Tag Archives: office

CCSO warns against money order scam – WZVN-TV

November 4th, 2011. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.

CCSO warns against money order scam WZVN-TV The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of a new scam that has hit the county this week. They say 48 people in Charlotte County have received blue Money Order checks delivered from FedEx in reference to either an online ad or … and more

UNEMPLOYED BLACK & POOR PEOPLE JUST DON’T WANNA WORK!.mp4

October 16th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

republicans full of bullshit!! ALL PEOPLE WANT THE DIGNITY OF WORK!! for educational/ discussional purpose

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UNEMPLOYED BLACK & POOR PEOPLE JUST DON’T WANNA WORK!.mp4

Mass. attorney general offers storm recovery advice for homeowners – Taunton Daily Gazette

August 29th, 2011. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Mass. attorney general offers storm recovery advice for homeowners Taunton Daily Gazette To check the history of a business or to file a complaint about a scam , the Attorney General's Office urges you to contact its consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400 or file a complaint online at www.mass.gov/ago/consumercomplaint. and more

Unemployed? Between Jobs? What Now?

August 15th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

www.ClearedJobs.Net HR Strategist Patra Frame offers some tips and advice on what to do when you are in between jobs. Unemployment is hell and often times, when you’re unemployed for any length of time, which is not particularly uncommon especially in recession, you are saying to yourself, “Now what do I do to fill in this gap in my resume? What do I do to keep going?” Well there are some very simple answers. First of all, brush up your technology knowledge and your skills, whether you need just better knowledge of basic Office word processing types of things or whether you need more detailed real IT knowledge or specific skills within your field, now is the time. Use this time wisely. Go to the one stop at your unemployment service and see what they offer. Check out courses that might be available to you at a wide range of places and pick ones that are good and take your skills to the next level. So that is the first piece. The second piece is, you’re a member of a profession. Whether your professional groups have local chapters, big networking events, seminars or an online services you want to be sure that you are active in those professional groups. Not only will you be learning things, critical things, things that become key words on your resume, but you’ll have a chance to network, to meet people who might be helpful to you to develop those relationships. And then volunteer. Volunteering, whether it’s for some cause that is near and dear to your heart or whether it’s …

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Unemployed? Between Jobs? What Now?

Dave and Mike Show Ep 11 “From Unemployed to Success”

August 5th, 2011. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

Greg was down on his luck and without a job. After a dream he had one night about opening his own shop, he went with his gut and worked hard to make the dream a reality.

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Dave and Mike Show Ep 11 “From Unemployed to Success”

Announcement of Filing a Class Action Lawsuit Against Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC for Alleged Violations of The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

April 19th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Scams. No Comments.

The law firms of Turner Law Offices, LLC and Arcadier & Associates, P.A. have filed a Class Action lawsuit against Defendant Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC (“PRA”) in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on behalf of all persons in the State of Florida who, since February 18, 2011, received a non-emergency telephone call from PRA to a cellular telephone through the use of an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice and who did not provide prior express consent for such calls during the transaction that resulted in the debt owed. The action is captioned Karen Harvey et al. v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, and is numbered 6:11-CV-00582. The law firms of Turner Law Offices, LLC and Arcadier & Associates, P.A. have filed a Class Action lawsuit against Defendant Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC (“PRA”) in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on behalf of all persons in the State of Florida who, since February 18, 2011, received a non-emergency telephone call from PRA to a cellular telephone through the use of an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice and who did not provide prior express consent for such calls during the transaction that resulted in the debt owed. The action is captioned Karen Harvey et al. v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, and is numbered 6:11-CV-00582. According to the Complaint, PRA violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) by using automatic dialing systems and/or an artificial or prerecorded voice to contact cell phone users about purported debts without their prior consent. As described in the Complaint, Ms. Harvey, the named plaintiff in the action, was repeatedly contacted since February 18, 2011 on her cell phone about a purported credit card debt. The plaintiff never consented to those calls, nor did she provide PRA with her telephone number. Under the TCPA, PRA could be ordered to pay attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses and costs of the lawsuit, and statutory damages of $500 for each negligent violation, and/or $1,500 for each knowing and/or willing violation. According to the Complaint, the potential Class Members are estimated to number in the tens of thousands. Additionally, the complaint alleges collective damages exceeding five million dollars ($5,000,000). The Attorneys who have filed the lawsuit have significant experience litigating high profile and collective action cases on behalf of consumers and plaintiffs. Henry A. Turner , Esq., MBA from Turner Law Offices, LLC concentrating in consumer rights litigation, is a trial attorney with twenty years of experience and has been successful in recovering millions of dollars for consumers including a $2,950,000 Class Action Settlement with Pitney Bowes, Inc. in a case involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Martin K. O’Toole et al. v. Pitney Bowes, Inc.; United State District Court for the Northern District of Georgia; Case No. 1:08-CV-1645. Maurice Arcadier , Esq., MBA from Arcadier and Associates, P.A. is also an experienced trial attorney with 14 years of experience and board certified by the Florida Bar. Mr. Arcadier likewise brings class action experience and is currently co-counsel in a high profile collective action case against Florida Power and Light , Romero v. Florida Power and Light Company, Case No.: 6:09-cv-1401, in the Middle District of Florida. Indeed, with the combined experience, background and resources of the Turner Law Office and Arcadier and Associates, many consumers in Georgia and Florida may receive protection from the unsolicited calls as well as $1,500.00 for each call they received. If there are any consumers who likewise have received unsolicited calls, they may contact any of the attorneys below. While the cases only address claims in Georgia and Florida at this time, the alleged violations may be occurring nationwide and any consumer who is experiencing the type of calls described above from Portfolio Recovery or other debt collectors are encouraged to contact the law offices below or an attorney of your choosing. For further information please contact: Henry A. Turner, Esq., MBA TURNER LAW OFFICES, LLC 403 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue Decatur, Georgia 30030 (404) 261-7787 hturner(at)tloffices(dot)com http://www.tloffices.com or Maurice Arcadier, Esq., MBA ARCADIER AND ASSOCIATES, P.A. 2815 W. New Haven, #304 Melbourne, Fl. 32904 T: 321-953-5998 F: 321-953-6075 arcadier(at)wamalaw(dot)com http://www.wamalaw.com

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Announcement of Filing a Class Action Lawsuit Against Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC for Alleged Violations of The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

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Watch out for Mexico money-order scam – The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

March 6th, 2011. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.

Watch out for Mexico money-order scam The Bozeman Daily Chronicle The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office is warning area residents of a scam that involves sending money to Mexico City and that seems to be targeting the elderly. Numerous individuals reported in recent days having received information that “a relative of …

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Watch out for Mexico money-order scam – The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Vantec SATA / IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter Best 20 Bucks I Ever Spent

February 7th, 2011. Published under Scams. No Comments.

The Vantec SATA / IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter completely surprised me. To be honest I had not heard of Vantech prior to ordering this adapter. This adapter is a computer geeks (or IT guy) dream come true. Many times computer repair can be difficult, especially when we run across a dead computer that still has data on the hard drive. If you are lucky and have a machine close buy that will accept the drive you can often pull the data off. This is a clunky and often frustrating method to do so. The Vantec Adapter takes frustration out of the equation. The ‘kit’ comes with a 3-way interface adapter that supports all SATA hard drives, 3.5 inch IDE drives such as those found in laptops as well as 5.25 inch had drives found in desktop computer systems. The kit also comes with a switchable A/C power supply and adapter cable to power up hard drives.

Dynamic Opportunities Along the Wasatch Front, and Elsewhere

January 1st, 2011. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

Utah’s Wasatch Front is undergoing dynamic business growth, and you can take advantage of that growth now. People are moving into the area in record numbers. According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, 2006 was the first year since 1945 in which Utah had more in-migration than births. People are coming to Utah for

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Dynamic Opportunities Along the Wasatch Front, and Elsewhere

Robocallers JPM Accelerated Services and IXE Accelerated Financial Centers Shut Down by Federal Trade Commission

December 7th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a U.S. district court has approved a settlement shutting down two groups of Florida-based telemarketers that allegedly flooded consumers with misleading pre-recorded robocalls falsely promising to reduce their credit card interest rates. The agency reached a settlement that permanently bans the two related operations from making robocalls and selling debt relief services. The settlement orders are the latest in a series of enforcement actions the FTC has taken to rein in robocallers, especially those who try to take advantage of consumers affected by the economic downturn. According to the FTC, JPM Accelerated Services and related defendants made thousands of illegal pre-recorded robocalls to consumers, identifying themselves only as “card services” and offering lower credit card interest rates. Consumers who pressed “1″ after hearing the automated pitch were transferred to live telemarketers who falsely told consumers that JPM’s services would allow them to dramatically lower their credit card interest rates. The complaint alleged that the telemarketers charged an up-front fee typically ranging from $495 to $995, and promised consumers they would save thousands of dollars in a short period of time as a result of the lower interest rates, and that they would be able to pay off their debts faster. The defendants also falsely stated that if consumers did not save thousands of dollars from lowered interest rates, they would receive a full refund of the up-front fee. After collecting the fee from consumers, however, JPM allegedly failed to deliver the promised interest rate reductions and savings, and routinely refused to honor its money-back guarantee. The FTC complaint also charged the defendants with violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule by calling consumers on the Do Not Call Registry, blocking or “spoofing” caller ID, and making unlawful robocalls. The settlement orders also impose judgments of $5.9 million against defendants associated with JPM, and $3.2 million against six individual defendants associated with an affiliated operation called IXE Accelerated Financial Centers, LLC. The judgments represent the amount of money consumers lost through these robocall schemes. The judgments are suspended, based on the defendants’ inability to pay, but will become due if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition. Two of the defendants in the IXE operation, Ivan X. Estrella and Jaime Hawley, also are liable for an unsatisfied $75,000 judgment recently entered against them in a case brought by the Florida Attorney General. The Commission vote authorizing the consent orders settling the court action against the individual defendants was 5-0. The orders were filed in the U.S. District Court for Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division on November 9, 2010, against: 1) Ivan X. Estrella, Jamie M. Hawley, and Kimberly Nelson; and 2) Jeanie B. Robertson, Brooke Robertson, Alexander J. Dent, Micha S. Romano, Paul Pietrzak, and Ashley M. Westbrook. Estrella, Hawley, and Nelson worked with the IXE corporate defendants listed below. The rest of the individual defendants worked with the JPM corporate defendants. At the FTC’s request, the court also has dismissed the charges against Paige Dent. The court is reviewing the FTC’s request for a default judgment against the corporate defendants in this case, including the IXE corporate defendants (IXE Accelerated Financial Centers, LLC; and IXE Accelerated Services Inc.), and the JPM corporate defendants (JPM Accelerated Services Inc.; IXE Accelerated Service Centers Inc.; MGA Accelerated Services Inc.; World Class Savings Inc.; Accelerated Savings Inc.; and B&C Financial Group Inc.). The proposed default judgment includes monetary judgments of $3.2 million against the IXE corporations, based in Orlando, Florida, and $5.9 million against the JPM corporations, based in Melbourne, Florida. International Cooperation The FTC brought this action with valuable assistance from other law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada, including: the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Attorney General of Florida; the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission; and the Toronto Strategic Partnership, which includes as member agencies the Competition Bureau Canada; the Toronto Police Service Fraud Squad – Mass Marketing Section; the Ontario Provincial Police Anti-Rackets Section; the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading. Valuable assistance also was provided by the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida. Source: FTC Federal Trade Commission v. JPM Accelerated Services Inc., a Florida corporation, IXE Accelerated Financial Centers, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, IXE Accelerated Services Inc., a Florida corporation, IXE Accelerated Service Centers Inc., a Florida corporation, MGA Accelerated Services Inc., a Florida corporation, World Class Savings Inc., a Florida corporation, Accelerated Savings Inc., a Florida corporation, B&C Financial Group Inc., a Florida corporation, Jeanie B. Robertson, Brook Robertson, Ivan X. Estrella, Jamie M. Hawley, Kimberly Nelson, Paige Dent, Alexander J. Dent, Micha S. Romano, and Ashley M. Westbrook. (United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida Orlando Division) Civil Action No. 09-CV-2021 FTC File No. 092 3190

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Robocallers JPM Accelerated Services and IXE Accelerated Financial Centers Shut Down by Federal Trade Commission

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Fake Courtroom Debt Collector Unicredit America Inc Probe Expanded

November 16th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Last week I reported on Unicredit America Inc for allegedly running a fake courtroom complete with fake deputies, judge and attorneys ( read it here ). According to a Michigan newspaper the probe has been expanded and also resulted in a judge ordering the debt collection operation shuttered and at least one client of Unicredit intends to file suit for breach of contract and fraud. It also appears that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may also be interested in Unicredit America Inc. Attorney General Tom Corbett called Unicredit tactics “an unconscionable attempt to use fake court proceedings to deceive, mislead or frighten consumers into making payments.”

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Hero – West Virginia AG Recovers 1.25 Million from Three Debt Collection Companies

November 9th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

It is good to see that several state Attorney General’s like West Virginia’s Darrell McGraw aggressively pursue debt collectors that bend the law to collect debts. Today’s news is a win for consumers in West Virginia. It appears that three debt collection firms, Trailhead Capital, LLC, , Hollis Cobb Assoc., Inc., Trailhead’s affiliated collection agency in Norcross, GA; and Troy Capital, LLC, a debt buyer based in Las Vegas, NV violated West Virginia law by collecting debts without a license or bonding. West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw today announced settlement agreements with three unlicensed collection agencies that will result in $1,277,648.33 in cancelled debts for 161 West Virginia consumers and $15,337.50 in cash refunds Records also showed that the debts the companies were attempting to collect were primarily charged-off credit card accounts originally owed to Chase, Wells Fargo Bank, and GE Capital. In West Virginia, businesses that purchase defaulted debts for collection, as Trailhead and Troy Capital did, cannot avoid being licensed and bonded by hiring other agencies to assist them in collecting the debts. Rather than working with consumers to develop plans that might enable them to pay their debt over time, banks increasingly sell defaulted credit card debt for pennies on the dollar to collection agencies called debt buyers,” McGraw continued. “Debt buyers often take overly aggressive collection actions that include the filing of lawsuits – even when they have little proof of the debts they seek to collect from consumers.

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Job Hunt “Back Home and Unemployed”

October 15th, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

Job Hunt Episode 8: “Back Home and Unemployed: Jobs for Veterans” They led platoons in Iraq, but now that they’re back home, employers don’t see them as the right fit. How does military service translate into job experience? How does someone with a non-traditional work history convince an employer of their worth? We’ve got advice and answers on the next episode of Job Hunt. Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs Commissioner, Roger Newman and Dr. Lee Bowes, CEO of America Works, join Tory this week to provide their insight on what job-seeking veterans can do to find work. We’ll also look at the Yellow Ribbon Program, a 21st century version of the GI Bill, along with a couple of local veterans’ stories.

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Job Hunt “Back Home and Unemployed”

EPA Perpetuates Ethanol Scam in New Regulations – Americans for Tax Reform

October 13th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

New York Times (blog) EPA Perpetuates Ethanol Scam in New Regulations Americans for Tax Reform In 2009, the US lost $6 billion in biofuel tax credits to farmers alone; according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the cost to taxpayers of using … Energy: The EPA Will Put More Ethanol in Your Tank—But It's Going to Cost You TIME (blog) all 1,145 news articles

Debt Collectors Phillips and Cohen Want Money from You Because Your Momma Just Died

September 24th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Believe it or not there are debt collectors such as Phillips & Cohen Associates LTD, DCM Services LLC of Golden Valley, Estate Information Services LLC of Columbus, Ohio; Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. of Cleveland; and West Asset Management Inc. of Omaha that will try an collect debts from family members of deceased relatives. (I truly believe Phillips and Cohen and West Asset Management are owned by the same people, or work together, or use the same outsourced call center). While it is true that some debts of deceased people must be paid (probate it’s often called) there are many debts such as car loans, unsecured credit cards and the like, that family members have no legal obligation to pay.

Is Debt Collector H P & Associates of Jacksonville FL Violating the FDCPA?

August 2nd, 2010. Published under Business Scams. No Comments.

I received an email from an individual and from the tone of her email I felt that she was confused and afraid. Below is an excerpt from her email. “I received a call this evening from HPC collections, based out of Florida, claiming they were “releasing my case” to the local authorities to come collect the debt (me) by 7 PM if I did not pay the debt in full. This totally freaked me out and the “compliance officer” stated there was nothing he could do about it as “you don’t pay us”. Knowing they are a debt collection agency, I’m wondering who “I pay.” ~ Amy G. I did ask her to clarify the name of collection agency that called her and her response was that “ H P & Associates-HPC.

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Twitter Settles Charges that it Failed to Protect Consumers’ Personal Information

June 24th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Social networking service Twitter has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers and put their privacy at risk by failing to safeguard their personal information, marking the 30th case the FTC has brought targeting faulty data security, and the agency’s first such case against a social networking service. The FTC’s complaint against Twitter charges that serious lapses in the company’s data security allowed hackers to obtain administrative control of Twitter, including access to tweets that consumers had designated private, and the ability to send out phony tweets pretending to be from then-President-elect Barack Obama and Fox News, among others. “When a company promises consumers that their personal information is secure, it must live up to that promise,” said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Likewise, a company that allows consumers to designate their information as private must use reasonable security to uphold such designations. Consumers who use social networking sites may choose to share some information with others, but they still have a right to expect that their personal information will be kept private and secure.” Twitter allows users to send “tweets” – brief messages of 140 characters or less – to “followers” who sign up to receive such messages via e-mail or phone text. Twitter offers privacy settings through which a user may choose to designate tweets as nonpublic. For instance, users can send “direct messages” to a specified follower such that only the specific author and recipient can view such a message. Twitter users can also click a button labeled “Protect my tweets,” which makes that user’s tweets private so that only approved followers can view them. The privacy policy posted on Twitter’s website stated that “Twitter is very concerned about safeguarding the confidentiality of your personally identifiable information. We employ administrative, physical, and electronic measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access.” According to the FTC’s complaint, between January and May 2009, hackers who gained administrative control of Twitter were able to view nonpublic user information, gain access to direct messages and protected tweets, and reset any user’s password and send authorized tweets from any user account. In January 2009, a hacker used an automated password-guessing tool to gain administrative control of Twitter, after submitting thousands of guesses into Twitter’s login webpage. The administrative password was a weak, lower case, common dictionary word. Using the password, the hacker reset numerous user passwords and posted some of them on a website, where other people could access them. Using these fraudulently reset passwords, other intruders sent phony tweets from approximately nine user accounts. One tweet was sent from the account of then-President-elect Barack Obama, offering his more than 150,000 followers a chance to win $500 in free gasoline. At least one other phony tweet was sent from the account of Fox News. During a second security breach, in April 2009, a hacker compromised a Twitter employee’s personal e-mail account where two passwords similar to the employee’s Twitter administrative password were stored, in plain text. Using this information, the hacker was able to guess the employee’s Twitter administrative password. The hacker reset at least one Twitter user’s password, and could access private user information and tweets for any Twitter users. According to the FTC’s complaint, Twitter was vulnerable to these attacks because it failed to take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized administrative control of its system, including: requiring employees to use hard-to-guess administrative passwords that are not used for other programs, websites, or networks; prohibiting employees from storing administrative passwords in plain text within their personal e-mail accounts; suspending or disabling administrative passwords after a reasonable number of unsuccessful login attempts; providing an administrative login webpage that is made known only to authorized persons and is separate from the login page for users; enforcing periodic changes of administrative passwords by, for example, setting them to expire every 90 days; restricting access to administrative controls to employees whose jobs required it; and imposing other reasonable restrictions on administrative access, such as by restricting access to specified IP addresses. Under the terms of the settlement, Twitter will be barred for 20 years from misleading consumers about the extent to which it maintains and protects the security, privacy, and confidentiality of nonpublic consumer information, including the measures it takes to prevent authorized access to information and honor the privacy choices made by consumers. The company also must establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program, which will be assessed by a third party every other year for 10 years. The Commission vote to accept the proposed consent agreement was 5-0. The FTC will publish an announcement regarding the agreement in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through July 26, 2010, after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. Comments should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, Room H-135, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions. To submit a comment electronically, please click on: http://public.commentworks.com/ftc/twitter . NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the respondent has actually violated the law. Consent agreements are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics .

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Twitter Settles Charges that it Failed to Protect Consumers’ Personal Information

Notorious Rogue Internet Service Provider Permanently Shut Down

May 20th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

3FN Service Specialized in Hosting Spam-Spewing Botnets, Phishing Websites, Child Pornography, and Other Illegal, Malicious Web Content At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a district court judge has permanently shut down a rogue Internet Service Provider that recruited, hosted, and actively participated in the distribution of spam, spyware, child pornography, and other malicious and illegal content. The ISP’s computer servers and other assets have been seized and will be sold by a court-appointed receiver, and the operation has been ordered to turn over $1.08 million in ill-gotten gains to the FTC. In June 2009, the FTC charged that 3FN, which does business under a variety of names, actively recruited and colluded with criminals to distribute harmful electronic content including spyware, viruses, trojan horses, phishing schemes, botnet command-and-control servers, and pornography featuring children, violence, bestiality, and incest. The FTC alleged that the defendant advertised its services in the darkest corners of the Internet, including a chat room for spammers. The FTC complaint alleged that 3FN actively shielded its criminal clientele by either ignoring take-down requests issued by the online security community, or shifting its criminal elements to other Internet protocol addresses it controlled to evade detection. The FTC also alleged that 3FN deployed and operated botnets – large networks of computers that have been compromised and enslaved by the originator of the botnet, known as a “bot herder.” Botnets can be used for a variety of illicit purposes, including sending spam and launching denial-of- service attacks. According to the FTC, the defendant recruited bot herders and hosted the command-and-control servers – the computers that relay commands from the bot herders to the compromised computers known as “zombie drones.” Transcripts of instant-message logs filed with the district court show the defendants’ senior employees discussing the configuration of botnets with bot herders. And, in filings with the district court, the FTC alleged that more than 4,500 malicious software programs were controlled by command-and-control servers hosted by 3FN. This malware included programs capable of keystroke logging, password stealing, and data theft, programs with hidden backdoor remote control activity, and programs involved in spam distribution. The FTC charged that 3FN’s distribution of illegal, malicious, and harmful content and deployment of botnets that compromised thousands of computers, harmed consumers and was an unfair practice, in violation of federal law. On June 15, 2009 the court issued a preliminary injunction to prohibit 3FN’s illegal activities and require its upstream Internet providers and data centers to stop providing services to 3FN. The court has now ordered a permanent bar on the illegal activities of 3FN and its agents and has appointed a receiver and instructed him to liquidate the operation’s assets. The defendants named in the FTC’s complaint are Pricewert LLC, also doing business as 3FN.net, Triple Fiber Network, APS Telecom, APX Telecom, APS Communications, and APS Communication. This case was brought with the invaluable assistance of NASA’s Office of Inspector General, Computer Crime Division; Gary Warner, Director of Research in Computer Forensics, University of Alabama at Birmingham; The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; The Shadowserver Foundation; Symantec Corporation; and The Spamhaus Project. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics .

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Notorious Rogue Internet Service Provider Permanently Shut Down

The Safety Net Shreds – Investor’s Business Daily

March 29th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

The Safety Net Shreds Investor’s Business Daily Then, looming ahead, is the angel of economic death known as cap-and-trade . Peter Orszag, now director of the Office of Management and Budget, predicted as … and more

Climategate: the parliamentary cover-up – Telegraph.co.uk (blog)

March 25th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Climategate: the parliamentary cover-up Telegraph.co.uk (blog) We've been told cap-and-trade would create thousands of green jobs, yet the Congressional Budget Office, Department of Energy, National Black Chamber of … and more

Europe’s Rise Is Held Down By Portugal’s Downgrade – Wall Street Journal

March 24th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Political Scams. No Comments.

Europe's Rise Is Held Down By Portugal's Downgrade Wall Street Journal The UK Serious Fraud Office arrested three British directors of the French engineering group on allegations over bribery, money laundering and false … and more

Why Stupak Really Flipped

March 21st, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

From the Office of Bart StupakFor Immediate ReleaseMarch 19, 2010 Contact: Michelle Begnoche(202) 225-4735 STUPAK ANNOUNCES $726,409 FOR AIRPORTS INALPENA, DELTA AND CHIPPEWA COUNTIES [

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Why Stupak Really Flipped

Actual Debt Collectors Violating the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act

March 11th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud. No Comments.

Debt collectors violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDPCA) all the time. It’s time to name and shame a couple of them. Of course I reported these to the Federal Trade Commission ( www.ftc.gov ) but to date the FTC hasn’t done diddle about them. First we have “Agent Washington” of UCB (United Collection Bureau) claiming to be a law enforcement officer, claiming to have paperwork in the Bulloch County State Attorneys Office First off credit card debt is a civil matter, not criminal. Everything about this phone call are multiple violations of the FDCPA. Listen to my conversation with Agent Washington (MP3 format). She even called my next door neighbor while I was talking with the idiot. If I knew then what I knew now I would have owned United Collection Bureau. Next up is West Management claiming Fraud Charges. The caller claims to be

Exclusive: Sheriff’s Office investigating money order scam – WTVM

March 1st, 2010. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.

Exclusive: Sheriff's Office investigating money order scam WTVM COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) – Local authorities are issuing a warning about a new scam circulating in the Columbus area. … and more

Mail money order scam invades Central Texas – KXXV News Channel 25

January 27th, 2010. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.

Mail money order scam invades Central Texas KXXV News Channel 25 WACO – A new high-tech version of an old scam is sweeping through Central Texas. US Post Office investigators said hundreds of people are …

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Mail money order scam invades Central Texas – KXXV News Channel 25

Virginia AG Goes After Capital One for Debt Collection and Re-Aging

January 25th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

I’ve had dealing with Capital One myself, they are a sneaky bunch, it appears that the Virginia Attorney General decided to do something about it. Hopefully other State’s Attorney Generals will dig deeper into Capital One’s business practices. West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced Friday that his office has sued credit card issuer Capital One and a debt collection agency for “unconscionable conduct in connection with their credit card lending and collection practices.” The complaint alleges that Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF), tricked consumers into payment plans by sending them solicitations disguised as offers of new credit. The arrangement allowed Cap One to re-age the debt so that it did not fall under the statute of limitations.

The FDCPA Does Not Give Debt Collector the Right to Leave Voice Mail on Answering Machine

January 21st, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

I am so glad the 11th circuit court ruled properly on this. I am about to rip a big hole out Hollander Law Offices LLC

Congressman Demands FTC Probe of Cash4Gold

January 20th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

I had posted

Twitter Being Used To Get Information About Potential Targets

January 12th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

This is a great time in social media technology. Even though MySpace and some of the other leaders in the field have fallen by the way side, they have been replaced by either technically or socially superior offerings. Twitter & Facebook In the case of technical superiority, the winner is definitely Facebook and it’s huge user base. It allows you to stay connected to individuals and still maintain a great deal of privacy. Some of that has been changed in the past couple of months, but overall they keep your privacy better than any other social media site. Twitter is the other winner in this battle. They have grown a great deal in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately their privacy policy is not as good as Facebook’s. Private Twitter Twitter allows you to have two settings. Your tweets can either be open or they can be private. When they are private, only the people that you choose are allowed to follow you. This seems secured on the outside, but it quickly becomes a setting that people get tired of. Part of the fun of Twitter, is that people that you do not know get to follow you, if you seem like an interesting person. Locking your twitter account eliminates that feature. So most people end up turning it off. This is when the problems begin. Public Twitter People use twitter when they are in the office, on the streets, and at home. This causes the average user to become real comfortable with the service and maybe say things that they didn’t mean to. This includes personal items about themselves and information about their job that should not be spoken about in public. There are ways that you can delete the offending tweet, but most times it will still be picked up by third party devices that hook to twitter. Applications such as tweetdeck will cache the tweet and the people who follow you will still see it. If a hacker or any other kind of criminal is casing a particular target, they can find out who works there. Once they find out who works there, it should be easy to find the workers that use Twitter . Once that information is found out, they can then set those people as part of a list and monitor what they say. Someone in that group will say something valuable about their job. All they need is one person to slip up. Corporations and small businesses need to go over with their workers social media protocol. A firm policy is needed, so they know what they can disclose on social media sites. The companies must realize that these sites have become a huge way that people socialize and they need to plan for it. I wouldn’t go as far as monitor their tweets but an official office policy should be good enough. Especially when you are dealing with sensitive information. Twitter Being Used To Get Information About Potential Targets is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Twitter Being Used To Get Information About Potential Targets

The problem with Dave Cameron (No.203) – Telegraph.co.uk (blog)

January 8th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

The problem with Dave Cameron (No.203) Telegraph.co.uk (blog) REPUDIATE carbon tax or carbon cap and trade transactions approved by BC Office of the Premier and financed with odious (fake) debt or credit. … and more

The Met Office gives us the warmist weather – Telegraph.co.uk

January 2nd, 2010. Published under Fraud, Political Scams. No Comments.

Telegraph.co.uk The Met Office gives us the warmist weather Telegraph.co.uk Note the article in this newspaper re *incidents of fraud* in the carbon credit field – laughable when the whole thing is a giant con. … and more

Trend Micro Announces 30% Discount On Internet Security Products

December 24th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Everybody wants to feel safe and secure when surfing the internet and the best way to achieve that goal is through having quality products protecting your computer. That means an antivirus program at the very least and quite possibly a full internet security suite. One of the most notable security vendors is Trend Micro who have today announced a 30% price reduction on many of their products. Make it a Merry Christmas for both of us by bagging a great discount whilst earning me a commission To benefit from this great discount just use the coupons below between December 25th and January 10th – For United States customers Save 30% off Trend Micro Internet Security! Coupon Code: shoptrendm Save 30% off Trend Micro Antivirus plus AntiSpyware 2010! Coupon Code: shoptrendm Save 30% on Trend Micro Internet Security Pro! Coupon Code: shoptrendm For my fellow Brits Save 30% on Trend Micro Home & Home Office products! Coupon Code: shoptrendm For everyone else Spar 30% av Trend Micros hele linjen av Home og Home Office-produkter! Coupon Code: shoptrendm Bespaar 30% van de gehele lijn van Trend Micro’s van Thuis en Thuiskantoor producten! Coupon Code: shoptrendm Sconto del 30% della intera linea di Trend Micro Home & Home Office prodotti! Coupon Code: shoptrendm Économisez 30% de toute la ligne de Trend Micro of Home & Home Office produits! Acheter maintenant Sparen Sie 30% der gesamten Linie von Trend Micro Home & Home Office Produkte! Coupon Code: shoptrendm Trend Micro Announces 30% Discount On Internet Security Products is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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The Great Pretenders – Job Hunt Tip #33

December 15th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

One in a series of web-exclusive clips from the satirical short film “The Great Pretenders,” containing important tips for conducting a job search. “The Great Pretenders” takes place in a “career transition” firm, where laid off managers and executives receive motivational advice and search for new jobs. The Great Pretenders: Being Unemployed is a Full-Time Job. www.greatpretendersmovie.com

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How To Communicate Securely Through A Network With SSH

December 1st, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

When you take your computer onto a strange network, it pays to be highly suspicious and even paranoid about the situation. There are many tricks that are out there now that allows malicious hackers to gather your information as the packets transmit through the air. Many people need to access their work computer when they are in a remote location and this action requires traveling over strange networks. Some people only need a command line client to be able to access the office server. The SSH  protocol allows a command line client to be able to access a work server securely through encrypted data packets. Let’s explain how the program works and why it is one of the best solutions out there. SSH The SSH protocol has been around for a long time. It started in 1995 as a small free project but turned out to be so useful that the project just grew and grew. When the idea of networks first came about, the thoughts of security were secondary to thoughts about the speed of the network. People would use programs such as Telnet to access from remote locations and transmit data back and forth. Then in the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s security proved to be a real big issue and tools were created to address that issue. A replacement for Telnet, which was lacking encryption and other secure features, was needed. This created the desire for a program such as SSH. SSH is just the security protocol and there are plenty of clients that make use of that protocol. The most popular being the putty program. It has gained the respect of the security community and seems to be the favorite by a large margin. Once you have installed a client such as putty you just put in your log in information and pick which type of encryption you would like to use. After that is done you can now use it to log into your server. You can now transmit your data back and forth without the gnawing feeling that somebody can be easily dropping in on your communications. The use of SSH to log into your remote server is one the best ways to make sure that your data stays secure. If you in any way concerned about a network that you are using remotely then make sure that you pick the best way to keep your communication secured. How To Communicate Securely Through A Network With SSH is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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The Great Pretenders – Job Hunt Tip #12

November 25th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

One in a series of web-exclusive clips from the satirical short film “The Great Pretenders,” containing important tips for conducting a job search. “The Great Pretenders” takes place in a “career transition” firm, where laid off managers and executives receive motivational advice and search for new jobs. The Great Pretenders: Being Unemployed is a Full-Time Job. www.greatpretendersmovie.com

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The Great Pretenders – Job Hunt Tip #12

Exclusive: Oval Office Watch – Saturday, November 21 – Family Security Matters

November 21st, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Exclusive: Oval Office Watch – Saturday, November 21 Family Security Matters The entire Global Warming movement and all the idiocy that goes with it such as Cap & Trade , has become 100% political. There's literally ZERO scientific …

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The Top 5 Antivirus Programs For Windows 7

November 6th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

The most important and challenging thing for computer users is protect their computers against all threats like viruses, worms, and other malware. There is an old saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’ so protect your computer with the best antivirus you can get now . Many viruses, worms, and other types of malware are released every day and most target machines that run Microsoft Windows operating systems. As you are probably aware, Microsoft has just released the newest version of their operating system – Windows 7. As ever, it promises to be more secure than previous versions but which are the best antivirus programs you can use with Windows 7? AVAST! Windows 7 Anti Virus: Avast! antivirus is one of the top antivirus programs that is known to be compatible with Windows 7. Avast! is offering full desktop security including a resident shield. Besides good performance it also offers the following – It is very easy to use and doesn’t take up too much system resource. Comes with changeable skins so you can customise a look you feel happy with. Anti-spyware protection is included. All Avast! products are available to download for a free 60-day trial period. Trend Micro Antivirus for Windows 7: Trend Micro Antivirus is one of the top 5 antivirus programs which is compatible with windows 7. Trend Micro is an antivirus company based in Japan ant they offer some exciting features – Trend Micro provides security for your computer against computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, and related security threats. It blocks virus infections that arrive via emails. It provides excellent protection for your PC. This groovy antivirus program protects your files from being sent without authorization. Trend Micro Antivirus does not interrupt playing games or watching videos while scanning. Take 10% Off Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010. Coupon Code: trendtav AVG Antivirus for Windows 7: The most familiar antivirus program for many computer users is AVG, a product from AVG technologies. AVG is compatible with Windows 7. Many people use AVG because of its excellent features such as – Having a good user interface that is simple to understand. Having a quick installation time that doesn’t require your system to be rebooted. AVG has come up with three new components called Web Shield, Link Scanner and AVG Toolbar. Link checker is from Exploit Prevention Labs – the main advantage of this technology is to block dubious content in websites. Kaspersky Antivirus: Kaspersky, the Russian security specialist, offer an antivirus program with the following benefits – The new Kaspersky is attuned for Windows 7. Kaspersky provides real time scanning of files, web pages and e-messages. It scans and protects your PC against all viruses, spyware, phishing attacks and identity theft. Has an excellent look, very ease to use and has a good user-friendly interface. The newest feature is Kaspersky Toolbar for Internet browsers to warn you about infected or unsafe websites. Check out the Kaspersky Lab Online Store for more information. AVIRA Antivirus Software: Another windows 7 compatible antivirus is Avira antivirus. This program offers the following features – Avira is provided with a free version option. Good user-friendly interface.. Virus database is automatically updated. Automatically blocks websites which may harm your PC. Overall the new Avira is compatible with windows 7 without any problems. Which is your favourite antivirus program for Windows 7?

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Unemployment up by 88,000

October 16th, 2009. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

Unemployment has risen by 88000, maintaining a 14-year high. Follow us on twitter at twitter.com

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Unemployment up by 88,000

Exclusive: Oval Office Watch – Saturday, October 10 – Family Security Matters

October 10th, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Family Security Matters Exclusive: Oval Office Watch – Saturday, October 10 Family Security Matters The Waxman-Markey bill is a cap and trade bill similar to what most European Nations imposed in 2005. The bill imposes a declining ceiling, or cap , … and more

Exclusive: Oval Office Watch – Thursday, October 1 – Family Security Matters

October 1st, 2009. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Family Security Matters Exclusive: Oval Office Watch – Thursday, October 1 Family Security Matters I'm going to take a wild guess and say that only 5 percent of Americans could give an accurate definition of what “ cap-and-trade ” means. … and more

FTC Announces New Enforcement Actions In Continuing Crackdown On Mortgage Relief Services Scams

September 17th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

The Federal Trade Commission today announced two new law enforcement actions in a continuing crackdown on mortgage foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams, bringing to 22 the number of these cases the Commission has filed since the housing crisis began. The FTC also announced developments in similar pending mortgage-related actions. “Today’s challenging economy presents an opportunity for con artists who prey upon financially distressed consumers. The Federal Trade Commission and our state and federal partners will continue to bring law enforcement actions to stop this insidious fraud,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. “If you’re worried about keeping your home, avoid any company that asks for a large fee in advance, guarantees that they’ll stop a foreclosure or modify a loan, or tells you to stop paying your mortgage company and to pay them instead.” The FTC’s announcement accompanied a meeting of federal and state officials including Chairman Leibowitz, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, and the state attorneys general from eleven states (Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington). These federal and state officials met in Washington, D.C., to discuss emerging trends and ongoing efforts against fraud in the mortgage marketplace. In addition to law enforcement, the FTC discussed its ongoing rulemaking proceeding involving mortgage modification services and continuing efforts to educate consumers about avoiding mortgage-related scams. In today’s two new announced FTC actions, the defendants allegedly falsely claimed that they would obtain a mortgage modification in virtually all cases. According to the FTC’s complaints, after charging homeowners large up-front fees, the defendants often did little or nothing to help them renegotiate their mortgages or stop foreclosure. The FTC seeks to stop the defendants’ deceptive claims and make them forfeit their ill-gotten gains. Nations Housing Modification Center and its principals allegedly violated the FTC Act and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule by misrepresenting themselves as a federal government agency or affiliate and falsely claiming that, in return for a $3,000 fee – half due up-front and half due two weeks later – they would obtain mortgage modifications that would make consumers’ loan payments substantially more affordable in virtually every instance. According to the FTC, the defendants also falsely claimed a 90 percent success rate, that only selected customers meeting certain qualifications were offered a loan, and that they had attorneys and forensic accountants on staff. In fact, the FTC alleges that very few homeowners got modifications, the defendants accepted advance fees for services from all applicants, and they had neither lawyers nor accountants on staff. According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants solicited consumers by mail designed to look as if it came from a federal government agency, deceptively stating, “a bill has been passed by Congress” that “allows the Nations Housing Modification Center to provide relief for homeowners that are delinquent on their mortgage through the Nations Home Affordable Modification Program.” The defendants also allegedly made misleading statements on their Web site and with consumers who called their toll-free number. The complaint alleges that consumers were misled because the defendants’ promotion is very similar to the real government “Making Home Affordable” program that provides free mortgage loan assistance. The defendants are Federal Housing Modification Department, Inc., doing business as Nations Housing Modification Center and Loan Modification Reform Association, and Michael A. Trap, Glenn S. Rosofsky, and Bryan P. Rosenberg. The Commission vote to file the complaint was 4-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on September 16, 2009. The FTC appreciates the assistance of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the office of Jim Freis, Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the office of Bonnie M. Dumanis, District Attorney, County of San Diego, California, in this matter. Infinity Group Services and its president are charged with violating the FTC Act by falsely representing that they would obtain a loan modification in all, or virtually all, instances; that they would give full refunds if they failed to do so; and that they would obtain loan refinancing for an up-front fee of $995. According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants’ radio ads and Web site urged consumers to call a toll-free number. Once consumers called, the defendants’ sales personnel promised that, in return for the up-front fee, the company would help them modify their mortgage loans through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Hope for Homeowners program. The defendants claimed a high success rate and offered a full refund if they failed. The FTC alleges that the company often failed to obtain loan modifications and either failed to answer or return consumers’ telephone calls or update them about their status. When consumers were able to contact the defendants, they were falsely told that negotiations were proceeding smoothly or that lenders had caused a delay. In many instances, consumers received refunds only after repeatedly complaining to the FTC, the California Attorney General’s Office, or the Better Business Bureau. The FTC’s complaint further alleged that the defendants also offered mortgage loan refinancing for a “flat fee” of $995 but then sought additional fees ranging from $2,000 to $15,000. In other instances, consumers were led to believe that they had closed on their loans but were later told by the defendants that the loan would not be funded. According to the complaint, the defendants’ Web site stated that there were no hidden costs, but a fine-print footnote stated, “Rates, Fees and Terms are subject to change.” The defendants are Infinity Group Services, also doing business as IGS, Hope to Homeowners, ASK IGS, and ASK IGS, Inc., and the company’s president, Kahram Zamani. The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint was 4-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division, on August 26, 2009. The FTC also announced developments in four previously filed foreclosure rescue cases: The FTC has obtained a stipulated federal court order barring Lucas Law Center and its principals from misrepresenting their services and charging up-front fees. The defendants allegedly used an attorney to circumvent California prohibitions against receiving a fee before providing any services. In addition to falsely representing that they would obtain mortgage loan modifications, the defendants allegedly told some homeowners to stop paying their mortgage in order to pay the defendants’ fees of up to $3,995. The order announced today bars the defendants’ allegedly deceptive practices, pending a trial, and requires them to disable Web sites offering their services and to note the FTC’s lawsuit and the order on the Web sites. The order also requires domain name registrars to prevent any changes to the defendants’ Internet domain name registrations. The order names a permanent receiver over the corporate defendants, extends an earlier asset freeze, and bars the defendants from filing for bankruptcy without the court’s permission. The FTC ultimately seeks consumer restitution and a permanent bar on the defendants’ deceptive practices. The defendants are LUCASLAWCENTER “INCORPORATED,” Future Financial Services, LLC, Paul Jeffrey Lucas, Christopher Francis Betts, and Frank Sullivan. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division, on July 7, 2009. (see July 15, 2009, press release http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/loanlies.shtm ) The stipulated order was entered on August 24, 2009. The FTC has obtained a preliminary injunction halting the allegedly deceptive practices of United Credit Adjusters Inc., The Loan Modification Shop, Ltd. , and their principals, and freezing their assets, pending a trial. The Commission recently filed an amended complaint in this matter, adding as defendants The Loan Modification Shop, Ltd. and Casey Lynn Cohen, also known as Casey Lynn Collins, alleging that they and one of the original defendants, Ezra Rishty, misrepresented that they would help consumers obtain a mortgage loan modification or stop foreclosure in all or virtually all instances. The FTC’s original complaint, filed in February 2009, charged seven corporate and three individual defendants with falsely promising to remove negative information from consumers’ credit reports (even information that is accurate and current), charging an up-front fee, and failing to provide written disclosures. (see March 17, 2009, press release http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/03/unitedcredit.shtm .) The original defendants are United Credit Adjusters, Inc., doing business as United Credit Adjustors and UCA; United Credit Adjustors, Inc., d/b/a United Credit Adjusters and UCA; United Counseling Association, Inc., d/b/a UCA; Bankruptcy Masters Corp., National Bankruptcy Services Corp., Federal Debt Solutions, Ltd., United Money Tree, Inc., and Ahron E. Henoch, Ezra Rishty, and Gerald Serino, also known as Jerry Serino. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the amended complaint was 4-0. The amended complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on August 4, 2009. The court entered a preliminary injunction as to all of the defendants on September 1, 2009. The FTC has obtained preliminary injunctions halting the allegedly deceptive practices of Loss Mitigation Services and its principals, pending a trial. Primarily through direct mail solicitation, the defendants allegedly targeted consumers whose mortgage payments have increased, who have made late payments, and whose homes were in foreclosure. They charged up to $5,500 in advance and promised that a loan modification was assured or virtually assured if consumers hired them. The defendants also misrepresented that they were a department of, or affiliated with, the consumer’s lender or mortgage servicer. In many cases, they failed to obtain loan modifications for consumers, some of whom lost their homes while waiting for the promised results. The defendants are Loss Mitigation Services, Inc., Synergy Financial Management Corporation, doing business as Direct Lender, and Dean Shafer, Bernadette Perry, and Tony Perry. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on July 13, 2009. (see July 15, 2009, press release http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/loanlies.shtm ) The litigated preliminary injunction as to the corporate defendants and the stipulated preliminary injunction as to the individual defendants were filed on August 19, 2009. The FTC has filed an amended complaint in its action pending against Hope Now Modifications, LLC, adding as defendants Michael Kwasnik, Esq. and The Law Firm of Kwasnik, Rodio, Kanowitz & Buckley P.C. The original complaint, filed in March 2009, alleged that the defendants misled consumers about their ability to provide mortgage loan modification and foreclosure relief or to provide refunds if they failed to do so, and misrepresented that they were affiliated with, or part of, the HOPE NOW Alliance, a non-profit organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The amended complaint also alleges violations of the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the amended complaint was 4-0. The complaint and amended complaint were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on March 17, 2009, and September 14, 2009, respectively. (see March 24, 2009, press release http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/03/newhope.shtm ) The FTC asks homeowners to report foreclosure rescue and mortgage modification scams to FTC.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. The FTC makes those complaints available to federal, state, and local law enforcement through the Consumer Sentinel Network. Homeowners in distress can get free help from the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline 888-995-HOPE (4673), which connects homeowners to HUD-certified housing counselors. In addition to the FTC’s law enforcement efforts, the agency has initiated a rulemaking proceeding to address the proliferation of companies offering mortgage modification services to determine whether new rules could be useful to protect consumers. The FTC also launched new initiatives to educate consumers on avoiding these scams. For example, the Commission has released a video, “ Real People. Real Stories ,” featuring people targeted by foreclosure rescue scammers sharing lessons learned from their experiences. The FTC is distributing the video, and a version in Spanish, to more than 5,000 housing counseling and consumer protection organizations around the country, and posting them at FTC.gov/yourhome and YouTube.com/FTCVideos . The Commission’s mortgage-related resources are available at www.ftc.gov/moneymatters . NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics .

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FTC Announces New Enforcement Actions In Continuing Crackdown On Mortgage Relief Services Scams

Bogus Money Order Scam at Post Office – Channel 7 Daily News

September 4th, 2009. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.

Channel 7 Daily News Bogus Money Order Scam at Post Office Channel 7 Daily News The bogus money order scam has come to Belize and Jacqueline Godwin found out how it's left the Post Office short of a few thousand dollars. … and more

African money order scam reaches Belize Postal Service – channel5belize

September 3rd, 2009. Published under Money Order Scams. No Comments.

Channel 7 Daily News African money order scam reaches Belize Postal Service channel5belize The Belize Postal Service has uncovered an international money order scam rooted in Africa but cultivated in the USA and Belize. Fake money orders in sums … Bogus Money Order Scam at Post Office Channel 7 Daily News all 2 news articles

4,054 Federal Consumer Credit Lawsuits filed so far in 2009 as of July 24, 2009 – FTC Sits on its Laurels

July 25th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

Most of 4,054 the federal consumer credit lawsuits filed so far in 2009 are Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) against Debt Collectors and debt collection law firms. You can see for yourself at Justia.com . If you ask me that’s a lot of consumers being abused by debt collectors using questionable collection tactics. This is quite troubling as it shows that for the most part the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) and state attorney general’s are not getting involved in consumer abuse as much as they should be. These numbers also show that many debt collectors are willfully violating federal and state law to collect debts. I could see if there were maybe 75-100 (total) filed each month, but the numbers of lawsuits that consumers file

First Class Action Filed Against Georgia’s Mann Bracken and FIA Card Services (aka MBNA America Bank).

July 24th, 2009. Published under Business Scams, Fraud. No Comments.

I personally hope that this is the first of many class-action lawsuits against Mann Bracken (aka Axiant, Aka Accretive Technologies), Wolpoff and Abramson, Eskanos and Adler and the rest that are involved. Of course at this point the class-action is filed, a judge still has to certify it as a class-action. However with all that has been going on I think it will gain class action status and I hope that a nationwide class action shows up soon. from wislawjournal.com The complaint (PDF) mapped out a “complex web” which boiled down to a cozy financial relationship: the arbitration services of NAF and sister organizations as well as the debt collection services of the law firm Mann Bracken and other companies have all been owned by the same New York hedge fund since 2007. The complaint alleged that the NAF violated state consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and false advertising statutes through “complex and opaque corporate structuring” that concealed its financial ties and represented itself as a neutral party. “The ability of a class action litigant to get all of these other court cases undone is limited because of comity. Definitely a federal court will not be able to tell state courts to set aside judgments,” said Rubin, who hopes that other state attorneys general or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will step in and order that profits be disgorged. I just hope that there is some money left when my civil lawsuit filed in Georgia gets in front of a judge, I want a piece of Mann Bracken myself for the harassment I have endured…. If you have been harassed or had an illegal judgment against you then I suggest that you: File a complaint with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs against Mann Bracken. The state of Georgia is suing Mann Bracken for FDCPA and for violations of the Georgia Business Practices Act. Contact the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs PDF complaint form http://consumer.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_1210/35/26/117138786Complaintform.pdf If you are harassed by debt collectors or debt collector law firms, go to www.naca.net or www.martindale.com and get a consumer protection attorney and SUE the pants off of them. Consumer protection attorney’s work on a contingency basis (no upfront costs – i.e. $0.00). BE SURE to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) as well. It is imperative that they get your complaint. https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

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First Class Action Filed Against Georgia’s Mann Bracken and FIA Card Services (aka MBNA America Bank).

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Karma is Kicking the Debt Collection Industries Ass – New York AG Cuomo Sues 35 Debt Collection Companies

July 22nd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Greed, simply put that’s what has the debt collection industry in turmoil and *finally* illegal and abusive debt collection companies are getting their just desserts. It’s about time too. The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) seems about as useful as tits on a boar hog (as we say down here in the south) when enforcing violations of consumers rights. At least states attorney Generals like New York’s Andrew Cuomo and Michigan’s

Debt Collector National Enterprise Systems (Ohio) Sued by West Virginia Attorney General

July 21st, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Like I have said earlier, Karma is kicking the debt collection industries butt, and a good thing too. The West Virginia Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against an Ohio collection agency Tuesday for threatening consumers. Assistant Attorney General Norman Googel says National Enterprise Systems has made hundreds, if not thousands, of phone calls to West Virginia residents. “What we’ve seen is a pattern of complaints where the company will call up a consumer and say, ‘We have a warrant for your arrest issued. And if you don’t pay $5,000 now, you will be arrested.’” Googel said. The lawsuit alleges the threats violate both state and federal debt collection laws. “When a company uses that tactic, it’s about as bad as holding a gun to their head. That’s illegal and so is this,” Googel said. Some West Virginians already paid out the money fearing the worst. “It is never a crime to not be able to pay a debt,” he said. “And you can never be arrested for not paying a debt.”

Federal Lawsuits Naming Mann Bracken Defendant – 74 so far in 2009

July 21st, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

I still can’t figure out why the Federal Trade Commission has ignored Mann Bracken for so long. I think there is some hush money being spread around capital hill and the FTC is getting some of it. The below civil lawsuits naming Mann Bracken defendant brings the number of lawsuits filed against Mann Bracken in 2009 to 74 (and counting). From Justia.com federal civil filings