Community Alerts RSS Feed

Last Updated: May 8, 2008 - 1:43:32 PM

---

Announcements
Fake Nike Shoes Seized by CBP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport continue to seize millions of dollars worth of counterfeit Nike footwear
May 8, 2008 - 1:40:46 PM

Community Alerts
Frightened of Food: Living with Food Allergies

Food allergies cause about 30,000 severe allergic reactions and 150 deaths every year in the United States. They affect nearly 4% of adults and about 7% of children under 4 years old. Several studies show that food allergies are becoming more common.

CDC Health Advisory Notices & Announcements
Dietary Supplement Alert: Supplement Contains Hazardous Levels of Selenium (up to 200 times)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working collaboratively with state health departments, the American Association of Poison Control Centers, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on reports of adverse health effects following consumption of the dietary supplement “Total Body Formula,” and “Total Body Mega Formula” manufactured in the USA exclusively for Total Body Essential Nutrition, Inc.  This dietary supplement has been found by FDA to contain hazardous levels of selenium (up to 200 times the label value) and  chromium (up to 17 times the label value). 

Community Alerts
Lowes Recalls 84,000 Children’s Storage Bins due to Lead Hazard
Surface paint on the storage bins could contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
May 4, 2008 - 7:34:47 PM

Announcements
Wal-Mart Shopping Scam: Telemarketers Must Pay $28.2 Million
The Federal Trade Commission today announced several court actions obtained against a nationwide telemarketing scheme that the media has dubbed the "Wal-Mart Shopping Spree" scam. In this scam, consumers were falsely promised free gifts and wrongfully paid monthly fees for "program memberships" such as discount buyers’ and travel clubs.
Apr 24, 2008 - 8:11:28 AM

Community Alerts
E-Mailed Grand Jury Summons May Harm Computers
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is alerting computer users about a spam e-mail that contains a fraudulent court subpoena. The bogus e-mail attempts to notify recipients that they are commanded to appear and testify before a Grand Jury.
Apr 20, 2008 - 7:53:47 PM

Announcements
26,000 Fake Teeth Recalled Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard
The gray surface paint on the teeth contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
Apr 15, 2008 - 7:59:09 AM

Announcements
Malt-O-Meal Recalls Puffed Rice Cereal
Malt-O-Meal Company Initiates announced today that it is voluntarily recalling its unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced with "Best If Used By" codes between April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") and March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809") because they may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Apr 12, 2008 - 9:19:13 AM

Announcements
Bags and Rolls of New Mexico Quarters Available April 7
WASHINGTON - Collectors can begin purchasing shiny, new quarters honoring New Mexico directly from the United States Mint at noon (ET) on April 7, 2008.  The New Mexico commemorative quarter-dollar is available for approximately 10 weeks, and options include a two-roll set priced at $32.95, and 100- and 1,000 coin bags priced at $32.95 and $309.95, respectively.  There is no order limit on these options.
Apr 1, 2008 - 7:52:09 AM

Community Alerts
113,000 Avon Polar Bears Realled Due to Fire and Burn Hazards
Avon has received 41 reports of the warming polar bear overheating, including six reports of minor burns.
Apr 1, 2008 - 7:48:35 AM

Announcements
Prepaid Calling Scam: FTC Asks Court to Halt Prepaid Calling Card Scam; Alleges Consumers Receive Fewer Calling Minutes Than Advertised and Pay Hidden Fees
The Federal Trade Commission has asked a U.S. district court judge to order a halt to the alleged illegal practices of CTA, a major distributor of prepaid calling cards across the country. In the last quarter of 2007 alone, CTA’s revenue from the sale of cards exceeded $28 million. The FTC charges that CTA misrepresents the number of calling minutes consumers get, fails to disclose that consumers’ cards will be charged whether or not the calls go through, and charges hidden fees.
Mar 30, 2008 - 12:08:13 AM

Community Alerts
3000 Toy Penguins Recalled Due to Laceration Hazard
The head of the penguin toy can detach, exposing connectors with sharp points, presenting a laceration hazard to consumers.
Mar 28, 2008 - 12:13:07 AM

Community Alerts
Toy Airplanes, Cars, and Motorcycles Recalled by S.U. Wholesale Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
The recalled toys contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
Mar 18, 2008 - 9:06:00 AM

Community Alerts
Reebok to Pay Record $1,000,000 Civil Penalty for Importing Charm Bracelets
The penalty settles allegations that Reebok International Ltd., of Canton, Mass., imported and distributed charm bracelets that contained toxic levels of lead. The charm bracelets were provided as free gifts with the purchase of various styles of children's footwear. In March 2006, a 4-year-old boy from Minneapolis who swallowed the bracelet's heart-shaped pendant died.
Mar 18, 2008 - 6:13:17 AM

Community Alerts
27,000 JCPenney Deep Fryers Recalled Due to Fire and Burn Hazards
The deep fryer has a faulty heating element which can cause it to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Mar 11, 2008 - 8:39:57 PM

Community Alerts
FTC Cautions Consumers About Tax and Rebate Scams
The Federal Trade Commission is cautioning consumers looking forward to rebate checks from the government that they may be targets of scammers out to steal their identity. The agency has issued an alert to help consumers avoid this situation.
Mar 6, 2008 - 7:55:11 AM

Announcements
Nestle finds two HOT POCKETS brands affected by beef recall
Nestle USA has identified two products affected by the Westland/Hallmark Meat packing recall and has initiated a product withdrawal of its HOT POCKETS® brand Philly Steak and Cheese and HOT POCKETS® brand Croissant Crust Philly Steak and Cheese.
Feb 27, 2008 - 11:35:11 AM

Community Alerts
Online Extortion: The FBI Reports

A new scam cropping up in e-mail boxes across the country is preying not on recipients’ greed or good intentions, but on their fears. The scam e-mail, which first appeared in December, threatens to kill recipients if they do not pay thousands of dollars to the sender, who purports to be a hired assassin.

Community Alerts
Toy Recall: Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Pecoware Due to Risk of Lead Exposure
The children's necklaces contain high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.
Feb 22, 2008 - 7:24:16 AM

Community Alerts
6,600 Spiderman Water Bottles Recalled
The firm has received three reports of screws coming loose under the water bottle’s lid. No injuries have been reported.
Feb 20, 2008 - 6:31:56 AM

Community Alerts
More scam phone calls are targeting Empire Bank customers, others in southwest Missouri, Nixon warns
Attorney General Jay Nixon said his office’s Consumer Protection Division has taken dozens of calls and e-mails this week from residents of the Springfield area who are receiving phone calls from people claiming to be with Empire Bank but who, in reality, are trying to steal bank account and other financial information. Nixon issued a similar warning yesterday for mid-Missouri after consumers contacted his office about scam calls claiming to be from Central Bank.
Feb 15, 2008 - 1:05:37 PM

Announcements
Consumer Fraud: FTC Releases List of Top Consumer Fraud Complaints in 2007
The FTC today released the list of top consumer fraud complaints received by the agency in 2007. The list, contained in the publication “Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data January-December 2007,” showed that for the seventh year in a row, identity theft is the number one consumer complaint category. Of 813,899 total complaints received in 2007, 258,427, or 32 percent, were related to identity theft.
Feb 13, 2008 - 9:14:58 AM

Community Alerts
California Health Alert: Do Not To Eat Bibi Rainbow Chewing Gum Confection, Tamanzela Candies And Tarritos Candies Imported From Mexico
SACRAMENTO – Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), today warned consumers not to eat Bibi Rainbow Chewing Gum Confection, Tamanzela candies and Tarritos candies, which are imported from Mexico, after tests by CDPH found levels of lead that could cause health problems.  Eating lead-contaminated candy is particularly harmful to infants, young children and pregnant women.
Feb 8, 2008 - 6:47:00 AM

Announcements
Warning: Do Not Eat Parmesan & Asiago Dip With Garlic & Basil
Dr. Mark Horton, Director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), today warned consumers not to eat Olivier brand Parmesan & Asiago Dip with Garlic & Basil, because of the possibility of contamination with Clostridium botulinum.

Feb 2, 2008 - 5:58:47 PM

Community Alerts
FDA Warns Public of Contaminated Syringes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a nationwide recall of all lots of heparin and saline pre-filled flush syringes manufactured by AM2 PAT, Inc., of Angier, N.C. Two lots have been found to be contaminated with Serratia marcescens, a bacterium that can cause serious injury or death.
Jan 31, 2008 - 12:53:24 PM