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Consumer Corner
Consumer WebWatch consumerreports@cmet.cr-mail.org
(...it's probably just me, but i can't seem to muster the energy needed to protect myself from consumer fraud. i'm lactose intolerant, drowning in an ocean of seasonal allergies and my Prozac seems to nullify the effects of my Atenolol prescription. identity theft would be a welcome diversion for me...or not. jim)

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued to halt a drug discount card scam the FTC says resulted in the theft of more than $10 million from consumers' checking accounts in less than three months. The site, Pharmacycards.com, electronically transferred $139 from some 90,000 accounts without prior consent after accessing them via third-party payment processors, according to the FTC. The commission urges consumers to always examine bank statements regularly and promptly dispute any questionable charges.

Consumers selling items via auction sites or other online venues should avoid buyers willing to pay with cashier's checks greater than the selling price, says Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. His office uncovered a scheme in which fraudsters, usually based overseas, "buy" goods online with counterfeit cashier's checks for an amount larger than the purchase price, then ask the seller to refund the difference. When the bogus check bounces, the seller is responsible for repaying the full amount of the check to the bank.

If you believe you've been a victim of a check cashing scheme, contact the FDIC, at alert@fdic.gov.
Finally, a California mortgage broker tricked consumers with false promises of a "3.5% fixed payment" loan that did not exist, says the FTC. The broker, Chase Financial Funding (CFF), advertised low mortgage rates via spam and on its Web site, www.chaseff.com. The actual interest rate is considerably higher than the advertised amount and varies monthly, according to the FTC.

The agency also warns consumers that, due to a separate trademark action, CFF is now operating under the name "Choice Financial Funding" at the same Web site address.