Consumer Advocate 

Just as you should find a doctor before you get sick, it’s a good idea to find a locksmith before you’re locked out. Otherwise, you may end up in an emergency situation with an unscrupulous locksmith.

Purchasing a $20 gift card for just $10, buying a kitchen appliance at half price, and getting your bike tuned up at 40 percent off are some of the many savings that online deal sites offer.

Back-to-school shopping season is in full swing, with notebooks, pencil cases, and binders lining many store aisles. While it can be exciting for children and adults to begin the school year with brand-new items, it also can be expensive. Take time to read advertisements closely and watch for potential scams to avoid the back-to-school buying blues.

Checking your credit reports regularly and applying a security freeze may help you detect or avoid certain types of identity theft.

Although children generally don’t carry around personal identification information such as credit cards or licenses, their identities still can be targeted. 

National Protect Your Identity Week, set for Oct. 20–27, is a great time to consider how to protect your personal information from fraud. 

The Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has launched a new program to help identity theft victims correct the effects of the crime. 

In February 2012, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, in conjunction with the federal government and 49 state attorneys general, announced a $25 billion federal-state agreement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers — Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorganChase, and Wells Fargo.

On May 25, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of The Beach Waterpark in Mason, Ohio, charging the waterpark with failure to deliver.

Did you buy Skechers Shape-ups, Resistance Runner, Toners, or Tone-ups shoes? You may be eligible for a refund under a recent settlement.

Don’t forget! Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13, and whether you’re giving flowers, jewelry, or other gifts, be sure to make smart shopping decisions.

Prepaid cards offer many of the same benefits of a credit card or debit card, such as convenience and easy use, without the requirement of a checking account or credit card. Despite the benefits of prepaid cards and their increasing popularity, many come with high costs.

Celebrate Older Americans Month by talking to your friends and family about sweepstakes scams and grandparent scams.

If you have a smartphone, convenience and ease are paramount. Need to find a restaurant for a dinner reservation? Look it up on your smartphone. Need to know your checking account balance? Download your bank's app and log in.

Buying a car is a big decision. You have to consider price, efficiency, comfort, color, and other factors. Once you find your perfect car, what happens if it has serious problems and needs constant repairs? Is it a lemon?

Earlier this month, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission warned of possible notario scams following the federal government’s recent immigration announcement.

If your computer is infected with a certain kind of malware, it may not be able to connect to the Internet as of July 9, 2012.

This summer the Ohio Attorney General's Office is hosting regional Community Fraud Forums to discuss scams affecting consumers and small businesses.

Attorney General DeWine sued two “buy-here-pay-here” used car dealerships in April for violating Ohio’s consumer laws.

Deciding to get married may be easy, but planning a wedding — finding a location, dress, caterer, florist, and photographer - can be difficult. With so many options, how do you sort the good vendors from the not-so-good? Researching wedding vendors and asking important questions can go a long way to help you avoid problems on your big day.

As the school year closes, many high school and college graduates will be hunting for jobs and considering job placement services or work-at-home opportunities. 

Some job placement services are legitimate, but others misrepresent their services, promote outdated or fictitious job offerings, or charge high fees for services that never lead to a job.

If you use your smartphone to upload photos to social networking websites such as Facebook or MySpace, your phone may be releasing your personal information and location without your knowledge.

For years, experts have warned web users to avoid posting too much personal information, such as street address, date of birth, or license plate numbers, to protect against online predators.  

In the wake of the recent tsunami in Japan, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning Ohioans to watch for charitable giving scams.

Charitable scams tend to emerge after large-scale disasters, and Ohioans who want to help fund relief efforts need to be wary of scam artists trying to exploit their generosity.

With tax season upon us, offers for fast-cash refunds or instant refunds may sound good, but in reality, many of these “instant refunds” are costly loans.

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.

To increase the likelihood that you may fall for a scam, scam artists sometimes use names of well-known officials.

Because your driver’s license is a key form of identification, it may be a ripe target for identity thieves.

To make their ploys seem real, scam artists may send a counterfeit check or money order inside a FedEx package or other official-looking package