| Consumer
Organizations, Federal Agencies, National Associations |
American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Consumer information and fraud alerts for older persons |
Consumer
Action Website
Federal Consumer Information Center.
Find help on such topics as buying and leasing cars, shopping
from home, protecting your privacy, avoiding scams. |
Consumer
Product Safety Commission
Product recalls/safety issues |
| Consumer
Reports magazine on-line |
The
Council of Better Business Bureaus
Links to local Better Business Bureaus and consumer alerts,
scam warnings
|
Energy
Star website of the Environmental Protection Agency
Information about how to save money and energy with Energy Star
appliances and homes
|
Federal
Reserve Board Consumer Information
Information about credit cards, home mortgages and car leasing;
how to file a complaint against a bank
|
Federal
Trade Commission
Numerous consumer factsheets on topics from automobiles to credit,
home improvement, telemarketing, and more
|
Legal
Aid Bureau, Inc.
Free civil legal services in Maryland for low-income people
|
|
Maryland
Homeowner's Association, Inc.-Homeowner advocacy
group. Help for homeowners living in homeowner associations,
condominium associations and cooperatives.
|
National
Association of Attorneys General
Locate other states' Attorneys General
|
North American Securities Administrators Association
Investor education
|
|
National
Consumer Law Center
Advocacy for low-income consumers, includes information about
credit insurance, preventing foreclosure, bankruptcy, eviction,
and getting out of debt
|
|
National
Consumers League
Advocacy group offers consumer information.
|
National
Council on Economic Education
Promotes economic literacy of K-12 students; provides teaching
materials
|
National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Auto recalls/service bulletins
|
Quackwatch.com
Information about health fraud and scams
|
|
|
| Maryland
State Agencies & Maryland Law
|
Maryland
Division of Financial Regulation
Handles complaints involving mortgage lenders, consumer loans,
installment sales, sales finance, collection agencies, and credit
reporting agencies.
|
Maryland
Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Check online to see if a business or individual is licensed
with the state.
|
Maryland
Home Improvement Commission
Check the records of contractors, subcontractors or salespersons
or file a complaint.
|
Maryland
Insurance Administration
Handles complaints and offers information about health and auto
insurance, including a comparative rate guide to auto insurance.
|
Maryland
Law Library
Maryland Code and COMAR online
|
Maryland
Office of Cemetery Oversight
Handles complaints against cemeteries and monument dealers,
and offers consumer tips for cemetery, monument and funeral
home purchases.
|
Maryland
People's Counsel
Represents residential customers in natural gas, electric, telephone,
water and transportation utility matters. |
Maryland
Real Property Seach Online Database
Find the last sales price of a house, from the Department of
Assessments and Taxation.
|
|
Maryland
Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division
Find charities that are registered with the state.
|
|
People's
Law Library of Maryland
Legal information resource, including landlord-tenant, immigration,
domestic violence, family law, disabilities law, bankruptcy,
public housing
|
| |
| Internet/Privacy
Issues |
| Identity
Theft Resource Center. A
nationally accredited, non-profit organization dedicated
to providing
free information to victims and potential victims of identity
theft as well as prevention tips and guides. Has worked
with many law enforcement agencies to combat this crime as
well as many legislators in the effort to pass laws to protect
consumers. |
FTC's
Identity Theft website
The federal government's website about identity theft - prevention
tips, what to do if you are a victim, federal and state laws
|
econsumer.gov
Website maintained by the Federal Trade Commission has contacts
for consumer agencies around the world and lets consumers file
complaints about online transactions with foreign companies. |
Hoaxbusters
Information about Internet hoaxes and e-mail chain letters |
|
Internet
Crime Complaint Center
The IC3 is a partnership between the FBI and the National
White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), which offers free membership
services to law enforcement agencies. The IC3 serves as a
clearing house and repository for complaints from industry
and private citizens in regard to Internet Cyber Crimes.
These complaints are collected, correlated, and distributed
to local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for
investigation and prosecution. The IC3 also provides analytical
support for active cyber investigations and continues to
develop partnerships with various industry members.
|
National
Fraud Information Center
Information about Internet and telemarketing scams
|
Network
Solutions
Find out who owns an Internet Domain name.
|
Privacy
Rights Clearinghouse
Information about identity theft, privacy rights, opt-out notices
from financial institutions
|
