State Officials Continue to Warn About Phoney IRS Telephone Scams, and Give Pointers on How to Identify Telephone Scams!

State Officials Issue Warning about Phony IRS Calls, and Offer Free Anti-Scam Publications

12/09/2015 12:26 PM EST

Maine's Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (www.maine.gov.pfr) is warning about a scam making its rounds again, just in time for the holiday season.

The Bureau has received multiple reports from consumers in Washington, Aroostook and Kennebec Counties about phony calls from scammers posing as IRS agents, demanding payment immediately to avoid arrest and jail time. The Bureau's Principal Examiner, David Leach, outlined several recent cases:

-- A Pittston man reported his household received a call from a man saying he was an IRS agent, stating his family was in danger of imminent arrest unless money was wired to him the same afternoon.

-- An Aroostook county woman reported a caller saying she was working for the IRS and there was a pending federal lawsuit against her, and the only way it could be stopped was for her to send money that day.

-- A Washington County man stated a neighbor had sent money to a caller purporting to be an IRS agent to settle a tax obligation and avoid a federal action, and later learned he had been scammed, and the money sent was lost.

"Governmental tax agencies will not call consumers and demand immediate payment of overdue taxes," Leach said. "Maine citizens are reporting the same approach by scammers. The calls were their first notice of owing supposedly overdue taxes, and in each case, because it was a scam, no monies were actually due. Legitimate authorities will start their communications with correspondence on agency letterhead, sent from an actual government office, while scammers do not operate in this manner."

Leach noted that scammers typically attempt to scare potential victims into writing funds immediately using such money transmission options such as Western Union, Money Gram or a Green Dot Card. Once the money is wired and received by crooks, it's generally gone for good. The Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection offers the following guidelines:

-- Never send money for alleged overdue taxes in response to a single call from someone claiming to be working for a taxation authority. This is especially true when the caller threatens arrest unless funds are sent by money transmitters or prepaid cash cards.

-- Never disclose personal information such as Social Security number, date of birth, credit card or bank account numbers to unknown callers; this could lead to identity theft.

-- If the caller claims to be from a federal agency like the IRS, ask for the exact name of that agency, the agency's physical address, and the supervisor's direct dial (not an 800 number). If the caller claims to be in Washington DC, the number should have an area code of 202. When in doubt, locate the actual number of the tax authority and call to determine if you are the subject of an overdue tax bill.

-- Report suspicious activity to the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, 1-800-332-8529, or to an IRS office, or a federal law enforcement office in Maine or Boston.

Additional information about the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection and its resources, including its free (to Maine residents) anti-scam titled Gone Phishing, is available by calling the Bureau or online at www.Credit.Maine.gov.

AG MILLS ISSUES ADVICE FOR CONSUMERS FOLLOWING EXPERIAN BREACH OF T-MOBILE USERS' DATA

 

10/06/2015 10:27 AM EDT

(AUGUSTA) Following reports that an unauthorized party was able to gain access to an Experian server that contained the personal information of more than 15 million T-Mobile users, including 12,068 Maine residents, Attorney General Janet T. Mills today offered consumers tips to guard against potential identity theft. "The Maine Attorney General's Office takes this breach very seriously and we are encouraging any T-Mobile customer to take pro-active steps to protect themselves from potential ID theft," Attorney General Mills said. "We anticipate working with Attorneys General across the country on this matter and have been in touch with representatives of Experian and T-Mobile. Experian is offering affected customers free credit monitoring for two years; I strongly advise any affected T-Mobile customers to take them up on this offer." According to T-Mobile and the credit reporting company Experian, the breach compromised data that was used by T-Mobile in connection with credit checks of individuals who applied for T-Mobile services from Sept. 1, 2013 through Sept. 16, 2015. The data included name, address, birthdate, Social Security numbers, other ID numbers (such as driver's license, military ID, or passport numbers), and additional information used in T-Mobile's credit assessment. The Maine Attorney General's Office offers consumers the following tips to guard against identity theft: Monitor your credit report. You are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (you can request one free report from a different bureau every four months to monitor throughout the year). Request a "fraud alert" be placed on your on your accounts to alert you to any attempts to open a line of credit in your name by calling one of the national credit bureaus before they are approved. When you call, an initial fraud alert (90 days) will be placed on your credit report and a free copy of your credit report will be sent to you.

Consider placing a "security freeze" on your credit report to prohibit the release of any information from your report without your written authorization. (A freeze is currently subject to a fee, however a new law eliminates that fee after October 15, 2015).

Beware of phishing attempts and unsolicited calls or emails offering credit monitoring or identity theft services. Consumers should never provide their social security number, credit card or other personal information in response to unsolicited emails or calls.

If you find unexplained activity on your credit reports or if you believe you are the victim of identity theft, there are important steps to take to protect yourself. Contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-436-2131, review the Attorney General's Identity Theft webpage, contact regulators at the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at 1-800-DEBT-LAW, or view the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft resource, available at: www.identitytheft.gov .

Maine Department of Consumer Protection Offers Publication on Purchase and Finance of Automobiles.

 

 

State Consumer Protection Officials Announce New Publication--Downeaster Common Sense Guide to Automobile Buying and Financing

07/20/2015 11:56 AM EDT

GARDINER - Governor Paul R. LePage joined staff at Maine's Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, an agency within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, in announcing the release of a new auto buying publication. The Downeaster Common Sense Guide: Automobile Buying and Financing is a 32-page booklet available online or in paper copy free to Maine residents.

"Purchasing a car or truck can be an enjoyable experience, but it can also be complicated," Governor LePage said. "This new guide-the latest in a Downeaster series of consumer protection publications-provides important information and guidance to help individuals and families make sound financial decisions when considering a new vehicle."

Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection Principal Examiner David Leach, who coauthored the new guide, emphasized that an automobile purchase is a significant financial commitment that often involves a large number of issues and considerations. He outlined the topics covered in the guide:

 Determining how much vehicle you can afford;

 Understanding how to conduct auto buying research;

 Learning how to check your credit reports before applying for an auto loan;

 Determining the lowest Annual Percentage Rate or APR for your vehicle loan;

 Understanding why "No money down" financing can be an expensive mistake;

 Learning how to negotiate the best price for your new vehicle and trade in;

 Preparing yourself for the "closing room" at the auto dealership; and

 Evaluating the pros and cons of add-ons like extended warranty programs and credit insurance.

"This publication will help consumers become more comfortable with auto buying and financing by clearly explaining the process in an easy to understand, step-by-step format," David Leach said. "The thought of buying a car or truck makes many people uneasy. This booklet provides Mainers with the tools and tips to understand and succeed in the process."

An online copy of the auto buying guide, and several other Downeaster Common Sense financial publications, can be found at www.Credit.Maine.gov by clicking "Publications." Copies can also be ordered by calling the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at 1-800-332-8529 (toll-free in Maine) or 624-8527.

IMPORTANT: Takata Airbag Update... SECOND Replacement Necessary!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) —Takata, already at the center of the largest and most complex auto recall in history, says many of the cars already repaired will have to have a second airbag replacement.

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In prepared testimony for a Congressional hearing later Tuesday, a Takata executive says many of the cars repaired so far have an inflator, known as a "batwing" inflator, that is now believed to be tied to the exploding airbags.
The batwing inflators have been found in cars that had exploding driver-side airbags tied to most of the dozens of serious injuries and all six deaths that have prompted the massive recall, according to the prepared remarks of Kevin Kennedy, an executive vice president of Takata's North American unit.
There are no current estimates as to how many cars have received replacement airbargs which will now need to be replaced as well.
The testimony says since age is a factor in causing problems with the airbags, Takata does not believe the repaired cars have the immediate risk posed by unrepaired older cars. But Kennedy will testify that final stage of the recall will be replacing the replacement airbags already installed with the batwing inflators.
Tataka, a Japanese auto parts maker, provides nearly 20% of airbags worldwide. AutoLiv, the world's largest airbag maker, is also making replacement airbags to be used in the recall.
Kennedy will also tell the congressional panel that Tataka plans to stop making airbags with the batwing inflators, but he does not say when it will be able to transition to a safer inflator. Questions about how long that will take, and whether that means that Tataka will continue to provide replacement airbags with the batwing inflators going forward, were not immediately answered by a Tataka spokesman.
At the press conference announcing the record recall of roughly 34 million U.S. cars, Mark Rosekind, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, admitted he agency could not definitely say whether the replacement airbags being installed were safe. "But we know they are safer," he said at that time.
The problem with a second recall is that car owners are more likely to ignore the recall notice, believing that they have already addressed the problem, according to Kevin Pollack, vice president for Stericycle ExpertSolutions, which is working with some of the automakers affected by this recall.
"There's no question that this is the most complex recall of all time," he said. "This only makes it much more complicated."