Center for Economic Integrity

10/06/2026

Trendy scams🚩🚩

The Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust recently published its annual BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report. The report highlights trends based on scams that consumers reported to BBB Scam Tracker during 2025. The top three "riskiest" scams (based on number of complaints received, loss of money, and amount lost) fell under the investment/cryptocurrency, employment and online purchase categories. Romance and friendship scams dropped a notch to fourth place in 2025. One statistic we found particularly interesting (in light of our consumer education work on preventing unwanted robocalls and robotexts) was that reported text message scams rose from 9.8% of all scams in 2024 to 14.9% in 2025. We've certainly got our work cut out for us on this front. Another interesting finding was that both consumers in the 25 to 34 age range and those 65 and older reported the highest median dollar loss. This makes sense, as we've known that young adults and seniors can be specifically targeted by fraudsters and may be more vulnerable for a variety of reasons. You can check out BBB's report here. Also, keep Scam Tracker at the top of your list of resources for clients and for community education work. Don't miss Scam Tracker's nifty "heatmap" which offers a live view of reported scams and links to the most recent scams in every region.

View scam reports and activity across the United States and Canada.

09/30/2026

Consensus on cons 🚩🚩

The Aspen Institute's Financial Security Program (Aspen FSP) recently commended House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) leadership for publishing the report titled Fighting Back: A Policy Framework for Combating the Rise of Financial Fraud & Scams. In an analysis of the HFSC report, Aspen FSP noted that it "reinforces a growing bipartisan consensus that scams are a whole-of-society threat requiring a coordinated, whole-of-ecosystem response." As a member of ASPEN FSP's National Task Force on Scam and Fraud Prevention, we at Consumer Action were also encouraged to see what Aspen FSP described as an alignment between HFSC’s findings and the national strategy developed by Aspen FSP and the task force. Aspen FSP's analysis offered six priorities that can help turn the report's momentum into results. The policy priorities, which you can review more closely here, relate to establishing a coordinated interagency structure to overcome the fragmentation of current federal anti-scam efforts; harmonizing federal reporting systems so victims can report scams easily and government can produce more useful insights for law enforcement, regulators, and the public; reforms to meaningfully reduce fraudulent advertising; and empowering the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission to consider stronger monitoring, authentication, and action against scam content and bad actors.

https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/X1EkhQcXNu1o1To21q7wxA

The House Financial Services Committee staff has published a new report on scam prevention, drawing on Aspen FSP’s research.

09/28/2026

Tax relief for scam victims on the way?

AARP recently provided a promising update on the Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act, which, if it becomes law, would bring relief to scam victims who often have to pay taxes on money stolen by scammers. Since 2018, as CNBC explained in a related article, scam victims have faced restrictions on the ability to deduct scam losses due to a change under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Although that change was temporary, the "One Big Beautiful Bill" made it permanent. There are limited exceptions, as AARP explains, but only for fraud losses related to investment scams (including Ponzi schemes) and for people who experienced a scam while conducting business, allowing those losses to still be deductible. But, on to the good news: The Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act was passed by the House of Representatives on September 15. According to AARP, the law would restore and expand tax relief for victims of fraud and theft, and would waive the 10 percent early retirement account withdrawal penalty for scam victims under the age of 59 1/2. In addition, scam victims who recover stolen funds, would be able to return the money to their retirement accounts with the annual contribution limit waived. And even more good news, as announced by U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta, his office helped secure the inclusion of provisions from an earlier bill that would extend relief retroactively. We'll keep an eye on the current bill's progress, and hope to share more good news soon.

https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/00jizj0QqpvDP2JAvGuSRw

Advocates are working to change federal laws to separate fraud losses from taxable income

09/23/2026

Submit A Public Comment by October 6
Take Action to Protect Head Start

In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed sweeping changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards. If finalized, the changes could weaken teacher-child ratios, reduce services for children with disabilities and multilingual learners, limit parent leadership and community governance and more.

09/17/2026

Dear Community Partner:

We invite you to join us for Consumer Action’s 2026 Virtual Convening—Empowering Consumers with Tools to Tackle Rising Healthcare Costs.

As new healthcare cuts take effect, consumers will face difficult decisions about how to afford the care and coverage they need. This webinar will provide practical advice and actionable tips to share with your clients and community on how to save money on medical insurance, prescription drugs and hospital bills.

Our distinguished panel of experts includes Patricia Kelmar, senior director of healthcare campaigns at PIRG; Amy Killelea, assistant research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms; Sophia Tripoli, director of health policy for Families USA; Leigh Purvis, prescription drug policy principal for AARP's Public Policy Institute; and Amy Niles, chief mission delivery officer with Patient Advocate Foundation and TotalAssist.org. Speakers will discuss:

How states are coping with Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) cuts;
Financial and health risks consumers should know if considering “alternative healthcare” plans when they can no longer afford ACA coverage;
Ways to reduce prescription drug prices;
Financial assistance for out-of-pocket healthcare costs; and
Rights consumers have when coping with healthcare bills that they cannot afford.
Click here to register for Consumer Action’s 2026 Empowering Consumers with Tools to Tackle Rising Healthcare Costs Virtual Convening.

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 20, at 10 a.m. PT (11 a.m. MT; noon CT; 1 p.m. ET) (90-minute webinar)

We look forward to your participation!
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/daBRfHCipO3-afEqd8a_xg

Stefany Paredes Urias
Consumer Reports Advocacy
Consumer Watchdog
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
Consumer Federation of America
Center for Economic Integrity

09/16/2026

https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=367813&post_id=215712440&utm_source=post-email-title&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=7bgum8&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0NDI1MjUxODQsInBvc3RfaWQiOjIxNTcxMjQ0MCwiaWF0IjoxNzg5NDEzMTE5LCJleHAiOjE3OTIwMDUxMTksImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zNjc4MTMiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.m4Bk7Rj3L0ycK9jmwRZjpr2SY7lifGD65NCAbQX7dik

By Tom Feltner, Associate Director of Consumer Policy

09/15/2026

https://www.nclc.org/predatory-lender-enova-drops-bid-to-become-national-bank/

Bank Charter Would Have Enabled 100% APR Loans in Every State

09/15/2026

🧱Head Start is the federal program that offers children in the lowest income neighborhoods across the country with childcare, early education, health and dental checkups, and support for children with delays or disabilities. Six decades of evidence show that Head Start improves school readiness, increases high school graduation and college enrollment, connects children to health and dental care, and produces lasting gains in adult earnings and family stability.

Head Start’s results are possible because of the program standards that all programs offer high-quality and comprehensive services. In Arizona Head Start serves 17,000 children. Research links Head Start participation to stronger school readiness and longer-term educational, health, and economic outcomes.

The proposed rule would significantly restructure the federal standards governing Head Start and Early Head Start, including requirements related to classroom operations, workforce qualifications, comprehensive services, program oversight, and administrative costs. It would also defer greater authority to state policies in several areas, making the proposal directly relevant to Arizona’s early childhood system.

Head Start represents a substantial federal investment in Arizona’s economy. Federal fiscal year 2025 data show that Arizona programs, including Tribal Head Start programs, received approximately $255.6 million in annual operating funds and annually serves 17,000 children. This investment sustains early childhood and family-service employment, supports local vendors and community partnerships, and enables parents to participate more consistently in Arizona’s workforce.

Join the Arizona Head Start Association opposing the "NPRM: Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs" by signing our statewide letter.
Sign
On Form here.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQxhz09Hh9K7ny6dFQijk0Dh0ZyTErj8TffH-MsymocpgQeA/viewform

Stefany Paredes Urias
The Preschool Promise
Children's Action Alliance
Child Care Resource & Referral - Arizona
Southern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children
Center for Economic Integrity
Arizona's Children Association
Consumer Federation of America
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
Consumer Watchdog
Consumer Reports Advocacy

Head Start is the federal program that offers children in the lowest income neighborhoods across the country with childcare, early education, health and dental checkups, and support for children with delays or disabilities. Six decades of evidence show that Head Start improves school readiness, incr...

09/08/2026

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdefault.salsalabs.org%2FT7eb56e0c-8e53-4e47-abd9-f057f291b757%2F41552c2a-f54d-400f-b56c-4009796e7026&data=05%7C02%7Cmbrinkerhoff%40unitedwaytucson.org%7C3a1772d190d2474307e608df09dcd5b3%7Ca0f6b65d80f2429480800f7a6dc76ffc%7C1%7C0%7C639240516305337197%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C4000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=E0ZM%2F3V4IJGb2VIqEEdYZHmgr35RnhiSkr6mLk1F5Pw%3D&reserved=0

Stefany Paredes Urias
The Preschool Promise
Children's Action Alliance
Southern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children
Child Care Resource & Referral - Arizona
Center for Economic Integrity
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
Arizona's Children Association
Consumer Federation of America
Consumer Watchdog
Consumer Reports Advocacy