| Volume 127 Number 11 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
The good news is that each generation of smartphones gets better, with sharper screens, higher quality cameras, and new useful apps. The bad news is that all of these new features use more data, and keeping track of your data usage is important to make sure you don't get hit with data overage charges that are a bad deal. This link has tips on how to monitor your usage, and how to pick the right cell phone plan for your data needs. Click here for more.
Government Looks into Yahoo's Slow Response to Data Breaches
Last week internet company Yahoo disclosed that hackers stole the credentials of 500 million users two years ago. Yahoo did not know of the hack until recently. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now looking into the data breach. Yahoo has been the target of several data breaches in the last few years. In 2010 Chinese military hackers accessed Yahoo's computer systems and customer email accounts. Google was also hacked and responded by hiring hundreds of security engineers and invested millions in security infrastructure. Yahoo's response was not as extensive. Now, six Democratic senators are demanding more information on this recently disclosed breach and what Yahoo is doing to prevent yet another breach. Yahoo is already the subject of several class-action lawsuits from users over this hack. Click here for more.
Your Money
Gift cards are a popular way to give gifts to stores and online retailers. However, next time you buy one ensure that you are protected against scams. Thieves can steal the money you put in cards by replacing cards at the store with used cards, or skimming the magnetic chip code on a card, or simply copying down the numbers. Then they wait for the card to be purchased and use the gift card number. To protect yourself, buy the card at the retailer's website or behind the counter. Use your credit card to purchase the gift card in case your credit company offers purchase protection against theft. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Unlawful charge for interest upon interest violates Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The Eighth Circuit held that there exists no de minimis exception to FDCPA liability based upon low dollar amounts. The court found that debt collectors’ false representations about the availability of remedies or amounts owed under state law, like representations of fact, are to be viewed through the unsophisticated-consumer standard and may be actionable pursuant to the FDCPA. Haney v. Portfolio Recovery Assoc. (8th Cir. 2016). Click here for more.