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…

Missouri regulators issued a cease-and-desist order today against a St. Louis area mother and son accused of selling unregistered investments and spending $178,000 on personal expenses, including their own mortgage and insurance payments.

The order forbids Armod L. Hinkle, 27, of…

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster

UPDATED at 5 p.m. with reaction from Jeffrey Zimmerman, a lawyer for Professional Debt Management.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster today filed suit in St. Louis against two debt-collection companies that allegedly used strong-arm tactics to…

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced a major crackdown on companies that allegedly swindled consumers in get-rich-quick schemes and other bogus financial services.

The watchdog agency charges 15 firms as part of what it calls “Operation Short Change,” which also included…

Business association of trophy peddler?

St. Louis area business should be wary if they get e-mails announcing that they’ve won a “prestigious” award from the Washington-based U.S. Commerce Association. Businesses have to pay for the plaques and trophies and the group…

According to Chas Beat, the Post-Dispatch blog about St. Charles County, St. Peters officials want city residents to know it has nothing to do with fliers offering to paint “night vision address numbers” on the curbs in front of homes.

From Friday’s…

If you’re in charge of ordering office supplies for your work, you might want to steer clear of a Missouri supplier that — according to consumers and the Better Business Bureau — misleads people into thinking it is liquidating its…

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit Tuesday that his office says will stop a California company from “cheating consumers facing mortgage foreclosure.”

Koster accuses the company, US Foreclosure Relief, of promising to protect homeowners and then not providing any…

A Colorado ticket scalper allegedly bilked concertgoers before folding up shop and moving to the St. Louis area, where he appears set to re-open his business, Biggest Fan Tickets.

The scalper, Justin Kreft, reportedly charged as much as $690 for hard-to-get tickets…

If you’re a homeowner in St. Louis County, you might have read Paul Hampel’s story in the Sunday paper. The county has changed its tune, and it now will change the way it assesses property to better reflect dropping home values.…