US Attorney and State AG Call on Businesses to Use Best Practices to Protect Data

SEATTLE – Nearly 54,000 Washington residential and business customers who purchase local phone services from Embarq (formerly Sprint-United) will see a credit on their July bill. Customers will also receive protections against future rate hikes as part of an agreement negotiated between Washington’s Public Counsel Section of the Attorney General’s Office, staff of the state Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) and Embarq.

SEATTLE – Older adults who have spent a lifetime earning their savings are prime targets for abusers and crooks who deliberately prey on their generosity, friendliness or mental confusion, Attorney General Rob McKenna said.

OLYMPIA… Attorney General Rob McKenna and Tony Rugel, head of the new Eastern Washington Medicaid Fraud Unit, today announced two new investigators will join the team on July 1.

“We know that between 30 and 40 percent of our Medicaid fraud cases are filed in Eastern Washington,” McKenna said. “It’s time to build on that success by increasing the number of investigators and making those investigators easily accessible to people in Eastern Washington.”

States Seek Relief for Consumers Harmed by Alleged Price-Fixing Conspiracy

OLYMPIA – In keeping with his long-standing commitment to fighting domestic violence, Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced the appointment of Investigator Larry McKnight as the office’s Domestic Violence Liaison, a half-time position created as a new resource for local communities.

McKnight, a 10-year veteran of the office, will now be available to all counties statewide to play a supporting role in virtually any aspect of domestic violence where the Attorney General’s Office can be of assistance to local communities.

OLYMPIA – Attorney General Rob McKenna today warned Washington residents about a phone scam in which the caller claims to work for the Department of Health.

Several Washington residents reported receiving unsolicited calls this week from someone claiming to work for the Washington State Department of Health. In each case, the caller indicated that the agency was offering some sort of incentive, such as a discount card for health services, a voucher good for prescriptions, or a $1,000 shopping spree.

Bogus ‘Debt Elimination Program’ Fails to Deliver Lower Interest Rates

SEATTLE – The Washington State Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission want a federal judge to order Debt Solutions, Inc., to stop charging consumers hundreds of dollars for a bogus “debt elimination program.”

The agencies jointly filed a complaint this month in U.S. District Court in Seattle, seeking civil penalties and injunctions for violations of federal and state consumer protection laws and the national Do Not Call rule.

TACOMA – David Huey, assistant attorney general for Washington state, today was honored with the prestigious Marvin Award from the National Association of Attorneys Generals (NAAG) for his work on consumer protection issues including nationwide settlements with two sub-prime mortgage lenders.

New survey reveals Internet users are bombarded by online attacks

Vancouver, WA – Vancouver senior Joe Macher’s Internet search started with a few simple words, “Free Kids Games.” Unfortunately, the files and programs his grandkids downloaded while they played online were anything but kids play.

“The games looked fun and innocent enough,” said Macher. “But in the background, someone was busy loading up my machine with spyware, adware and viruses.”