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Month: November 2021

Bob Sullivan's podcast projects

He stole her heart, then her identity then…was accused of a gruesome murder

November 22, 2021 Bob Sullivan 0

Hearing about an old flame can be…a strange feeling. Maybe it’s charming – you learn that the first girl you ever kissed on the lips, 20 years ago or so, just gave birth to twins  – or maybe it makes you a little mad – “They started dating ONE WEEK [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Zelle hackers ‘improve’ their scam; banks won’t help — but victims have a new place to complain

November 19, 2021 Bob Sullivan 240

A new rash of Zelle hacks has left consumers with empty banks accounts and little hope for refunds — but there is hope that federal regulators might finally impose fair rules to protect victims.  Anyone who’s lost money through Zelle, or who is currently fighting their financial institution over lost [Keep reading]

Bob Sullivan's podcast projects

Why so much charity junk mail? And so many scams?

November 11, 2021 Bob Sullivan 6

Kay Bransford’s elderly mom had a generous but lonely heart — her husband had passed away recently –  so she began donating to charities that sent her solicitations by mail. Pretty soon, that led to an avalanche of junk mail. At its worst, Bransford spent her visits with mom scrambling [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

Housing prices far outpace incomes — even in smaller U.S. cities now. Restless Project, the pandemic edition

November 5, 2021 Bob Sullivan 1

Americans are mad. They feel like they’re getting ripped off all the time — I’ve made a career chronicling this — but I don’t think they are quite sure who to be mad at. There’s a long list of culprits, but here’s one that’s often overlooked.  Even people with good [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

She donated to help a friend get a kidney; then, she was forced to make a ‘hostage’ video

November 2, 2021 Bob Sullivan 2

A California woman who thought she was helping an old friend pay for a kidney transplant has been caught up in an Instagram hacking scheme with a nightmarish twist —  criminals drained her bank account via Zelle and then forced her to make a hostage-style video endorsing a get-rich-quick scheme in [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.

Bob Sullivan