FTC

When times are hard, fraud often gets worse. Americans are under great financial pressure, and there is no shortage of criminals waiting to take advantage of it. 24/7 Wall St. examined the 10 states that had the most per-capita fraud complaints.

This is International Fraud Awareness Week, when various companies and nonprofit organizations work to educate people about how to avoid becoming victims of financial fraud. And we need the help: Last year, American consumers lost more than $1.7 billion to financial scams.

"When it comes to curing acne, there's no app for that," said Federal Trade Commission Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, in response to a settlement reached on Wednesday between the FTC and three men charged with misleading claims that their smartphone apps could get rid of pimples.

As part of its effort to crack down on scams that target Americans in financial distress, the FTC has sued more than 30 debt collection companies. On Wednesday, another one, Rincon Debt Management made the list and was shut down. Do you know your rights against abusive debt collectors?

It can be tough to reconcile the two images of Juliette Kimoto: Mrs. Nevada 2006 and stay-at-home mom; and Internet scammer whom the FTC says ran a $30 million con. In our exclusive interview, she tells her side of the story, both pointing the finger at her ex-husband and defending what he did as just "marketing."

When Juliette Kimoto took to the stage to accept her crown as Mrs. Nevada in 2006, she seemed an obvious fit for the coveted pageant title. What she declined to mention, however, was that she was also engaged in an online operation that would eventually rob tens of thousands of people of $30 million.

Millions of Americans fall victim to financial scams every year, and since the downturn began, many of those cons have been tailored to lure those suffering the most in our shaky economy: work-at-home schemes, fake mortgage modification services, fraudulent job opportunities and a host of unpleasant others.

Reebok's promise that its EasyTone and RunTone shoes could shape your legs and tone your butt sounded too good to be true. That's because they were, said the FTC Wednesday, when it ordered the footwear maker to give $25 million in partial refunds to customers who bought the products based on the inflated claims.

An estimated two-thirds of baby boomer households will receive an inheritance at some point, with a median amount of $64,000, according to an AARP study. I recently received an email from a reader who has fallen deeply into debt in anticipation of her legacy -- and is now worried that her bailout may not be at hand.

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.