You need to pay the electric bill, so you Google the utility company’s name and “pay bill,” click the first result, enter your information, and move on. That’s an ordinary habit that the Federal Trade Commission now warns could lead consumers to a third-party payment company rather than the business they intended to pay. In an August consumer alert, the FTC explained that dishonest companies can purchase search advertisements that resemble official payment pages, sometimes resulting in unexpected fees or payments that don’t reach the biller as quickly as consumers expect. The safer habit is surprisingly simple: when possible, start with the website or payment instructions printed directly on your statement instead of searching for a place to pay.
The FTC’s warning isn’t hypothetical. On August 17, the agency announced a $2.1 million settlement with online bill-payment company Doxo over allegations that misleading search ads steered consumers toward its third-party payment platform while making it appear they were reaching their actual billers. The FTC said the settlement money will be used for consumer redress. These are some of the most important bills to pay directly when a wrong click could cost you money or create a much bigger headache.
