Montgomery Community Media

Both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have recently issued warnings about extended vehicle “warranty” robocalls. The individuals making the calls do not represent the car manufacturer and commonly try to sell a “service agreement” that would cost thousands of dollars and may lack any guarantee of coverage. The Advisory […]

Scams related to COVID-19 have increased rapidly in recent months due to scammers taking advantage of the worldwide health crisis. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as of January 2021, they received nearly 327,000 consumer complaints related to COVID-19. MyMCM spoke with Attorney Roberto Anguizola from the FTC’s marketing department about the most common […]

Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) and Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) will host a variety of virtual informative webinars from Feb. 28 to March 6 for National Consumer Protection Week. The free webinars aim to help community members understand their consumer rights and decide how to make well-informed decisions regarding their money.  The […]

It is Friday, May 1, and here are five things to know in Montgomery County. 1. Business Briefing: Council President Sidney Katz hosts a discussion about the County’s response to COVID-19 and the impact on businesses at 12:30 p.m. Email Councilmember.Katz@montgomerycountymd.gov to register and submit questions. 2. Funding for Small Businesses:  The Montgomery County Economic […]

It is Friday, April 24, and here are five things to know in Montgomery County. 1. Virtual Friday with Friedson:  Councilmember Andrew Friedson will lead a discussion on managing personal finances during the COVID-19 crisis with a group of experts from discussion with 11 a.m. to noon today. Join on Facebook Live or through Zoom. […]

Last week’s wind storm left thousands of residents without power and a lot of damage to clean up. The downed tree limbs left by the storm across the county are like a jackpot for some criminals and that’s why Eric Friedman, director for the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection, said residents should beware of what he […]

Background: What is Equifax? Equifax is one of three major U.S. credit reporting bureaus. The other two are TransUnion and Experian. There is also a smaller, less well-known credit-reporting agency called Innovis (aka CBCInnovis) that operates slightly different in that its main purpose is to provide mortgage credit reporting services to the financial services industry. […]

As our local senior population grows, Montgomery County is trying to raise awareness about crimes against the elderly. An event that highlighted elder abuse was recently held at Holiday Park Senior Center. Find out more in this report, below: Visit our PEG partner County Cable Montgomery to view more of its local programming.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is reminding taxpayers to safeguard their personal information by being alert to phone solicitation scams. According to a news release, the Comptroller’s Office has recently received calls from concerned taxpayers who said they were receiving phone calls from someone claiming to work for the State of Maryland. These scammers tell taxpayers […]

It starts with a phone call from someone claiming to be representing Pepco. The Takoma Park Police Department wants residents to be on alert. According to a news release, police have received information from citizens that a person is calling and saying they represent Pepco to offer services and upgrades in exchange for money. “Many companies, […]