Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter. 

Harlan Levy. Courtesy photo

By Harlan Levy

Today I’ve got two scams to watch out for and some recent product recalls.

“Card declined” messages

The BBB (Better Business Bureau) is reporting that consumers are receiving fraudulent charges on their financial accounts after facing “card declined” messages when shopping online.

Here’s an example: “I attempted to purchase a water bottle from for my son from a website that declined my initial transaction, so I attempted it with a different credit card, which was also declined. I then asked my husband to try, and it was declined for him as well. Then, each of these three cards all had fraudulent charges pop up.” This consumer reported losing $200.

Another example: “I proceeded to make a purchase on a website, and after I entered my credit card information, the website reloaded and said to use a different card because “the card did not go through for some reason.” I retried with the same card and obtained the same error message. However, I got an alert from my card company almost instantly that a charge for $2,500 was declined. I did not attempt any such charge of $2,500. Now my personal email, address, and phone number, and credit card account number have been exposed.”

What to do: Verify you’re shopping on a legitimate website. Examine the URL to see if there are letters or numbers that differ from the real site’s URL, indicating it’s a fake. Also, check that a website is secure by verifying you see the “https://” in front of the URL.

Bitcoin ATM machines

The Federal Trade Commission just reported a massive increase in money consumers report losing to scammers involving Bitcoin ATM machines. Bitcoin ATMs are machines that look like a traditional ATM and are often found at convenience stores, gas stations, and other high-traffic areas. Instead of distributing cash, they accept cash in exchange for cryptocurrency.

“Their use by scammers, who urge consumers to deposit cash into them to ‘protect’ their savings, is on the rise,” the FTC said, adding that fraud losses to Bitcoin ATMs have passed $65 million in just the first six months of 2024. Consumers over the age of 60 were more than three times as likely as younger adults to report losing money to Bitcoin ATM scams, the agency said, with a median loss reported in the first half of this year at a staggering $10,000.

The FTC described how the scam works: The lies told by scammers all create some urgent justification for consumers to take cash out of their bank accounts and put it into a Bitcoin ATM. As soon as consumers scan a QR code provided by scammers at the machine, their cash is deposited straight into the scammers’ crypto account.

What to do: Never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message. Only scammers will tell you to do that. Also, don’t believe anyone who says you need to use a Bitcoin ATM, buy gift cards, or move money to protect it or fix a problem.

New recalls

This item is has recently been recalled. Courtesy of Harlan Levy

• Desk lamps: On Sept.19, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled about 9,700, 12-inch-tall Place & Time battery-operated desk lamps with a USB cord sold at Jo-Ann stores in green with the model number 4843351B, pink with the model number 4843351A, and cream with the model number 4843351D. The desk lamp’s battery compartment can overheat while using the USB charging cord, posing a fire hazard. Jo-Ann has received three reports of the battery compartment melting or popping while the lamp was charging with the USB cord. Return the product for a $23 refund.
• Trader Joe’s candles: On Aug. 15 the CPSC recalled 653,000 Trader Joe’s Mango Tangerine Scented Candles with SKU 56879. They’re white colored wax with a cotton wick in a tin container. There have been 14 incidents involving high flames with the recalled candles, including three reports of minor property damage and two reports of minor burns.
• Pet food: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled pet food brands sold by Darwin’s Natural Selections and Answers Pet Food after testing found evidence of listeria and salmonella contamination in four-pound cartons of ANSWERS Pet Food Detailed Beef Formula for Dogs, UPC: 856554002102 with a use-by date of May 6, 2026, ANSWERS Pet Food Straight Beef Formula for Dogs, UPC: 856554002072, and ANSWERS Pet Food Straight Chicken Formula for Dogs, UPC: 856554002065, all best used by 2026.

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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