| Volume 82 Number 7 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act requires full disclosure by sellers. If a seller intentionally withholds material information, he could be responsible for three times the consumer's damages, plus court costs and attorney's fees.
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Te'o Girlfriend Scam - Could You be Next?
Last week, the story of Notre Dame football player Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend was the talk of the nation. According to Te'o, he never actually met "girlfriend" Lennay Kekua in person, despite numerous public accounts of their relationship. Instead, the "love of [his] life" only existed on the Internet. As the story goes, Te'o overcame the loss of his girlfriend (in the story, she died) to play "valiantly" through the football season. In the end, he found out she never even existed.
Could you fall for such a scam? Every year, countless Americans do just that. "Catfishing", when someone pretends to be someone they are not using social media, can be very dangerous for unsuspecting victims. According to the BBB, "catfish" can use deception to get "romantic attention, personal information and/or financial support."
Manti Te'o wouldn't be the first victim of such a scam, nor would he be the last.
Internet relationships can be dangerous. Find out why!
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Problems Persist for Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Although the Boeing 787 Dreamliner remains grounded, Boeing and the FAA are desperate to get the plane back in the air.
Persistent
battery problems have kept the plane on the ground for more than a week. Unable to find a quick fix, US and Japanese investigators started to probe the battery manufacturer, which included a facility tour and product quality demonstration.
Ultimately, Boeing isn't entirely sure which of its four suppliers to blame. Making matters worse, it appears there may be multiple causes for the battery problems that have plagued the aircraft to date.
Even if Boeing fixes the existing battery problems, why do some industry analysts expect more issues to crop up soon?
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Taxes Go Up for 77% of Americans
The New Year's Day "fiscal cliff" deal has left many Americans still questioning what the deal means to them. For most Americans, the changes aren't nearly as bad as they could have been. However, most Americans (77%) will take home less money this year than they did last year. With the elimination of the payroll tax credit, most Americans will notice less money right away. The average federal tax change for Americans making $10,000 to $75,000 per year ranges from $153 to $822. Those in high income brackets will pay even more.
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For the Lawyers
Fair Credit Reporting Act damages for impairment of credit affirmed. The Fifth Circuit affirmed an award of $20,000 in damages for impairment of credit based on the defendant’s failure to properly investigate a credit dispute. Click here for more.