for pe... - Don't Toy With Your Child's Safety
LITTLE ROCK- This week's recall announcement by major toy manufacturer, Mattel Inc., added yet another cause for concern for parents of young children. In the United States, Mattel has recalled 265,000 toy cars due to lead paint concerns and more than 9.3 million toys, such as Polly Pocket and Barbie, with tiny magnets that could be swallowed by children. For parents and caretakers, figuring out w... - Tire Recall Details
LITTLE ROCK- Today, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced the details of a tire recall instituted by New Jersey-based Foreign Tire Sales, Inc. On August 2, 2007, Attorney General McDaniel issued a consumer alert advising Arkansans of the proposed recall. The tires subject to the recall were sold for light trucks, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and vans. The tires that Foreign Tire Sales, I... - The Downside to Debit Cards
LITTLE ROCK - Increasingly, consumers across the country are using their debit cards to pay for a number of goods and services, ranging from gas for their cars to school supplies for their kids. In fact, point-of-sale debit usage has grown by 40% since 2001 according to the Star Networks 2005-2006 Consumer Payments Usage Study. While debit cards offer more convenience than checks, there are pot... - Part-time Job Scams Mean Full-time Troubles
LITTLE ROCK - Most of us would welcome the opportunity to make a little extra money with little effort. Accordingly, when consumers get emails or read ads in the newspaper about part-time jobs that will only require a couple hours of work per week and put a few hundred dollars in their bank accounts, they are understandably tempted to take the position. Unfortunately, these new employees soon fi... - Businesses Beware of Fax Phishing Scheme
LITTLE ROCK - Recently, the Public Protection Department of the Attorney General's Office has received inquiries from business owners who have gotten official-looking faxes from the United States Department of Transportation (
