Great News For Those With Hearing Loss

Great news for those with hearing aid problems

There is good news for those suffering from hearing loss—you can now buy a hearing aid without having a doctor’s examination or a prescription, thanks to a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule.  It allows for the retail sale of hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.  A report by the Federal Government estimated that 28.8 million people could benefit from a hearing aid, but currently only 1 out of 5 people who need one get it.

FTC Says Companies Using Sophisticating Technology To Invade Privacy

A lady doctor caressing the old man and smiling

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report recently about how companies deploy “dark patterns” in advertising for enticing potential customers, manipulating them into buying their products while at the same time giving up their privacy.  The report came following a 2018 lawsuit against Lending Club Corp. which eventually agreed to pay out nearly $10 million to 61,990 consumers who were charged hidden fees while the company advertised that there were hidden fees.  In fact, Lending Club was slicing money right off the top as the loan was being funded.  The FTC outlined three principles companies must follow or risk being sued by the FTC:

Disclose clearly and accurately the material terms of the sale contract such as costs, deadlines to cancel, frequency of charges, and disclosure of essential information;

Obtain the customer’s informed consent before the payment is made; and

Provide an easy and simple cancellation process.

 

 

 

 

Carmel, CA Elder Abuse Alert : Fed Ex And UPS Tracking Alerts Could Be Fake

A senior woman sitting and looking out from the window

The holiday season, unfortunately, typically ushers in a ton of elder abuse scams.  The latest; fake package notifications from Amazon.com, FedEx, UPS and others.  With e-commerce sales hitting an all-time high due to the coronavirus, more and more email delivery alerts are popping up but they may not all be legitimate.  Fake email messages often contain the logo of the shipping company, making them look more legitimate.  Getting you to click on a link is the main objective of these scams.  Others send an attachment with malware in it, so never click on an attachment from an unknown sender.  Most come with a call to action such as purporting there is a problem with the shipping address or the payment method, attempting to get you to click through.  Always go to where you made the purchase to check on the order status. 

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/20283-scam-alert-dont-be-fooled-by-a-fake-package-delivery-scam