Consumer reviews: The FCRA upshot of fighting ire with fire
By: Lesley Fair | Jan 14, 2020 10:49AM
California-based mortgage broker Mortgage Solutions FCS also does business under the name Mount Diablo Lending. And according to the FTC, the company gave consumers a devil of a time if they posted negative reviews on Yelp. Is your business pondering how to address unfavorable consumer comments?
Continue Reading Consumer reviews: The FCRA upshot of fighting ire with fire
FTC consumer protection year in review offers 2020 vision for your business
By: Lesley Fair | Jan 8, 2020 9:26AM
They say hindsight is 20/20, but what about foresight? We’re not ones to prognosticate, but a look at notable FTC cases and initiatives from the past year suggests some topics likely to be top of mind in months to come. Here is a non-exhaustive list of issues in our 2019 rearview mirror and likely visible through the 2020 windshield.
Continue Reading FTC consumer protection year in review offers 2020 vision for your business
Commenting on accuracy in consumer reporting? Take a breather.
By: Lesley Fair | Dec 30, 2019 1:09PM
In conjunction with the recent Accuracy in Consumer Reporting workshop, the FTC and CFPB have asked for public comments. The agencies are looking for feedback about issues affecting the accuracy of both traditional credit reports and employment and tenant background screening reports. But if you thought you had to burn the midnight oil over the holidays to file a timely comment, here’s some good news.
Continue Reading Commenting on accuracy in consumer reporting? Take a breather.
Accuracy in credit and background screening reports: Watch the webcast
By: Lesley Fair | Dec 10, 2019 8:54AM
“Accuracy” is the linchpin of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and it’s the topic of an FTC-CFPB workshop today. Industry representatives, consumer advocates, law enforcers, and others will discuss accuracy considerations both in traditional credit reporting and in employer and tenant background screening reports. The webcast will go live minutes before the 9:00 ET start time.
Continue Reading Accuracy in credit and background screening reports: Watch the webcast
Panels announced for December 10th FTC-CFPB Accuracy in Consumer Reporting workshop
By: Lesley Fair | Dec 3, 2019 1:05PM
How central is accuracy to the credit reporting system? It’s important enough that Congress mentioned it in the second line of the Fair Credit Reporting Act – and more than 70 times in the text of the statute. On December 10, 2019, the FTC and CFPB will host a public workshop to talk about issues affecting the accuracy of both traditional credit reports and background screening reports used by employers and landlords.
Continue Reading Panels announced for December 10th FTC-CFPB Accuracy in Consumer Reporting workshop
FTC-CFPB workshop looks at accuracy in credit and background screening reports
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 19, 2019 1:10PM
When consumers apply for credit, housing, or employment, consumer reports are often used to help decide whether they can get that loan, apartment, or job. With so much at stake, the accuracy of those reports is of the utmost importance. On December 10, 2019, the FTC and CFPB will host a workshop to discuss issues related to the accuracy of traditional credit reports and background screening reports used by prospective employers and landlords.
Continue Reading FTC-CFPB workshop looks at accuracy in credit and background screening reports
$575 million Equifax settlement illustrates security basics for your business
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 22, 2019 6:48AM
Patch your software. Segment your network. Monitor for intruders. According to tech experts, those are security basics for businesses of any size. But when you’re industry giant Equifax – a company in possession of staggering amounts of highly confidential information about more than 200 million Americans – it’s almost unthinkable not to implement those fundamental protections.
Continue Reading $575 million Equifax settlement illustrates security basics for your business
FTC’s 2018 Privacy & Data Security Update: What it means for your business
By: Lesley Fair | Mar 15, 2019 10:02AM
Looking to take a deep dive into the breadth and depth of the FTC’s approach to consumer privacy and data security in the past year? The FTC’s website, including the Business Center, has what you need. But what if you or your clients prefer an at-your-fingertips digest of developments in 2018? We’re got that covered, too.
Continue Reading FTC’s 2018 Privacy & Data Security Update: What it means for your business
Hey Nineteen: Nine FTC developments that could impact your business in 2019
By: Lesley Fair | Jan 28, 2019 2:40PM
Steely Dan may be one of the best duos of the rock era. (Sorry, Donnie and Marie fans.) Their song “Hey Nineteen” reminds us to mention some FTC consumer protection developments that could be of interest to your company or clients in 2019. As “Any Major Dude Will Tell You,” when you’re “Reelin’ in the Years” – or at least recapping the past one – consider this non-exhaustive and in-no-particular-order case compilation.
Continue Reading Hey Nineteen: Nine FTC developments that could impact your business in 2019
$3 million FCRA settlement puts tenant background screening at the forefront
By: Lesley Fair | Oct 17, 2018 10:31AM
When people are looking to rent a house or apartment, the most important “screening” isn’t on the windows of the prospective new place. It’s the tenant background screening that goes on behind the scenes, the results of which can make the difference between home sweet home and homeless.
Continue Reading $3 million FCRA settlement puts tenant background screening at the forefront
New freeze law in effect September 21st: Is your business ready?
By: Andrew Smith, Director, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection | Sep 21, 2018 9:36AM
Thanks to a new federal law, free credit freezes and year-long fraud alerts are here, starting September 21st. What does that mean for your customers and employees?
Security freezes, also known as credit freezes, restrict access to a consumer’s credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in the consumer’s name. Starting September 21st, consumers can freeze and unfreeze their credit file for free. They also can get free freezes for their children.
Continue Reading New freeze law in effect September 21st: Is your business ready?
By: Lesley Fair | Aug 16, 2018 11:33AM
Food experts don’t recommend it for your ground chuck or pork shoulder, but starting September 21, 2018, there’s something consumers can safely freeze, unfreeze, and then freeze again.
It’s their credit file.
District court rules on redress, ROSCA, and disclosures
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 5, 2018 1:39PM
The scheme started with a Craigslist ad for a rental property and ended with a $5.2 million judgment for violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Free Annual File Disclosures Rule.
Continue Reading District court rules on redress, ROSCA, and disclosures
So You Received a CID: FAQs for Small Businesses
By: Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection | Jan 19, 2018 6:34PM
So you’ve received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) from the Federal Trade Commission related to a consumer protection matter. Now what? We appreciate that it can be daunting for any company – especially a small business – and we want to be as transparent as possible about the process.
Continue Reading So You Received a CID: FAQs for Small Businesses
Identity theft? Show me the records
By: Amanda Koulousias | Dec 18, 2017 10:29AM
There’s been a lot of talk about identity theft lately. Maybe you’ve even heard from customers affected by it. Your help can make a big difference. In fact, did you know that your business is required to provide identity theft victims with copies of records relating to the theft?
Fraud alert, freeze or lock after Equifax? Answers to questions people are asking you
By: Lisa Schifferle | Dec 13, 2017 3:59PM
After the Equifax breach, your customers, clients, and employees may be coming to you with questions. Some people are considering placing a fraud alert on their credit file. Others are thinking about freezing or locking their credit files to help prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts in their name. Here are some FAQs to help you help them think through their options.
Fraud alerts vs. credit freezes: FTC FAQs
By: Lesley Fair | Sep 14, 2017 10:51AM
UPDATE: As of September 21, 2018, the law says credit freezes are free for everyone, and alerts now last one year (not 90 days). Read more here.
Don Draper, The Man in the Iron Mask – and 400,000 consumers
By: Lesley Fair | May 17, 2017 2:06PM
It’s the thread that connects Alexandre Dumas’ The Man in the Iron Mask, the title character in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Don Draper’s back story in Mad Men – and an event scheduled for May 24, 2017, at the FTC.
It’s identity theft.
Continue Reading Don Draper, The Man in the Iron Mask – and 400,000 consumers
Background checks on prospective employees: Keep required disclosures simple
By: David Lincicum | Apr 28, 2017 12:26PM
If your company gets background information on prospective employees, it’s likely you’re covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Before you get a background screening report, the law requires that you make certain disclosures and get a prospective employee’s authorization. Is it time for a FCRA compliance check?
Continue Reading Background checks on prospective employees: Keep required disclosures simple
Background checks? Don’t double-dip.
By: Tiffany George | Feb 16, 2017 9:56AM
Need to verify an applicant's employment or income history? Checking to see if a candidate has a criminal history or civil judgments?
If you get information from a company that compiles it so you can make eligibility determinations, you must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). That means no double-dipping. If you get a consumer report for one purpose, don’t use it for a different purpose.
