With gasoline prices climbing throughout Arizona, and expected to soon top $5.00 per gallon in some parts of the country, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers to be wary of gas-saving claims that empty your wallet, instead of saving you fuel.

Although there are practical steps you can take to increase gas mileage, many websites make unbelievable claims for various aftermarket automotive devices (fuel-line magnets, air bleed devices and retrofit gadgets) and oil and gasoline additives that supposedly increase gas mileage for automobiles. The Federal Trade Commission found many of these claims to be either false or overly exaggerated.

Angela Pratt, co-owner of Dan’s Toy Shop in Tucson said they have had customers come to their shop with various aftermarket devices on their cars.

“Usually what happens is the device restricts airflow to the engine, and the check engine light comes on as a consequence,” Pratt told BBB. “As far as helping gas mileage, it either doesn’t do anything or could even make it worse.”

Pratt said that if consumer’s want better gas mileage the best thing to do is use a higher octane gas, noting that drivers with six and eight cylinder engines would more than make up for the extra cost of the gas with improved mileage.

Pratt said that drivers who place aftermarket devices on their cars to save gas are fighting a losing battle.

“The newer vehicles are electronically tuned to get maximum gas mileage” she said. “Even the smallest alterations can throw a car’s computer system off.”

Before adding any fuel savings device to your vehicle, check with your mechanic. You may end up with a voided manufacturer’s warranty and serious engine problems by adding after market devices to your engine.

What you spend at the pump is influenced by how you drive and what type of gasoline you use to fill your tank. As we reach the peak of summer travel, here are some tips on what you can do to save fuel consumption:

Keep your engine tuned. Studies have shown that a poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 to 20 percent depending on a car’s condition. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual; you will save fuel and your car will run better and last longer.

Don’t let your engine run at idle any longer than necessary. An engine actually warms up (more…)

Consumers nationwide are receiving suspicious emails that appear to be from Intuit, a tax preparation software business. The messages encourage recipients to click on a link and update their Social Security Number or Employer ID Number in Intuit’s online system. However, the email is a phishing scam, and the link leads to a third-party website that downloads a virus on to users’ computers.

What does the email look like?
The email appears to be from update@intuit.com or security@intuit.com addresses. The messages also use a variety of subject lines including: “Please verify your tax information ASAP,” “Correct tax information is needed” or “Tax information needed within 30 Days.”

Steps to take:

• Do not click on the link in the email
• Forward the email to spoof@intuit.com
• Delete the email

For more information, please read the security information on Intuit’s website.

See Better Business Bureau’s complete scam directory for more information about breaking scams in your area. To find a tax preparer you can trust this tax season visit www.tucson.bbb.org.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning businesses of a scam email that appears to be from BBB, but actually contains malicious links, and seeks to trick businesses into divulging sensitive information.

The “phishing” email, signed “Accreditation Services,” seeks to trick victims into filling out an online form that asks for detailed information about the business. Because the links contained in the email may contain viruses, anyone who clicks on them should immediately scan their computer with updated anti-virus software.

Should you receive such an email, please disregard its message, and report any information received to phishing@council.bbb.org, and then delete it.

Below is a copy of the scam email. BBB has deactivated all the possibly malicious links:

“Thank you for supporting your Better Business Bureau (BBB). Your BBB receives more than 6,500 requests for information every day and provides reliability reports to consumers 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week.

As a service to BBB Accredited Businesses, we try to ensure that the information we provide to potential customers is as accurate as possible. In order for us to provide the correct information to the public, we ask that you review the information that we have on file for your company. (more…)