SAN ANTONIO – How low can they go?
Scammers are preying on grieving families by impersonating funeral homes, the Federal Trade Commission warns.
They can target the families by searching obituaries. Then, the FTC says, the fraudsters pretend to be someone from the funeral home and call on the family to inform them that additional payment is needed. And they tell victims that the funeral will be canceled if they don’t pay immediately.
Nationwide, there are reports of people being tricked during a vulnerable time in their lives.
The FTC recommends slowing down the conversation and resisting pressure to protect yourself from scammers.
“Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer,” the FTC said.
It’s also important to contact the funeral home directly to ask questions.
CCATTO baby tents
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents not to use CCATTO brand baby tents because of a suffocation risk.
The tents are not a safe sleeping environment for infants, and they come with a banned infant pillow that contains foam pellets, the agency said in its warning.
The company that sells these through Amazon has not responded to officials’ demands for a recall.
The baby tents sold for about $30 and were advertised with the following description: Portable Baby Tent, CCATTO Pop Up Beach Tent for Baby, Enhanced Ventilation, UPF 50+ Sun Shelter for Infant, Baby Camping Bed with Mosquito Net (Pegs, Travel Bag, Bonus Cooling Sleeping Kit Included).
The baby tents have “CCATTO” branded on the top and are gray with neon green trim.
Credit card interest and debt
Credit card debt is as deep as ever, and record-high interest rates don’t make it any easier to dig out.
In Texas, the average balance is a whopping $6,170, according to CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com.
The average credit card is charging 20.69% APR, nearly five percentage points higher than at the beginning of last year.
“Even if rates level off from here, borrowers are facing steep interest charges. My top tip is to sign up for a 0% balance transfer card,” said analyst Ted Rossman. “These allow you to avoid interest for up to 21 months.”
It’s important to pay down the balance before time is up and interest kicks in.