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Consumer Alert

How to spot hard-to-spot rental scams

Ari Lazarus
Finding an apartment or house to rent that’s safe, affordable, and near amenities you want can be hard for anyone. Folks in the LGBTQ+ community often use community groups on social media to find housing rentals, and people often assume that what’s posted is vetted and safe for community members. But scammers post in these groups, too. Here are ways to spot and avoid rental scams.
Loans and Mortgages
Consumer Alert

Paycheck Protection Program loan processor told applicants they would get funding. They overpromised

Colleen Tressler
When it comes to small business loans, time is money. That was especially true early in the pandemic: when many small businesses were struggling to stay open, and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds were limited. So, when Womply advertised that small businesses, including gig workers and one-person small businesses, could get fast PPP funding if they applied through the company, millions of applications came pouring in. The problem, says the FTC, is that Womply didn’t live up to its promises. And that hurt millions of small businesses.

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