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"                      <p class=\"imgtitle\">Rob McKenna</p>           OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline)-A bevy of new laws requested by Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna go into effect today, including statutes dealing with mortgage foreclosure schemes and Internet spyware.<br /><br />Among the new laws by the Republican attorney general are protections for homeowners from losing their homes in \"mortgage rescue\" scams by allowing a foreclosed homeowner the right to cancel the contract within five business days.<br /><br />Another law is aimed at closing loopholes in the state's Computer Spyware Statute by eliminating requirements that hinder the ability to prove cases against violators.  <br /><br />The new law also creates liability for Internet hosting services that ignore violators' use of their products. <br /><br />On the consumer front, a new law requires any person in the business of compiling, marketing or selling phone numbers for commercial purposes to obtain a consumer's express opt-in consent before publishing his or her wireless phone number in a directory.<br /><br />A separate new law requested by McKenna requires Washington authorities to take reports from victims of the identity theft.<br /><br />\"These new laws address critical threats to consumers from the purveyors of modern frauds-from mortgage rescue schemes to identity theft and online spying\" McKenna said in a statement.<br /><br />\"Also beginning this week, consumers' cell phone numbers will be protected from solicitors, since they can no longer be published without express consent. I want to thank legislators from both parties who helped pass these crucial protections,\" he added.<br /><br /><i>From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo by e-mail at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.</i><br />"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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