Consumerist
Cult advertising
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infomercials
"Potty Patch" Doggie Toilet — Load Of Crap, Or Genuine Product?
Dogs, sheesh, who'd have 'em. They hump your leg, their poop stinks, and — worst of all, they pee all over your carpet. Well, meet the Potty Patch! It's an indoor restroom for doggies. Basically a patch of faux sod over a plastic tray that catches the pee. Now you don't need to get off the couch to walk the dog, you can just let her take a quick, stinky whiz right next to your kegerator. Whew! More » -
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dangerous
That Probably Isn't Really Michael Jackson's Stuff You're Buying, BBB Warns
We know how it is. As soon as a big star dies, you feel the immediate urge to buy his old stage-used sweat rag on Craigslist. More » -
scams
Chicago Man Sells TVs On Craigslist For Funny Money
Andre Callegari of Chicago unloaded some TVs on Craigslist, but got a wad of counterfeit cash in return. Then he set up another sale with the buyer in a sting operation, and the seller actually came back, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The cops caught the bad guy, who paid Callegari some of what he owed him, but that's probably all the victim thinks he'll recover. More » -
computer repair
Is This Rogue Installer Running A Scam On Comcast Customers?
If you live near Burke, Virginia, you might want to pay close attention when the contractor hired by Comcast comes to install your service. Rick runs a computer repair company and has twice run into the same problem with Comcast customers, where they can no longer access the Internet after an upgrade and are offered an off-the-books repair service. More » -
scams
Scammers Also Use Dating Services To Look For Easy Marks
A reader received a weird message from a fellow Match.com member last night—it was a fairly transparent attempt by someone to establish contact with her via a false identity. More » -
settlements
Acai Berry Drink Company Agrees To Give $350k Back To Bilked Customers
One of the acai berry's most miraculous powers is its ability to filch hundreds of dollars from consumers who are seeking new ways to lose weight and live forever. Now one company known for marketing an acai elixir has settled a lawsuit from the Arizona Attorney General over charges of deceptive practices. More » -
not-so-free trials
Free Trials Can Be Trojan Horses For Sketchy Companies
"Free" is always an enticing proposition, but free trials that seem too good to be true often are. Conmen use such offers to lure in greedy customers hoping to get something for nothing. More » -
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scams
Hotel Gold-Buying Events Soil The Good Name Of Cash4Gold
Cash4Gold has an important message that they want us in the media to bring to the public. As the most respected name in direct-to-consumer gold ripoffs, Cash4Gold is "greatly concerned" that other entities are fraudulently using their good name for in-person gold-buying events. More » -
It turns out X-ray glasses don't work, at least not the ones this guy in Korea was selling. [Korea Times] (Thanks to Andrew!)
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scams
Stay Away From The Nigerian Tutoring Scam
Are you a student looking for a summer or long-term tutoring gig? Be sure to stay away from the foreign tutoring scam, especially if you're looking for work on Craigslist. More » -
scams
How To Protect Susceptible Relatives From Scams
The Wall Street Journal ran an article yesterday about how to identify and protect loved ones from con artists. One of the problems with being an easy mark—say, because of reduced mental capacity or increasing isolation—is that you get put on a list and passed around to other scammers, says Karen Blumenthal, the author of the piece and a relative of one of these perpetually easy marks. More » -
contests
This Subway Shop In Virginia Promotes Timeshares
Tim thought he was entering an innocent giveaway at his local Subway in Warrenton, Virginia earlier this month. Nope. It was just timeshare bait. We wish the Subway would have known better than to allow the dropbox in their store to begin with, but after reading Tim's story you'll know what to watch out for should you run into a similar contest. More » -
scams
Don't Give Money To Strangers Online
Becca Beushausen, a 26-year-old woman who went by "April's Mom" online, scammed gullible readers out of money to help pay for a fake pregnancy. Then she accidentally screwed up her scam by posting a photo of the supposed baby last week. "'It wasn't a photo of a baby at all,' said Elizabeth Russell, a mother and maker of lifelike Reborn Dolls, 'It was a doll. I have that same doll.'" More » -
phishing
Here's An Example Of A Phishing Attempt On A Steam Account
Back in March we posted a warning about thieves masquerading as Steam in order to get into customers' accounts and download games to resell. One reader, Richard, just received this special "alert" on his Steam IM pane this evening. More » -
craigslist
"Help, I Fell For The Apartment Rental Credit Check Scam!"
Since posting an article about Craiglist apartment listing scams a month ago, we've heard from lots of people who fell for the scam. If you're one of them, here's what you need to know. More » -
tips
AT&T Wireless Customer? Turn Off Phone Purchasing Power To Prevent Unauthorized Charges
If you're managing cellphones for a family or your parents, or let's say hypothetically you have a boyfriend who says he reads Consumerist but really he doesn't or else he would have known better, you'll probably run into stupid subscription and content fees from time to time. You know how people are when it comes to fake "free" offers. More » -
tax dollars
FBI Warns Of Bailout Fraud
It's not just monolithic corporations, financial institutions, state governments and the like that are benefiting from bailout funds. Scam artists stand to make a killing also, the FBI says: More »
