Avoiding Holiday Shopping Scams and Fraud

Hi All,

Its that time of year for holiday shopping.  As of the day of this writing Christmas is 12 days away and Hanukah is....tonight.  Start the wrapping and the getting the gift bags out!!!

But with the holiday season comes fraud and scams and other holiday shopping problems.  How to avoid these unfortunate events you ask?  Read on.   We'll have a baker's dozen plus one links to help you navigate through the holiday season with no problems - hopefully at least!

How to Avoid Holiday Shopping Scams and Fraud - AARP

Online Holiday Shopping Scams to Watch Out For - CNNTech

6 Holiday Shopping Scams and How to Avoid them - NBC 

Fake Amazon Gift Cards...and other Cyber Scams Tempt Holiday Shoppers - Detroit Free Press

Holiday Shopping Scams to Avoid - Experian  

14 Dangerous Holiday Shopping Scams - Inc. 

4 Scams To Avoid While You Do Your Holiday Shopping - Motley Fool

How to Spot Fake Fingerlings and Other Holiday Shopping Scams - Forbes 

Don't Fall For These Holiday Shopping Scams - Lifehacker 

Holiday Shopping Scams: How to Identify Fake Sites - WFLA.com 

Holiday Shopping Scams - Tis the Season For Data Protection - TrendMicro

6 Tips For Avoiding Phishing, Malware...and Hacks While Holiday Shopping Online - TechRepublic 

How to Avoid Online Holiday Shopping Scams - Consumer Reports 

Hope the links won't be needed - but if they are you can at least be a little prepared.

Happy holidays!
Regards,
Stu

Credit Reports

Hi All,

You've probably heard about something called a 'credit score' in the news lately.  Click here for a fairly recent article about credit scores. (Specifically the big three credit reporting agencies are overhauling their credit reporting practices.)

But what exactly does a credit score do for you?  Interestingly enough, this next article is from Wikipedia - and gives you a good summary of what is, and what is not, a credit score. 

This next link is from myFICO.com and has a section about credit scores.  What makes a good credit score you ask?  Read on!  Credit.com has a good summary of the credit score ranges for various credit agencies.

Note that there are 3 different major companies that generate credit reports: Experian, TransUnion  and Equifax.

How can you get a free copy of your credit report you ask? Great question - click on this link to a get a copy of your credit report.

Readers might want to click on this next link which is from Bankrate.com - an unbiased source for information related to mortgages, bank rates, credit cards, insurance, investments, taxes, retirement, financial planning and much more - titled 'How to Read a Credit Report'.  

You might want to click on this link from the FTC.gov which discusses credit reports in more detail. 

Finally, the library has 9 books on the topic of consumer credit.  Click on this link to see those titles that we have in the library. 

Hope this helps you get a credit score that you need or want or deserve!

Regards,
Stu

Scams, Fraud and Scheme's: A How-To Avoid Them

Hi All,

I just found a very helpful site on the web from the Federal Trade Commission.  The previous link is for the Consumer Information section of the site - which is tremendously valuable to consumers - trust me...you'll see why in a minute.

There are other links on the site with information on Money & Credit, Homes & Mortgages, Health & Fitness, Jobs & Making Money, Privacy & Identity, Blog, and Video & Media.

The FTC homepage has a rotating set of highly relevant consumer videos and links when you visit the site: topics include: Hijacked Computer? What To Do, IRS Imposter Scams, Checking Your Credit Report and Cobradores De Dueda (Scams Targeting the Latino Community information).
 
The section of the site that I want to discuss in detail is the Privacy and Identity section.  When you click on the Privacy and Identity section you have a bunch of options: Limiting Unwanted Calls and Emails, Computer Security, Kids' Online Safety, Protecting Your Identity and Repairing Identity Theft.  Click on any of the prior links to go to that particular subject.

The section on Protecting You Identity discusses Active Duty Alerts, Credit Freezes, Financial Readiness,  Keeping Your Personal Information Secure, Identity Theft Protection Services and a link to Signs of Identity Theft.

As is usual for many federal government websites, there is a search box at the top right side of the page on all pages on the website.  The site is available in Spanish as well.

There are also links on the page for Related Items, the FTC Privacy Policy, About the FTC and links to Contact the FTC. Users can stay connected with the FTC by getting email updates, viewing the FTC blog feed, using Facebook, YouTube and/or Twitter.

Hopefully you won't need to use the resources on the site - but if you do...I hope they are helpful and easy to use.

Regards,
Stu

AARP Scam Fighter Map

Hi All,

Some readers might be familiar with the senior group 'AARP'.   Others might not be familiar with the organization.  Well, AARP is an acronym which stands for 'American Association of Retired Persons and it is one of the premier senior citizen advocacy groups in the United States.

Scams against seniors are prevalent.  Very prevalent.  And, with scams against seniors from scam artists using tools like telephones, cellphones, credit cards, internet fraud/scams, banking scams and more, senior citizens (okay....actually folks of any age, gender, race or religion) need to be aware of various scams that are currently be used by scam artists.  

With that said, readers of all ages, religion, gender might want to visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network website by clicking on this link.

Basically the AARP's Fraud Watch Network links users with experts, law enforcement and people like you who are on the lookout for scams. Users can check out the latest alerts from state Attorneys General and other local officials, read what people are reporting in your state and you can let AARP know about any suspicious emails, phone calls or other scams you’ve seen in your area.   AARP will then add your experience to the map so others know what to watch out for!

How is that for interactive, timely and helpful.

Users can sign up for the Fraud Watch Network alert to stay up-to-date on con artists' latest tricks by clicking on this link!  

Enjoy the site and the link.  Hope it helps you protect yourself against con artists!

Regards,
Stu

Consumer Protection

Hi All,

We've all had the unlucky experience to have a bad auto mechanic, or bad awful gardener, or a bad experience with a hair stylists or other service business, right?

Well, you do have recourse.  Just click on this link from the New York State Department of State, Division of Consumer Protection.  You'll find videos on identity theft, how to hire an improvement contractor, and choosing/using credit wisely. 

Click on this link and you'll go to the Division of Consumer Protection - from which you'll be able to find out about scams, get product recall alerts and find more consumer protection videos.

Finally, click on this link for an alphabetical list of Consumer Topics from A to Z.  Included in this extensive list are topics like avoiding scams, electricity rate and related cases, Do Not Call Enforcement, Keep Your Child Safe, Internet Security, Playground Safety and much more.

Enjoy the links!

Regards,
Stu