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Undercover Operation: 23 Unlicensed Moving Companies Facing Fines In NJ Totaling $125K, AG Says Undercover Operation: 23 Unlicensed Moving Companies Facing Fines In NJ Totaling $125K, AG Says
Undercover Operation: 23 Unlicensed Moving Companies Facing Fines In NJ Totaling $125K, AG Says Twenty-three unlicensed movers have been issued notices of violation and assessed civil penalties totaling $125,000, New Jersey officials said. The penalties were the results of "Operation Safe Move," a state-led undercover operation targeting movers doing business without being licensed by the Division, as required by law, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said (scroll for a list of companies and what they're being fined). The civil enforcement investigation was conducted over a three-day period in June, in which investigators with the Division’s Office of Consumer Protectio…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG
Once-Thriving Celeb Messaging Site 'Cameo' Violated Federal Guidelines: New Jersey AG Cameo, message site that allows you or someone you care about to receive a video message from a range of celebrities, admitted to violating Federal Trade Commission endorsement guidelines, Matthew Platkin, the New Jersey Attorney General said. The website, features a diverse group of celebrities like former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, British politician Nigel Farange and legendary professional wrestler Mick Foley, reached a settlement with the state after it alleged Cameo failed to provide appropriate disclosures to consumers purchasing these personalized videos for business or product endors…

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by Sam Barron
News
Walmart Agrees To Whopping $1.64M Settlement Amid Unfair Pricing Accusations At NJ Stores Walmart Agrees To Whopping $1.64M Settlement Amid Unfair Pricing Accusations At NJ Stores
Walmart Agrees To Whopping $1.64M Settlement Amid Unfair Pricing Accusations At NJ Stores Walmart has agreed to pay $1.64 million to settle accusations of unlawful pricing at its 64 stores across New Jersey, state officials said. The settlement, which includes a $1.61 million civil penalty, is the largest ever obtained by the Division’s Office of Weights and Measures (“OWM”). Walmart was accused of violating New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act (“CFA”) and Unit Pricing Disclosure Act (“UPDA”) by using inaccurate unit pricing for a variety of grocery products sold in the chain’s New Jersey locations, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. The UPDA requires grocery retailers t…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
SCAM ALERT: Glen Rock Homeowner Loses $27,400 As Home Repair Con Men Prep For Spring SCAM ALERT: Glen Rock Homeowner Loses $27,400 As Home Repair Con Men Prep For Spring
Scam ALERT: Glen Rock Homeowner Loses $27,400 As Home Repair Con Men Prep For Spring A roof repair scam cost a Glen Rock resident $27,400, prompting the borough police chief to warn citizens against con men who come to the door. Two visiting scammers who claimed to be from Nassau County, on Long Island, offered to repair a partially damaged section of one victim’s roof for $3,400, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. No sooner had they begun their work than they suddenly “discovered” that the damage was “more extensive than originally thought,” the chief said. They asked for an additional $24,000 and the resident subsequently wired them the money, he said. The…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Dating App Bumble Pays Up After Violating NJ Internet Safety Laws: State AG Dating App Bumble Pays Up After Violating NJ Internet Safety Laws: State AG
Dating App Bumble Pays Up After Violating NJ Internet Safety Laws: State AG You might want to be careful the next time you swipe right. Bumble, the popular dating app, has agreed to pay $315,000 and change its business practices after the state charged it violated consumer protection and internet dating safety laws by misrepresenting its criminal background screening policies, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.  As part of the settlement, Bumble has agreed to disclose the company's criminal background screening policies on its dating website and app, to disclose whether those services allow people with criminal backgrounds to use the site and pr…

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by Sam Barron
News
NJ Makes It Easier To Get Off Treadmill Of Unwanted Gym Memberships NJ Makes It Easier To Get Off Treadmill Of Unwanted Gym Memberships
NJ Makes It Easier To Get Off Treadmill Of Unwanted Gym Memberships If you're ditching the gym because you've already given up on a New Year's resolution or you no longer need it to reach your goals, a new law in New Jersey will make it easier to cancel your membership. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill on Monday, Jan. 8, that aims to increase transparency for canceling gym memberships online. The law will require gym subscription services that can be entered into online to offer an online cancellation option. A gym's website must make an option to cancel a membership easily accessible, within a person's account profile, or through a termination emai…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Google Settles $700M Multi-State Lawsuit For Limiting Android App Sales Competition Google Settles $700M Multi-State Lawsuit For Limiting Android App Sales Competition
Google Settles $700M Multi-State Lawsuit For Limiting Android App Sales Competition Google has agreed to pay $630 million fo consumers for encouraging anti-competitive practices in the Google Play Store sale of its Android apps, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced. New Jersey and a coalition of 52 attorneys general sued Google in 2021, alleging that Google unlawfully monopolized the Android app distribution and in-app payment processing markets.  The states’ complaint highlighted several allegedly anticompetitive practices, including Google’s use of restrictive contracts to stifle the growth of competing app stores on Android devices, paying …

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by Jon Craig
Politics
NJ Reps Aim To Keep AM Radio In Vehicles NJ Reps Aim To Keep AM Radio In Vehicles
NJ Reps Aim To Keep AM Radio In Vehicles Many automakers are removing AM radios from their new electrical vehicles. Some New Jersey congressmen want to change that. Rep. Josh Gottenheimer (D-NJ), who represents most of Bergen County and parts of Passaic and Suffex County is the lead sponsor on a bill in the House of Represenatives that would require automakers to maintain AM radios in their new vehicles at no extra charge to the consumer. The bill, the AM for Every Vehicle Act, has support in the Senate from Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Ted Cruz. (D-TX) Gottenheimer's bill comes in the wake of reports that BMW, Volkswagen, M…

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by Sam Barron
News
Wheel Operators At American Dream, Three Other NJ Businesses Accused Of Exploiting Customers Wheel Operators At American Dream, Three Other NJ Businesses Accused Of Exploiting Customers
Wheel Operators At American Dream, Three Other NJ Businesses Accused Of Exploiting Customers The operators of the Dreamwheel at the American Dream Mall have been cited for forcing customers who want to pay cash to buy gift cards with surcharges, state authorities said. Skyviews of America, LLC, which operates the ferris wheel at the East Rutherford mall, was among four businesses that New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said received violation notices for either not accepting cash or charging a credit card surcharge without properly notifying consumers. Similar notices – in this case for not disclosing card surcharges – also went to Ronnie’s Hot Bagels in Hillsdale and S…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
Recall Issued For Popular Ice Cream Product Sold In NJ Due To Undeclared Allergens Recall Issued For Popular Ice Cream Product Sold In NJ Due To Undeclared Allergens
Recall Issued For Popular Ice Cream Product Sold In NJ Due To Undeclared Allergens A popular ice cream product sold throughout the region is being recalled due to reported undeclared allergens, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. Weis Markets has issued a voluntary recall of 48-ounce containers of its “Weis Quality Sea Salt Caramel Ripple Ice Cream,” which could potentially contain undeclared soy and coconut allergens. Officials say that anyone who has an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy or coconut allergens could run the risk of serious or life-threatening reactions if they are consumed. According to the FDA, the products may have been distributed in…

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by Zak Failla
News
Three NJ Auto Dealers Pony Up $400,000 To Resolve Ripoff Claims, Promise Not To Do It Again Three NJ Auto Dealers Pony Up $400,000 To Resolve Ripoff Claims, Promise Not To Do It Again
Three NJ Auto Dealers Pony Up $400,000 To Resolve Ripoff Claims, Promise Not To Do It Again Three New Jersey auto dealers accused of ripping off customers agreed to pay nearly $400,000 combined to end a state investigation while promising not to do it again, authorities announced. Buyers of both new and used vehicles have already been frustrated by supply chain issues, Acting Attorney Matthew J. Platkin said in a joint release with the state Division of Consumer Affairs on Friday, May 20. Now this. “Dodging illegal practices should be the last thing New Jerseyans have to worry about as they search for a vehicle in this challenging market,” the attorney general said. Platkin iden…

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by Jerry DeMarco