With the holiday gift-giving season here, consumer advocates want to make sure parents and caregivers understand the threats toys can pose to children.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, said it is crucial for parents to do their homework and know what they are buying. The group's most recent toy safety report highlighted the growing popularity of "smart toys."

Murray pointed out toy manufacturers are making everything from stuffed animals and dolls to race-car tracks and even board games more tech friendly.

"These companies are collecting data," Murray emphasized. "Maybe they're using it for play but then they're also using it in many cases to market things to your child that maybe you don't want your child to have or they're just putting information in these databases."

Murray acknowledged parents may find smart toys have their benefits, such as keeping your child engaged for longer, but she encouraged parents and gift-givers to look at privacy policies and find out what kind of information and data is being gathered and shared.

Murray noted despite toys being potentially harmful, they still remain available. One of those toys is called "water beads," colorful, squishy sensory toys the size of pinheads or ice cream sprinkles. They expand when placed in water. If ingested, the beads expand and can block a child's airway or damage the digestive tract. Pets can be at risk, too.

Amazon, Walmart and Target recently announced they will no longer sell water beads after the end of the year.

"Congress just introduced legislation a couple of weeks ago to ban water beads as toys, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has indicated that they're going to put some kind of restrictions on water beads," outlined. "But here is the thing that is unfortunate, is that's not going to help for water beads already have in their home."

Murray recommended if you have water beads in your home, to get rid of them especially if you have a child or pet. You can make sure the toys you buy are safe by following tips at toysafetytips.org.

Murray would like to see online marketplaces held to the same standards as brick-and-mortar stores to mitigate the sale of recalled and counterfeit toys. She recommended parents read labels and ensure their kids have access to age-appropriate toys.

"Sometimes parents will say, 'well, you know, my child is advanced for his or her age,'" Murray observed. "OK, great. Maybe intellectually but not necessarily developmentally, so you're just better to be safe than sorry."

Buying a used car can be a risky proposition, but a new consumer guide can help people avoid common pitfalls.

The nonprofit Oregon Consumer Justice just released the first edition of its free resource, called the Consumer Confidence Comics. The unique guide doubles as an interactive comic book with coloring pages.

Michelle Luedtke, communications director for Oregon Consumer Justice, describes it as a fun way to learn how to ask the right questions.

"When you get promises from a dealer, where do you capture those to make sure that they'll be part of your final contract?" Luedtke asked. "We have a checklist of different questions to ask at a dealer about purchasing a used car. You can also download as a resource on our website."

The guide is available in English and Spanish.

Used car prices shot up during the pandemic but have come down a bit in the last year, with the average used car selling for about $31,000, according to iseecars.com.

Luedtke also recommended taking the time to read the fine print on any contracts. The guide goes through the process from start to finish.

"Whether or not you should be looking for financing beforehand, or what dealer financing looks like? What are scams that are common around purchasing a vehicle," Luedtke outlined. "And then also, what to do if things go wrong."

In Oregon, used car dealers have 14 days to finalize the financing, so you could drive it off the lot and then have to return it if the loan falls through. Consumers are advised not to make any changes to the car until they get a welcome letter from their lender.

In 2022, Americans purchased about 39 million used vehicles.

Buying a used car can be a risky proposition but a new consumer guide can help people avoid common pitfalls.

The nonprofit Oregon Consumer Justice just released the first edition of its free resource called the Consumer Confidence Comics. The unique guide doubles as an interactive comic book with coloring pages.

Michelle Luedtke, communications director for Oregon Consumer Justice, said it is a fun way to learn how to ask the right questions.

"When you get promises from a dealer, where do you capture those to make sure that they'll be part of your final contract?" Luedtke asked. "We have a checklist of different questions to ask at a dealer about purchasing a used car, you can also download as a resource on our website."

The guide is available in English and Spanish. Used car prices shot up during the pandemic but have come down a bit in the last year, with the average used car selling for about $31,000, according to iseecars.com.

Luedtke also recommended taking the time to read the fine print on any contracts. The guide goes through the process from start to finish.

"Whether or not you should be looking for financing beforehand, or what dealer financing looks like? What are scams that are common around purchasing a vehicle," Luedtke outlined. "And then also what to do if things go wrong."

In 2022, Americans purchased about 39 million used vehicles. The website Statista projects used car dealers in California will pull in about $11.7 billion in revenue this year.

The federal SNAP program allows nearly 1.3 million Ohio families to put food on the table -- but increasingly, when many recipients attempt to use their card at a store, they are told they do not have enough funds.

At grocery and convenience stores across the state, fraudsters are installing illegal skimming devices capable of reading cards as they are swiped and using the card data to steal money.

Alisha Love, an EBT card user, said she has been a victim of EBT theft more than once. She believes the state and federal government should invest in chip security for SNAP to better protect people relying on the program.

"I haven't even gotten reimbursed for the first one, and I'm working with Legal Aid right now," Love pointed out. "My kids need money to eat. Right now I am using cash, and it is bleeding me dry from all the finances."

The Ohio benefits office recommends SNAP recipients change their pin number immediately after they suspect being scammed and replace their EBT card by calling 1-866-386-3071.

This year, 44 states have reported more than 160,000 cases of fraudulent EBT card transactions.

Phaleys Lopez, an EBT card user, said being scammed prevented her from being able to buy formula for her infant son.

"I always buy the formula for my son with the EBT," Lopez explained. "That specific Gerber, I can only buy it with the EBT or cash. I ask the father of my son to buy some when I can't."

Hope Lane-Gavin, director of nutrition policy and programs for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said victims of EBT card skimming typically have no choice but to turn to food banks to feed their families, and pantries are already struggling to keep up with demand.

"These are people who have applied, have followed the rules, have been approved for the benefit, who then got their card and are doing everything normal," Lane-Gavin emphasized. "Everything that they're supposed to do."

EBT card users who suspect they've been scammed can request replacement benefits within 90 days from the date they were stolen, by either mailing or hand-delivering a signed Job and Family Services form to a local county Job and Family Service office. Gavin added a temporary fix allowing victims of EBT theft to receive replacement benefits will expire on Sept. 30, without additional action by Congress.