| Volume 142 Number 25 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Known as the “one ring” scam, scammers call random numbers in the middle of the night, hanging up after one or two rings. After one hang-up a consumer might just think it’s a wrong number. But minutes later the phone rings again. And a few minutes later, the victim’s phone rings again. At this point, the victim may be frustrated and uses the caller ID on their phone to return the call in order to see who is repeatedly calling and why. And therein lies the scam.
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U.S. Department of State issues updated travel alerts
Planning on going out of the U.S. this summer? There are many places that Americans like to travel to and have always considered safe -- like France, the United Kingdom, and the Bahamas. But the fact is that the world isn’t the arms-opened-wide place it used to be, and travelers can’t be footloose and fancy free like they once were. With heightened alerts on every aspect of a vacation, from a leisurely stroll on the beach at sunset to possible terror attacks at cultural events, there are 57 countries on the U.S. Department of State’s list that are considered to be level 2 -- exercise increased caution; level 3 -- reconsider travel; or level 4 -- do not travel. The Department of State offers some basic advice for all travelers, whether they’re headed to a place with no restrictions or one that causes concern. Click here for more.
Your Money
Banking is now a hermit's dream. If you want, you can bank and never encounter a human being. Even if you don't join an online bank, you can easily avoid other people while using a bank with brick-and-mortar branches. In fact, it's never been easier to do so, thanks to the long-dependable automatic deposit and the advent of smartphone deposits and online services such as PayPal.com and Google Pay to transfer money to another bank account. But just because you can bank without encountering human beings, it doesn't mean you always should. There are some key advantages – as well as some drawbacks – to using brick-and-mortar banking institutions. In a nutshell, the pros of banking at a branch are: Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
CFPB proposed FDCPA rules. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a new rule that applies to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The rule limits phone calls to seven a week, although consumer groups wanted it limited to three, and provides the debt collector may not call again for at least one week after reaching the consumer. It also clarifies consumer protection requirements for certain consumer debt collection disclosures. On the other hand, the rule would allow debt collectors to send consumers an unlimited number of texts and emails. The proposed rule also prohibits suits and threats of suit on time-barred debts and requires communication to the consumer before credit reporting. In a win for the industry, however, the rule offers a number of safe harbors to protect debt collectors from being sued. Pursuant to the provisions of the FDCPA, the 538-page proposal applies only to collection agencies, debt buyers, collection law firms and loan services covered by the FDCPA. Banks and other first-party creditors are exempt from the debt collection law. Companies have will have 90 days to comment on the CFPB's notice. Click here for more.