If you mailed in any rebate paperwork recently, you may be waiting far longer than a few weeks for a rebate. Last month, CPG Promotions Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. CPG Promotions Group was responsible for processing rebates from PriceGrabber, Canon, Costco, and hundreds of other stores. A number of consumers even found that CPG had insufficient funds to cover some of the checks the company issued.

Legally speaking, even though the rebate processing company may have declared bankruptcy, the companies offering rebates through it still owe their consumers any promised rebates. However, because of the bankruptcy proceedings, consumers will still have to wait: retailers trusted CPG with millions of dollars in order to cut rebate checks and until the court figures out the financial situation, most retailers will not move forward on their rebates. Once that mess is cleared up, retailers will still have to find a new rebate clearinghouse to handle the immense task of issuing rebates.

Many retailers are moving to help their customers, however: Canon has already announced that it will reimburse customers who tried to deposit a CPG check and were hit with an insufficient funds penalty. Canon is also working to handle rebates despite the current legal situation. Other companies are taking a variety of measures, such as redeeming CPG’s checks for their rebates at their stores. Check each retailer’s website or contact them directly for more information.

All things considered, I would be surprised if CPG’s bankruptcy proceedings were the last part of this situation to go to court. Because so many of CPG’s checks bounced — and so many consumers got hit with insufficient funds fees by their banks, it seems likely that if other retailers do not follow Canon’s lead and reimburse their customers for those fees, there will be some additional legal issues. However, any such action is likely to be just as drawn out as CPG’s bankruptcy is expected to be.

If you submitted a rebate and are unsure if CPG processed it, you can check that information at RebateStatus.com. You’ll need to submit your last name, street address and zip code. If you have received a rebate check from CPG, contact the manufacturer or retailer responsible for the rebate before attempting to cash or deposit it — the check is likely to bounce. While there are hundreds of companies affected, some of the larger retailers include the following:

• Activision
• Ad-Aware
• Adobe
• Antec
• AVG
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• BFG Tech
• Canon
• Costco
• Delorme
• Fujitsu
• Home Depot
• Kensington
• Logitech
• Motorola
• Nero
• Newegg
• PriceGrabber
• Samsung
• Smith Micro Software
• TRENDnet
• Westinghouse
• XFX XM Satellite Radio

If you’re getting ready to submit any rebate paperwork, be aware that sending it to CPG is something of a lost cause: the company is expected to transfer such information to another clearinghouse chosen by each retailer, but that is likely to take quite a bit of time. Instead, contact the retailer directly and see if there is an interim arrangement.

Interestingly, at the time this post was written (over a month into bankruptcy proceedings), there is no mention of the situation on CPG’s website. There’s wide coverage of the issue, however, at sites like DealNews and Consumer Reports.

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Around tax time all kinds of fraud are reported, mostly people posing as the IRS on the phone and phishing for personal information to “confirm the information disclosed on your tax filing.” The new twist this season is using the Stimulus refund to gain access to your personal information.

Because this is not the usual refund most people expect, they are more susceptible to fraud surrounding it. Scammers will make calls to people, posing as the IRS and asking them to confirm their information so they can receive their Stimulus checks. Usually they are asked for their bank account information. When people hesitate, they are told that the only way they will receive their check is to disclose their account number. People might also be asked to disclose their social security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, loan information, health insurance information, and more. These scammers will then take this information and open up credit cards, clean out bank accounts, or even file fraudulent tax returns in your name.

The same precautions that will save you from other tax scams will save you here as well. The IRS never sends unsolicited e-mails or phone calls, so treat any with caution. Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to confirm any correspondence you receive. E-mails from the IRS might seem unusual, but now that more and more people are filing electronically, and having their refunds directly deposited into their bank accounts, e-mails asking for confirmation of your routing number and bank account are more believable.

These emails can be more dangerous than you think. They often look very official, with IRS seals and fine print on the bottom of the message, all in an attempt to lend credibility. These messages often have a link that you click to find out more information about “special rebates.” Clicking on these links at all, even out of idle curiosity, will download malicious software that allows hackers access to your computer and any personal info you have on it. So if it seems too good to be true, don’t click on the links “just to see.”

The cousin of the refund email scam is the audit email scam. This method uses scare tactics instead of the promise of money. The victim receives an email saying that they are being audited, and they must follow a link to a “secure” site to provide information. This of course instantly downloads the same software as before, and as a bonus any information you input into their website is now theirs to do with as they please.

Taxpayers have received more than 33,000 of these scam e-mails, reflecting more than 1,500 schemes. If you receive one of these emails, forward it to phishing@irs.gov to report it.

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