Just in time for Halloween: Our Top 10 “Nightmare on Main Street” Consumer Protection Movies | So Good News

Halloween is a great time to watch what you love the most, but nothing comes close to the spine-tingling horror of businesses failing to honor their consumer protections. Here is our Top 10 List of Of course Horror Movies.

A creature from Hack Lagoon. Hackers can’t wait for Halloween to show off more of their tricks. The best business security is a 360° approach that minimizes the collection of sensitive information, keeps it safe when you have it, and trains your employees and contractors to respect your security. Don’t know where to start? FTC images Cybersecurity for Small Business offers advice on how to protect your company from some of the pitfalls of cybercrime, including ransomware and business email scams.

Flack-ula. Our response to companies that suck the truth out of advertising by using deceptive or unfair methods related to reviews and promotions: “Fun for nothing.” This only goes to the advertisers and flacks they hire to help. In addition to bringing legal action, the FTC is investigating a law to combat illegal practices – for example, using fake reviews, paying for good reviews, and suppressing bad ones.

The Blair Pitch Project. You are lost, angry in the forest, and there is no one to help you. The term mockumentary must be the way consumers feel when they realize they have been lured into the wrong way of making money. But they are not alone. The FTC continues to prosecute fraud cases and has placed more than 1,100 businesses that advertise that if they mislead the public about what they can get, the FTC will not hesitate to seek civil penalties.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. New FTC staff report It highlights the ways in which marketers have been known to manipulate the purchasing process using dark methods – digital graphics that hide from consumers the real price or the exact wording of the product. Some dark colors trick people into revealing personal details. The report reiterates the FTC’s commitment to taking action against illegal practices.

Attacks by Data Snatchers. Some companies say they want consumer information for innocent reasons such as ensuring security or complying with the law. Then they turn around and use that information for another purpose. It is a bad practice that honest businesses should avoid.

It came from Outer Space. If it’s from space, don’t call it “Made in USA.” Made in the USA products are important to many consumers. Marketers and manufacturers who promote their products as Made in USA must meet the long-term standard of “all or nearly all” – or they must qualify their representation. In addition, the FTC’s Made in USA Labeling Rule, effective in August 2021, could mean significant penalties for companies that make fraudulent claims.

Polter-thought. Professional hackers simply observe human instincts and know that some people choose passwords and reuse them over and over again. So they can steal usernames, passwords, or other information from harmless sources and then use it to guess your financial position, credit card accounts, or your company’s network. Security-conscious businesses educate their employees about the dangers of password resets.

Silence for Spams. Some businesses get it wrong CAN-SPAM Policy it also works for bulk emails. Instead, it covers all commercial communications, which the law defines as “any e-mail message whose primary purpose is to advertise or advertise a product or service.” The good news is that compliance is not difficult. The FTC has advice to businessesincluding answers to questions you may have about the Act.

Night of the Broken Creature. When your company no longer needs to store confidential information, it’s a mistake to use it “because.” When a legitimate business reason for data retention has passed, savvy companies routinely delete digital files, papers, and devices – and use security measures designed to permanently erase them.

Phantom of Oh-pear. Ask consumers what scares them into their hearts and they will surprisingly say it’s because of having unnecessary and unavoidable expenses. Whether it takes the form of charges that consumers did not agree to, unnecessary services deemed acceptable, or increasing the cost of products or services that are not cheap, interest rates fall on consumers like an opera house. The FTC announced the An Advanced Guide to Drafting Intentional Legislation seeking feedback on the challenges posed by fines and the methods companies use to enforce them.

Do you have a horror movie about consumer protection that we didn’t mention? Share in the comment section.