If you received a letter from Our Lady of Peace notifying you of an “unfortunate incident where a flash drive containing personal information went missing,” the letter is legitimate. Personal information could have been compromised. The organization recommends contacting at least one of the credit reporting bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

Oil Spill Fraud - Beware of scams surrounding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The scams could involve individuals who claim to be raising money for environmental causes. Solicitations can come from emails, websites, and door-to-door. The FBI has a fraud tip line for information from the public on suspected fraud associated with the oil spill. Call (866) 720-5721. Emails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov.

Beware of healthcare-related scams! Complaints continue to rise against fake coverage” and medical discount plans. There are also scams surrounding the new healthcare reform bill. Consumers should confirm the company is licensed with the state insurance commissioner, read all fine print, recognize the difference between insurance and discount medical cards, and always research the company with the BBB at www.bbb.org.

U.S. Fidelis, which also operates as National Auto Warranty Services, is being sued by the Pennsylvania Attorney General for allegedly using “deceptive, misleading or false information” when selling car owners warranties across the country. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in March and reportedly stopped selling car warranties last year. The company is also accused of disregarding the “Do Not Call” law. The company has an “F” rating with the BBB.

Summer Camp – BBB recommends parents to do their homework on summer camps for their kids before they submit applications. Be sure to visit the site, ask about the staff’s training and experience, and find out how the camp will handle medical emergencies. Parents should also find out the total fees and payment deadlines, and ask for references.

It looks like a government notice, but a yellow postcard stamped “2010 Senior Income Tax Update” is apparently a marketing ploy used by Texas company, Acc-U-Lead, that collects the information and sells it to other businesses looking for leads to sell insurance annuities. The company has an “F” rating with BBB for not responding to several complaints. Be wary of giving anyone your personal information through the mail, email or over the phone.

This month, Census takers start knocking on doors of households that did not return their census forms through the mail. BBB warns, beware of census scammers who may ask for your social security number, credit card, or bank account information. Legitimate census workers will carry official government badges marked with just their name, they may also have a “U.S. Census Bureau” bag, and will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the local census office phone number for verification.

Scam Calls – BBB wants to remind consumers NOT to share personal information, including social security, checking account, or credit card numbers over the phone with someone you do not know. BBB is receiving many reports from consumers who say they have been contacted by someone they don’t know who is asking for their information, for several purposes including lowering interest rates on credit cards, healthcare, gift cards, and more.

Flood Repairs - Property owners in need of repairs after the recent floods should carefully check out companies before hiring them. A home repair rip-off artist may overcharge, perform shoddy work, or skip town without finishing your job. BBB Tips: Deal with licensed and insured contractors only, take your time signing a contract, resist hiring a contractor who asks you to pay for the entire job up front, and check with the BBB to see if complaints have been filed against the contractor.

Help4Troops is a work-at-home shipping scam that claims to help American troops overseas. Shippers are told to accumulate a number of small packages at their home then consolidate them into a larger box to ship. Help4Troops promises each volunteer a salary of $20 per package shipped, and requests personal banking information in order to deliver these payments via check, wire, or money transfer. BBB has confirmed Help4Troops is not located at its listed address in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

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