Consumer Advocate 

April is National Financial Literacy Month, so it is a great time to take charge of your credit and understand your rights regarding debt collection.

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act protect consumers from abusive, deceptive and unfair debt collection practices.

Child identity theft occurs when someone fraudulently uses a child’s identity for personal gain.

The imposter may be a family member, friend or a stranger. He or she may use the child’s name and Social Security number to open new accounts for cell phones, utilities, credit cards and even mortgages.

Unwanted phone calls can be frustrating. Calls may come at inconvenient times, and you may have trouble determining who is calling you.

The following will help you understand and deal with unexpected calls.

Although Ohio’s unemployment rate has dropped, scam artists continue to advertise phony job opportunities, hoping to take advantage of job seekers who may be desperate to find employment.

A recently reported job scam requests a $38 fee to apply online for state jobs and civil service testing. In reality, government job information is available for free at www.Ohio.gov (state jobs) and www.USAjobs.gov (federal jobs).

“Hello Grandma?”

“It’s me. Me and my friend are in Canada and got stopped by the police. I need a $1,000 to get out. Could you wire it to me? Please don’t tell mom or dad. You know how they are. Thanks.”

The office of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine works hard to protect Ohio’s families.

Did you know that the Ohio Attorney General’s office …

Fraudulent postings are a common occurrence on Craigslist. If you plan to buy a vehicle from a Craigslist seller, be very cautious.

A Trumbull County consumer said he found a 2005 all-terain vehicle for sale on Craigslist. The seller told him to send $1,600 via Western Union to London, and promised to send the vehicle. Although the consumer sent the money, the vehicle never arrived.