TranslateConsumer Alerts
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Scams
Members of the community have reported receiving scam emails and phone calls purporting to be from legitimate student loan debt relief representatives. Federal Student Aid, an office of the U. S. Department of Education, provides the following information to identify and avoid student loan forgiveness scams. Read full story
Costco Scams
If you receive an email indicating your COSTCO membership has expired it is likely a scam. Read full story
FDA halts sale of Balance of Nature supplements and a restitution fund for refunds for consumers who purchased the product was created by a state court judgment
Sonoma County residents may have seen the Food & Drug Administration’s recent press release regarding its enforcement action against Balance of Nature which halted the sale of the product and wonder if they may be entitled to relief. Read full story
Streaming Service Scams
Now scammers are imitating popular streaming services such as Netflix and Paramount +. Recent emails indicated Paramount + subscription was expiring and had a realistic Paramount + logo but was a scam. Similarly an email purporting to come from Netflix to sign up for a loyalty program was also a scam. Read full story
Be Aware of Amazon Prime Scam Emails
Have you received notice that your Amazon Prime account has expired? Be aware that scammers pretending to be Amazon are sending such notices out and the emails are fake. Read full story
Disaster Scams
With the recent disasters in Maui and Southern California, please be alert for disaster scams which always occur after natural disasters. Read full story
Avoiding Scammers
Zero Waste Sonoma is holding a recycling event to accept used residential solar panels which can be challenging to recycle or dispose of. The event will be held on June 16, 2023 at the Luther Burbank Center between 9-5. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED. Read full story
Residential Solar Panel Recycling Event in Santa Rosa
Zero Waste Sonoma is holding a recycling event to accept used residential solar panels which can be challenging to recycle or dispose of. The event will be held on June 16, 2023 at the Luther Burbank Center between 9-5. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED. Read full story
Scammers Are Requesting Payment Through Wire Transfer or Zelle
A nationwide bank recently reported that digital money movement fraud is on the rise. Scammers can contact you requesting money through a Wire Transfer or transfer via Zelle. Read full story
Your Long-Lost Relative May Not Have Actually Left You an Inheritance
The Federal Trade Commission recently reported that it has been receiving reports from people getting letters in the mail from a law firm. The letters say they are looking for the heir of a multi-million-dollar inheritance, and they think it might be you. They offer to split the inheritance between you, their law firm, and some charities, and ask that you keep this information secret. Read full story