| Volume 73 Number 4 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Immediately review your bank statements and returned checks for forgeries. Promptly report any problems to your bank. A short delay may cost you your legal rights. Click here for more.
FTC Wins $30 Million in Robocallers Case
A federal judge has ordered operators of a robocall scheme to pay out over $31 million in penalties and restitution. According to the complaint, Cash Grant Institute called more than 8 million consumers, including 2.7 million on the Do-Not-Call registry, and promised grants that didn't exist. To read about the record fine, and how to recognize and report phone fraud, Click here for more.
Text Message Spam Hard to Stop
If you get a text asking for your social security number, don't give it out. Even if you're promised gift cards, money, pharmaceuticals, cheap loans, or credit cards. It is called "test message spam" and the scammers behind the messages want to steal your personal information. Last year, consumers received about 4.5 billion spam text messages over 250 million text-enabled phones. Although text spam is a violation of two federal laws, it can be very difficult to stop. Is there anything you can do? Click here for more.
Your Money
Will driving to a cheaper gas station save you money? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Reverse mortgage payments are subject to garnishment. The New Jersey Appellate Division held that a judgment creditor could garnish a defendant's reverse-mortgage payments in order to satisfy a personal injury award. The court noted, “the mortgagee's obligation to make monthly payments to defendant, the judgment debtor, is properly construed to be a "debt" against which plaintiffs, the judgment creditors, may obtain an order directing execution and garnishment…” Click here for more.