According to recent investigations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the amount of inaccurate charges added to cell phone bills is on the rise. The billing of hidden or unexpected charges is called bill “cramming” or bill “shock.” BBB wants you to know how to prevent these additional fees from popping up on your monthly statements.

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Today, the last of several changes to the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule go into effect. These regulations will protect consumers from for-profit companies that sell debt relief services over the phone. Whether the company calls you, or you respond to advertising from a for-profit credit counseling, debt settlement or debt negotiation service, the company CANNOT collect an advance fee for their service until:

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Shred Day is coming up THIS Saturday for San Antonio and Austin business owners and consumers. While BBB will gladly accept your old documents and records, we do want to make sure you're not discarding things you should be keeping. That's why we have the following records retention schedule for you to use as a guide BEFORE packing those boxes and bags into your car:

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With Shred Day coming up this weekend and next weekend, it's important for consumers to remember that “Green Marketing” is becomming more and more popular. All kinds of products and events are being labeled or advertised with claims they are environmentally friendly. But which claims are truthful? Here's a few red flags that a product may not be as advertised:

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Phishing attempts seem to change just as fast as the weather. Case in point, this week several consumers reported to BBB they received a message in their personal email inbox from "PayPal" titled "Unauthorized access on your PayPal account!" Of course if you're a PayPal user, this could turn on the panic button, but luckily one consumer did not own a PayPal account and knew it was fake. Here is what the message looks like:

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