NCL statement: Delayed tax refunds begin arriving for EITC/ACTC recipients – National Consumers League

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February 27, 2017

Don’t let refund delays keep you from claiming Tax Credit you deserve

Update

Washington, DC—While the IRS began issuing refunds for Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit recipients on February 15, the IRS has said that consumers should beginning to see those refunds appear in their bank accounts starting today.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, Vice President, Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League.

“For families claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), a tax refund can account for as much as 30 percent of their annual incomes, making any delay in getting that refund a source of stress. However difficult, those impacted should soon start to receive their refunds. With the delay lifted, I encourage anyone yet to file to do so now and check if they are eligible for these important credits. Currently only four out of five eligible taxpayers claim the EITC every year. That means 20 percent of those eligible are potentially missing out on thousands of dollars in tax credits that they’re owed. These folks work hard. They should find out whether the EITC can work just as hard for them.”

Background

  • Statistics for Tax Returns with EITC broken down by state are available here.

  • Individuals can check to see if they are eligible for the EITC through the IRS EITC Assistant.

  • Consumers can check the status of their refund at irs.gov/refunds or the official IRS2Go mobile app.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Press tele-conference at 10 am today followed by Downtown DC TV press event: Groups launching national campaign against Wells Fargo – National Consumers League

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February 27, 2017

PRESS TELE-CONFERENCE ADVISORY

*** Today at 10:00 AM Eastern. To be followed by TV press event, closing a major account at Wells Fargo branch at 1100 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 at 11:00 AM Eastern. ***

Call-in: 877-216-1555
Passcode: 644955

Coalition Launches Campaign to Urge Consumers to Close Wells Fargo Bank Accounts Until the Bank Drops Forced Arbitration Requirements on Customers and Employees

Broad Coalition Will Release Letter to Wells Fargo Bank CEO 

For immediate release: Monday, February 27, 2017

Washington, DC, Sacramento, CA, and San Francisco, CA —  A broad coalition of pro-consumer groups are launching a national campaign targeting Wells Fargo Bank over its illegal practices, and its denying customers and employees their constitutional rights under the 7th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to hold businesses that engage in illegal practices accountable in a court of law. 

The organizations will release a letter addressed to Wells Fargo CEO Timothy Sloan calling on the bank to cease imposing forced arbitration on its customers and workers.

One major consumer organization will announce that it is withdrawing its working capital, approx. $1.8 million, from Wells Fargo, closing its account with Wells Fargo, and switching to a more consumer-friendly bank that does not impose forced arbitration on its customers or employees.

Two victims of Wells Fargo will provide details about their personal experiences with the bank’s anti-consumer practices.

Tips will be provided about how to make the switch from Wells Fargo to banks and credit unions that do not impose forced arbitration.

EVENTS:

10 am Eastern Press Tele-conference: New national campaign targeting Wells Fargo.
Following tele-conference call, TV event: National Consumers League will close a major account at Wells Fargo branch at 1100 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036

DATE: Today, Monday, February 27, 10:00 AM Eastern

CALL-IN #: 877-216-1555, passcode 644955

SPEAKERS:

  • Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League
  • Rosemary Shahan, President, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation
  • Joe Ridout, Consumer Services Manager, Consumer Action
  • Two victims of Wells Fargo’s practice of opening accounts without permission
  • Attorney for one of the victims will be available to respond to legal questions about the litigation

*** NO Information Will Be Released Before the Morning of the Teleconference ***

News release, letter to Wells Fargo CEO Sloan, tips for consumers and other materials will be available today at: https://wedocount.org.   

Contact: Rosemary Shahan, President, CARS Foundation, 530-759-9440, or rs@carconsumers.org (Sacramento)
Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League, (202) 631-2301, sallyg@nclnet.org (Washington, DC) or Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (724) 799-5392

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL to FCC: Consumers’ data security is too important to wait – National Consumers League

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February 24, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, NCL, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization is profoundly disappointed in the decision by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to suspend the implementation of critically-needed data security rules.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud:

“At a time when literally billions of consumers’ records — many containing sensitive personal information — are compromised on a seemingly daily basis, it is inconceivable that Chairman Pai would halt the implementation of the FCC’s data security rules at practically the last minute. That this action was taken as part of the ‘Friday news dump’ suggests that the new leadership at the FCC wanted to sweep this anti-consumer decision under the rug. All one need do is look at the staggering rates of identity theft linked to data breaches to understand the need for stronger data security protections. Last year, the FCC took the common-sense step of requiring Internet service providers — the gateways through which practically all consumer data flows — to abide by reasonable data security protections. Instead of allowing these much-needed protections to take effect, Chairman Pai has instead decided to leave consumers’ data at greater risk.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Individual tax filings down in January; Consumers warned to beware of fraudsters taking advantage of processing delays – National Consumers League

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February 15, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, NCL, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—Beginning this year, a new law required the IRS to delay issuing refunds for certain taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. Starting tomorrow (February 15), the IRS will begin issuing refunds for those consumers impacted, but has warned consumers that they should not count on seeing their refund until the week of February 27.

This delay is believed to be responsible for a 78 percent drop in refund amounts compared to this time last year, leaving many asking: where’s my refund?

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, Vice President Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League.

“This year’s delay may be why the IRS is seeing a significant decrease in the number of people filing returns as compared to this point on the calendar in previous years. Though the IRS will begin issuing refunds for Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit recipients starting today, it is important that filers know that, due to processing times, taxpayers may not receive their refund for another two weeks. A tax refund can account for as much as 30 percent of working families’ annual incomes. Thus, any delay in getting a refund can be a significant source of stress and, potentially, an opportunity for fraudsters or others to take advantage of consumers’ short-term cash crunch. If you are worried about the status of your refund, the best way to check is by visiting irs.gov/refunds or by using the IRS2Go smartphone app. While this won’t speed up the arrival of a refund check, it can help consumers better plan for any cash shortfall a refund delay causes.”

Background

  • According to the IRS, there has been a 24 percent drop in tax returns filed compared to this time in 2016.
  • The official IRS2Go smartphone app is available in both English and Spanish on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon. https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs2goapp
  • The IRS offers several no-cost options for taxpayers to prepare and file their returns and keep 100 percent of their refund. Consumers comfortable using online services and who made $64,000 or less in 2016 can use the IRS’s Free File Program. Free File gives consumers free access to tax filing software from twelve leading tax preparation companies. For those who need more hands-on help and made $54,000 or less in 2016 there are free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs in their communities, which are staffed by IRS-certified volunteers.
  • The National Consumers League also released an infographic with tips to help consumers reduce their risk of tax identity fraud.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL’s Greenberg honored with Champions of Access award by Association for Accessible Medicines – National Consumers League

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February 14, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, NCL, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Orlando, FL—At an annual meeting of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) (previously the Generic Pharmaceutical Association) in Orlando today, the National Consumers League (NCL) was honored with the prestigious Champions of Access award. Accepting the award on behalf of NCL was Sally Greenberg, who has served as NCL Executive Director since 2007. The inaugural Champions of Access award was presented to Greenberg at #ACCESS17, before an audience of nearly 700 generic industry stakeholders, by AAM President and CEO Chip Davis.

“Partnerships with organizations such as NCL are critical to increasing access to safe, effective and more affordable generic and biosimilar medicines,” said Davis. “We are proud to honor those organizations and individuals who share this commitment and will continue working tirelessly so that more patients and consumers can access the medicine they need at a cost the system can bear. Congratulations to Sally and NCL, true ‘Champions of Access,’ for their work advocating for programs and policies that keep medicines within reach, improving lives and strengthening our economy in turn.”

Greenberg and NCL were recognized for their work advocating for programs and policies that promote low-cost, effective drugs that benefit patients as well as the American healthcare marketplace.

“On behalf of NCL, I am honored to accept this award from AAM,” said Greenberg. “NCL has a long track record of working to ensure access to safe and affordable foods and drugs—beginning with NCL’s work to pass the Food and Drugs Act in 1906, through our work today to ensure that patients have expanded and affordable access to the safe, effective treatments needed to maintain a healthy, positive quality of life.”

NCL has long advocated for availability of generic alternatives to brand name treatments as a cost-saver for Americans. In the United States, generic drugs represent 89 percent of all prescriptions dispensed, but account for only 27 percent of total drug costs. Over the decade from 2006-2015, the use of generic drugs saved the U.S. health care system approximately $1.46 trillion. In order to reduce out-of-pocket costs while receiving the same quality of care, NCL encourages consumers to ask their health care providers if there is a generic version of their prescription available.

For more information about NCL’s work in health, visit www.nclnet.org.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on FCC decision to not enforce affordable prison phone rate price caps – National Consumers League

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February 13, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today expressed disappointment in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to not defend its rule capping intrastate prison phone rates.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League:

“The National Consumers League is disappointed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s decision to not defend the FCC’s rules implementing price caps for intrastate prison phone calls. Capping rates at reasonable levels is common sense as numerous studies have shown that providing prisoners access to family members and loved ones dramatically reduces recidivism. Unfortunately, at the exorbitant rates charged by most prison phone providers, keeping in touch with incarcerated loved ones is not an option for many working families. The predatory prison payphone marketplace has made a living off of charging the prison population and their families rates that far exceed those found in the general marketplace. This forces many low-income families to choose between talking to an incarcerated family member, or buying the medicine or food their family needs to survive. We call upon Chairman Pai to reconsider his decision not to defend permanent intrastate rate caps and empower families to stay connected.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Is your Valentine true? Consumer org issuing warning about costly sweetheart swindles – National Consumers League

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February 10, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—Have you been chatting online with what seems to be the perfect sweetheart? Experts at Fraud.org, the National Consumers League’s flagship fraud prevention and education program, are warning consumers to be wary of the inauthentic online relationships that end up costing victims hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Falling in love with a con artist has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive scams for victims who have reported their experiences to Fraud.org. In 2016, sweetheart swindles were the 9th-most reported form of fraud, and the most expensive for victims, with a median loss of $2,000.

“In a typical romance scam, victims are approached online, through a dating website, a social media platform such as Facebook, or another type of online forum. Scammers go to great lengths to cultivate romantic interest with their victims,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud. “They nurture the relationship, build trust, and then convince victims to send money, sometimes days or even months into the new ‘relationship.’”

Once a sense of trust is developed, the con artist asks for money to be sent to help them out of a dangerous or difficult situation. Scammers often run the same game on multiple victims at once, claiming that they need money to come visit their new friend-victim, or for medical bills, legal help, or some other unexpected emergency. If the victim agrees to pay, there are inevitably additional requests for money to cover other fictitious expenses until the victim comes to realize it is a scam and stops paying, or worse, runs out of money to give.

In a complaint received at Fraud.org last month, “Jennifer,” a 32-year-old woman from Wisconsin, reported losing $35,000 to a sweetheart scammer. Her story is similar to the typical romance swindle: Jennifer met a man named “Nick” on the dating website OKCupid. Nick claimed to be from Australia but living in Nebraska. Shortly into their online relationship, Nick had to go to Africa for a business trip. While he was there, Nick was robbed and needed $3,000-$4,000 to buy a plane ticket to return to the United States. Having developed romantic feelings for Nick, she obliged and sent the cash to help him. Following this, Nick told Jennifer he had a string of more unfortunate, and fake, events—getting arrested, needing a diplomatic passport, his mother was sick and dying, contemplating suicide, having a heart attack, and getting arrested again. Throughout all of this, Jennifer agreed to his requests for cash through credit card advances, iTunes gift cards, and even sending iPhones. In all, Jennifer is now in credit card debt for $31,000, not including all the cash she wired to her sweetheart.

“Stories like these are both heartbreaking and unfortunately typical of what we hear from victims,” said Breyault. “Millions of consumers meet friends and find romance online, but there are a determined group of criminals out there eager to relieve victims of their cash in the name of love. The best defense consumers have is to learn about the signs of a scam in order to spot them before it’s too late.”

Red flags that your relationship might be a costly set-up to a scam:

  • The “relationship” becomes romantic extremely quickly, with quick pronouncements of love or close friendship.
  • The person you’re communicating with makes excuses about not being able to speak by phone or meet in person.
  • Your suitor requests that you wire money or cash a check or money order on their behalf and send them the funds.

For more information on sweetheart swindles and other scams of the heart, visit Fraud.org.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL applauds Virginia Senate’s passage of the Ticket Resale Rights Act; Urges Gov. McAuliffe’s signature – National Consumers League

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February 8, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy group, applauds the Virginia Senate’s passage of S.B. 1425, the Ticket Resale Rights Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Bill Stanley, prohibits excessive ticket licensing terms designed to reduce consumer choice and competition in the secondary ticket market. S.B. 1425 protects consumers’ fundamental rights to sell, give away, or donate a purchased ticket as they see fit. These are the same protections that consumers in Colorado and New York already enjoy. NCL urges Virginia Gov. McAuliffe to sign this legislation into law as soon as possible.  

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL vice president, public policy, telecommunications, and fraud:

“For too long, Virginians trying to buy tickets to in-demand live events have been competing in a rigged game against unscrupulous ticket brokers and primary ticketers who routinely hold back almost half of the tickets to popular events for connected insiders. Thanks to this pro-consumer legislation, consumers in Virginia will continue to have the option of buying, selling, or donating tickets in an open, competitive secondary market. When combined with the recently-enacted federal BOTS Act, the Virginia Ticket Resale Rights Act will ensure that ticket-buyers in the Commonwealth have access to a fairer, more consumer-friendly ticket market.”

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on Trump Administration assault of consumer financial protections – National Consumers League

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February 3, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) today issued the following statement in response to a directive from the Trump Administration to eliminate essential consumer protections and roll back Wall Street reforms. The following statement can be attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“Efforts by the Trump Administration to roll back regulations established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ignores the hard lessons learned in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Without these important rules, millions of hard-working consumers and Main Street businesses will again be put at risk of paying the price of out-of-control Wall Street recklessness and greed. If the Trump Administration moves forward with these deregulatory policies, taxpayers will again be on the hook for billions of dollars in bailouts when the next financial crisis occurs.”

“The Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule is a common-sense consumer protection that requires the professionals who are in charge of consumers’ savings to act in the ‘best interests of their clients,’” said Greenberg. “Without this rule, retirement advisors will be free to ignore conflicts of interest and make decisions that benefit their firms’ bottom lines, not the financial security of millions of Americans.” 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Fraud trends: Bogus Internet sales remain most-reported fraud for fourth year in a row; Median reported loss to fraud doubled in 2016 – National Consumers League

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February 1, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, has released its annual compilation of the top ten scams reported to Fraud.org, NCL’s flagship project for fraud prevention and education. Based on an analysis of more than 7,000 fraud complaints submitted by consumers to Fraud.org in 2016, NCL is warning consumers to beware Internet merchandise sales scams.

For the fourth year in a row, Internet merchandise scams topped the list of complaints reported to Fraud.org. The way many consumers first come into contact with these scams is via a “too good to be true” ad on a website, social media platform or Internet forum. Popular ways scammers catch consumers’ eyes is with deep discounts on goods like iPhones, sneakers, luxury apparel, video game systems and even pets.

While the top scam didn’t change in 2016, a key measurement of how scams affect consumers did: the cost of falling victim to fraud increased significantly in 2016. In complaints where a loss was reported, the median loss was $600, double what was reported in 2015. The most expensive type of scam for victims continued to be friendship and sweetheart swindles (also known as “romance scams”), with a median loss of $2,000.

“The key to avoiding these merchandise scams is to shop around. If the price you’re being quoted is far below what reputable merchants are asking, that’s a red flag of fraud,” said John Breyault, vice president, public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League. “Once you hand over your credit card number or send a wire transfer to the seller of these goods, chances are that all you’ll get in return is a headache, not a sweet deal.”

Another trend observed in 2016: scammers have been turning away from wire transfer and embracing gift cards as payment method. In 2016, wire transfers and credit and debit cards remained the payment method of choice for scammers, but gift cards increased significantly as a new form of payment. In 2016, Fraud.org saw a 30 percent increase in complaints where the payment method included gift cards, including numerous complaints where scammers asked for payment via iTunes gift cards. In such instances, the victim is instructed to load funds onto a gift card and then give the code and PIN number off the back of the card to the scammer, who then quickly deducts funds from the card, leaving the consumer with worthless plastic and little recourse to obtain a refund. 

“The fight against fraud is constantly evolving, as criminals refine their tactics for separating consumers from their hard-earned cash,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “We hope our annual list of top scams helps consumers know what to watch out for and avoid falling victim, especially since falling victim for one of these scams is apparently getting more costly.”

Read the full 2016 top ten scams report.

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About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit https://nclnet.org.