Archive for the ‘resources’ Category

Did you know Craigslist is a virtual Mecca for thieves?

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark in the San Francisco Bay area as a way to post local ads amongst friends and family, the online repository has exploded in growth. It’s now utilized by an astounding 570+ cities in more than 50 countries. That’s a lot of potential sucker targets for thieves—don’t become one of them!

Popular for the ease with which users can post classifieds, resumes, ads selling just about everything, personals, and more, Craigslist (CL) is also laden with all the latest scam attempts. Just by taking a few moments to familiarize yourself with the usual shenanigans, you may avoid becoming scammed yourself.

One heavily trafficked area of CL is the job classifieds and resumes section. But be warned, responding to job adverts just may direct you to (more…)

Avoiding online car buying scams: True life story and tips

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

This is one of those tales of caveat emptor: buyer beware. Buying cars online, like purchasing so many other items over the Internet, has exploded in popularity. The ease and convenience of shopping online makes for an attractive shopping venue. But be warned, it makes for an attractive con target as well!

“Joan” (not her real name) thought she’d won an online auction for a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country minivan. She had bid $6000 in a legitimate auction for the vehicle, and was ecstatic when notified she had been the highest bidder. Had she examined the auction site more closely, however, she would have noticed that, curiously, she was not listed as the highest bidder—someone else was.

Imagine her chagrin when her family found out three weeks later that the $6000 they’d put toward the purchase of the vehicle had (more…)

Extreme Weather means Extreme Bills: Home Energy Assistance May Be Available

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Whether it’s the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter high energy bills may be causing you financial difficulties. Babies, children and seniors are especially susceptible to the illness, injury and death that can occur as a result of being exposed to extreme weather conditions.  Unfortunately extreme weather also means extreme energy bills, sometimes bills that you or someone you know can’t afford to pay. However this is help available for some families.  The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is available in all 50 states.  (more…)

Is the Forex Program I’m Looking At A Scam?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

How Do I Know If the Forex Program I’m Looking At Is A Scam?
Written by Vincenzo Desroches of Forex Traders

The unregulated nature of the Foreign-Exchange (FX) Market has made it a big draw for con artists and scammers. The internet is littered with outrageous claims that one can be a millionaire by trading the FX Market with a simple investment of $99. The reason con artists are able to operate is because, unfortunately, people fall for their scams. In this short article, we will identify several of the major red flags that are often present in the sales materials of bad products.

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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Where is your money going?

Friday, July 9th, 2010

President Obama began his February 2009 televised address with promises to “rebuild” and “recover.”  Early in his address to Congress television audiences began typing he when President Obama announced announce the website Recovery.gov.  The idea behind Recovery.gov, the creation of which President Obama mandated as part of legislation, was to make the spending of the $787 billion from the 2009 Stimulus Package transparent to tax payers.

From the recovery.gov web site:

“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be carried out with full transparency and accountability — and Recovery.gov is the centerpiece of that effort.” (more…)

Five Easy, Free and Legal Consumer Protection Tips

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Did you know there are legal steps you can take to prevent being taken advantage of by unscrupulous debt collectors, marketers, or thieves? The following are five proactive suggestions:

Unwanted Faxes

You can remove yourself from unsolicited advertising fax lists. There is a federal law, called the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, codified at 47 USCS § 227 (2001).

It includes “telephone communications,” “telephone facsimile,” and “unsolicited advertisement” amongst its offenders.

Federal law, and many states’ laws, permit an action to (more…)

Taxpayer rights against unauthorized IRS collection practices and 3 payment options

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Did you know that some IRS collection practices are categorized as ‘unauthorized,’ that is, prohibited? This means you do have certain rights and options for repayment when it comes to the IRS attempting to collect your federal taxes from you.

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Where’s my income tax refund?

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Most of us have already filed our federal income tax return, but a lot of us still have questions: namely, where’s my refund?

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The Cash for Appliances Rebate Program: Get the Facts Before You Shop

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

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Does Yahoo! Finance Make You Yell Yahoo?

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Yahoo! Finance Review: Is Yahoo! Finance Helpful?

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