consumer

Vera Oberg of Germantown, Maryland, lost her life savings to a gift card scam.  Oberg is a registered nurse with a degree in healthcare administration and said she can’t believe she fell for this scam. But unfortunately, even the savviest of consumers are no match for these thieves. The scammer claimed he was an FBI agent and told her...

Gift card scams raked in more than $80 million in 2020. News4 went undercover to see what retailers are doing to spot potential scam victims. Susan Hogan reports.

A majority of people who received unemployment benefits in 2020 did not have taxes withheld on their payments and now face hefty tax bills. Susan Hogan reports.

Each year more than 250 models vie for car shoppers’ hearts, minds and driveways. Which ones are the very best?

They all score high marks in CR’s tests and surveys, and each comes standard with lifesaving safety features. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan reports.

People are struggling to pay their utility bills. With many families losing all or part of their income during the pandemic, there simply isn’t enough money after paying rent or the mortgage and groceries.

More than 750,000 customers in the D.C. region are behind on utility bills, but you may be able to get free money to pay them. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan reports.

So many people have fallen behind on their mortgages during the pandemic. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan shows you where to find free help to avoid losing your home.

Owning a home is the American dream. However, many people are barely holding on to their dream. As the economic effects of the pandemic drag on, a growing number of homeowners are struggling to pay their mortgage. The process of saving your home is extremely complicated and not something you should do on your own. The good news: There’s...

The pandemic has put a financial strain on so many families. Some of you may even feel like you’re in financial ruin. But does that mean you should consider filing for bankruptcy? It’s a tough question to answer alone. The number of people filing for bankruptcy has actually dropped during the pandemic because of federal protections in place. But...

Many families have been financially ruined by the pandemic. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan explains when bankruptcy may be the right option for you.

There’s been a lot of talk about Wall Street’s wild ride recently, and Bitcoin is another investment creating a lot of buzz. The cryptocurrency that was worth just a few dollars years ago is now soaring to prices in the tens of thousands of dollars, making many early buyers millionaires.  While many people have heard of Bitcoin, a lot...

David Roos left his job and relocated to another state. For three months he had no money coming in, which caused him to get behind on bills. With a credit card nearly maxed out and a sizable personal loan, he was at a breaking point. Roos received a flyer in the mail from a debt relief company that said it…

Credit card debt — most of us have had it at some point in our lives. According to a recent WalletHub study, American families owe an average of $7,800 on their credit cards and total credit card debt in the U.S. is more than $926 billion. If you are one of those with a lot of credit card debt, a…

If you fee like you are drowning in credit card debt, you may want to consider a personal loan. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan explains what you need to know.

When you’re deep in debt, promises from debt relief companies can sound enticing, but you should proceed with caution. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan reports.

Scammers have been cashing in on the pandemic, and now they’re using the COVID-19 vaccine to try and steal your money and information. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan reports.

Thousands of people are unable to access their unemployment funds thanks to widespread fraud. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan explains what’s happening and how to protect your money.

The pandemic has more singles relying on dating apps to make a love connection. All that online activity has led to an increase in the number of romance scams being reported. The Federal Trade Commission says in 2019 people reported losing $201 million to romance scams — that’s a lot of broken hearts.  One victim told the FBI she was…

Don’t let that new love connection leave you with a broken heart and empty bank account. Consumer Reporter Susan Hogan has the red flags of romance scams.