Telecom and utility companies use the National Consumers Telecom & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE), a members-only, unique Equifax database to review consumer credit history. The question remains whether the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies to the NCTUE and what information consumers should be able to obtain about themselves.

During the month of May, the federal government is sending one-time $250 stimulus payments to senior citizens and others who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other government benefits and scam artists are already poised to steal them in any way they can.

If you want to keep your home phone number private, you must PAY ATT for the privilege of not selling it to every advertiser, telemarketer, and scam artist they can find. Now, a new law, SB437 will force AT&T to respect your privacy and the California Constitution.

Scam Busters:  Caller ID Spoofing has taken a front row seat again as portrayed by Bonnie Dempsey of the Main Street Press.  Bonnie quotes UCAN's consumer advocate and "previous target of an attempted scam", Sue Macomber as stating that "government
action is urgently needed and encourages people to urge their lawmakers
to support related legislation."

We all love using those credit cards, but, CreditCards.com, and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC) warn that how you use them is of great interest to your credit card companies. The data they collect on you may come back to haunt you. READ MORE

As the first wave of millions of baby boomers looks to retirement, the Social Security Administration has launched an online application process for Social Security and Medicare that can be completed in about 15 minutes.

The number on your caller ID may or may not be a law firm, the IRS or your bank calling you! By using a special prepaid calling card, you can become the victim to real financial disaster if you give away any personal information requested by the caller. Watch the Good Morning America story.

There are Internet sites like www.SpoofCard.com or www.itellas.com where anyone can buy a prepaid calling card. This prepaid calling card has special features to hide the real identity of the caller. There are Federal regulations prohibiting the use of this technology by telemarketers and debt collectors. This service is also a stalker's dream and a victim's nightmare. Who else but telemarketers, debt collectors, scam artists trying to get your personal information and stalkers trying to harrass you, would need this type of service? Even though it is said that the service is for Law Enforcement, Skip Tracers, Private Investigators, etc., everyone knows that these professionals have other means to accomplish the same goal. The "Spoofer" is also able to change his/her voice to be a man or a woman and not sound like a recording. With a "Spoof" call, *69 (Call Return), *57 (Call Trace), and Anonymous Call features to typically provide you with information, do not work.

The people or companies using this service are able to send any number to your Caller ID. As a victim of identity theft, I received calls where total strangers pretended to be someone else and were demanding my date of birth, social security number, current and previous addresses and my mother's maiden name. One call came from a 512 area code and turned out to be the Secretary of State Comtroller Office for Texas to gather information for taxes. There is no state tax in Texas! Another call was a law firm in Tampa, Florida calling to collect debts on three credit cards. Again, personal information was requested including my bank account number. As a victim of ID theft, I did not take the threat of a major lawsuit or the threat of taking my home lightly. These scam artists fortunately said I owed on 3 cards that I had never used or ordered and that were already removed from my credit history as part of the ID theft.

The attempt to personally violate others is inexcusable and reflects the lowest form of human character. Now that a legislator was "spoofed", laws against the companies providing the service are being enacted. If problems had resulted for regular consumers like you and me, there is no telling how long this practice would have continued.