National Consumers League statement on one billion record Yahoo! data breach – National Consumers League

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December 16, 2017

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today condemned Yahoo! Inc. for putting its profits ahead of the security its users’ data. The latest data breach of one billion users’ accounts — quite possibly the largest on record — comes on the heels of an earlier breach that affected a reported 500 million users, itself a record at the time it was disclosed. The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“We have reached a tipping point in our long national debate about data security. For too long, policymakers have stood on the sidelines while data breaches have grown bigger and more damaging for consumers. While details are still emerging about who exactly was behind this latest breach, it is clear that Yahoo gave short shrift to the security of consumers’ personal data in their quest for profits. In the near term, the Federal Trade Commission should immediately begin an investigation of Yahoo’s lax data security practices. In the next Congress, lawmakers must recognize the incredible harm these breaches have wrought on consumers’ data security and the need for comprehensive data security legislation.”

Consumers affected by the Yahoo! Breach should visit NCL’s feature on Yahoo! in the “Latest Breaches” section of Fraud.org to get additional information about the incident and tips on how to reduce their risk of breach-related 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.

D.C. airport workers deserve living wage amidst strike – National Consumers League

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December 15, 2016

The National Consumers League (NCL) supports the airport workers who are striking for better wages and benefits at Reagan National and Dulles Airports. Many airport employees who work for contractors are excluded from the airport’s living wage laws and earn as little as $3.77 an hour, plus tips. “It’s outrageous that workers in the United States can be paid these poverty wages,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director. “The contractor that hires many of these striking workers, Huntleigh Corporation, shouldn’t be able to skirt the law.”

NCL applauds Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring for supporting the workers and the other activists who are fighting to ensure that contractors pay their workers $15 an hour. Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority unfortunately did not act in time to ensure these workers would get a living wage for the holidays. “Many of the companies that operate inside and outside airports charge very high prices for their products and services. The profits made from the privilege of getting to operate at U.S. airports must be shared with the workers. The current system, including allowing contractors to pay poverty wages, is unacceptable,” said Greenberg.

NCL calls on Congress to pass miner pension bill – National Consumers League

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December 9, 2016

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumers’ and workers’ rights advocacy organization, today urged the Senate to pass the Miners Protection Act, a bipartisan bill backed by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Shelley Capito (R-WV), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), that would transfer excess money from the Abandoned Mine Land fund—a coal mine clean-up program—to the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan.

The UMWA plan has a special guarantee from the federal government—secured in 1946 with then-President Harry Truman’s administration, which helps negotiate a contract with mine workers. But this bill will close a gap in benefits that was caused by a number of factors, including the recession of 2008.

The following quote can be attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“Coal miners under this federal agreement risk their health and safety, because the nation needs energy. In exchange, they were promised health insurance and pension benefits. The U.S. must not renege on that promise and should pass this bill. The Senate majority leader must give the green light. So far he has been unwilling to do so. We hope this changes because these patriotic coal miners worked hard for their country and have earned these benefits.“

“The plan has too few assets, too few employers, and too few union workers now paying in. If Congress fails to act, thousands of retired miners would lose their health care this year and the entire plan could fail as early as next year. Supporters of the bill did secure a promise that the miners’ legislation would get a vote in the Senate Finance Committee. We urge all members of that Committee and the full Senate to support the Miners Protection Act.”

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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 joins groups supporting Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016 – National Consumers League

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December 7, 2016

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

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League has announced it support for legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs – and U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman – a member of the House Financial Services Committee to prevent Wells Fargo bank from hiding behind its own forced arbitration clauses to duck responsibility for its fraudulent conduct.

Wells Fargo has been embroiled in a scandal since revelations surfaced that its employees had secretly opened roughly 1.5 million bank accounts and issued 565,000 credit cards without customers’ consent. According to the legislation, Wells Fargo is now using the forced arbitration clauses it tucked away in the fine print of contracts customers signed when they opened legitimate accounts to block them from suing over the fraudulent accounts.

“Wells Fargo’s tactics give new meaning to the word ‘chutzpah,’” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “The bank commits massive fraud and then refuses to take responsibility for it, claiming consumers signed away their rights through forced arbitration. If ever the ‘doctrine of unclean hands’ applies, it is here. Regulators and the courts must not allow the bank to engage in this scandalous behavior. Consumers must be protected and NCL fully supports the to ensure victims are afforded their rights under the law and not subject to a dubious forced arbitration clause.”

Warner’s bill, Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016, would allow victims of Wells Fargo’s fraud to seek their day in court even if they signed contracts that included arbitration for their legitimate accounts in the past.

NCL is joined by endorsements by: The American Association for Justice, Consumers Union, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), Americans for Financial Reform, the Center for Responsible Lending, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Media Voices for Children, Allied Progress, the Woodstock Institute, the Franciscan Action Network, the Economic Policy Institute Center, California Reinvestment Coalition, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, and Public Justice.

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Robert Casey (D-PA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

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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.

As federal and state tax fraud prevention efforts ramp up, National Consumers League launches toolkit to help promote free IRS tax preparation services, educate on refund delays new for 2017

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December 7, 2016

Toolkit designed to help Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs raise awareness among EITC/ACTC recipients about new refund delays, promote free in-person and online tax preparation IRS resources 

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

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneer consumer and worker advocacy organization, announced today the launch of its IRS Refund Delay Toolkit. The free toolkit will provide the more than 12,000 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs across the country a comprehensive set of resources to help inform consumers about new changes in tax law, which require the IRS to delay issuing refunds for taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) until February 15.

The updated law, which has no exceptions, is designed to give the IRS more time to help detect and prevent fraud. Tax identity fraud is one of the fastest-growing types of fraud—it accounted for almost half of the 491,000 ID theft complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission last year. NCL is making this toolkit available for free to the more than 12,000 VITA programs operating nationwide to help them protect consumers from identity theft and other tax-related frauds by using free tax preparation services.

The IRS relies on local VITA programs, along with the brand-name online tax preparation software offered through its Free File program, to help qualifying individuals file their federal taxes each year, free of charge. NCL’s IRS Refund Delay Toolkit will provide VITAs with strategies, practical tips, tools, and educational messages that they can use to encourage consumers to rely on these options, thus helping them to avoid schemes which claim to offer quicker refunds, but actually result in high-interest payday loans or costly short-term refund advances, both of which are detrimental to consumers in the long run.

“It has never been more important for consumers to prepare accurate income tax returns,” said John Breyault, NCL’s Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “Our goal is to help consumers reduce their risk of falling victim to tax identity fraud, connect with services that will help them navigate this year’s delay and keep 100 percent of their federal refunds without worrying about hidden fees or unexpected charges.”

The effort is intended to build on the IRS’ success in reducing tax identity fraud rates, which decreased by nearly 50 percent in last year’s filing season. In 2015, 1.2 million confirmed identity theft returns were filed and stopped, totaling $7.2 billion in potential losses to taxpayers. In that same period in 2016, only 787,000 confirmed identity theft returns, totaling $4 billion in fraudulent refunds, made it into the IRS’ system: a decrease of almost 500,000 fraudulent returns stopped before processing.  By guiding consumers to free IRS tax preparation services, NCL believes that the numbers of confirmed tax identity fraud cases in 2017 can continue to decline.

With the support of an unrestricted educational grant from the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, NCL has partnered with the CFED Taxpayer Opportunity Network to help distribute the toolkit to its network of VITA programs and volunteer tax preparers. “Helping VITA programs prepare for the potential impact the refund delay may have on EITC filers and VITA volunteers is critical,” said Rebecca Thompson, CFED’s Project Director of the Taxpayer Opportunity Network. “We are excited to work with NCL on a toolkit that helps VITAs communicate with taxpayers, volunteers and community partners about the refund delay.”

Learn more about free tax preparation services like VITAs or Free File and access the toolkit by visiting https://partners.taxtimeallies.org/resources/.

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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.

National Consumers League calls on United Airlines to halt introduction of “Basic Economy” fare – National Consumers League

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December 7, 2016

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

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today called on United Airlines to heed the concerns of passenger advocates and policymakers and halt its plans to introduce its “Basic Economy” fare class. Rules for the new fare class, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2017, will prevent customers from bringing carry-on baggage on flights, requiring more flyers to pay onerous baggage fees. In addition, “Basic Economy” tickets will come with no guarantee that families will be able to sit together nor allow passengers to know ahead of their flights where their seats are located on an aircraft.

The following statement if attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud: 

In a competitive marketplace, airlines would be falling over themselves to offer consumers the most perks at the lowest price. Instead, we have the major U.S. airlines engaging in a race to the bottom to see who can offer the worst service at the highest profit margin. This is the textbook definition of market failure. United’s draconian “Basic Economy” fare cannot be seen as anything other than the beginning of a slippery slope that will pressure the other legacy airlines — who control 80% of domestic flights and are enjoying record profits — to follow suit. Flyers and policymakers should make no mistake that today’s “Basic Economy” fare will almost certainly be service level that many, if not most of us may soon be forced to endure, whether we’re United customers or not. United should heed the concerns of a diverse coalition of flyers rights advocates and senior members of Congress and halt the introduction of its “Basic Economy” fare class.

Earlier this year, NCL joined with a broad coalition of public interest and business travel groups in calling on Congress to pass the FAIR Fees Act; consumer protection legislation that would prohibit airlines from charging cancellation, baggage or other ancillary fees that are “unreasonable or disproportional” to the costs incurred by the air carrier. Given United’s actions, the need for such common-sense rules — which received bipartisan support — appears greater than ever.

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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 the nomination of Dr. Tom Price (R-GA) for Secretary of Health and Human Services – National Consumers League

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December 1, 2016

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

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) has issued the following statement, which may be attributed to Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

NCL, the nation’s pioneering consumer organization, founded in 1899, is alarmed to learn of the nomination of Dr. Tom Price (R-GA) to head the Department of Health and Human Services, whose mission is “Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America.” Dr. Price’s stated positions will, to the contrary, erode the nation’s essential health and safety laws and cause particular harm to older Americans and women.

Dr Price is an ideologue with extreme views, including: privatizing Medicare, a critical program that provides high quality health care for older Americans; repealing the Affordable Care Act, which today provides 20 million previously uninsured Americans with health coverage; and denying women access to both contraception AND abortion services, which is an illogical strategy towards a goal of reducing unwanted pregnancies. The State of Colorado is a case in point. Teenagers and poor women were offered free intrauterine devices and implants that prevent pregnancy. The birthrate among teenagers across the state plunged by 40 percent from 2009 to 2013, while their rate of abortions fell by 42 percent, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

NCL has a long history of supporting health insurance for all, health coverage for seniors, and access to reproductive health care for women. They worked diligently over many years to secure the health care gains that women, seniors, and all Americans enjoy today. Dr. Price would roll back the clock on the health and well-being of millions of Americans. We urge the Senate to reject Dr. Price’s nomination. President-Elect Trump should instead nominate someone whose views are in step with the health care needs of the American people.

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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 commends Senate passage of the BOTS Act – National Consumers League

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December 1, 2016

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

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, applauds the Senate’s passage of S. 3183, the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016. The bill, which for the first time prohibits the use of ticket-purchasing software known as “ticket bots,” passed on a bipartisan vote and now heads back to the House of Representatives. NCL believes this bill is an important first step toward the goal of fostering a fairer live event ticketing marketplace.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“The BOTS Act received bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress because it is a common-sense, pro-consumer step forward in the fight to fix a rigged live event ticket marketplace. Ticket bots have for far too long been used by unscrupulous ticket brokers to jump in line ahead of fans who just want to buy tickets to see their favorite bands, Broadway shows and sports teams at an affordable price. This important legislation now heads back to the House of Representatives for what we hope will be a final vote. We urge lawmakers there to quickly take up this consumer-friendly bill and send it on to the President for his signature.”

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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.

LifeSmarts consumer literacy program launches first-ever mobile app – National Consumers League

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November 22, 2016

‘LifeSmarts Adventure’ offers fun alternative way to study, compete, win prizes on virtual cross-country tour of national parks

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

Washington, DC—LifeSmarts, a national consumer literacy program and scholarship competition for middle-school and high-school students, today announced the launch of its first mobile app, available for smart phones through Web browsers. The new app, “LifeSmarts Adventure,” offers LifeSmarts participants a unique, fun approach to study content, compete, and win prizes. Visit LifeSmartsAdventure.org to view.

The first LifeSmarts Adventure is a virtual, cross-country road trip touring five U.S. national parks. The second version of LifeSmarts Adventure, with a new theme and content focus, will launch in the new year. To play, students answer a series of LifeSmarts curriculum questions at each stop. The app tracks progress and leaderboards show top-scoring travelers. The top three participants earn trophies that stay with them on future LifeSmarts Adventures, with new episodes released periodically throughout the LifeSmarts program year (which runs on a traditional academic calendar). Students who earn trophies will have the chance to win prizes.

LifeSmarts Adventure is a web-based app that is best rendered on a mobile device using a browser with an Internet connection, but the app may also be viewed using a computer at lifesmartsadventure.org. The app was made possible by a new partnership with LifeLock, Inc., (NYSE: LOCK), an industry leader in proactive identity theft protection.

“The app is an exciting extension of LifeSmarts,” said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “Designed as a practice tool for LifeSmarts students to quiz themselves and see how they measure up against others across the country, it is also a fun and accessible way for all consumers to test their marketplace savvy.

The LifeSmarts Adventure app features:

  • Focus on LifeSmarts content: The first episode of LifeSmarts Adventure focuses entirely on personal finance topics, such as money management and investing
  • The ability for students to practice on their own mobile device
  • A leaderboard that students can follow to see how they score compared to their peers across the country
  • Opportunities for recognition, virtual completion badges and trophies, and prizes such as gift cards
  • Easy-to-use, attractive interface
  • Fun theme of a National Parks road trip

Beta testers from the LifeSmarts Student Advisory Board enjoyed their sneak peek of LifeSmarts Adventure, saying they cannot wait for the app to launch and be available to all students. In particular, they liked the variety of questions, the content covered, the fun graphics, and the leaderboards. Visit LifeSmartsAdventure.org to get the app.

Sample questions from LifeSmarts Adventure include:

A credit card is an example of _____ credit, a mortgage loan is not.

  1. Revolving (correct)
  2. Closed-end
  3. Single-payment
  4. Installment

Financial planners help people with more than just investing.

  1. True (correct)
  2. False

A _____ is a diversified investment, a single stock is not.

  1. Bond
  2. Certificate of Deposit
  3. Mutual fund (correct)
  4. Checking account

The FDIC protects consumers if:

  1. The stock market crashes
  2. Banks fail (correct)
  3. Treasury bonds bottom out
  4. Inflation hits double digits

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About the National Consumers League and LifeSmarts

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. 

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. LifeSmarts focuses on five main content areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, personal finance, technology, health and safety, and the environment. Students are quizzed on their knowledge of these subject areas during online competition. Top-performing teams then advance to statewide competitions, and state champion teams advance to the national championship held each year in a different American city. The 2017 National LifeSmarts Championship will take place April 21-24, in Pittsburgh, PA. Winning teams receive scholarships and other prizes.

LifeSmarts offers American students the chance to get a head start on the responsibilities of adulthood before being thrown in to the marketplace through educational curriculum and scholarship / prize opportunities. Pre- and post-testing on related consumer issues show LifeSmarts participants, on average, see their scores increase from a C to a B+/A-. Last year, students answered more than 3 million competition questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between. To learn more, visit www.LifeSmarts.org.

NCL mourns the passing of auto safety icon Clarence Ditlow – National Consumers League

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November 11, 2016

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

The National Consumers League (NCL) mourns the passing of a great auto safety advocate, Clarence Ditlow. Clarence had served as the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety since 1976. He died at the age of 72 after a long struggle with colon cancer. This statement is attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg.

“Clarence Ditlow’s name is synonymous with auto safety. Anyone in the industry who has spent a day working in this area knows Clarence and the Center for Auto Safety. In my years at Consumers Union (CU), I had many occasions to work with Clarence, who served on CU’s Board of Directors, and see him in action. His research and advocacy exposing auto defects–including ignition switches, roof crush, and sudden acceleration–were invaluable and helped to vastly improve the safety and reliability of today’s vehicles. Consumers owe him a debt of gratitude for continuously keeping industry’s feet to the fire and demanding that automakers deliver far safer and more fuel efficient vehicles. The remarkable progress we’ve seen in reduced deaths and injuries since the Center was founded is a testament to Clarence’s work. Since 1970, the death rate on America’s roads has dropped dramatically, from 5.2 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1969 to 1.1 per 100 million vehicle miles in 2010.”

The Center for Auto Safety helped to expose faulty airbag inflators, defective tires, dangerously designed ignition switches, defective engine mounts, roofs on vehicles that collapsed on impact and crushed occupants, exploding gas tanks and child seats with defective latches, and many other auto safety issues.  

Saluting his work, Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-VCT) said in a statement in the Congressional Record of Sept. 29, 2016:

“Through a lifetime of work improving automotive and safety laws, Mr. Ditlow has helped save thousands of lives and prevented many more injuries than would otherwise have occurred. A tireless champion for consumers, his work has resulted in better government oversight of automakers, the installation of key safety features, and the exposure of safety defects in millions of cars, SUVs and other trucks….Mr. Ditlow’s discovery of numerous automotive defects, combined with his persistent pressure on safety agencies and automakers alike, led to the removal of many unsafe vehicles from the road.”

The National Consumers League mourns the loss of Clarence Ditlow, fellow safety advocate and crusader, who did so much to advance the cause of safer and more fuel efficient automotive vehicles. 

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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.