Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Randy Hutchinson

Opinion: Be aware of this law if you wear eyeglasses

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 04:00:02 -0500

The Ophthalmic Practice Rules were created to let consumers comparison-shop by insisting prescribers put prescriptions in patients’ hands before they buy corrective eyewear.

Opinion: Cannabis edibles are not safe for everyone

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Tue, 8 Jul 2025 17:51:47 -0500

“Poisoning from edible cannabis products doesn’t typically result in serious problems for adults, but can cause more severe reactions requiring medical attention in children.”

Opinion: Beware of Bitcoin ATM scams

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 08:32:25 -0500

“The Federal Trade Commission says consumers reported losing $110 million to Bitcoin ATM fraud in 2023, a tenfold increase over 2020.”

Hutchinson: Some scammers are victims themselves

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 17 May 2025 04:00:05 -0500

Reports from the Council on Foreign Relations and the United States Institute of Peace say some overseas call centers are staffed by people who have been trafficked or lured in by fake job ads.

Hutchinson: Beware of fake reviews

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 04:00:06 -0500

“About 30% of online reviews are fake and cost U.S. businesses nearly $152 billion per year in damaged reputations and lost revenue.”

Hutchinson: When replacing your roof, do your research

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 9 Mar 2025 04:00:10 -0500

Consumers pull more Better Business Bureau reports on roofers than other kinds of businesses. Some who don’t later wish they had.

Hutchinson: 'Sextortion' scams are on the rise

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 04:00:14 -0600

Anyone can be a victim of this crime, but teenagers are the most vulnerable. And the results can be deadly.

Hutchinson: Beware of these lending scams

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 04:00:06 -0600

A Florida woman claimed to have more than 10 years of experience in grant writing. In reality, her last known employment was at a Krystal, and she was on probation for stealing cash deposits from it.

Hutchinson: Businesses beware of government-impersonation scams

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 04:00:08 -0500

The Better Business Bureau warns businesses and nonprofits to be wary of emails with anything other than .gov in the address.

Hutchinson: Be wary of false claims by for-profit schools

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Thu, 3 Oct 2024 17:46:27 -0500

Before enrolling in a for-profit school, make sure it is legitimate.

Hutchinson: Privacy policies are important to understand

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 19:50:41 -0500

A recent study found 81% of the public say the potential risks they face because of data collection by companies outweigh the benefits.

Hutchinson: Cannabis edibles and kids don't mix

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 04:00:03 -0500

Experts agree that the best advice is to not consume cannabis edibles in front of children, which can make them seem OK, and to not have them in the home.

Hutchinson: Don't trust your data won't be misused online

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 04:00:12 -0500

Personal information collected in an app could be misused despite data broker’s promises and privacy policies, so businesses must be sure the benefit of using it is worth the risk.

Hutchinson: Beware of cash advance apps

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 18 May 2024 04:00:13 -0500

Personal finance apps like Brigit may be new, but established consumer protection principles apply.

Hutchinson: Poor password practices make hackers’ lives easier

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 04:00:03 -0500

Study after study show that 123456 is one of the most common passwords. Others in the top 10 include 12345678, qwerty (the first five letters on a keyboard), ********, 1q2w3e (check your keyboard to see why) and the word “password” itself.

Hutchinson: Be wary of get-rich-quick schemes

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 04:00:13 -0500

Even if you’ve determined a business opportunity is legitimate, be sure it’s right for you. Ask what you’d be selling or doing, how shoppers would find you, what your expenses would be and when you could expect to turn a profit.

Hutchinson: Ponzi schemes run gamut, from postal coupons to emu farms

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 04:00:07 -0600

Charles Ponzi gave his name to a type of investment scheme, but they were around before him and are with us still. Here are some red flags from the SEC and BBB.

Hutchinson: 'Check washing' surges, can cost victim thousands

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 04:00:07 -0600

“Check washing” is a crime the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network says is surging despite the fact that the use of checks is declining.

Hutchinson: FTC cracks down on addiction recovery companies

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 04:00:01 -0600

“Doctors peddling phony promises should know that the FTC will use its strengthened authority from Congress to stop them from exploiting Americans struggling with addiction.”

Hutchinson: Beware of AI scams

rhutchinson@bbbmidsouth.org (Randy Hutchinson) — Sat, 2 Dec 2023 04:00:04 -0600

The Federal Trade Commission is concerned that consumers will be mesmerized by such terms as “machine learning” and “neural networks” and fall prey to crooks who misrepresent or outright lie about how AI is used in their products.