Consumer Corner Column

Prepaid debit cards have become popular ways to pay bills over the phone or order things online without using a credit card. However, these cards have also become the target for scam artists looking for quick access to your money.

Our office recently has seen an uptick in complaints about phone callers who claim to be from Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Like many scams, these calls are nothing more than a ploy to try to get your personal information.

Every day, dozens of Kansans call our office to report scams or potential fraudulent activities. In the past few months, we have received an increasing number of complaints regarding debt collection scams.

Spring time storm damage can require quick clean-up and unscheduled home repairs. In addition, as the weather warms up, summer begs us to get started on home improvement projects that we neglected during the winter months.

Every year at about this time, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division experiences an increase in complaints about home-improvement and home-repair scams.

Summer is a busy time for families to relocate. Often, this requires the assistance of a professional moving company. Most movers are legitimate and provide quality service, but a few unscrupulous operators seem to turn up at this time of the year trying to scam consumers. Whether you are a college student moving back home for the summer or a large family relocating across the country, you should expect and receive fair treatment from the company you hire to move your belongings.

Online auction sites have become popular in recent years as a way to connect buyers and sellers from across the country and around the world. These sites can be great places to find unique items – or to help us sell things we find collecting dust in our garages during spring cleaning.

Unfortunately, these sites can also be used by scammers offering items for sale that don’t exist.