Archive for December, 2009

Better Business Bureau is releasing its list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs of 2009. Many scams sought to take advantage of people who were suffering under tough economic circumstances – like the unemployed. Additionally, the use of free-trial offers to lock consumers into recurring credit and debit card charges was widespread online.

“While some scams on the list were perennial problems,” says Reanna Smith-Hamblin, Vice President, Communications, of the BBB, “others were distinct in 2009 due to the economic climate and scammers taking advantage of the top headlines in news.” For example, in places hit by the housing crisis, bogus offers for foreclosure rescue were overwhelming. Following, is BBB’s list of top scams and rip-offs for 2009.

They are in no particular order.

1. Stimulus/Government Grant Scams – Even before President Obama announced the stimulus plan in February, scammers had already set up schemes for misleading consumers and small business owners into thinking they could get a piece of the pie. Offers for worthless assistance and advice on how to get government grants bombarded consumers online, over the phone, and via mail and e-mail.

2. Over-Payment Scams – Over-payment scams can target small business owners, , landlords individuals with rooms to rent, and sellers on classifieds or sites like Craigslist. Typically the scammer pretends to be a customer, possible renter, or interested buyer. The victim receives a check for more than the amount requested. The scammers then ask the victim to deposit the check and wire the extra amount elsewhere, such as to a shipping company. Ultimately though, the check is fake and the victim is really wiring money back to the scammers.

3. Lottery/Sweepstakes Scam – The victim receives a letter in the mail pretending to be from Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Clearing House, or a phony foreign lottery claiming that he or she has won millions. The letter comes with a check that represents only a portion of the total winnings. In order to get the rest, the victim has to deposit the check and then wire hundreds of dollars back to the scammers supposedly to cover taxes or some other bogus fee. The victim wires the money, but the prize never arrives.

4. Job Hunter Scams – Scams targeting job hunters vary and include attempts to gain access to personal information such as bank account or social security numbers and requirements to pay a fee in order to even be considered for the job. Many of these scam artists find the job hunters on online job posting sites like monster or yahoo jobs.

5. Google Work from Home Scam – Countless Web sites cropped up in 2009 that claimed you could learn how to make money from home using Google or Twitter and offered a free trial of learning materials. The Web sites often included the Google or Twitter moniker and logo. As a result, many people who complained to BBB thought they were getting a job with Google or Twitter when in, fact, they were being lured into another misleading free-trial offer and were billed every month for the materials and other mystery charges that added up to hundreds of dollars.

6. Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue/Debt Assistance – Many families are struggling in the current economy and hucksters are offering to help them save their house from foreclosure or help them get out of credit card debt. Unfortunately, victims are paying hundreds of dollars up front for the assistance they desperately need but ultimately never receive.

7. Mystery Shopping – Consumers across the country thought that they could make some extra money by becoming a secret shopper and evaluating the customer service of various stores. The victim is asked to evaluate their shopping experience at a few stores as well as a money wiring service such as Western Union or MoneyGram by wiring money back to the scammers. A seemingly real looking check is supposed to cover the costs, but ends up being a fake. The victim is out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

8. Robocalls – Owning a cell phone or having their phone number on the do-not-call list did not help thousands of people across the US put a stop to harassing automated telemarketing calls in 2009. The robocalls often claimed that their auto warranty was about to expire—which wasn’t true, or offered help in reducing their interest rate on their credit card. The prevalence of robocalls violating federal telemarketing laws prompted the FTC to increase restrictions on the practice in 2009.

9. Phishing e-mails/H1N1 spam – A perennial problem, phishing e-mails pop up in inboxes and can take various forms such as appearing to be from a business, a government agency, or official, or even a friend. Whatever the setup, the goal of any phishing e-mail is the same: to trick victims into divulging sensitive financial information or to infect the victim’s computer with viruses and malware. In addition to phishing e-mails, spam e-mail selling wares to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus were particularly rampant in 2009.

10. Acai Supplements and Other “Free” Trial Offers – Ads offering trial offers for teeth whiteners, acai anti-aging pills, and other miracle supplements are all over the internet, including trusted Web sites of national news organizations. The marketing campaigns often falsely claimed an endorsement by Oprah, Rachel Ray and Doctor Oz. Thousands of consumers complained to BBB that the free trial actually cost them as much as hundreds of dollars, month after month.

Consumers or small business owners victimized by a scam can contact their local BBB or file a complaint at www.bbb.org or call 1-800-388-2222. Always research a business with BBB before you sign any contracts or hand over any money.

Recycle Your Christmas Trees After the Holidays

Go green by turning your tree to mulch for free

Residents can recycle their natural Christmas trees by turning them into nutrient-rich mulch at no cost, following the holidays.

Residents may take their trees to one of the city’s three Tree-Cycling Centers on December 28, 29, and 30, and again on January 4, 5, and 6. All locations listed below are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

· Recycling Center – 595 Hubbards Lane
· Public Works Yard – 617 Outer Loop
· Waste Reduction Center – 636 Meriwether Avenue

People taking trees to the recycling sites are encouraged to bring containers to take home the fresh, evergreen mulch for use in the spring. The evergreen mulch performs particularly well for acid-loving plants, such as azaleas and rhododendrons.

Residents in the Urban Services District may deposit their trees and greenery curbside beginning Monday, December 28. Residents living outside the Urban Service District should check with their private waste haulers to see if tree pickup service is available and when it will begin.

Christmas tree vendors may recycle their unsold trees on Wednesday, December 30 at the Hubbards Lane location.

For every five trees recycled, approximately 35 pounds of mulch can be created to help nourish new plant and tree growth. Each year, the tree-cycling program produces approximately six tons of mulch. A large quantity of it is used as cover for metro government planting beds.

The holiday tree recycling program is a Louisville Metro Solid Waste Management initiative.
Brightside and Metro Public Works are also partners in the project.

From Councilman Doug Hawkins & his staff:

Scott Harrington

Renay Davis

Steven Hibbs

Michael Utter

Vanessa Omeokachie

Visa, FTC and BBB Partner to Educate Consumers about Online Scams

Twenty-nine percent of online U.S. consumers victimized by deceptive marketing

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) joined the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau in a press conference to alert consumers to online deceptive marketing practices associated with free trials with a negative option feature. According to a Visa survey, 29 percent of American consumers have fallen victim to deceptive marketing when unscrupulous e-commerce merchants require them to cancel or opt-out of a recurring charge for future products or services.

With free trials with a negative option feature,  a company takes a consumer’s failure to cancel as permission to begin charging. While many merchants use this billing process appropriately, others pre-check consent boxes, bury the details of the offers in the terms and conditions and make cancellations or returns difficult, catching consumers in a cycle of recurring charges for products and services they do not want.

“Most e-commerce merchants care about their customers and conduct business fairly, but even a few bad actors can cause consumer distrust,” said William M. Sheedy, Group President, The Americas, Visa Inc. “We want to let consumers know more about the protections they have against these types of practices and how to pursue a reversal of charges if they’ve been charged improperly.”

Visa monitors its payment network to identify merchants with excessive levels of cardholder disputes which may indicate the use of deceptive marketing practices. In fact, merchants who use deceptive marketing practices have up to 20 times as many consumer disputes as the average e-commerce merchant. Visa requires the merchant and its bank to take corrective action to reduce excessive consumer disputes, or risk termination of Visa acceptance privileges.

According the Better Business Bureau, consumers should research the business before they buy. “BBB has received thousands of complaints on free trial offers,” says Charlie Mattingly, President of the BBB serving Louisville, Southern Indiana, and Western Kentucky. “Everything from acai berry supplements, teeth whiteners, free government grants, and more. Before handing over your credit card number, check the company’s reliability report with the BBB.”

Visa, the FTC and BBB offers tips to online shoppers on how to spot deceptive free trial offers and deceptive negative option features, and how to deal with unauthorized charges:

• Take time to read and understand all terms and conditions, so a free trial doesn’t turn into a costly purchase you didn’t intend to make.
• Pay particular attention to any pre-checked boxes before you submit your payment card information for an order. Failing to un-check the boxes may bind you to terms and conditions you’re not interested in.
• Review card statements when you get them for any unauthorized charges, and notify the card issuer promptly of any unusual activity or unauthorized charges.
• Try to resolve the situation with the merchant. If you’re unsuccessful, contact the card issuer immediately to dispute the charge.

David Vladeck, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection said, “Online shoppers: If you see charges on your statement or debits that you didn’t authorize, fight it. Start by contacting the merchant. If you are unable to contact the merchant or they can’t or won’t help, call your card issuer and then file a complaint with the FTC. You can do that online at ftc.gov or by phone at 1-877-FTC-HELP.”

The FTC has outlined five principles regarding the appropriate use of negative options, which call for:

• Disclosing material terms in an understandable manner, without making them unnecessarily long or inconsistent;
• Making the disclosures clear and conspicuous by placing them where consumers are likely to look on Web pages, by labeling disclosures (and links to them) to indicate their importance and relevance, and by using easy-to-read fonts and colors;
• Disclosing the offer’s material terms before the consumer incurs a financial obligation;
• Getting consumers’ affirmative consent to the offer by, for example, having them click “I Agree” And without relying on pre-checked boxes;
• Not impeding the effective operation of promised cancellation procedures and honoring cancellation requests that comply with such procedures.

Consumers who think they’ve been victims of deceptive marketing and who haven’t been able to resolve the issue directly with the merchant should call their card issuer to dispute the charge. They also may report their experiences to the FTC at www.ftc.gov/complaint or their local BBB at www.bbb.org. More information is available at www.visa.com/negativeoption.

190 Job Openings!
Warehouse Positions Available in Shepherdsville

Ahead Human Resources has 190 warehouse positions available, two minutes from I-65 in Shepherdsville. The positions require basic computer skills, the ability to lift 25 lbs, and the ability to work while standing. The job will require significant amounts of overtime, which should be considered mandatory. Although the positions are seasonal through February or March, there is an opportunity for full-time hire for the best workers.

Ahead Human Resources will be holding a Job Fair Tuesday, December 22 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at their office located at 2209 Heather Lane, off Bardstown Road (across from the old Showcase Cinemas). Please bring your driver’s license and your Social Security Card, and plan on being there approximately two hours.

Positions are $11.00 per hour!

The Department of Highways District 5 Office announces the temporary closure of exit ramps on Interstates 64 and 265 for guardrail repairs.  The following ramps will be closed simultaneously on Wednesday, December 16^th from 7:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.:

• Exit ramp from eastbound I-64 to northbound I-265
• Exit ramp from northbound I-265 to westbound I-64

The actual starting date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.  Dial 511 or log on to 511.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mayor Ignores Election Results!

Appoints his own nominee to PRP Fire Board!

Abramson clearly violates intent of law!

Residents who live in the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Protection district went to the polls on September 19, 2009 to vote for a representative on the fire board.  By law the citizens are to elect four people to the board of trustees.  After the election, the votes were counted and verified that Michael A. Priddy, Sr. had won the election.  The PRP Fire Protection Board of Trustees certified Michael A. Priddy, Sr. as the winner and sent his name to the Mayor for nomination to the Metro Council.

The Mayor, however, ignored the results of the public election and has nominated his own person to fill the vacant position on the board.  The intent of the law is for there to be four people elected to the board and three more appointed by the mayor.  In this way, there is no political majority.  What Jerry Abramson is doing, while not illegal, very clearly violates the intent of the law

Priddy has lived his whole life in PRP and has over 20 years of working experience in the fire district.  He is a decorated life-saver and only retired from the fire department due to a work-related injury.

The Mayor’s appointment, Rosemary Mattingly (a political insider), has no firefighting experience and is the former legislative aide to Councilman Bob Henderson.

The Mayor’s decision to disregard the election results establishes a dangerous precedent.  This tells the people of PRP that the Mayor wants to run this autonomous board – instead of the voters of the district.

“My fear is the Mayor is positioning himself to take over PRP’s fire taxing district, which has a multi-million dollar budget,” says Councilman Hawkins.

The Louisville Metro Council’s Contract and Appointments Committee reviewed the Mayor’s nomination for this position on Wednesday, December 9.

The Metro Council will now vote on this issue this Thursday, December 17, 2009.

What Jerry Abramson is doing very clearly violates the intent of the law.

Please call the following four council members and ask them to reject the mayor’s nomination

and stand up for the will of PRP residents.

Bob Henderson        574-1114

Vickie Welch           574-1113

Rick Blackwell        574-1112

Mary Woolridge     574-1103

Don’t let them side with the mayor like they did with the Arena, Library Tax, Cordish, and Bomb Storage Facility!

______________________________________________________________

COUNCIL MEMBERS BLACKWELL, HENDERSON, WELCH, AND WOOLDRIDGE JUST SAY NO TO VOTERS IN PRP

By: Ed Springston

…  The PRP Board of Trustees decided in the best interest of the voter and community to rectify this situation they would hold a special or second election.  This election was held on September 19 a full 3 MONTHS after the first. Trying to be above board and transparent they advertised it as they would the first by law and proceeded to have this election.

Kudos to the Board for trying to make this right but then this too became a problem apparently.

Since Abramson DID NOT do his job after the first election the Board carried the second and after the results were known certified this election and made the recommendation to appoint Mike Priddy, Sr to the Board based on these results.

Seems simple enough doesn’t it?

Not in the Abramson regime it isn’t.  Abramson refused the recommendation citing his authority under KRS 75 as being able to appoint the Board member at his discretion thus telling those who voted in PRP to essentially _____  themselves.

Blackwell decided to muddy the waters even further by complaining about so called lies from Hawkins in an email blast and saying this second election was not anything but a straw vote.  A pathetic argument at best if you were there.  Henderson couldn’t do anything but keep whispering to Blackwell and holding up papers seemingly to say “look at me, look at me.”  Truly a work of art if one were in preschool.  …

CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

BBB is alerting consumers to a holiday email scam that’s popping up in consumers’ inboxes just in time for the holiday shopping season. The email appears to be a legitimate email from DHL Services, a parcel shipment company, but it actually contains an attachment that if opened, will infect your computer with a virus.

The email, displayed below, is similar to emails that seem to turn up every year during the holidays. At this time of year many

consumers are often not surprised to receive unexpected packages in the mail, so when they see a notification in their inbox stating they have a package waiting, many consumers are more likely to believe it.

Dear customer!

The courier company was not able to deliver your parcel by your address.

Cause: Error in shipping address.

You may pickup the parcel at our post office personally.

Please attention!

The shipping label is attached to this e-mail.

Print this label to get this package at our post office.

Please do not reply to this e-mail, it is an unmonitored mailbox!

Thank you,

DHL Services.

DHL’s Website says the attachment is actually the Infostealer.Banker.C virus, a known and verified virus that is

employed by scammers to steal their victims’ identity.

BBB reminds consumers to never open an email attachment or link from an unknown source. Often times the attachment or link turns out to be nothing but a virus could infect your computer, causing costly damage, and possibly steal your identity.

Maximum Business Concepts contacts consumers via telephone and offers an opportunity to work from home as an ‘affiliate,’ selling credit card terminals. The company has an F rating with BBB. Complaints stem from refund issues to high pressure sales tactics. Customers bought the business opportunity for $150 – $500 plus an additional $19.95 per month for a personal website. Some say they were pressured to purchase an advertising campaign with costs up to $35,000.

Holiday Refunds and Exchanges: Don’t delay on holiday returns and exchanges! Stores could have time limits on them! Whether giving or receiving, be sure to keep the receipts and original packaging of the gift.  Many stores have restocking fees for high-priced merchandise like electronics and furniture. Also, keep in mind, some stores will only allow exchanges, not refunds.

Use caution when shopping Online Auctions! Don’t provide financial information directly to the seller. Use a legitimate payment service to protect your purchases. Diligently check each seller’s rating and feedback along with the number of sales and the dates on which feedback was posted. Be wary of a seller with 100% positive feedback, if they have a low total number of feedback postings, and all feedback was posted around the same date and time.

Smishing – Be leery of text messages you receive indicating a problem or question regarding your financial accounts. In this scam, you are directed to call the number provided in the message to update your account or correct the problem. This connects you to an automated voice response system. Eventually you are asked for personal information, like bank or credit card numbers.

BlueHippo.com, a computer-purchase financing company that requires customers to pay upfront before products are shipped, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying its bank had frozen its funds after the FTC, the BBB and other consumer groups claimed that it had failed to deliver computers and electronics orders.  BBB has received over 4,150 complaints against the company.

Rebates are going high-tech. More businesses are opting for pre-loaded cards as opposed to paper checks. Unlike checks, which can be deposited in the bank to pay bills, to get the benefit, consumers must spend. Most of the cards can be used at any store, but some retailers are handing out rebate cards that can only be used at their stores. BBB reminds consumers to read the fine print when filing for a rebate!

Holiday Card Scam – E-cards are being sent via spam. Like many other Internet fraud schemes, the criminals use social engineering tactics to entice the victim, claiming the card is from a family member or friend. Although there have been variations in the spam message and attached malware, generally the spam directs the recipient to click the link provided in the email to view the e-card. Upon clicking the link, the recipient is unknowingly taken to a malicious webpage.

International Timeshare Consolidators has D- rating with BBB. ITC contacts timeshare owners by phone offering to assist in the sale of their property. The agent collects information for an appraisal and makes an overly-desirable bid to purchase the timeshare. Later the company calls back claiming the transaction cannot be completed because the consumer now owes fees for transferring the title. After submitting payments, some owners find that their timeshare didn’t actually sell.

Buying a Gift Card? Be careful purchasing them from auction sites or through classified ads. They could be fake or stolen. If you purchase a gift card, it is safest to buy it directly from the merchant or another authorized store. If the gift card merchant discovers the card you received from another source or auction was initially obtained fraudulently, the merchant will deactivate the gift card number and it will not be honored for purchases.

H1N1 Email Virus – Internet scammers are sending fake emails all over the country to steal passwords and install a damaging virus on victims’ computers. The fraudulent email purportedly comes from a “State Vaccination H1N1 Program” and offers an official-looking but bogus link to the Website for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The message says anyone 18 or older should click on the link to complete a personal profile because every adult “has to have his personal vaccination profile” on the CDC’s Website, whether they intend to be vaccinated or not.

This holiday season, BBB wants to remind consumers to know their rights before making a purchase.  “Each year BBB receives calls after the holidays from upset consumers who are stuck with items they can’t return,” says Reanna Smith-Hamblin, Communications Director for the BBB in Louisville. “Consumers should familiarize themselves with the seller’s return policy before making a purchase to prevent any confusion in the event the item they purchased needs to be returned.”

Before you go shopping for a loved one this holiday season, BBB wants to remind you to know your rights before making a purchase.

• Know the seller’s return policy. Be sure to find out about a store’s return policies before making a purchase—especially a major one. Keep in mind that returning or exchanging items is a privilege, not a right. Generally speaking, state and federal laws do not require that retailers provide returns or exchanges. A business is not obligated to accept items for refund, exchange, or credit except in cases where the item is defective or misrepresented.

• The merchandise was defective. Now what? Regardless of a store’s policy, if the goods you have purchased were misrepresented or are defective, you have every reason to expect the store to provide a suitable substitute or refund, or make proper repairs. The laws in all states require a store to make good in such cases. Keep in mind that health regulations forbid returns of such items as hats, bathing suits, and other intimate apparel.

• Check if there are restocking fees if an item is returned. If you custom order a product, many stores charge a restocking fee for the return of such a product. It is a good idea to keep the packaging an item was wrapped in just in case it is required for return by the store to the manufacturer. Or if you know you are going to return it, don’t open the package at all. Many retailers have restocking fees for high-priced merchandise such as electronics and furniture.

• You want to return an item and get your money back.  A customer’s money may be returned under a refund policy. Stores that offer refunds as a policy do so voluntarily and, in most cases, are not compelled by state or federal law to do so.  These policies usually require that products be returned to a store within a specific period of time and in original purchase condition. In almost every case, a sales slip or some other evidence that the item was actually purchased at a particular store is also required. If a customer does not have evidence of purchase, he or she may not receive a refund or may not receive the full amount of the purchase price. In some stores, all sales are final.

• Understand exchanges or credits. In a product exchange, an item may be returned and another item of equal value may be received in its place. This privilege is usually extended when the buyer has made a reasonable mistake; for example, in the size or color of the product purchased. In other instances, customers may receive a credit slip after returning an item. This store credit allows the consumer to purchase any other item at that store which has the same monetary value as the item he or she has returned.

• What to do if the product has a separate written warranty. Some products have warranties that spell out the manufacturer’s liability if the product is defective. Reading a product’s warranty before returning an item to a store from which it was purchased is highly recommended. In some cases, warranties exempt stores from product liability and require consumers to mail the product to a manufacturer or other business in order to receive monetary refunds, credit, or product replacement.

• If the purchase is made under a written contract, normal return privileges may be affected. Written contracts sometimes have special provisions for the return of goods. A contract usually provides its own conditions for return of the goods and cancellation of an agreement. Always read and understand a contract before you sign it; never sign a blank contract and always keep a copy of the contract.

• Don’t delay. If a store has a return policy, there may be time limits for returns.

• AND always keep receipts and original packaging!

For more holiday shopping tips go to www.bbb.org or call 1-800-388-2222