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Home2017August

Month: August 2017

Gotchas / Consumer

Map shows incredible reach of New Deal projects; it’s time to stop hating government, or we won’t build anything

August 30, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

Now is as good a time as any to talk about America’s failing infrastructure, and the possibility that President Donald Trump could make good on a promise to rebuild America. Once upon a time, the United States faced down an existential crisis by making massive investments in its people and [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Harvey’s cruel rains to cause a second disaster; only one-sixth of Houston homeowners have flood insurance

August 28, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

America is about to learn, again, the sad insurance lessons of wind vs. water. When hurricanes hit, standard homeowners insurance covers damage caused by wind — a tree blown down on a house, for example — but not damage caused by water from flooding. This means you should double-check your [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

REASONABLE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MASS MURDER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — THIS MUST GO VIRAL

August 25, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

I’ve written several times about the connection between domestic violence and mass murder. Nearly every time a heinous event involving a mass shooting occurs, the murderer has a history of violence at home.  We just had a chilling reminder of this in Charlottesville — James Alex Fields, who drove through [Keep reading]

CartonsCorner

Carton’s Corner on consumer law: Why are low-dollar ripoffs such a big problem?

August 24, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

Bob’s note: Getting justice, and fairness, doesn’t involve getting mad, or getting even: It involves knowing the law.  Few things scare misbehaving corporations more than consumers who know their rights.  This new series with consumer attorney Jeff Carton of Denlea & Carton will try to give you some basic tools so [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

I write about scams for a living; Trump’s ‘blame the media’ routine feels awfully familiar

August 23, 2017 Bob Sullivan 2

Con men always need a dance partner. I’ve spent 25 years writing about scams, and I’ve interviewed 1,000s of victims.  I’ve talked to 90-somethings who are sure a woman (or man) in Nigeria loves them and just needs money for a flight home.   To people who are sure that [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

GPS hacking was already a concern; is it causing U.S. Navy ships to crash?

August 22, 2017 Bob Sullivan 3

For years, security researchers and consumers have been fixated on concerns around hacking cars. Maybe they should worry about ship hacking instead. Several recent collisions involving U.S. Naval vessels have sparked speculation that someone or something is interfering with the ships’ ability to steer clear of other vessels in busy [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Last-minute eclipse glass seekers facing shortage, dangerous fakes online

August 18, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

RED TAPE WRESTLING TIPS Fake eclipse glasses are dangerous Make sure you know the source of yours If you don’t have plans for Monday, stay home. Eclipse traffic is going to be a nightmare Most scammers want to rob you blind.  But eclipse glass scammers could, quite literally, make you [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Ukrainian malware programmer said to be cooperating with U.S. on Russia election hacking probe

August 16, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

In all the noise of this week’s events, it would be easy to miss some dramatic news out of Kiev today. So I’ll amplify it here.  A Ukrainian hacker who wrote code that might have helped hack the U.S. election — and other political events around the world — has [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Eclipse economics leaves towns in the dark; beware the fear of missing out that comes this weekend

August 15, 2017 Bob Sullivan 3

When the lights go down on small-town America next week, Eclipse chasers are guaranteed to see a heck of a show.  Not much else is guaranteed, however. I explained the tricky problems facing towns in the “zone of totality” for CNBC.com this week. You can read that story here.  Below [Keep reading]

Uncategorized

Four fast-growing frauds, and the top 10 consumer gripes of the year

August 14, 2017 Bob Sullivan 0

What are the 10 biggest ripoffs Americans complained about last year? And which new, fast-growing ripoffs do you need to know about before they find their way on this dastardly list soon? Read on. Consumers who feel cheated or abused often turn to local or state authorities – instead of [Keep reading]

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About me

BOB SULLIVAN is a veteran journalist and the author of four books, including the 2008 New York Times Best-Seller, Gotcha Capitalism, and the 2010 New York Times Best Seller, Stop Getting Ripped Off! His latest, The Plateau Effect, was published in 2013, and as a paperback, called Getting Unstuck in 2014. He has won the Society of Professional Journalists prestigious Public Service award, a Peabody award, and The Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness award, and been given Consumer Action’s Consumer Excellence Award.

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