How to File a Federal Scam Complaint

Have you been the victim of internet fraud or a scam?  Don't just chalk it up to experience, and shrug it off.  File a scam complaint with the federal government.  Although this may not help you to get reimbursement, it will make the Feds aware of what happened to you.  Armed with this information, they can get the word out to other potential victims and, sometimes, they are able to even stop some of these scams.  You are providing an important community service when you report these scams.

Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3

You will want to file your complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (also called IC 3).  This is a partnership between the National White Color Crime Center and the FBI.  Other government agencies, such as the FTC, as well as private firms including eBay and PayPal, help support the Internet Crime Complaint Center.  You file your complaint at: http://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx

The types of crimes you will want to report includes credit card fraud, identity theft, illegal lotteries, money laundering, and auction fraud.    While IC3 does not investigate the claims, it does forward your complaint to the most appropriate  law inforcement agency, including the FBI.

In order to file your complaint, simply go to their site, provide your name, address and phone number, and answer the yes/no questions that they ask.  My husband recently filed a complaint with IC3 when we received repeated phone calls telling us that the caller was from Microsoft and they wanted us to go to a specific website to purchase software that would repair a breach to our computer's security programs.  Microsoft never makes these calls.  The entire episode was a scam!

The website for IC3 is:  http://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx

In addition, this site will give you important information about a number of current scams.  Knowing about this website is essential if you want to protect yourself from all the lies and liars out there!

You may also want to read:

Online Dating Scams
Computer Virus Scams
Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During Your Vacation

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of FBI courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2012

As you begin to celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday with family or friends, and and sit down to a meal with lots of wonderful items to eat, I hope that each of you is able to look back over the past year and find many things for which you can be grateful.

I appreciate all the support that each of you have given this blog during 2012.  I hope that the information I have shared during the year has helped some of you avoid losing money because of a scam or fraud.

If you are reaching out to help others during this holiday season, thank you for your generous hearts.  I hope the information I reported in my blog post, "Be Suspicious of Phony Holiday Charities," will help you make sure that your donations are used correctly and in the way you intended.

If you are reaching out to others, whether they are old friends or new ones, I hope you will read my post, "Online Dating Scams," and find out how to protect yourself from people who are not who they seem.

Most of all, however, I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxed holiday, free of unwanted drama or resentments. 

To each of you, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of pecan pie courtesy of www.morguefile.com

How Clean is Your Hotel Room or Airplane?

As you travel to visit friends and relatives during the holidays or during your summer vacation, most of us assume that our hotel rooms, the restaurants, the airports, the airplanes and other public places are clean.  In most cases, in fact, these areas look and smell clean, and there is little evidence of the germs that have been left behind.  However, according to a Travel and Leisure article entitled "Germiest Places You Encounter While Traveling," you may want to use hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes to clean up your hotel room as well as other public places you encounter during your travels.

Listed below are the places and specific items that were mentioned by Travel and Leisure, as well as additional items that were brought up in reports on my local television news station   You will want to take special care to either not use the items listed below, to wipe them off, or to santitize your hands after you use them whenever you are traveling.  In addition, you will want to take the same precautions with any questionable items, whether they are on the list, or not.

Avoiding Germs in Your Hotel Room:

Television Remote Control
Hotel light switches
Hotel Bedspreads (which is rarely washed)
Glass hotel glasses (which are sometimes simply wiped off with a towel)

Avoiding Germs at the Airport and on the Airplane:

Airplane Bathrooms
Airplane Tray Tables
Airplane seat pockets (and arm rests)
Airline blankets and pillows
Touch screen ticket kiosks (this applies to rail travel, too)

Avoiding Germs in Public Places:

Public Water Fountains
Restaurant table tops (a sanitizing wipe is a great idea)
The seats of restaurant chairs (avoid touching your seat)
Handrails on stairs, cruise ships, escalators, etc.  (Don't use them unless it is necessary for your safety, and then clean your hands with hand sanitizer afterwards.)

If you wish to see the complete research data, read the full Travel and Leisure article at "Germiest Places You Encounter While Traveling."

You may also want to read:

Are You Confident in the Patient Safety at Your Local Hospital?

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of airport courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Be Suspicious of Phony Holiday Charities

During the holidays we are often bombarded with heart-breaking letters from charities who are begging us for money so they can help starving children around the world.  Often they are accompanied with photos of starving, lonely or sad children from other countries.  As much as we want to help, most of us have limited resources and can only give to one or two charities.  As a result, we want to make sure that the money we give goes to the best charities possible.  How can we know for sure that we are giving to a legitimate charity and not one that is little more than a scam?

Rules for Avoiding Charity Scams

Do not let phone callers pressure you into making a donation immediately.  Ask them to mail you more information so that you have time to think about it.

Give to well-known, reputable charities.  For example, make your donation to your local church, television station or food bank.  You may also want to donate to internationally recognized charities like the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, World Vision and UNICEF.  If someone in your family suffers from a chronic illness, you may want to donate to the charitable organization that is doing research into that illness.  Your doctor may be able to suggest a reputable charity to you.

Investigate the Charity

If you have any doubt at all that you are donating to a reputable charity, you may want to check them out before making a donation.  One way to do this is to contact the Wise Giving Alliance at the Better Business Bureau.

Take your time before making a donation so that you feel confident that the money you donate will be used for the purpose you intend.  If you regularly donate money to charities, you are certainly a person with a big heart. Don't let unscrupulous people hurt or disappoint you.  Take the time to make sure that what you are doing will really make a difference.

You may also want to read:

Phony iPad Hoax
Security Breaches Endanger Your Personal Information
How to Avoid ATM Theft, Scams and Skimmers

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of child courtesy of www.morguefile.com

How Christian Values Have Changed and Affected the Republican Party

During the past few weeks, both before and since the 2012 presidential election, I have had a number of conversations over coffee or lunch with other women I know.  We live in an extremely conservative area where Republican candidates are nearly always sent to Congress. All of these women are over 50 and have spent decades working, most are college graduates, and all of them have paid income taxes for their entire adult lives.  None of them are among the 47% of non-taxpayers that Romney referred to in one of his speeches. Several have a family income that is high enough that they would be affected by an income tax increase on those earning over $250,000 a year. There was one Jewish woman in the group; the remainder were Christians of a variety of denominations. While a few of these women voted for Romney, most voted for Obama, including the women with the higher family incomes.

As is common in our age group, we discussed how much things had changed since we were young.  We also talked about why the majority of us were no longer voting for Republican presidential candidates, although we had voted for Republicans at least a few times in the past.

A great deal has been said recently about how the Republican Party has not done an adequate job of reaching out to immigrants, and why they are having difficulty appealing to women.  We felt that the Republicans were still lying to themselves if they think immigration reform and women's issues were the only problems they need to address.  One issue that we felt the Republicans are overlooking is how much Christianity has changed since we were young women.

The mainstream Christian churches that we attended since the 1960's and 1970's have been much more progressive than many of the newer non-denominational Christian churches.  We grew up listening to stories of the Good Samaritan who Jesus praised because the Samaritan gave financial assistance and medical care to a man who was a citizen of a different country, as well as a person of a different religion and nationality.  We were taught that immigrants were the "neighbors" that Jesus admonished us to care for and welcome.  It is hard to believe today that at one time there were Arizona churches that offered aid and protection to illegal immigrants.

Christians in the churches of the early 1970's were frequently active in the anti-war movement, as well.  They often organized demonstrations against the war, and some churches even helped young men avoid the draft and flee to Canada.

Cooperation among the faithful of different religions was supported and encouraged in the past.  Youth ecumenical councils were established to help American children of different faiths get to know each other better.

Christian churches were also active in ending segregation.  While Sunday morning remains one of the most segregated days of the week in America, many churches did work during the 1960's and 1970's towards equal rights, equal access to the polls, and political access for people of all races.  Voting rights were a big issue for Christians of all races.

Another issue that was important to Christians who were raised during this era was access to medical care.  Jesus never asked anyone for proof of insurance before He healed them.  Most 1970's Christians were taught in church that they were expected to heal the sick, feed the poor and take care of those in prison.  We accepted that the most humanitarian way to do this was by supporting government social programs that provided food and medical care to those who were less fortunate, since there was no efficient way for the churches to do this on a person-by-person basis.  We accepted on faith that supporting these programs, and paying the necessary taxes, was the right thing to do.

Because of the Christian values that we were taught, it is difficult for many of us to accept political candidates who talk about encouraging self-deportation for immigrants, eliminating social programs, and refusing to implement a national healthcare program that provides access to preventive care for people of all ages, races and religions, regardless of their financial situation.  It is also painful for us to watch while the new breed of conservative Christians try to make it harder for the poor, elderly and sick to vote.

There is no question that my friends feel that Christian values have changed during the past 30 years, especially outside the mainstream churches, and that the Republican Party has embraced this change.  While some of my friends have accepted these changes and continue to support the Republican Party, even if they have private concerns, others have said that the Republican Party no longer stands for their values.  They listen in astonishment when Republican leaders say that the only problem the party has is an inadequate immigration policy.  These women feel that the party is deluding itself if they think that immigration reform is the only issue that needs to be faced.

Most of these women would be much happier if the Republican Party worked to make our government more efficient, so it could continue to provide services to people at the lowest cost possible.  Suggestions that were made included encouraging the Republicans to work on tort reform, lower medical costs, welfare to work programs, and identifying wasteful spending in all programs, including the military.  The women also accepted that changes need to be made to Social Security and Medicare, not by privatizing them but by making small tweaks such as slightly increasing taxes, and postponing the age when these programs start.

We are pragmatic women.  We want to get the most for the money we spend on social programs.  We do not want waste, and we do not want people to be able to easily cheat the system.  We want a party that works to modernize systems to make fraud and cheating much more difficult.  We want a party that stops grand-standing and begins to take actions that the public will support.  We want to see real results from the people we send to Congress.

If the Republican leaders want to be the party of faithful Christians, it needs to embrace the values of all Christians, not just members of the non-denominational mega-churches. It also wouldn't hurt the party to do more to reach out to people of other faiths.  There are many good, hard-working, tax paying, financially responsible people in this country who are not members of extremely conservative non-denominational Christian churches.  We believe in a two-party system.  However, if the Republicans cannot even win the hearts of all successful, working, tax-paying white Christians, they have a long way to go if they want to survive in a multi-cultural nation.

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of church interior courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Phony iPad Hoax

This week, Jalonta Freeman, a woman in Arlington, Texas, pulled into a gas station where a man was selling iPads and similar items at incredible bargain prices.  He offered to sell her an $800 iPad for the ridiculously low price of $200.  It seemed too good a deal to pass up, so Ms. Freeman paid him cash on the spot.  Unfortunately, she should not have been so hasty to part with her money.

Remember the old adage that "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is?"  This case was no exception.

When the woman opened the box containing her new iPad, it was sealed in packaging that looked exactly the way it should.  Then, she began to peel away the wrapper.  Inside she discovered that all she had purchased was a plain mirror that was about the same size and shape as an iPad.

Of course, the seller was long gone by the time the woman had unwrapped her new purchase.  

This should be a good lesson to all of us who are tempted to purchase something from the trunk of a stranger's car or anywhere else other than from a legitimate business, especially if that item is being sold at an unreasonably good price.  The product that is being purchased is almost certain to be illegal, stolen, counterfeit or completely phony.

As much as we all like a good deal, we are much safer going to reliable sellers, either a store or a legitimate online company, and paying more.  At least buyers will get the product that they actually want and not have to suffer the embarrassment and financial loss that can occur when we try to get too good a deal.

You may also want to read about other potential scams:

Online Dating Scams
Computer Virus Scams
Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During your Vacation
Stopping Lottery Scams and Cheaters

You are reading from the blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of iPad courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Are You Confident in the Patient Safety at Your Local Hospital?

It is a common misconception among patients in the United States that their local hospitals are safe, healthy places where they can confidently receive high quality medical care in a sterile environment. Sadly, this is not always the case, and people in many communities across the U.S. will be shocked to learn the ugly truth.  In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that approximately 1.4 million people are seriously harmed during a hospital stay, and roughly 180,000 people die every year from hospital caused accidents, mistakes and infections.  Putting blind faith in a community hospital is a misconception that most of us cannot afford.

How to Find Out Your Hospital Rating

When a company called Hospital Safety Score assigned grades to over 2600 American hospitals, over half of them received scores of "C" or lower, when they were assigned the letter grades A, B, C, D and F.

The scores were based on a number of important factors including things as simple as hand washing and correct antibiotic use to more serious issues such as the number of times an object was left inside a patient during surgery and how often a patient was accidentally cut during their treatment.

To find out how the hospitals in your area were rated, look them up on this free website:

http://hospitalsafetyscore.org

If you are not satisfied with the scores of the hospital nearest you, you may discover that there are other hospitals in your county that scored much higher.  If you want to compare two hospitals on the basis of death rates from heart attacks and pneumonia, as well as similar issues, you can do so on this U.S. government website:

http://hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

This website is operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is also free.

Other Ways to Protect Yourself During a Hospital Stay

Even if your local hospital rating is very high, you will still want to take charge of your medical care as much as you possibly can.  Here are some steps you can take to improve your care:

Be nice to the medical staff.  It does make a difference.

Wash your own hands and ask your visitors and the medical staff to wash theirs, too.

Keep a close eye on your wounds, stitches and bandages.  Report any bleeding, oozing, dirty bandages, loose bandages or other problems to the hospital staff as soon as possible.

Take all the antibiotics that you are given.

Follow all pre-op and post-op instructions carefully.

Remember:  You are not the only person in the hospital.  You are surrounded by people with infectious diseases. You need to do everything you can to protect yourself during and after your hospital stay.  Don't turn complete responsibility for your health over to someone else, even if that someone else is a hospital staff member.  Speak up if you have concerns and questions.  It could save your life.

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of hospital courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Feel free to leave comments below.  They will be emailed to me, and I will respond in the comment section.

Personal and Financial Protection When Evacuating

Most of us never expect to evacuate our homes because of a disaster.  However, watching the devastation that has occured across the Northeastern United States because of Hurricane Sandy, helps us all realize that we need to have a plan in mind in case we ever have to evacuate our homes because of a storm, earthquake or forest fire.  Not only do we need to protect ourselves from the natural disaster, but also from people who may try to take advantage of our situation.

A few years ago, my husband and I were living in an area which we feared might be evacuated because there were multiple forest fires in the area.  We were particularly concerned that our neighborhood would be evacuated while we were at work and we would be unable to return to our neighborhood to retrieve anything from our home.  As a result, we drove around with the trunks of our cars filled with supplies and valuables that we knew we would want.  Listed below are some suggestions for preparing to evacuate.

Personal Evacuation Supplies

A suitcase with a few changes of clothing
A small supply of important medications
Bottled water
A bag of easy to eat food, such as dried fruit
Pet food
Blankets

Remember that you could be stuck for a night or two in your car, caught in a long traffic jam while millions of other people also try to evaculate, or stranded by a storm until help arrives.  Having food, water, clothing, medication and bedding for every member of your family is important for your health and safety.

Documents to Evacuate

Insurance policies
Mortgage documents or lease information
Car titles
Passports
Credit Cards
Stock certificates or other valuable documents

You will also want to take any other identification or documentation you may need to prove who you are and that you are the owner or resident of the property, so you will be allowed to re-enter the neighborhood or discuss your situation with your insurance agent or representatives from FEMA.

Valuables to Evacuate

Sadly, looters and others who take advantage of people during disasters may victimize you as much as the natural disaster.  While you cannot pop your big screen television into your car, you can make sure that you remove your favorite photo albums, jewelry, coin collections, valuable artwork and similar items.  Not only will you protect these items from theft, but you will appreciate having these items with you if you need to start over again.

Phone Numbers

You will want to either make sure that these numbers are stored on your cell phone, or that you have them written down and kept in the glove boxes of your automobiles.  In fact, you may want to do both.  Then, if you become separated from your cell phone, you still will have the numbers that you need.  Long before you ever have to prepare for a disaster, write out a list of these phone numbers and keep the list in your car at all times:

Your Insurance Agent
Your doctors, dentist and vet
Your pharmacy
Your utility companies
Out of state relatives
Cell phone numbers of neighbors
Your childrens' schools
Your bank
Contact information for your credit cards
State and local police departments
AAA or other roadside assistance

These numbers will help you contact relatives and let them know you are OK, contact neighbors to make sure they got out, deal with medical emergencies, and handle the business aspects of an evacuation.

You may also want to read:

Security Breaches Endanger Your Personal Information
Computer Virus Scams
Computer Fraud and Identity Theft During Your Vacation


You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of hurricane damage courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Security Breaches Endanger Your Personal Information

Do you ever feel as if some unknown person could simply reach into your wallet and steal the money and credit cards you keep there?  Security breaches have become so common during the past year that many of us have put our finances at risk without even knowing it.

Just today, Barnes and Noble admitted that the PIN machines in their stores had been hacked, allowing the hackers access to debit card information including the PIN numbers that customers had used. This is not the only company to have experienced this type of breach.

According to LifeLock, 400,000 Yahoo! accounts, 6.5 million LinkedIn accounts, and 24 million Zappos customers had their account information stolen in the first half of 2012.  This is in addition to the many banks and schools that also had data retrieved by unauthorized people.

USA.gov also released a warning today about Smartphones.  Their report stated that people who own Smartphones are 33% more likely to be the victims of identity theft than people who use an older style cellphone.

Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

LifeLock has these suggestions to help people protect themselves:

Install security software on your Smartphone.  Many people who have security software on their home computers do not realize that they should also install similar software on their Smartphones.

Only use secure wireless networks to use your laptop.  This will make it less likely that your computer will be hacked while you are using it.

Since about 1/4 of us store personal financial information on our laptops, never let yours out of your sight.  While it is out of your possession, someone could steal sensitive information.

Change your passwords often.  According to an article on Yahoo!, we should also avoid using popular passwords that thieves are likely to try.  The most common passwords are:  password, 123456, 12345678, abc123, querty, monkey, letmein, dragon, 111111, baseball, iloveyou, trustno1, 1234567, sunshine, master, 123123, welcome, shadow, ashley, football, jesus, michael, ninja, mustang, password1.

Instead, create passwords in more unique ways.  For example, you could use the first letter in every word in a phrase you like, or combine two words.  If you replace a letter with a symbol somewhere in your password, you will create an even stronger password.

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of wallet courtey of www.morguefile.com

 

Religion, Politicians, and Dishonesty

Have you checked out the Fact Checking websites that are available on the internet?  I was recently planning a blog post about the different lies that are being told in the presidential election, as well as the state and local elections.  As I began to dig into the confusing world of political lies, I was simply overwhelmed.  There were far too many of them to cover in a blog post.

Then, a rather disturbing thought occured to me.  Most of these politicians claim to be members of a religious group. In addition, the majority of their followers are people of faith, often people who are deeply devoted to their religious beliefs.

Somehow the idea that we so easily accept political lies was a deeply disturbing thought to me.  How can people of faith be so nonchalant when their favorite political candidate is caught in an obvious lie?  I am not talking about candidates who have earnestly tried to fulfill a campaign promise, but have failed due to lack of cooperation from others.  I am talking about candidates who brazenly lie about their opponents in television ads, or who say one thing to their supporters in private and something entirely different when they are being interviewed on television.

I am not so naive as to think that everyone always tells the truth.  In fact, as I have mentioned before on this blog, most people tell a number of lies every week.  Many of these lies are exaggerations or they are told because people want to avoid embarrassment.  However, when I hear our local politicians completely distort the record of their opponent, or when I hear them deny their own guilt even when they have been caught in a crime, I am extremely disappointed.  Just last week the Los Angeles County Assessor was arrested for taking campaign contributions from wealthy donors in return for unreasonably lowering the assessed values of their properties after he was elected.  About ten years ago, an Orange County judge was caught with child pornography and he continued to run for re-election, despite the fact that he was under house arrest, pending his trial. I have heard of many other politians who have committed crimes that were just as outrageous!  I'm sure that you know about political lies that are being told in your own communities.

I think that we people of faith should hold our politicians accountable.  Regardless of the political outcome, we should expect our candidates to make the same statements regardless of who is listening ... their supporters or the general public.  We should demand that they reveal the truth about their finances and their personal lives.  We should insist that they answer the questions they are asked, and not try to avoid the issues.  We need to hold our politicians to a standard of integrity that is at least as high as the general public. 

I understand that many people who have loyalty to a political party will vote for candidates based solely on their party affiliation.  However, I hope that most people will one day begin to look beyond party politics and make personal integrity one of the most important things they consider when choosing a candidate.

You may also be interested in reading:

The Facts About the Obama vs Romney Debate
Fact Checking Bill Clinton's Convention Speech
Factual Errors in Paul Ryan's Convention Speech
Politics and Lies

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of religious symbols courtesy of www.en.wikipendia.com/commons

Avoid IRS Scams

The end of the year is fast approaching, and many of us will be filing our taxes as soon as possible.  Before you get busy with the holidays and swept up in working on your taxes, you should know about a few IRS scams that you will want to avoid.

First of all, the IRS never, ever will contact you and ask for your Social Security number or bank account information by email or over the phone.  Be immediately suspicious if anyone contacts you and asks for this information, even if they say they are from the IRS.

Be suspicious of any emails that say they are from the Internal Revenue Service.  It may have subject line that says something like "tax notification" or "refund" information.  They will suggest that you go to an IRS website, and the website may even look authentic and ask that you submit your bank account information so that they can "deposit" your refund.  However, there is no refund.  They are trying to steal your account information.  Do not be fooled.  The IRS will not contact you by email.  It will mail you a letter if they want to contact you. The only time they ask for bank information is in your actual tax return.

In general, be suspicious if anyone sends you an email and says they represent the IRS.  If you receive a phone call and think it may be legitimate, call the IRS yourself at the number printed in your phone book or given to you by an information operator.  Never give out personal information to a stranger calling you on the phone or sending you an email.  The scammers are hard at work trying to trick you.  Don't fall for it.

You may also be interested in reading:

Dangerous Election Scams
The PayPal Scam
Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During Your Vacation
Online Dating Scams

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Dangerous Election Scams

Like many Americans, I have donated money to my favorite political candidates over the years.  Usually I go straight to their websites, which seems to be the safest way to make a donation.  However, many people make donations when they receive phone calls from sincere sounding individuals who say they are calling from the campaign quarters of major candidates.  Often they convey a sense of urgency, telling you the campaign desperately needs more more or your candidate will almost certainly lose.

Donation Scams: I'm sad to report that these phone calls are often from scammers to are using the current election season as a way to trick honest people out of their hard-earned money.  If you receive a phone call and want to make a donation to a political party or a candidate, you are far safer if you contact the campaign or election office and make a donation directly to them.

Here are some other scams you need to avoid:

Voter Registration Scam:  Callers tell you that you need to re-register to vote and that you can do so over the phone.  All you need to do is give them some identifying information, such as your Social Security number.  Currently there are no states that allow you to register over the phone, so don't fall for this scam.

Election Poll Scam:  Many people are quite happy to tell pollsters which candidate or propositions they plan to support.  If someone calls and this is all they want to know, then the poll is probably legitimate.  However, if they want your personal information, do not give it to them.  If they offer you a prize for answering their questions, don't fall for this trick.  Often they will ask for you credit card information to cover fees or other charges.  This is just a tricky way for a dishonest person to get your credit card information. 

No matter who you support, you do not want to fall for any of these scams.  If you believe that you have been the victim of one of these calls, contact local law enforcement and let them know.  If your caller ID captured the phone number of the caller, report that to the police, too.

Elections are a wonderful time for Americans to exercise our legitimate right to vote.  Don't let your enjoyment of your political freedom be ruined by becoming the victim of a scam.

You may also be interested in reading:

The PayPal Scam
How to Avoid ATM Theft, Scams and Skimmers
Post Disaster Contractor Fraud

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of ballot courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Consumer Warning about Counterfeit Airbags in Cars

The federal government issued a warning this week to anyone who has had the airbag in their car replaced in the past three years.  The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency seized 2500 counterfeit airbags during the past year, and these fake airbags do not work.

According to the federal government, here are the people who should have their airbags checked as soon as possible:

Anyone who has had their airbag replaced, especially if it was not replaced at a new car dealership;

Anyone who has purchased a used car, but does not know whether or not the airbag was ever replaced by the previous owner;

Anyone who has purchased a car that was listed as salvage, rebuilt or reconstructed;

Anyone who has purchased an airbag over the internet, especially if they paid less than $400 for it.

If you are concerned, you can take your car to a dealership and have them check your airbag.  You can locate a dealership that will perform this inspection on the website:  www.SaferCar.gov

Unfortunately, consumers will have to pay to have their cars inspected, as well as for the cost of replacing the airbag if it turns out to be counterfeit.  The National Automobile Dealers Association estimates than an inspection will cost about $100 to $200 and the replacement cost for a steering wheel airbag is approximately $750 to $1,000.  For you own protection, confirm the price before you take your car to an inspection site.  As always, this blogger does not recommend that you get any work done on your car (or other property) until you have a written estimate.  This is especially important for consumers because some cars may have as many as eight airbags.

Sadly, it is absolutely shocking and tragic that there are people who would knowingly put the lives of other human beings in danger by selling counterfeit safety equipment that does not work.  Many people who are struggling to get by financially will be especially hard hit by this crime.

You may also be interested in reading:

Post-Disaster Contractor Fraud
You Can Avoid Online Used Car Scams
Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During Your Vacation

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

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The PayPal Scam

Many people, including this author, like to use the reliable and honest company called PayPal to make purchases on the internet and receive payments from freelance writing sites, as well as other businesses.  I like the extra layer of protection that PayPal offers me, making it possible to do business transactions without giving out my bank or credit card information.  That is why I was alarmed to read about a new scam that criminals are using to try to trick people into giving out their PayPal information.

The way this scam works is to send you an email congratuating you on a large deposit that has been made to your PayPal account.  In this email, the phony PayPal company asks you to click on their website in order to accept the deposit.  As soon as you click on the site, a virus is loaded onto your computer and their computer hackers are able to take over your computer and retrieve anything they want from it.

Do not fall for this trick, or anything like it!  If you receive a suspicious email that suggests they are contacting you from PayPal, your bank or any other financial institution, remain skeptical.  Do NOT click on any links within an unexpected email.  Instead, use the normal URL you use to contact your financial institutions, or call them, if you want to check on any unusual activity in your accounts.  Just because a stranger tells you that they have made a large deposit into your account does not mean it is true.  Your financial institution is the best source of reliable information, not suspicious emails.

Far too many people are being fooled by these scams, which is why they persist.  Protect yourself and pass on this information so that your family and friends can protect themselves, too.

You may also be interested in reading:

Online Dating Scams
Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During Your Vacation
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You Can Avoid Online Used Car Scams

You are reading from the blog:  http://Lies-and-Liars.blogspot.com

Photo courtesy of www.morguefile.com

The Facts about the Obama vs Romney Debate

The 2012 election appears as if it is going to be close.  In fact, as you can see on the attached electoral map, the decision may actually be made by undecided voters in the states of Florida, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, Ohio and Iowa.

Because the election is so close, it drives me crazy when I hear the candidates say one thing in television interviews and something else when they are debating each other before a national audience.  It also bothers me when I hear them exaggerate their numbers or make statements that are clearly intended as lies.

Fact Checking Six Statements in the Obama Romney Debate

The website PolitiFact. com is a Pulitzer Prize winning news site that investigated the claims made in the October 3 presidential debate between President Obama and Governor Romney.  Here is a rundown of some the factual errors that were made during the debate.

"Under Governor Romney's definition, Donald Trump is a small business." - Not true

"Up to 20 million people will lose their insurance as Obamacare goes into effect" - Not true

"Romney's Medicare plan was estimated to cost the average senior about $6,000 a year." - Half true

"Romney's plan calls for a $5 trillion tax cut." - Half true

"Obama put in place a board that can tell people ... what treatments they're going to receive."  - Mostly false

"Romney would turn Medicare into a voucher program" - Mostly true

Fact Checking Numbers in the Obama Romney Debate

The Washington Post had their own Fact Checkers working overtime during and after the debate.  They explained some of the discrepancies in numbers that were thrown around by the two candidates.  Here is what they discovered.

"Governor Romney's ... economic plan calls for a $5 trillion tax cut." (Obama)
"I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut." (Romney)

Obviously one of them was not being completely honest.  According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, Romney's proposal to cut the tax rates by 20 percent and eliminate estate tax and the alternative minimum tax would cut tax revenue by $500 billion in 2015 and about $5 trillion over a period of 10 years.

"We take some of the money that we're saving as we wind down two wars." (Obama)

This is a budget trick on the part of both parties.  The Bush administration never appropriately accounted for war expenses, and the Obama administration is projecting future savings far into the future, which inflates the potential savings.

"I want to close loopholes that are giving incentives for companies that are shipping jobs overseas." (Obama)

"I have no idea what you're talking about." (Romney)

Perhaps Romney didn't know about it, but there actually are tax deductions that companies can take for moving their operations overseas.

There were other exaggerations and mistatements made during the debate, but I wanted to focus specifically on the ones that involved money.  In addition, the point of this post is to make it obvious that you simply cannot believe all the rhetoric you hear from political candidates.  You have to look up all the facts yourself, and then decide which candidate has the plan that is most likely to be implemented and that will help you and your family have the most desirable quality of life.

Don't vote on the basis of sound bites in television ads and debates.  Check the facts and gather as much information as possible on every issue.  Be skeptical if you wanted to be a well-educated voter.

You may also be interested in reading:

Fact Checking Bill Clinton's Convention Speech
Factual Errors in Paul Ryan's Convention Speech
Politics and Lies
The Collapse of Lehman Brothers
Misinformation about Affordable Healthcare Act

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo courtesy of www.en.wikipedia.com/commons

How to Avoid ATM Theft, Scams and Skimmers

Even though I live in a very safe area of California, I rarely use an ATM machine after dark.  In addition, I avoid using ATM machines that are in remote locations, have loose parts, or seem “off” in some way.  Like most of us, I try to be cautious with my ATM card.  Therefore, I was shocked to discover that there are ATM scams that I didn’t even know existed!

ATM Scams Get More Sophisticated

There are a number of ATM scams that can trick even a cautious person.  Here are a few of the more common ones:

The blocking device:  Someone blocks the ATM slot.  You insert your card and enter your PIN number while someone is watching.  Nothing happens and your card does not come back out of the machine.  You go into the bank to report the problem.  While you are inside, the scammer removes the block, takes your card and leaves.  If they were watching closely, they also know your PIN number. 

Card Skimmers:  These are devices that can be ordered on the internet.  People attach them to an ATM machine and use them to obtain your banking information, card number, PIN number and all the information that the thieves need to make their own ATM cards using your information.

Fake ATM machines and attachments:  Another variation on the card skimmers are phony machines that take your information and then display a notice saying that the machine is out of money.  You get your card back, but the thieves have all the information they need to make another card.

Cash Traps:  These are devices that hold your money inside the machine.  When you go inside the bank to report the problem, the thieves are able to retrieve the money and leave quickly.

Phishing:  There are many types of phishing, the word used to describe emails that are sent to you asking for your bank or other personal information.  The writer may pretend to be your bank informing you that there is a problem with your ATM card.  They then ask you to click on a website and enter information from your card, including your PIN number.  Once you have done that, they can easily make another card using the information that you provided to them.

How to Protect Yourself from ATM Theft

The first step in protecting yourself is to read articles like this one, and stay up to date with new assaults on your ATM card.  In addition, follow the steps listed below as often as possible.  You can prevent most problems.

Use the same ATM machine as often as possible, and stop using it if something seems wrong.

When possible, use ATM machines that are inside banks.

If you have to use a new ATM machine, inspect it carefully.  Avoid using one that has extra cameras, signs or other unnecessary items cluttering up the area.

Never let a stranger offer to “help” you if there is a problem using a machine.

Avoid using an ATM machine if other people are lingering around it.

If a machine confiscates your card, use your cell phone and call the bank.  Wait until assistance arrives.

Do not use your ATM card to pay for restaurant meals or in similar situations when it may be out of your sight for a few minutes.  Unscrupulous individuals can steal the information from your card quickly.

Don’t fall for phishing emails.  Call your bank if you get a strange email, or go in and talk to them in person.

Check your bank account frequently online.  If you notice any suspicious activity, contact your bank immediately.

You may also want to read:

Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During Your Vacation

Stopping Lottery Scams and Cheaters

Computer Virus Scams

Online Dating Scams

You Can Avoid Online Used Car Scams

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo courtesy of www.photoxpress.com

College Cheating Epidemic and Ghostwritten College Papers

Over the past few weeks, there have been several posts on this blog about cheating and ethics among high school and college students.  The problem seems to be rampant, often fueled by easy access to the internet.  There have been cheating scandals everywhere from local high schools across the nation to esteemed colleges such as Harvard.

Ghostwritten College Papers

In May, 2011, Reader’s Digest Magazine printed an article entitled “The Cheating Epidemic” by Ed Dante, the pseudonym of a writer who earned a living for several years by ghost writing college papers, including dissertation length documents for undergraduate and graduate students.  By his own admission, Mr. Dante has written papers for students working on their Master’s Degree in Cognitive Psychology, a PhD in sociology, and Bachelors’ Degrees in a variety of subjects including pharmacology, theology, nursing, ethics, law and public administration.  He admitted to writing at least twelve graduate theses that were over fifty pages long.

Until he resigned from his position, Mr. Dante worked for an unnamed online company that provides students with original papers that they can turn in under their own names.  The purchasers of these papers do not have to be concerned about being caught plagiarizing, since each paper is written specifically for them.  They pay sizeable fees of up to several thousand dollars to receive such personalized attention.

Mr. Dante revealed that he has earned as much as $66,000 a year writing these student papers, which may give him a higher income than some of the educators who actually assigned the theses may be earning.

Although I have not listed all the different topics that Mr. Dante covered, it particularly bothered me to think that people who work in the fields of cognitive psychology, sociology, pharmacology, theology, nursing, ethics, law and public administration may not really be qualified to perform their positions.  Does it bother anyone else that your nurse or pharmacist might not have written their own papers when they were attending college?  How would you feel if you knew that the theologian who is preaching about honesty and integrity from the pulpit may have cheated his way through college?

At a time when so many high school graduates are only marginally qualified to perform college level work, the fact that some college students may be cheating in order to get through school should not surprise me.

Solution to College Cheating Epidemic

The solution to this type of cheating is clear.  If we cannot trust students to perform honestly outside of the classroom, then perhaps the college class periods should be longer, and more of the work should be completed in class.  Professors and their assistants may one day be compelled to supervise students while they do their research and write their papers in the classroom.  This may be the only way to be assured that college graduates are actually qualified to perform well in the careers for which they are preparing.

It is a shame that the ethics in this country have dropped so low that students who are majoring in ethics would feel comfortable cheating in order to get their degree!  If we wish to improve the value of a university degree in our country, college administrators need to make it much more difficult for their students to cheat.

You may also be interested in reading:

The Disappointing Harvard Cheating Scandal

Cheating in High School

Americans Too Dumb to use the Metric System?

Computer Virus Scams

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of library courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Americans Too Dumb to use the Metric System?

The metric system is the international system of measurement that was originally created in France in about 1799, although it was proposed earlier than that by Englishman John Wilkins in 1668.  By 1872, the only major European countries who were not using the metric system were Russia and the United Kingdom.  Since that time, both of those countries have also made the conversion, as has most of the rest of the world.  When it first came into use, different countries still had their own values for the various units of metric measurement.  However, in 1960 the internationally recognized standard metric system was established.

As of 2012, the ONLY nations in the world who do not use the metric system are Burma, Sierra Leone and the United States.  Currently, both Burma and Sierra Leone are taking steps to adopt the metric system, as well.  That means the United States will be the only nation left that is not using the metric system.  Of course, some countries still use local, unofficial systems of measurement in addition to the metric system.  However, the metric system is the official system of measurement for the rest of the world.  Do we Americans really believe that we are too dumb to learn the metric system?  Do we have so little confidence in ourselves that we can sit back and watch both industrialized and third world countries make the conversion, but we think it would be too hard for us?  Perhaps it is our lack of confidence that is causing us to lie to ourselves about our intelligence and ability.

I remember well when our country made a feable attempt to convert to the metric system in the 1970's.  For some strange reason, people got all tied up with the notion that they would spend their days performing complicated math calculations in order to convert everything to metrics.  However, the one hangover from that period is the two-liter bottle of soda.  Have you ever worried about how many quarts of soda were in a two-liter bottle?  Have you ever found a reason to convert your soda from liters to quarts?  Americans were easily able to make that transistion.

I work in an American high school, and frequently watch our students struggle to learn a system that most children in the world have learned by the time they start kindergarten.  While few of our students know how many feet are in a mile, young children in other parts of the world know that there are 1000 meters in a kilometer.  Wouldn't it be easier if we started out teaching this to our children, too?

Cost to the US because we do not use the Metric System

In 1915, Jos. V. Collins estimated in an article entitled "A Metrical Tragedy" that it was costing the US $315,000,000 at that time because we had not converted to the metric system.  The amount of money lost has skyrocketed since then.

According to the website MetricationMatters.com, in an article by Pat Naughtin written in 2008, Canadian architects and engineers charge about 10 - 15% more to prepare detail drawings for the US market, because it involves extra work.  In addition, materials such as plywood and gypsum board have to be trimmed for the US market, causing about a 3% waste in materials.  Similar additional costs occur in business dealings with other countries.

Students go through elementary school learning our American system of measurement, only to be required to learn the metric system in high school because it is essential they know it in order to pursue careers in physics, chemistry, math, medicine, engineering, auto technology, aircraft repair and many other fields.  This is an inefficient way to train our children, confuses them and puts them behind in math when compared to other students around the world who learn the metric system beginning in preschool.  This is reflected in international math examinations.  It also is expensive to retrain our students.

Errors Caused by Our Failure to Use the Metric System

The cost to the United States because we refuse to use the metric system has been high.  According to an article on CNN Tech entitled "Metric Mishap Caused Loss of NASA Orbiter," NASA lost a $125 million Mars orbiter because one group of engineers used American units of measurement and another group of engineers used the metric system.

According to the U.S. Metric Association, here are just a few of the other serious errors that have been made in recent years because Americans believe they are incapable of converting to the metric system:

In 2003, the Space Mountain roller coaster at Tokyo's Disneyland theme park was derailed because an axle was smaller than it was supposed to be.  The parts had been ordered using the wrong dimensions.

In 1983, an Air Canada flight ran out of fuel because a maintenance worker made an error in converting the amount of fuel that should be pumped from a fuel truck into the aircraft.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Melvin Lister from the United States was eliminated in his qualifying round because he couldn't figure out where his mark was.  He was unable to use the metric tape that had been supplied to him.  He was not allowed to use the one he brought with him that showed feet and inches.

In 2004, at least one baby was given five times the correct dosage of Zantac Syrup because the doctor had written the prescription in teaspoons, but the pharmacist had labeled the bottle in milliliters.

Are We Really Less Intelligent Than Other Countries?

I believe the idea that Americans cannot convert to the metric system is a lie.  Every other country in the world has been able to make this change successfully.  I have more confidence in the intelligence of Americans than many of them have in themselves.  I believe we are just as smart as people in other countries.  We just have to prove it to ourselves and each other.

You may also be interested in reading these articles:

The Disappointing Harvard Cheating Scandal
Cheating in High School
Dangerous Viruses Not Always Secured at the CDC


You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo courtesy of www.en.wikipedia.com/commons

The Truth about Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene

Since the early days of Christianity, there has been speculation about whether or not Jesus was married and if Mary Magdalene was his wife.  This controversy is still relevant today because the Roman Catholic Church bars women from becoming priests, often justifying their stand by saying they want to follow the model of Jesus who remained unmarried and had only male followers.  However, is it true that Jesus never married?

The Da Vinci Code Theory

Over a decade ago, in the best-selling novel and movie, “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown, the possibility that Jesus and Mary were husband and wife was discussed as a work of fiction.  In the story, a curator at the Louvre in Paris is found shot, and his granddaughter is determined to find out the reason.  She elicits the assistance of a Harvard professor who helps her discover that her grandfather was searching for the Holy Grail.  It turns out that the Holy Grail is not a cup or chalice, but is the tomb where Mary Magdalene is buried.  By the end of the novel it is “discovered” that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus and they had a child together.

While it is easy to dismiss “The Da Vinci Code” as an exciting figment of the author’s imagination, there have long been rumors that the early belief in the divine right of kings came about at least partially because the Merovingian kings of France were thought to be descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.  Several books have been written on the topic, including those by Margaret Starbird and Clive Prince’s “The Templar Revelation.”

Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci

Elizabeth Vargas of ABC News researched the rumors that Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus Christ, and reported on her findings in a television special called “Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci” that aired in November, 2003.  At one point in her research she interviewed a Catholic priest from Georgetown University.  He stated that they do not know if Jesus was married but, if he were, Mary Magdalene would undoubtedly have been his wife.  While some theologians agreed, others did not.  Most of them did agree, however, that it would have been highly unusual for Jesus to be single at the time he was alive. In fact, there was not even a word for “bachelor” in the Jewish language at that time.  In addition, they noted the fact that Mary Magdalene was allowed special privileges, such as visiting the grave of Jesus after his death, which would not have been accorded to anyone other than a wife or close family member.  They also pointed out the fact that after his death Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene before any of his disciples.  Of course, none of these statements prove conclusively that Jesus and Mary were married.

New Evidence that Jesus was Married

This week, however, there has been a new development which once again brings up the possibility that Jesus and Mary were husband and wife.  According to a number of news sources, summarized in a Yahoo News article entitled, “Jesus had a wife, newly discovered gospel suggests,” there is new evidence that Jesus was married to someone.  Karen King, a Harvard historian of early Christianity, has verified a fourth century piece of papyrus which contains the words “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife..’” and “she will be able to be my disciple.”

While this statement does not mention Mary Magdalene or prove that she was married to Jesus, it is one more tantalizing clue that indicates it is a possibility.  What we do not know is whether early Christians intentionally covered up evidence of the marriage, or whether this marriage was considered too unimportant and commonplace to mention.  Either way, researchers will continue to study the question in the hope that one day we will learn the truth.

You may also be interested in reading:

What Foreigners Believe about America

Why We Lie and Cheat

Everyone Lies

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

Photo of Mary Magdalene by an unknown sculpture is courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/commons

What Foreigners Believe about America

Like the citizens of most countries, Americans are proud of our country.  We are proud of our constitutional form of government, our active democracy, our freedoms and our ability to succeed.  Because of the national pride felt by the majority of Americans, we are hurt and confused when we see demonstrators in other countries who riot against us, kill an ambassador and our embassy employees, destroy embassy buildings, burn our flag, and seem completely ungrateful for the many actions we have taken to help other countries.

Frequently we ask ourselves why they do this.  How can they not know that we are good, caring people?  Why do they seek to hurt us?  What is it that foreigners believe about America that breeds so much misunderstanding and hatred?

I work with a woman from rural China who immigrated to the United States with her husband in the early 1990's.  They were both university students who were given the opportunity to study in the U.S.  She told me a few months ago that she did not know the United States even existed until two years before she immigrated!  As a bright student in China, she was taught about the continents, and even the names of many of the other countries.  However, she thought all those other countries had governments, economic systems, and social systems similar to what she knew in China.  She was astonished when she moved here! 

Fortunately my friend was not taught to hate America or Americans when she grew up in China.  She was just not told much of anything at all about us.  Obviously, in the twenty years since she immigrated, communication between China and the United States has improved dramatically, and very few Chinese would be completely ignorant of life in America.  However, are they now getting the impression of us that we would like to portray?

Citizens of many other countries often believe that they know a great deal about America.  Unfortunately, what they often think they know is based on promiscuous, silly or violent movies and television shows that are shown around the world.  While we are able to dismiss the content of these films as pure fiction, many foreigners believe that they are seeing a true depiction of life in America and extremists in their coutries are often more than willing to encourage their citizens to believe these distortions.

An Iranian-American writer, in an article called "Inside Iran" on the website http://faqs.shivathespy.com, reports that many Iranians believe that Americans are arrogant, rich, sexually promiscuous, irreligious, liberal, and heavy drinkers.  They also believe that there are no poor people in American and that no one has to work very hard in order to afford all the abundant luxuries that we enjoy.  Many American citizens perceive these beliefs about our country to be complete lies.  However, we seem helpless to convey better information to the citizens of other other nations.

While the writer of "Inside Iran" was speaking only about Iran, these beliefs are common among people in many other developing nations.  These attitudes breed jealousy, resentment, anger and hostility towards Americans.  While those of us who live in America realize that these movies do not accurately depict ourselves or the people we know in our neighborhoods, foreigners do not realize this.

In 2007, Dr. Steven Kuli, the director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs about the negative attitudes of Muslims towards the United States.  His report dealt with the countries of Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia.  These are all countries that have governments that have cooperative relationships with the United States. However, his research indicated that the majority of citizens of those countries believed that the U.S. was engaged in a war on Islam.

According to research conducted by Dr. Kuli, 93% of Egyptians, 76% of Morrocans, 67% of Pakistanis and 66% of Indonesians had unfavorable views of the US.  About half of the citizens of those countries approved attacks on US troops, although substantially fewer agreed that it was acceptable to harm civilians.

With so many misconceptions about America, American life, and our citizens, it is no wonder that citizens in the Middle East erupted in anger against our country when a virtually unknown American produced a low quality film that was highly critical of the Prophet Mohammad.  This movie simply fueled their belief that Americans were arrogant, self-centered and in a war against Islam.

Most of those involved in the riots do not understand our government.  What they have been told is often based on lies and distortions. I saw one person interviewed on television who said that they would not stop attacking our embassies until the US government assured them that no one in the United States would ever make a movie like that again.  It was obvious that this man did not understand how impossible it would be for a government that believes in personal freedom, as well as freedom of expression, to make such a guarantee. 

There are no easy solutions to the communication problems that exist between the ordinary citizens of the United States and the peaceful, religious citizens of other countries.  However, it is evident that we need to work together to promote better understanding and harmony whenever we can.

You are reading from the blog:  http://lies-and-liars.blogspot.com

You may also be interested in reading:


How to Tell When Someone is Lying
Politics and Lies
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Misinformation about Affordable Healthcare Act


Photo of Statue of Liberty courtesy of www.en.wikipendia.com/commons