When you’re planning to make a purchase, two of the most crucial factors you will inevitably compare are the prices and the various companies that offer the product or service you need. Did you know that BBB can give you a list of companies and their prices at the same time? BBB’s online directory, Member Pages, is completely free and it is an extremely simple way to find businesses you can trust and prices you can afford.

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Between April 17th and April 19th, consumers on the PlayStation Network were unfortunately victims of a data breach and now have their personal information potentially compromised. This includes their PlayStation Network login, password and security answers as well as name, address, purchase history, billing address and credit card information. While Sony has turned off their PlayStation Network and enlisted an outside security firm to conduct an investigation, any person with an active PlayStation Network account should do the following:

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The historic earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan has left hundreds of thousands of people in need of help. If you plan to donate money to assist with the relief efforts, BBB wants to help you make sure your donation ends up in the right hands! Here are five tips for making safe donations:

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Are you hoping to buy your first home this year? If so, check out the special event that we have coming up during National Consumer Protection Week on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 – you won’t want to miss it!

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Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. While many people plan dates with significant others, look to get into the dating scene or simply want to let friends and family know that they care, scammers may unfortunately try to take advantage of the heightened communication around this special day. BBB wants you to be aware of 3 common scams that typically make an appearance during this time of year:

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This Sunday, January 9th at 7pm, NBC Dateline will debut a new series called "The Hansen Files" featuring investigative reporter Chris Hansen. The first episode was done with the help of the Better Business Bureau to expose a nationwide scheme involving less than trustworthy air duct cleaning companies.

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Last year, your BBB received over 23,000 complaints from consumers who felt they were taken advantage of by a business. Those looking for jobs, struggling to make money or get out of debt were the most common targets of scammers, hackers and deceptive businesses in 2010.

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Today, the last of several changes to the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule go into effect. These regulations will protect consumers from for-profit companies that sell debt relief services over the phone. Whether the company calls you, or you respond to advertising from a for-profit credit counseling, debt settlement or debt negotiation service, the company CANNOT collect an advance fee for their service until:

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Phishing attempts seem to change just as fast as the weather. Case in point, this week several consumers reported to BBB they received a message in their personal email inbox from "PayPal" titled "Unauthorized access on your PayPal account!" Of course if you're a PayPal user, this could turn on the panic button, but luckily one consumer did not own a PayPal account and knew it was fake. Here is what the message looks like:

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Facebook users need to be careful about clicking links in status updates that say "OMG This GUY Went A Little To Far WITH His Revenge On His EX Girlfriend." It's a bait technique for a clickjacking attack that is making its way through thousands of profiles. Clickjacking occurs when someone clicks on a link which redicts them to a mechanism designed to register mouse clicks and spam your contacts. Here is what this one looks like:

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We normally think of phishing attempts as those that come through your email or from malicious websites, but they can also come from phone solicitations as well. Case in point, today we received an alert that several consumers have received automated phone calls telling them their credit or debit cards have been locked or temporarily suspended. Conveniently enough, the message also invites them to enter information over the phone to solve the problem. BBB warns this not to be done.

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Many people use TweetDeck to organize their Twitter lists and get automatic updates from those they follow. Lately, BBB has seen several messages populate Twitter telling TweetDeck users to download an update to the software. The messages include:

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Facebook users are familiar with the ability to "like" their friends' comments, wall posts, etc. Many users constrastly have called for the ability to "dislike" posts as well. Unfortunately, scammers became aware of this and have set up traps for computer users in the disguise of applications which are now wrecking havoc on computers.

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It’s been nearly 4 months since oil began leaking from a well dug by British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. This environmental disaster captured the attention of consumers, as well as scammers, nationwide. While the leak has since been sealed, BBB continues to hear from consumers about potential scams related to a variety of issues stemming from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

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A couple of weeks ago, we warned you about timeshare meetings occuring in Corpus Christi. This week, we received another tip from a business owner in San Antonio alerting BBB to several possible locksmith scams. The story goes like this...

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The summer season continues to heat up and consumers are calling BBB concerned about free offers appearing in their mail and e-mail inboxes. The catch…they must attend a timeshare presentation. BBB reminds you to carefully read through these offers to avoid making a costly mistake.

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With more and more consumers making the switch to iPhones, BlackBerrys and other smartphones, security questions seem to be popping up regarding the applications you can download for each device. The obvious answer would be "if you're careful, everything will be fine," but BBB hears about scammers everyday that come up with clever ways to fool victims who take the right precautions.

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The summer season has officially arrived and that means vacations are right around the corner. With credit cards replacing traveler’s checks in popularity while away from home, it’s important to make sure your personal information stays safe. According to a 2009 Javelin Strategy and Research study, 43% of all fraud cases were due to lost or stolen checkbooks, debit cards and credit cards. BBB advises consumers on the go to keep these tips in mind…

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Last week, we gave consumers a few tips and advice for making wise donation decisions towards helping oil spill relief efforts. As an addition to that information, here are the websites of several national BBB Accredited charities addressing the oil spill. Keep in mind, this list only includes charities that meet BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. Click on each of the names for their individual BBB charity report.

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Warmer weather in Central Texas is sure to have consumers thinking about summer plans. Whether you are looking to rent a vacation home or put your second home up for rent, Better Business Bureau is here with some advice to keep you from getting scammed.

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