Consumer Ally

Breaking up is always hard to do. But just because your life has been upended by a divorce or separation, it doesn't mean your finances have to suffer, too. That's exactly what can happen, however, if you make any number of wrong moves when you're unwinding a relationship. Here are seven...

Reality TV star Paris Hilton has made her latest stunning revelation – and, no, it doesn't involve photos of herself or any homemade videos. The celebrity heiress actually revealed during an interview on CNN with Piers Morgan that she makes more than $10 million a year from selling 17...

Three companies in three states have agreed to pay consumers back for what amounts to years of unwanted, unauthorized charges on their local phone bills, a practice commonly called "cramming." In some cases, the charges had nothing to do with using the phone. The companies agreed to refund a total...

Customers who hand over credit cards to bartenders and wait staff deserve better protection than they got from a large restaurant chain, say state attorneys who recently won a six-figure settlement for a restaurant group's data-security failures. The Briar Group, in Boston, agreed to pay...

Ads proclaiming "Government Vehicle Disposal" and "The Repo Joe Sale" are designed to steer buyers to special used car sales events under the pretense they're getting a special deal. But the Washington Attorney General's Office says these promotions frequently violate consumer law. "We're laying...

Spring is finally here, meaning a lot of people are yearning for a quick getaway, and students are planning spring break or graduation trips. So it's wise to remember travel scams cost consumers $12 billion annually, according to the National Association of Attorneys General, and the Better...

Complaints about a concert promoter who did not issue refunds after a canceled Bret Michaels concert spurred state officials to take action in response to a rock show gone wrong. "My office will always stand up for consumers who do not receive the products they paid for -- whether it be a...

More than two million poisonings are reported each year to the 61 nationwide Poison Control Centers, and almost all happen in the home -- with children under six most often the victims of non-fatal incidents. Most poisonings happen when parents or caregivers are home but not paying attention, the...

A Eugene, Ore., law firm that garnered dozens of complaints about its debt collection practices has been shut down as part of a settlement agreement with the Oregon Department of Justice. "At a time when many Oregonians are struggling to manage their debt, the Department of Justice is committed to...

A high-tech fake identification mill in Utah has been dismantled by a special team of the Utah Attorney General's office. Agents of the SECURE Strike Force seized equipment used to make a wide variety of identity cards from different states and countries. They confiscated computers, printers,...