Amid the fun in the sun, Connecticut residents should be wary of summertime scams.

Utility company impostor scams are prominent this time of year. Scammers might pose as utility company employees offering a home energy audit. Homeowners are asked to fill out paperwork for a credit check and to buy equipment, which helps scammers get banking information.

Kristen Johnson, communications director for the Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut, said people can discern real employees from scammers.

"Take their information. Say, 'OK, I'll get back to you.' If they're really pushy, that's a red flag, you don't want to proceed," Johnson recommended. "Then pick up the phone, call the utility company, ask Eversource or UI, 'Are you really doing this home energy audit? I have someone named Bill here. Is he really going around my neighborhood and my town?'"

Paving scams where a scammer offers to redo a person's driveway with leftover material also rise in summer. In one version of the scam, after a customer puts down a large deposit, the scammer disappears. Other versions have consumers discover the contractor's work is shoddy after paying for it. Johnson pointed out researching and checking out reviews can save people from being scammed.

Other popular summertime scams involve vacation rentals. While searching for a house to rent, people might be blinded by an online offer touted as being easier than Verbo or Airbnb. Upon arriving at the rental, people might find it does not exist. She emphasized there are ways to avoid financial fallout.

"You should never be using anything but a credit card to pay someone that you've never met in person," Johnson advised. "Obviously, with a vacation rental, you're not going to meet the owner in person. So you definitely want to be able to use a credit card that way your purchase is protected and if anything goes wrong the credit card company can step in."

Johnson added social media has expanded ways for scammers to take advantage of people. Being asked to use CashApp or other payment apps outside Verbo or Airbnb is another red flag. Also using a reverse Google image search can help discern whether the rental property exists.


get more stories like this via email

Indiana lawmakers will not study the Bureau of Motor Vehicles' practice of selling driver data this summer but some legislators said the issue deserves more attention.

Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, said Hoosiers have no clear way to stop the state from selling their personal information.

"If you want to drive in the state, it's not as if you can go and get your license somewhere else," Pol pointed out. "At the very least, letting people opt out."

The BMV has earned tens of millions of dollars annually from selling information like names, addresses, and vehicle details. Supporters argued the revenue helps fund agency operations but Pol countered lawmakers should at least hold hearings on the practice and consider guardrails.

He worries about what happens after data leaves the state's hands.

"What are the requirements after somebody's information has been turned over or sold to a company? What are the security requirements for that company to hold?" Pol asked. "Because no offense to the towing industry, but I highly doubt that they're a fortress of cybersecurity."

Pol added he and other lawmakers plan to refile legislation next year and continue pushing for bipartisan action on privacy protections.


get more stories like this via email

Jenkins Enterprises in North Little Rock is one of many small businesses across Arkansas facing extra costs from tariffs issued by President Donald Trump.

The company makes souvenirs, gifts and licensed college merchandise for 150 colleges and universities and employs 70 people.

Steve Jenkins, CEO of the company, said he has been buying manufacturing components from China since 1996 and the up-and-down tariffs are disrupting the workflow.

"If you have a $10 item and you apply a 145% tariff the tariff cost is $14.50, so now my cost is no longer $10, it's $24.50, more than double," Jenkins pointed out. "That gets passed on to the consumer."

Tariffs on Chinese imports dropped from 145% to 30% in May. The lowered tariffs are scheduled to remain in place through August while the U.S. and China negotiate a trade deal.

Retailers place orders with suppliers months in advance to stock their shelves. Jenkins added since manufacturing and shipping costs have increased, customers are hesitant to place orders. He currently has one shipment of toy trucks that's in limbo.

"My cost on that container would have been about $50,000," Jenkins explained. "During that time period, my cost went from $50,000 worth of toys to $135,000. We can't do that. So, depending upon what happens and when we can get that ready to ship is going to depend on whether or not there are toys in the stores for Christmas."

Jenkins and other small business owners nationwide have formed the group "Tariffs Cost US" to draw attention to how the trade wars are affecting businesses, consumers and the overall economy. They said the tariffs are affecting manufacturing, shipping, hiring and marketing.


get more stories like this via email

If the federal government finalizes the budget reconciliation bill in play, pro-consumer voices in Minnesota warn the changes will not be friendly to monthly bills for energy customers.

The analysts pointed to new findings from the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation, which looked at provisions in the Senate version from this week. It said the plan would cause Minnesotans' home electricity costs to rise by 28% over the next decade.

Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, said it is because Republican lawmakers are poised to eliminate clean energy tax credits while expanding new oil and gas leasing.

"If we can't build as much wind and solar and renewables, then we're not just going to be building more gas plants, but running inefficient, more costly gas plants, more than we would have to," Levenson-Falk explained.

Levenson-Falk pointed out many Minnesotans are already struggling with utility costs, and the advancement of cleaner energy sources has prevented things from getting worse. Fossil fuel-linked groups are cheering the proposed measure, including America's Power, which argued incentives for renewables are no longer needed and they are pushing out energy sources such as coal prematurely.

The debates remain at the forefront with energy demand predicted to spike in the coming years. Levenson-Falk noted the new report showed transitioning back to a fossil-fuel vision would lead to a slower rollout of additional power capacity.

"Our power plants are old and they need to be upgraded or replaced," Levenson-Falk stressed.

Levenson-Falk acknowledged the need for more power grid upgrades with a diversified energy portfolio. But after up-front construction costs, she added operating solar and wind farms is not as expensive because there is no fuel needed, benefiting ratepayers.

Even with congressional moves potentially stalling progress, she emphasized clean energy would still be a part of the mix as utilities develop their own strategies.


get more stories like this via email