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11.05.2009 2:10 pm
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The tax man might be looking for you. And, this time, that’s good news.

Internal Revenue Service said today it is trying to track down the rightful owners of more than 107,000 refund checks worth more than $123.5 million. The U.S. Postal…

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11.05.2009 10:44 am
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

An area locksmith technician is facing federal fraud charges stemming from alleged overcharging by Clearwater, Fla.-based Dependable Locks, which manages a network of at least 100 locksmiths operating in cities nationwide, including St. Louis.

The allegations, which were reported yesterday in…

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11.04.2009 11:16 am
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Fraudsters trying to steal Missourians’ personal information are posing in e-mails as a state official, according to the office of Treasurer Clint Zweifel, which warned of the phishing scam Wednesday.

The phony e-mails promise to help Missourians obtain unclaimed property held by…

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11.03.2009 1:05 pm
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Extended auto-service contracts probably aren’t worth the money, according to a story in the December issue of Car and Driver.

The magazine conducted a secret-shopper sting on St. Charles County’s three biggest brokers of so-called extended warranties: Wentzille-based US Fidelis; St. Peters-based…

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10.27.2009 2:48 pm
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
This pitch for ValuTrak from 2007 is still linked on AT&T's web site. The program allows Yellow Pages advertisers to collect information about the people who call an advertised number.

A 2007 pitch for AT&T's ValuTrak program.

Consumers who value their privacy might not want to let their fingers do the walking.

AT&T tracks calls to many numbers advertised in the Yellow Pages, and Ma Bell supplies companies with regular reports detailing…

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10.26.2009 3:03 pm
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

I’ve never quite understood the appeal of giving general-purpose gift cards as presents. After all, they’re no more thoughtful than cash; and they’re less convenient than prying open the wallet and peeling off a few bucks.

However, until a few hours…

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10.26.2009 9:59 am
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

If you missed my Saturday column, it’s about an online lingerie retailer that is having a tough time filling its orders. Here’s the lede:

Consumers shopping for a bawdy Halloween costume - or leather and latex lingerie for more everyday wear…

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10.22.2009 12:13 pm
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Faithful readers of this blog might remember the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuits against four makers of bamboo-derived clothing. The FTC accused the companies of making false, unsubstantiated claims that their products are “green” and that the textiles retain the anti-microbial…

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10.20.2009 3:00 pm
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

When Louise Precht’s grandson, Greg, called last year to tell her he was locked up in a Canadian jail and needed $5,000 to get out, the Swansea woman didn’t hesitate.

It was just a week before Christmas, but Precht didn’t need…

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10.19.2009 11:49 am
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Attorney General Chris Koster today sued a wealthy Missouri developer and two Florida companies for allegedly calling Missouri consumers whose numbers are listed on the state’s do-not-call registry.

In a press release, Koster’s office said the companies — Summer Bay Sales &…

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