The pitch arrived, as so many do, with a friendly cold call.

Bruno Koch, 83, told the telemarketer on the line that, yes, of course he would like to update his health insurance card. Then Mr. Koch, of Newport News, Va., slipped up: he divulged his bank account information.

What happened next is all too familiar. Money was withdrawn from Mr. Koch's account for something that he now says he never authorized. The new health insurance card never arrived.

What is less familiar—and what federal authorities say occurs with alarming frequency—is that a reputable bank played a crucial role in parting Mr. Koch from his money. The bank was the 140-year-old Zions Bank of Salt Lake City. Despite spotting suspicious activity, Zions served as a gateway between dubious Internet merchants and their marks—and made money for itself in the process, according to newly unsealed court documents reviewed by The New York Times.

The Times reviewed hundreds of filings in connection with civil lawsuits brought by federal authorities and a consumer law firm against Zions and another regional bank that has drawn even more scrutiny, First Bank of Delaware. Last November, First Delaware reached a $15 million settlement with the Justice Department after the bank was accused of allowing merchants to illegally debit accounts more than two million times and siphon more than $100 million.

The documents, as well as interviews with state and federal officials, paint a troubling picture. They outline how banks profit handsomely by collecting fees while ignoring warnings of potential fraud and, in some instances, enabling dubious merchants to prey on consumers.

The next time you're about to write a customer review, think about how far your words could go. From the retailer's website… to Facebook… to a blog… to maybe even the c-suite.

Customer reviews are carrying more clout than ever before—and a growing number of retailers are tracking every word that's said about them in cyberspace.

"Many companies now have dedicated employees who do nothing but troll the Internet for corporate references, monitor chat rooms and online forums where there could be a discussion of the brand," said Tod Marks, Consumer Reports Senior Editor. Companies will even follow what's said on marketplaces like Amazon about their products, he said. It can be imperative to intercept a potentially negative discussion and rectify a problem before it goes viral.

"They have to take these things seriously. There are more avenues for consumers to go negative on a company and be heard by a variety of people," said Marks. "Things tend to snowball."

He adds that the effects can be instantaneous—especially when you add the ease of smartphones into the equation. Bad service at a store? A customer could quickly vent about it on Twitter. The next thing you know a few friends re-tweet it and it spreads like wildfire.

Best Buy is an example of a big box retailer putting a larger emphasis on its customer reviews. The company, which is in the midst of a turnaround effort, said it shares feedback with vendors and has taken a range of actions based on the reviews. In fact, it rewards some customers with special points to use towards future purchases for completing reviews.

Six things that have consumers buzzing in the world of beer, wine and spirits this week:

1. Done Deal: Anheuser-Busch InBev has officially completed its $20 billion acquisition of the portion of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo it did not already own. The deal gives Anheuser-Busch InBev, already the world's largest brewer, control over four of the top five global beer brands. It now has a total of 17 billion dollar brands in its portfolio.

Here's a look at the brand values of the top 10 global beer brands and who controls them according to BrandZ's 2012 report:

1) Bud Light ($10.8M) - Anheuser-Busch InBev
2) Budweiser ($9.5M) - Anheuser-Busch InBev
3) Heineken ($8.2M) - Heineken
4) Corona ($6.6M) - Anheuser-Busch InBev
5) Skol ($6.5M) - Anheuser-Busch InBev
6) Stella Artois ($6.3M) – Anheuser-Busch InBev
7) Guinness ($4.4M) - Diageo
8) Aguila ($3.9M) - SABMiller
9) Brahma ($3.8M) - Anheuser-Busch InBev
10) Miller Lite ($3.1M) - SABMiller

The Cronut has gained a cult following since Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York began selling the trademarked croissant-doughnut hybrid last month. Several bakeries with trademark hopes of their own have moved to capitalize on the hype, launching their own versions.

Robert Cabeca, owner of Chocolate Crust in Washington, began offering his "doissant" last weekend.

"In the industry, it really is a form of flattery to the original creator when someone else tries to make something someone else has made," he said.

Other copycats have sprung up in Australia and Los Angeles, but Cabeca said he doesn't think of his creation as a copycat. The item is so popular that he made a double batch—about 200—Thursday and planned a triple batch for National Doughnut Day on Friday.

J.C. Penney is hoping its new home product range will boost flagging sales and help return the retailer to its glory days, the company's CEO told CNBC.

"We are very excited to be back where the home building business is picking-up; our dot com business is likely to grow to over 50 percent home in the near future," Mike Ullman said on Thursday.

Home goods has been the retailer's worst-performing category for seven years, accounting for only 12 percent of its sales over the last fiscal year, compared to 21 percent in 2006.

But when asked if its new home department could get the retailer get back to where it was seven years ago, Ullman said: "(Home) gives us a chance to grow our business back to historical levels."

The newest weapon in the battle for the beer drinkers' dollar is actually an old one. The once-maligned can is now taking the spotlight—and shelf space—from the bottle.

The can is becoming an increasing popular option for brewers looking to give consumers another reason to choose their product over another. Canned beer made up 53 percent of the market last year, versus 48 percent in 2006, according to industry trade group The Beer Institute.

The latest salvo in the can wars comes from Anheuser-Busch InBev's Bud Light brand, the best-selling beer in the U.S., which recently named Louisville, Ky., as the pilot market for a new 12-ounce Bud Light Vented Can.

The Bud Light Vented Can allows consumers to push down the tab in reverse motion after the can is opened, creating a vent to improve airflow when pouring or drinking the beer.

It's not the first time a brewer has hailed a vented can as a better beer drinking experience.

Americans spend more than $565 billion dollars a year on groceries. After all, everybody eats, everyday...and more than once.

Despite the high revenue, the profit margins traditionally have been low in this business, but that hasn't stopped retail giants Amazon.com and Wal-Mart Stores from escalating the national food fight. Both companies were in the news with big initiatives this week that reinforce the idea that their future plans include a focus on your weekly grocery list.

Over this week, Los Angeles was stealthily added as the second delivery area for Amazon's online grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh. The online behemoth has been testing the program in and around its home city of Seattle for about six years. Reportedly, Amazon is looking to expand its online grocery business to San Francisco later this year, and then to 40 more areas in 2014. Amazon did not return CNBC's requests for comment and hasn't confirmed the reports of expansion.

(Read More: Amazon Plans Major Move Into Grocery Business)

"Historically, online grocery hasn't had a lot of success disrupting the traditional grocery market. But this is Amazon. It has the logistics and expertise in place, and if it can back it up with quality product, it's likely to make big waves," said Bob Summers, an analyst at Susquehanna.

It's the advertising equivalent of rubbing a burger in a competitor's face.

Following McDonald's decision to do away with its Angus Third Pounders, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., has taken to YouTube to sympathize with disgruntled customers and invite them to visit his restaurants instead.

"I've heard that McDonald's abruptly stopped selling their Angus beef burgers, leaving many of you angry, frustrated and confused," said Andy Puzder, CKE's chief. "In fact, it seems you've taken to Twitter to express your frustrations."

Then in a moment made possible only through social media, Puzder shares a couple McDonald's customer laments.

As summer heats up, national restaurant chain Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is looking to help customers cool off by combining two of the hottest trends in the alcohol space: cocktails and canned beer.

Red Robin has added what it calls "Can-Crafted Cocktails" to its seasonal menu. The beverages, offered in two varieties, are made with MillerCoors' Coors Light and Blue Moon beer.

While restaurants have increasingly turned to beer in recent years to help boost their bottom lines, beer cocktails reflect a general trend.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, spirits have steadily expanded their market share in recent years, at the expense of beer. Spirits have gained 5.6 points of share since 2000, while beer's share has dropped to 48.8 percent from 55.5 percent.

One cocktail mixes Coors Light beer, ginger liqueur and lemonade topped with fresh squeezed lemon. The other is a blend of Blue Moon Belgian White beer, Svedka Clementine vodka, orange juice and fresh lime juice.

Presenting a beer cocktail would seem a natural extension for the restaurant group that made the beer milkshake famous.

(Read More: Beer Milkshakes—the Latest Weapon in the Burger Wars)

Even as fast-food chains tout their healthy offerings, they're also coming up with fatty new treats to keep customers interested. Case in point: Dunkin' Donuts is adding a doughnut breakfast sandwich to its national menu this week.

The sandwich, which comes with fried eggs and bacon between a split glazed doughnut, will become a part of the permanent menu starting June 7, which the chain says is "National Donut Day." Dunkin' Donuts had tested the sandwich in select stores in eastern Massachusetts in April, creating considerable buzz online.