ST. LOUIS -- Much like the virus itself, COVID-19 scams continue to spread six months into the pandemic.

Since Wednesday, more than 194,000 complaints related to COVID-19 and stimulus payments have been submitted to the Federal Trade Commission, including roughly 1,200 fraud complaints and 400 identity-theft complaints from Missouri.

Chris Thetford, vice president for communications at the Better Business Bureau in St. Louis, said con artists have their finger on the pulse and always are adapting their schemes to match what's making headlines.

"What might have started back in March, with places claiming that they could sell you personal protective equipment or things that they claimed would help keep you from being infected with COVID, then morph into things like the contact-tracing scam and the government-impostor scam," he said.

Thetford shared some general rules to avoid becoming a victim: Never wire money to a person you don't know, and never give your Social Security number, bank account or any other personal information over the phone or through email.

A popular scam involves a person claiming to be from a government agency who says they need personal information to send a stimulus payment. Thetford said they're also hearing from Missourians who've been called by someone claiming to be a contact tracer who digs for personal information.

"If you get a legitimate contract-tracing call, they're going to ask you things about your activities over a certain period of time and things like that," he said, "but they're not going to ask you for personal identifying information, which could then be used to steal your identity and create a new credit profile."

Suspected cases of fraud can be reported to the Missouri Attorney General's office. Thetford added that complaints also can be reported to the Better Business Bureau at bbb.org/scamtracker.

"You can read about what others living right around you are encountering," he said, "and it gives you the option if somebody reaches out to you to try to make you a victim of a scam, you can report that, so that your neighbors can know that is going on as well."

In about half of fraud cases reported to the FTC, the victim lost money, with the median fraud loss in Missouri topping $258.

FTC data is online at tableau.com, and the Missouri Attorney General's Office is at ago.mo.gov.


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Air travelers could face fewer obstacles in securing a refund if their flight is canceled or changed under new federal rules announced Wednesday.

The moves are being praised by watchdog groups. The Department of Transportation said airlines are now required to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when they are owed one.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said some carriers have not adhered to standards, leaving passengers in a bind.

"They would drag their feet, and they would say, 'Well, you bought your ticket from a ticket agent, so we don't know where your money is. Or, here, have a voucher,'" Murray explained.

Amid higher complaint volumes, companies will be forced to act quickly. The new rules, which are being phased in, provide clearer definitions for travel disruptions, including delays of at least three hours on a domestic flight and six hours on international flights. A key industry group responded to the announcement by touting transparency efforts among carriers.

Murray acknowledged most people are not frequent flyers, and it is hard for them to keep up on all the least practices and policies among airlines.

"The average person only flies once every 18 months," Murray pointed out. "This will just bring transparency to that process and it kind of evens the playing field."

Murray added it could come in handy for Midwestern customers when a winter storm wreaks havoc on air travel. The new rules also require refunds for baggage fees when a piece of luggage is delayed by 12 hours or more for domestic flights. And there must be upfront disclosure on fees for first and second checked bags and carry-on bags.


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Wisconsin lawmakers recently debated reforms for payday loans. Efforts to protect consumers come amid new research about financial pain associated with cash advances offered through smartphone apps. The Center for Responsible Lending is out with findings that detail how "earned wage advances" from digital platforms come with extra costs disguised as things like tips. Traditional payday lenders are often criticized for charging excessive interest rates on loans that are usually around $500.

Lucia Constantine, a researcher with the Center for Responsible Lending, said customers are usually seeking smaller amounts from the apps, but she warns they can be just as costly.

"They are trapping consumers in a cycle of borrowing that is similar to that of a payday loan, " she said.

The report said after using these financial products, customers are seeing overdrafts on their checking accounts increase by 56% on average. Industry leaders deny they're barraging consumers with hidden fees, stressing that features such as suggested tips are optional. More broadly, a bipartisan payday loan reform bill in the Wisconsin Legislature failed to advance this month.

Constantine said like longstanding payday lenders, these cash advance apps can be hard to regulate. Meanwhile, she urged those in a bind to explore other options.

"[They should] try talking to their friends and family as a first source. The other option which I would recommend is reaching out to their credit union or banking institution to see if they can get some sort of small-dollar loan," she said.

She noted places such as credit unions typically provide more transparency on loan costs. According to the report, three-quarters of consumers took out at least one advance on the same day or day after a re-payment was posted.


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Food prices remain high, in Montana and across the country.

A new report by the Federal Trade Commission says the country's largest grocery companies are gouging consumers, by keeping prices artificially high.

Many grocers, retailers and wholesalers have consolidated to cut costs. Grocers continue to blame supply chain problems, even though regulators have said most of those issues have been resolved.

President of the advocacy group Farm Action, Angela Huffman, said retailers were doing more than making up for lost revenue during the pandemic-era supply chain disruptions - and the FTC report says they continue to do so.

"In 2021, the retailer revenues, they rose to more than 6% higher than their total costs, and that those profits are still going up," said Huffman. "So, in the first nine months of 2023, the profits increased to 7%."

At nearly 6.5%, Montana had the nation's ninth-highest grocery price increase in 2023.

The FTC data show Amazon, Kroger and WalMart each gained market share during and after the pandemic - while profits continued to rise.

Other large retailers and wholesalers have consolidated, which they say gives them more buying power and the ability to pass those savings on to customers.

Huffman said that isn't what's happening, and calls on regulators to fine the grocers, or more.

"This would be kind of the farthest extent of what they could do, but go so far as breaking them up," said Huffman. "In years past, they broke up the telephone companies and the railroads and, you know, that would be the ideal outcome for us, is to take away their excessive power."

Huffman also points to a 150% increase in egg prices in 2023, which producers blamed on the avian flu. The FTC says the disease did not justify the drastic price hike.