Mark Fetterhoff News Today

A Colorado woman bought a Target gift card only to find it already drained of money. Here's how the scam works and how to avoid it this holiday season.

Scammers target gift cards on in-store racks: Here's how to avoid getting scammed

Arizonans who transition to cleaner electric-powered lawn and garden equipment can help mitigate the noise as well as the harmful fumes produced from gas-powered tools. A new report shows in 2020 gas-powered lawn and gardening tools in the U.S. released more than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. ...

Nearly one in three Americans carry some form of medical debt, and consumer groups are warning patients about the risk of medical bankruptcy posed by some hospital billing practices. Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, said hospitals are a significant driver of health care costs, in part because consumers have no way of knowing what the price of care will be, or if the cost is reasonable. "Because of the lack of transparency in health care billing, an...

Eastern Kentuckys largest utility, Kentucky Power, wants to raise its residential and commercial rates. The states Public Service Commission is slated to hear the case on November 28th, and if approved, changes would likely go into effect next year. Carrie Ray, director of energy programs with the Mountain Association explains that residential customers could see a 20% percent rate increase, and a 14% base-fee increase under the proposal. ...

As the winter holiday season approaches, consumer advocates and federal agencies are warning the public to be on the lookout for tell-tale signs of a scam. Mark Fetterhoff, program manager with AARP ElderWatch Colorado, said because people are expecting packages at this time of year, scammers have found great success separating people from their hard-earned money by posing as delivery officials. "Text messages reporting to be from the U.S. " ...

The spooky season has arrived, and it did seem a little scary.

After falling victim to a fraud or scam, in many cases people are being told by investigators their money is gone and since the scam likely originated overseas it's tough to investigate.

Gift card scams are on the rise. Criminals are stealing gift card numbers and draining the balances before consumers have a chance to use them.

Consumers are warned to watch out for scammers impersonating their bank. But will they get more protection in 2023 with a change in rules?