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How to Check Your Child's Credit Report 02/04/2019 07:00pm • As a parent, you want to protect your child from all of life's perils. While you might be on the lookout for bullies and strangers, fraud and identity theft might not be on your radar. But they should be. "Risk is part of parenting," says Trevor Buxton, certified fraud examiner and assistant vice p Data Doctors: Understanding short code text messages 02/04/2019 06:57am • Q: I received a text message from 77958 with a security code for the IRS Password Service. How can I tell if this really is the IRS? A: Tax filing season is ‘Christmas for Criminals’ and every year we see new scams attempting to trick taxpayers, so being very careful is a really good idea. What Is Card-Not-Present Fraud? 01/31/2019 07:00pm • Card-not-present fraud occurs in fraudulent transactions where a cardholder does not present a card to a merchant in person. It includes internet, phone and mail-order transactions. In most cases, this type of fraud happens after a crook steals card information such as a card number with hacking, s Where to Find Unclaimed Money 01/31/2019 07:00pm • There are a raft of databases for finding lost or unclaimed money from financial institutions, including banks, insurance companies and the U.S. Treasury. Say you closed out an old bank account and failed to withdraw payments from a former employer. Or you switched jobs and forgot about a former re Furloughed federal workers are warned of employment scams, bogus loans 01/21/2019 03:52am • WASHINGTON — As federal workers and contractors miss paychecks, consumer experts are warning them to be wary of scam artists who might seek to exploit their troubling situation. The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection said anyone in financial distress should watch out for bogus loan What Is a Student Loan Servicer? 01/03/2019 07:00pm • Student loans account for a large and increasing share of consumer debt, especially for younger borrowers. According to third-quarter 2018 Federal Reserve data, borrowers in the U.S. owed more than $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. That mountain of debt is handled by student loan servicers -- the What's My Credit Card CVV? 01/01/2019 07:00pm • Aside from the card number itself, the CVV is one of the most important numbers on your credit or debit card. This three- or four-digit code is designed to prevent fraud. "The CVV was first devised as an anti-fraud mechanism," says Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and chief operating officer of ris 15 tax questions -- answered 12/23/2018 05:00pm • It's time to file your taxes. As tax season approaches, it's time to tackle the tax questions, queries and mysteries that stumped you in previous years. Read on for answers to 15 common tax questions. Should I hire a tax preparer? Whether you opt to hire a tax professional will depend on yo 9 Holiday Shopping Scams to Watch Out for This Season 11/28/2018 07:00pm • We're in the thick of the holiday shopping season, but it isn't only retailers who want your money. Scammers and hackers are looking for ways to crack into your accounts and make off with your cash or your identity. The good news for consumers: Holiday shopping scams often follow a predictable scri Scammers at work: What you need to know about utility scams 11/23/2018 09:33pm • WASHINGTON — Scammers claiming to be from a utility are always at work, and lately, they’ve been busy going after Pepco customers. Christina Harper with Pepco said that Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric have also had reports of potential scams being attempted. In the latest cases, What to know about SIM hijacking 11/23/2018 08:55pm • Q: What exactly is SIM hijacking, and how do I prevent it from happening to me? Our smartphones have become one of the most important devices we use on a daily basis, because so much of our lives are wrapped up in them. I often refer to them as a remote control for our lives, because we can accom Prince George's Co. police urge online buyers, sellers to beware when meeting in person 11/18/2018 07:37am • WASHINGTON — Prince George's County police said that robbers have been targeting victims recently using classified ad apps and online vendor sites, and they want you to be careful as the holiday season ramps up. Police said the cases have a similarity: Victims agreed to meet the suspect or susp How to Avoid Medicare Scams 11/12/2018 07:00pm • According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, scams against government and private health care insurers form the largest type of insurance fraud -- by far. No one knows exactly how much money is lost through health care fraud, but it is likely in the tens of billions of dollars a year, the gro 10 Biggest Student Loan Repayment Mistakes 11/04/2018 07:00pm • Repaying your student loans quickly can help you pay less.Many Americans are still paying off student loans after age 40, according to a recent survey by Credit Karma, a personal finance company that offers free credit scores. The average student debt balance among 2017 college graduates, according Were you called by a Social Security scammer? Feds issue warning 11/01/2018 01:53pm • WASHINGTON — Beware of calls from people claiming they'll increase or cut off your social security benefits in exchange for information — and be skeptical if their caller ID says they're from the Social Security Administration, the Federal Trade Commission said Monday. The Feds issued a warni