Blog

In 1998, Congress enacted the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to  protect the privacy and safety of children under the age of 13. Among other things, COPPA protects children’s privacy rights by prohibiting websites, apps and online services from collecting and disclosing their personal information without first obtaining parental consent. How does COPPA protect [..] The post COPPA Protects Children’s Privacy Rights appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

Do Not Track is a privacy setting in Chrome, Firefox and other web browsers. When we choose the Do Not Track option (it’s turned off by default), our browser sends a request to the websites we visit that asks the site not collect or track our browsing data. While that sounds like a terrific idea to [..] The post Do Not Track – A Failed Experiment appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

It’s inevitable. We buy a product that breaks or stops working right and needs to be repaired. If the product is inexpensive, it’s probably cheaper to throw it out and buy a new one. But that’s not the case when it comes to expensive items like cars, appliances and electronic devices. Fortunately, most expensive products come [..] The post Independent Repairs Do Not Void Express Warranties appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

The consumer advocacy organization, United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), has issued a press release advising consumers who placed credit freezes with Experian to change their PIN as soon as possible. The recommendation is based on the discovery of a security flaw in Experian’s online PIN retrieval page. If you placed a credit [..] The post Problems With Experian Credit Freeze PINs appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

A recently-enacted federal law requires consumer reporting agencies to allow consumers freeze and unfreeze their credit reports without having to pay a fee. It also requires fraud alerts to last for a year. Credit freezes, also called security freezes, prevent third parties from getting your credit file from consumer reporting agencies. Creditors generally won’t grant [..] The post FAQs on Credit Freezes appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

Identity theft is on the rise. While many people are aware they themselves are at risk, few parents realize that child identity theft is also a growing problem. According to a report by Experian, the average identity theft victim is 12 years years old. The numbers are staggering. In 2017 alone, more than one million [..] The post Child Identity Theft is a Growing Problem appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

Credit freezes are a good way to prevent identity theft. If an identity thief applies for a loan or credit card in your name, the bank or credit card company where they apply  won’t be able to get your credit report if you have a freeze in place. There are very few lenders that will [..] The post Credit Freezes Are Now Free appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

Identity theft is on the rise. According to Consumers Union, more than 8 million Americans are victimized by identity theft each year. Credit freezes protect us from identity theft by restricting access to our credit reports. When you apply for a loan or credit card, the bank or credit card company you apply to will [..] The post Free Credit Freezes Begin September 21st appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.

Prepaid debit cards can be a convenient way for people who have no credit history or poor credit to buy merchandise and pay for services. Consumers can apply for a prepaid card without having to go through a credit check and without having to open a bank account. Once the card is issued, the cardholder can [..] The post Problems With Prepaid Debit Cards appeared first on Law Office of Robert Scarino.