BetterBusinessBureau

Uncle Sam isn't the only one looking to collect from taxpayers this year: A rapidly growing number of Internet scammers are also using the guise of the IRS to siphon money out of consumers' pockets, security experts say.

Still scrambling to find a Halloween costume? Beware of ghoulish fraudsters looking to profit from your mad dash. Because Halloween stores are only open for a month or so, unscrupulous operators can take advantage of customers and then just disappear into the night.

The estimated tab for Hurricane Irene's fury is already in the billions of dollars. If you're among those who have property damage, proceed with caution -- you don't want to get hit again, this time by home repair companies that jack up their prices, do a poor job, or walk away before the work is finished.

Poor customer service is one of the primary reasons people tend to shun certain companies and even whole industries. 24/7 Wall St. identified the U.S. industries with the most complaints, as well as the troubles people have with them. If customer service is important to success, those we identified could be in trouble.

The Better Business Bureau's slogan is "Start with Trust" -- but not so fast. It seems the BBB has inherent conflicts of interest, and questions have been raised about what it takes to "earn" an A from the BBB. Can companies pay for good ratings -- or worse yet, do they have to?

The Better Business Bureau's slogan is "Start with Trust" -- but not so fast. It seems the go-to source for consumers looking for unbiased reviews has some inherent conflicts of interest: It has been taking money to give businesses higher ratings.

It sounds appealing, doesn't it? Set up your own Internet business, and make money from home. And you'll only have to pay $1,200 to $1,700 to learn how to do it. Unfortunately, some offers are just to be good to be true. That's why Boise, Idaho-based Accelerated Mentoring, a company that sells...

Last year, consumers filed 1.1 million complaints with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) against North American businesses, a 10% increase over 2009. "The complaints filed with BBB are not only a barometer of customer satisfaction, but the rise in complaints also shows that consumers are...

Typical words from a phishing scam: "You are among the lucky winners. Send your name, address, phone number, occupation, sex, age, and nationality to this email." So what's unusual about this one? It tries to fool its victims by associating itself with one of the world's most recognized brands,...

Even though they're everywhere, including in advertising on reputable news sites, online offers for the promise of that whiter, brighter smile should make consumers extremely wary, the Better Business Bureau warns. Several online companies are offering free trials or enrollment programs to sell...