Mike Samadi asked:


Allow me discuss a few tips with you.

1.    Never trust people, who tell you that they can make you a lot of money over a very short period of time even if those people are driving very expensive cars, live in home worth millions of dollars so on and so forth.  The person who is willing to make you rich overnight is one that you should avoid (believe me when I say this).  In my previous article, I noted that I was taken by three con-artists who were associated with each other and they tossed me back and forth.  Not until I was hit hard in a short time did I realize how good they were.  No, I am not talking about Nigerians or any other nationals, but Americans right here in my hometown.  Even as smart as I thought I was and with the resources I had to find information about these guys, I still was not aware of their deceptions until I was hit hard and lost a lot.  No, I am not talking about thousands of dollars; try high five (5) to six zeros.  The sad part is that two of these guys did not have any criminal records and they were all living in nice homes, with a list of clients that signed up well before me and even believed in these guys long after me.  Unfortunately, one of those guys is still loose and hiding somewhere.  The other two got just a little time, because our system of justice only severely prosecutes a person who robs a bank (financial institution).  If a person robs a bank for 10,000.00 dollars or so, he will get over a decade of jail time but, if a person robs millions from innocent people (let’s say at minimum 100 people), that person gets a slap on the wrist or maximum 5 years.  That’s justice for you and I.

The only way you can become rich is either with hard work or to hit the lottery (which I call “poor man’s money.”)  Since the “ODDS” of you or I winning the lottery is very very remote, so let’s be normal and try to make money the right way.  That is by using your GOD GIFTTED “BRIAN.”   By the way, I know two people who won millions in the lottery and just a few short years later they ended up back in the same lifestyle they were before the winning…(so sad).

2.    Never give your Social Security number (SSN) over the Internet or phone to anyone (especially if that person is not a part of any institutions that you have done business with previously).  I tell people it is better you lose a thousand dollars than losing your SSN to some stranger.  When a deceptive person gets a hold of your SSN, you will spend months trying to persuade creditors, collection agencies and bureaus that you were not the one who opened the accounts and made so many charges.  I received this book called “Your Credit = Your Life, Fix It Now!” which offers a lot of information about fraud, collection agencies, protection and so much more.  Please read this book.   Even those creditors, who insist on having your entire SSN, MUST understand the fact when you tell them, “I can’t give you my SSN over the Internet.”  If you already have an account with this creditor, then they MUST ask you other questions such as list of transactions, payment, history, etc.  Believe me they know how, what and when to ask the questions to know if you are the account holder.  Dissolving fraud usually requires a lengthy fight and much aggravation.  Sometimes it may require hiring attorneys and paying exurbanite retainer fees in an attempt to get their lives back on track.  IS IT WORTH the headache, frustration, lack of sleep, loss of so much money, or even worse? I know a couple of people who did not listen to me and did the exact opposite of what I had been telling them…

3.    Do NOT volunteer checking, savings, investment account, or credit card information to collection agencies.  Let’s assume (you do not know how much I **** this word “assume”) the best-case scenario.  Let’s say that the collection agencies truly want to work something out with you for passed due accounts.  When you agree to make A (one time) payment using a credit card, guess what happens the following months and without your authorization.  Now go ahead try to fight the additional draft. The collection agencies will tell you that we never agreed “on a one time payment”, we agreed on a monthly payment.  The credit card company WILL TELL you, “sorry you made an agreement and that the collection agency provided records.”   If you want to make a payment to a collection agency, send the company “Certified Check”, “Cashier’s Check”, or “Money Order”.  Do NOT send your regular check.   Some of these companies may even share/sell your personal and financial information to other companies.  When you provide the information to one and another company also initiates its aggressive collection (addressed in the book mentioned above), would you be able to tell where this company received such accurate information?  Can you prove it?  I bet your answers are both “No.  I don’t know how to do that…”  So, STOP giving out your information to people whose intentions are not to help you but to help their own paychecks.  Please read  “Your Credit = Your Life, Fix It Now!” to learn more.

4.    Nobody hands you free money. So, when I call you and tell you, ”you won, all I need is a checking or saving account number to transfer all this money into your account,”  please don’t immediately jump up and down and get excited and give me all the information I need.  You can act excited, give me some bogus numbers if you want.  Keep me on my toes so that you can get my information and pass it on to the FBI.  But I bet most these calls come from private, unknown or some other dead end numbers or do not allow reply call (the number is not in service for incoming calls).  If you want free money, look around your house and start seeing the money you wasted on useless items that have not been used or stuff that was used only once … You need to learn the concept of “Saving Your Money.” (another book out there).  Please take advantage of the knowledge base I provided for you.

5.    Watch out for the “Debt Consolidation”,  “Debt Settlement”, “Debt Management” or other similar companies.   There is a lot to say about these.  It is discussed in the credit repair book (mentioned above).  Here you leave all your accounts at a serious risk or if nothing else, you may be defrauded out of money.  It is very detailed in that book.  However, allow me to give you an example.

A couple of weeks ago, a “Debt Settlement” company out of Florida somehow found my number to offer me help to settle my debts for a lot less.  Don’t ask me how they got my number, I am a unique individual who wears several hats and most telemarketers don’t know it.  So, I became interested (since I try to protect others in a hope to reduce scam).  I was so ready to jump on board and get “ALL MY DEBT CONSOLIDATED AND UNSECURED DEBT PAID FOR A LOT LESS” that I could not jump high enough for joy.  I agreed to everything she said, and answered all the questions the way she wanted to hear.  She sent me a package from some network company in Boca… and an 800-DEBT number. 

After reading the information included in the package, I learned the trick of how people may get deceived.  If I knew just a little less than what I know (with a Equifax score of over 820+), I would have DIVED on board head first without even having my hands or arms over my head.  The document I received was suggestive to deception, included misrepresentations of facts, which can be misleading, directing to commit fraud under false pretense by giving suggestive ideas.  The funny part about all this was the numbers thrown in there for fees.  Of course the deal looks good (if I wanted to do this).  Settling $35,000.00 worth of debt for about $19,250.00 of which $8,750.00 of it was fees to “a Law Center”.  The contract stated, no down payment and monthly payments of $497.33 for 42 months were needed.  Now, multiplying the number of month (42) times the monthly payment of ($497.33) equals to $20,887.86 which is a bit higher than the “Total Amount with Fees (55%): $19,250.00” (as indicted on the agreement).  Of course the deal is still good; because it would have saved me a little over $14,000.00 dollars.  That’s if the company’s intentions were true and they are not in the business of robbing people (I do not know).  However, is it ethical???? What are your thoughts?  Please contact me and tell me.  I do not know what the FL Attorney General (A.G.) and the US Department of Justice would say.  But, as stated in the Credit Repair book (introduced above) don’t look for the government agencies to do their job correctly.

There is so much more.

6.    Do NOT co-sign a loan for someone else (does not matter how close you are to that person) unless you have the means and intent to make the monthly payment yourself irregardless of the person you co-signed for pays or not.  I heard it all.  I would like to hear someone’s story about a co-signed loan that remained good for the length of the loan.  The best relationships break over this (exception: child-parents).  You must either accept the fact that you will make the payment for the other person whether he/she pays you or not, or do not sign the loan document.  There is no other way about it.  If you have good credit and want to help someone (let’s say your children or immediate family member with the benefits and power of your excellent credit), then take the chance of signing the loan with the understanding that you will pay the loan no matter what. You do not have to announce your thoughts or decision, but just remember that if the person makes late payments or defaults, your excellent score is no more.  And based upon how bad it damaged your credit, the effect of such negative may not be removed off your credit report-score for at minimum 2 –5 years (depending on how good your credit was/is on other accounts).

7.    I advertised for something over the Internet (specially Criglist) and received so many emails from people who claimed to be from England or Australia.  They all had the same thing in common.  Bad or poor English yet claim to be educated and some even doctors or professors.  So, I decided to play their game.  As I would receive their first email, ALL were screaming “SCAM”.  I prepared a Frequently asked questions list (Q & A)- answered all questions anyone could have had about my item.  I would cut and paste my FAQ to all inquires (whether scam or not).  In my FAQ, I clearly presented that “I do not accept money order, personal or company check.  The only way, I accept funds is if it is Certified or Cashier Check from a reputable bank.  I do NOT accept any funds over the amount to secure the item you wish to have.”  It seems that the deceivers do not even take the time to read and after a couple of emails, they were ready to send me more than what was needed to secure the item.  And, they ALL asked me to Western Union the remaining/overage amount to them or their associate in another state or country so that they would be able to make travel arrangement to meet me.  Yeah.  Right!!  In fact, two of them went to the extend of sending me some homemade check or a copy of a printed check (with copy signature).  The moral of the story.  First of all, do NOT accept any funds coming from other countries, IF you do not know the source.  Do not send money elsewhere when the source is not verifiable through a federally know agencies.  If and when you receive a check, do NOT rush to the law enforcement, because they cannot help you and will brush you off with some excuses.  The only agency that MAY be interested to know is FBI in the U.S. or the national enforcement agency in your country.  However, if you receive cash/BILLS, contact the U.S. Secret Service or the Department of Treasury or the security department of the Federal Bank in your country to verify of the currency is good.  Even if the checks look very very legitimate, you MUST contact the bank and see if the account is open, good standing, has funds, the payee’s name is the actual account holder and much more.  Tell the bank security department what you have.  I would be careful with the check even if the bank says (everything checks out and funds are there).  Let’s say that all is good and you want to deposit the check; do not send any money to anyone until at minimum 10 days after the check clears your account.  I would still be careful because. If I give you a check and you cash it, I may be able to dispute the check with my bank a month later.

8.    Similar to No. 7 (above), do not accept employment of collecting funds for a large company in another country.  How about having a part-time employment and collecting funds for me in your country.  I will ask my associates or the companies in which my company is doing business in your country send you the payment, you take your fee of 25% or $500.00 (whatever we agree to) and send us the rest through Western Union, DHL or some expedited method.  Please make certain you ship cash to me.  It is a great deal.  All you do is just wait for our payments (from our clients to reach you), rush to your bank, deposit and take the portion over you fees out and send it to me quickly.  Don’t you love it? 

These are only some of the simpler methods.  I am certain that there are much complicated methods of scams out there.  So it does not matter how much money you may have that losing a few hundred of thousand dollars may not matter to you, or that how broke and desperate you may be and any opportunity and hope for making money may motivate you, there are some things you do not want to do.  It is like knowing a food is filled with poison and you intentionally eat it.

With love, care and best wishes.

Mike Samadi

You can go to my website and post your Questions & Comments.  Your personal information will remain confidential and is NOT sold or shared with anyone else.

Here is something to make you smile.  A joke:  I hope you don’t find it insulting but funny.  (NOT FOR KIDS).  Adult discretion is advised.

A man walked into a supermarket with his zipper down. A lady cashier walked

up to him and said, “Your barracks door is open.”

Not a phrase that men normally use, he went on his way looking a bit

puzzled.

When he was about done shopping, a man came up and said, “Your fly is open.”

He zipped up and finished his shopping. At the checkout, he intentionally

got in the line where the lady was that told him about his “barracks door”.

He was planning to have a little fun with her, so when he reached the

counter he said, “When you saw my barracks door open, did you see a Marine

standing in there at attention?”

The lady (naturally smarter than the man) thought for a moment and said “No,

no I didn’t. All I saw was a disabled veteran sitting on a couple of old

duffel bags.



CARTER

David Kamau asked:


Identity theft, or simply ID theft, is the fastest growing crime in America. The reason is simple; it pays and often the criminals off with light sentences. This article offers ways to prevent identity theft.

You should also know that that there are different forms of identity theft. Some of these are as follows:

1. Full identity theft: someone steals your data and then goes on to live as you. He/she will pose or disguise his/herself as you, obtain an identification documents and then clean you out - that is bank account, credit lines etc.

2. Credit hijacking: The thief will simply use your name and good credit to open new credit lines and then go on spending sprees, of course, without paying the bills. You only realize when you either get denied credit, get a call from your bank or some other bank or creditor, or receive a bill you have no idea about.

3. Synthetic identity theft: This involves using bits and pieces of personal information from several victims to create a whole new identity. This is perhaps the most difficult form of ID theft to detect.

There are the obvious precautions anyone can take and often offered as preventive ways. These will probably stop a petty thief, but the modern ID thief is much more sophisticated.

These mundane identity theft prevention ways include advice such as “shred your documents”, “don’t carry your social security card in your wallet”, and “don’t throw documents in the trash” and the like. Good measures, but the sophisticated thief would laugh at these.

You can stop most ID thieves on their tracks by placing a fraud alert on your credit file with the three major credit bureaus. Unlike credit monitoring, which alerts you after the fact, with a fraud alert you get contacted before any new credit lines are opened.

A fraud alert is only good for three months. After three months, you have to renew it, which the bureaus are not enthusiastic to do as they make money by selling your information to third parties for marketing purposes (which they cannot do if you have a fraud alert on your file).

You should also invest in a good antivirus and spyware remover for your computer. Keystroke loggers can get downloaded into your system, without you realizing it. Keystroke loggers track everything typed into a computer and then report back to the scammer via the Internet.



PIERRE

SmooveB asked:


Especially in light of all the recent scandals and investigations involving voter registration. 99% of the people in this country already have photo ID’s, and use them to drive automobiles, cash checks, write checks, open cell phone accounts, buy alcohol and cigarettes, go to clubs, buy cars, rent apartments, etc.

It would almost seem that those arguing against photo ID’s are arguing against the “right” to commit election fraud.

I mean, wouldn’t you inconvenience yourself at least as much in a national election as you would to buy a pack of Newports?
There is an argument that poor/minority voters will be “disenfranchised”. Isn’t this a very good description of those members of our society who receive government assistance? Don’t they have to show ID to cash those checks?

HUGO

lioness021186 asked:


Last month, my debit card number was stolen somehow and i had fraudulent charges to some international company id never heard of on my card. I filed a fraud claim and was given a temporary credit of the money and signed affadivits basically saying that it was fraud. Today the bank called me to ask me questions about the claim, and apparently found the person who did it(via email address, which was one I never saw in my life). They asked me if I would be willing to pres charges, and said if i said no that theyd have to take back the credit. So I agreed, I just wanted to know if anyone knows what happens now that they are pressing charges. WIll I get charged anything for them to do it? Because I really cant afford to pay for this especially considering that the reason they are pressing charges is so that I can keep the money that is rightfully mine, since I didnt spend it, and it doesnt make any sense to have to pay money to keep my money.
To clarify, I do not know the person who did it. So it is not about being nice to someone, I just dont want to have to pay for pressing charges

JON

Didier Moujaes asked:


We are all aware of the rampant crime of Identity Theft. And if you are one of the millions who have had this happen to you and have had to unravel the tangles of trumped up credit card charges and worse, then you know how destructive this crime can be. But health insurers like Blue Cross and Blue Shield are reporting a rise in a new spin on the crime. Medical ID Theft; and it can have devastating consequences not only on your finances but also on your health.

Many people with health insurance fail to realize that their insurance card is as valuable, maybe even more valuable then their credit card. When it comes to paying for medical expenses, depending on the limits of your policy, a valid Blue Cross Blue Shield Card can be like holding a platinum Amex Card with A Million-Dollar credit limit. And if you are not aware of this be assured that thieves and unscrupulous medical providers certainly are. According to Byron Hollis, The National Anti Fraud Director with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, “It’s an old problem that people are becoming more aware of…” According to the World Privacy Forum since 2002 it has received more than 20,000 complaints of Medical ID theft, in ever increasing annual numbers. The most obvious way that medical ID theft occurs is if someone simply steals your insurance card and begins using it to procure medical services. This can mount up in a dangerous way, because again, most consumers are just not aware how important a lost insurance card can be, and will not report it immediately like they will a credit card. As the thief continues to rack up bills for illegitimate expenses the problem becomes twofold, not only in fraudulent charges being billed against your medical insurance policy, but the thief may confuse your medical history with their own, by ordering tests and medications that you do not require. This can have a serious impact on your future healthcare.

But perhaps more insidious is when the theft occurs when you use your health insurance benefits legitimately at the office of a medical provider and that information is lifted by an unscrupulous employee and sold on the open market. Many hospitals and HMO’s are implementing plans to fight Medical ID Theft, in the meantime if you want to be sure your information has not been hijacked, ask you healthcare provider for the most recent copy of your medical records, and ensure that all of the procedures, treatments and history of your conditions are indeed yours. Check all of your bills meticulously and look for any fraudulent charges. And protect your Health Insurance numbers and ID Cards just as you would your credit cards and Social Security Number.

If you suspect you have been a victim of Medical ID Fraud first contact your Insurance Company and ask to speak directly to their Anti-Fraud unit, then contact the police, and lastly you may want to contact your medical provider, but experts agree that since they may be involved in the crime, it is best to contact them LAST, after the police and your health insurance company so as not to tip the hand of the possible perpetrator.



GLEN

peaceman asked:


we received an e-mail solicitation regarding a scam to secure funds for a foreign firm - we of course did not respond -
the yahoo e-mail id is: samuel.moyo@yahoo.com
does anyone think that yahoo should be responsible for finding the origin of this id, stopping these thieves, and providing a safe medium for those of us that do NOT try to scam other users!
does yahoo have an e-mail that we could forward this disturbing
bit of fraud and the corresponding originating information?

JAMIE

Andrew Regan asked:


Many people will not experience a crime like identity fraud during their lifetime. However, the crime is not uncommon; most of us will at least know someone who has been a victim of ID theft, if we ourselves have not been. Because of this fairly high proliferation of identity fraud - particularly during times when the economy is tough - it is advisable that you get to know a little more about this crime, how to tell when it’s happening to you, and what to do about it.

The first step in identification is quite obvious, really. If you’ve had your bank or credit cards stolen or have lost them, you could become a victim. The same goes for entering your bank details on dodgy sites that do not have the small padlock indicating a seal of online security or have an untrustworthy URL when it should be straightforward. Prevention in these cases is easy: for lost or stolen cards, cancel them immediately. And as for online security, simply ensure that all websites you deal through are trustworthy and secure.

However, identity fraud can occur even when you’re being careful, and if you notice money disappearing from your account and being spent on things you know you didn’t buy then it is quite likely that you have had your bank details stolen. We all pay for this, eventually - in higher prices and increasingly expensive credit card terms, even if we ourselves are not affected by such crimes. That’s why it’s important to do your best to prevent becoming a victim to identity fraud.

What’s worse is that, although many banks are good natured about identity fraud, some will refuse to reimburse you should you be unable to prove that you did not buy what has appeared on your card. Therefore, insurance is important - on your cards and on other important possessions, like home contents insurance should the identity fraud prove to be an exceptionally bad case that can affect more than just your bank balance.

If you’re worried about online security, it may be wise to acquaint yourself with some of the most common fraud occurrences that happen online. This can particularly involve email accounts, which many trust unquestioningly when they should consider certain emails more carefully. For example, never give your details to anybody from another country claiming to wish to transfer funds into your account that you’d then pay back, keeping some for yourself. In addition, never trust any lottery win emails - especially if you never played in that draw! Finally, acquaint yourself with ‘phishing’ and watch out for it - it is the biggest email scam likely to succeed.

Identity fraud can be a scary and violating occurrence - so ensure that your cards are well looked after and that the websites you deal through have the https:// in the URL, as well as the security padlock demonstrating that they are safe. This could save you the stress, time and possible loss should you become a victim of this crime.



BENNETT

Michael Ford asked:


eBay is a wonderful and obviously very popular place to buy and sell items. However, there are times when fraud does occur. If this happens to you, you might wonder what your next step should be, or if you have any recourse.

Once you have determined that you are dealing with a case of fraud, you may wonder, who can you turn to?

The FBI or attorney general’s office in your state is unlikely to be helpful unless the case involves a large amount of money, say for over $100,000. Local law enforcement will not be helpful unless the other party is in the same state.

The Better Business Bureau is not a government organization. They collect money from businesses listed on their sites. They will not investigate and will never recover any money for you.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will allow you to file a complaint online at ftc.gov; however, this information is kept for statistical reasons and no one will investigate your case.

What you should do is immediately file a fraud report at the Auction-Safety organization website. Filing a report there will give you more specific information on what you should do next and who you should contact next.

If you paid by PayPal then you should file for a payment reversal as soon as you suspect something is not right. If it turns out there was a mistake or misunderstanding, you can always cancel the reversal at PayPal or resend the payment. If you paid by credit card, you should have at least 30 days to file a complaint and recover your money.

If your eBay or PayPal account has been compromised (unusual transfers to/from PayPal, auctions posted using your account or strange emails from eBay) you should immediately change both your eBay and PayPal passwords, then contact both companies.

After reporting the fraud, or even if you have traded safely and successfully, it is important to remain vigilant since personal information gathered during an eBay transaction can be used later in a case of “real world” fraud.

Both eBay buyers and sellers should be very careful of any telemarketers or unusual postal mail or emails they receive after an auction transaction. Scammers may offer inexpensive items for sale on eBay to collect buyer information, or they may buy inexpensive items from sellers for the purpose of collecting the seller’s personal address and phone number. The scammer now has a name, address, and phone number associated with an eBay ID.

A scammer can then send customized emails that look exactly like real eBay emails and include your name to make them look authentic. They could also use various telemarketing tricks by calling your phone number and pretending to be a company you know or to have something of interest to you now that they know your auction interests. They will say your name and address to ‘verify’ they are legitimate.

Of course, they will never say that they obtained your information from an auction and will try to obtain more information from you, such as personal financial information or credit card numbers.

If your Caller ID shows “Out Of Area” or “Unavailable” it means the caller is intentionally hiding who they are and you should never trust anything they say.

To protect yourself from such “after eBay real-world” fraud attempts, make sure you have registered your phone number at the government site DoNotCall.gov. This is a listing of phone numbers that telemarketers are legally prohibited from calling. If you sign up on this list and a telemarketer calls you, then you know they are trying to scam you because honest telemarketers will not call numbers on the Do Not Call list. You can report violations of the Do Not Call list because that is a federal crime.



TYSON

Minerva asked:


this story, “AUSTIN, Texas — Against his doctor’s advice, a stooped and feeble Sen. Mario Gallegos arrives at the Texas legislature each day, just to make sure lawmakers do not take up a bill requiring voters to show identification proving they are not illegal immigrants.” appeared on foxnews.com. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274774,00.html?sPage=fnc.specialsections/immigration )

to me, it should be in the mainstrwam media. The main reason that democrats are so opposed to showing any form of ID while voting is that they are wanting those illegal votes. After all, if a person needs ID to get welfare (and they do!) then why can’t they show it to vote?

What good does trying to vote these creeps out of office do if they are getting illegal votes to stay in office? Why aren’t they being prosecuted for voter fraud?

One interesting sidenote: the senator sounds like a hero, struggling with his life just to be there to block this bill- until you read at the very bottom of the article that he needed the liver transplant in the first place because of his own alcoholism. No pity for him from these quarters!!!
Just a note to Opal, it doesn’t matter what Fox New’s point of view is, the point is, the story is factually correct. That’s all that really matters in this situation. The facts.

MERLIN

Aaron S asked:


i own a home theater company and have had a free demo service from directv for years. i recently got a 100 dollar collection notice from dish network. When i called and confronted them, they referred me six or seven times, and eventually said, it must be id theft, and thats my problem, they said they dont care about my time, or effort to fix it, they informed me i have two choices, pay it, or start doing fraud legwork myself. how can i make this at least a pain in their **** too?

JUSTIN