Scams

The Washington Attorney General’s All Consuming blog has become a hotspot for gripes about so-called free gas vouchers. Since posting a Nov. 3 warning about the difficulty of redeeming the vouchers, we’ve received 168 comments from consumers throughout the nation who say they haven’t received their promised gas. The bulk of the complaints are related to a Florida company called Tidewater Marketing Global Consultants, Inc., which operated Web sites including freegasredemption.com and freebeegas.com.

Attorney General Rob McKenna and staff from our office and the Better Business Bureau will discuss the latest scams targeting consumers during the evening news Thursday on Spokane TV station KHQ. Two assistant attorneys generals, BBB staff and I will also be working the phones from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to answer questions from viewers. If you're in the area, be sure to tune in.

The Department of Revenue has launched a new Web site, suspectfraud.com, as part of a campaign to help prevent consumer fraud and give people an easy way to check if a business is registered. The site includes links to report other types of fraud, too.

Seattle City Light is once again warning its customers to be on guard against telephone con artists posing as utility bill collectors who appear to be targeting customers with Asian surnames. In the past few days, several customers have reported phone calls from con artists claiming to be City Light employees.

National Consumer Protection Week, which highlights consumer protection and education efforts across the country, is this week. The Attorney General’s Office and the Utilities and Transportation Commission are hosting consumer information booths in cities across our state. Please join us.

When it comes to e-mailed Valentines, cupid’s bow may be tipped with poison. We’ve warned you before about why it’s important to use caution when looking for love online,  but it’s worth a repeat because those evil electronic cards are making the rounds again. ... (Image credit: MSNBC)

The Washington Attorney General’s Office is alerting residents about a phone scam in which Spanish-speaking callers claim to be representatives of an insurance company.

Unemployed workers in Washington and the rest of the country are targets for crooks posing as headhunters, the Attorney General’s Office warned today. Scams include bogus job offers and realistic-looking e-mail messages that contain links to computer viruses or phishing sites.

Washington residents whose homes were damaged by recent floods should watch out for cons, unregistered contractors and flood cars.

The Washington Attorney General’s Office is suing a convicted equity skimmer a second time, claiming the Colfax man and his wife ran a real estate investment business that misled distressed homeowners and property investors.