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Finally, those nasty scam emails/websites promising money from fake inheritance funds have been shut down in Nigeria. Nigeria is known as the epicenter of these scams and recently the Nigerian anti-corruption police have become very proactive. They have shut down 800 scam websites and busted 18 syndicates of email fraudsters from one of the biggest cyber-crime organizations.
The Nigerian anti-corruption police adopted smart technology by working in conjunction with Microsoft to track down these fraudulent emails. The operation known as “eagle claw” should be able to forewarn about a quarter of a million potential victims.
Victims were swindled out of their money when asked to pay processing fees or supply their bank account details into which the funds would be transferred. In addition, the other type of email scam included hackers who would hack into private email accounts of prominent personalities and send out e-mails to their contacts claiming to be stranded and asking for emergency cash.
If you receive any type of these email scams, delete the emails immediately. Or you can contact your local police. Never respond to these emails or give out your private bank account information either by email or by phone.
There is an IRS unreported-underreported income email scam floating around the Internet. Don’t be fooled by this scam. Simply delete the email address.
Here is the content of the email:
Taxpayer ID: xxx-00000174073547US
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)
Please review your tax statement on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below): review tax statement for taxpayer id: XXX-00000174073547US Internal Revenue Service
This fake email notice allegedly from the IRS is about underreported income. At first, it looks like a legitimate IRS Notice called a CP2000, which would provide you with a legitimate contact at the IRS. However, it is nothing more than a phishing scam.
These low-life criminals are looking to get your IRS login ID and password to steal your identity. With this information, they can take out online cash loans in your name and run up a hefty bill for you to pay. In addition, they can change your tax filing to show that you are owed a tax refund. Of course, they will arrange for the tax refund to be sent to them, not you. You are responsible for any overpayment you receive from the IRS. And we all know, that the IRS are not forgiving people. They will aggressively go after you for the money.
The only way the IRS will contact you via email is if you contact them first. The IRS will never ask for personal information such as login ID, password, Social Security number etc, via email. Just as all the other phishing scams, such as the inheritance from someone in Nigeria, or a US soldier who “needs help” to bring some large amount of cash into the US, these are scammers just waiting to take your money and identity.
Did you know that a car is stolen every 26 seconds in the U.S. costing the American public nearly $7.6 billion each year? The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) list of the most frequently stolen cars of 2008 has given us some idea of the most favorite type of cars that these criminals love to steal.
The 1995 Honda Civic is the top pick among car thieves. The 1991 Honda Accord, 1989 Toyota Camry and the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck are the next favorites. The only other domestic brands on the list were trucks such as the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup. Other favorites are the Acura Integra and Nissan Sentra.
As you can see, many of the vehicles are older cars. Car thieves target these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts. So if you car is stolen it is probably taken to chop shops where they completely dismantle the car and sell the parts on the black market.
The NICB encourages everyone to follow a “layered approach” for auto theft protection. This approach is simple and low-cost and makes these vehicles less attractive to thieves. The first layer is common sense. Lock your car; park it under a street light, etc. The next is use a warning device such as a car alarm. NICB also suggests that you use an immobilizing device such as a fuel cut-off or smart key that prevents the vehicle from being driven. The fourth layer consists of a tracking device allowing law enforcement officers to track and recover a vehicle if stolen.
The cost of some of these theft-detracting items may not be as expensive as you think. After all, a couple of hundred bucks to prevent your car from being stolen are better than tens of thousands of dollars it would take to replace it.
Recently, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Greater Twin Cities United Way released their Domestic Violence Report. This report exams the impact of domestic violence in the State of Minnesota. The report was based on approximately 5,500 responses from self-identified victims from across the state.
The report is important because it exams the prevalence of domestic violence in Minnesota as well as other types of domestic crime violence that victims may be experiencing such as stalking and property offenses.
This is a first time report that provides important data to law enforcement, counselors and others who work with domestic violence victims and family members. It examines how those who experienced domestic violence differ from those who have not. The report also shows the number of incidents of violence that victims experienced, why victims don’t report domestic violence to the police and the actions victims take in response to violence.
Some of the analysis shows that three-percent or 57,000 women surveyed and one-percent or 18,000 men reported experiencing domestic violence in 2007. Victims of domestic violence are employed part-time and earn less income. Three in 10 victims have an annual household income of $30,000 or less.
Domestic violence is a silent crime that many families don’t want to report. However, no one should live in fear if a family member has abused them. Domestic violence is a crime and needs to be reported to law enforcement.
Call it luck or call it just great police work, but juvenile homicides are down significantly in Northern Minneapolis. An article in the Star Tribune proudly reported that during the first six months of this year, Minneapolis did not have a single homicide involving a juvenile.
In addition, violent crime statistics show that homicides, rapes, robberies and most other crimes have dropped dramatically in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and many other major U.S. cities over the past few years. Some of the reasons for this may be because of the recession but some cities credit better police-community relations and increasingly sophisticated databases on criminals. Back in 2006, law enforcement found that half of the serious crime in the city was committed by juveniles. As a result, Minneapolis implemented a plan three years ago to target juvenile crime.
As a result during the first six months of this year, violent crime in the city is down 17 percent from the same period last year, 28 percent compared with that period in 2007, and 39 percent from where it was during the same period in 2006.
Law enforcement plans to keep up the work against violent crime in Minneapolis. In fact, crime is down more than 40 percent in north Minneapolis when compared to three years ago. You know when neighbors and business people notice that it has been quieter than usual, that the police are doing a great job.
In today’s Internet world of Facebook, twitters and tweets, police are cautioning people to be careful what they say on these social Internet sites. Take for example if you are planning to go on vacation. A woman from Seattle who uses two Twitter accounts – one for personal and private and the other for business – tweeted that she was leaving town for a long weekend. Thank goodness her house wasn’t burglarized while she was gone.
Police warn that even if these social networks are suppose to be secure, criminals can search for vacation tweets and in less than a minute find a home address and phone number. Many people set up their Twitter accounts so that anybody can follow them. For an ID thief, a robber, or someone who is disgruntled and wants to find out where to stalk or slur you in some way, they can easily search for your private information. Remember, anything you put on the Internet is public as well as searchable.
Experts explain that it is very easy to find people online, even people with unlisted phone numbers. Even if you use an alias on your Twitter account, someone will be able to figure out who you are and where you live. Also, the people you tweet to may send out your tweet to other people you don’t know and they can also figure out who you are and where you live.
Think about it, when you leave on vacation you make sure that your house doesn’t look like you are away. You stop your mail or newspapers, leave lights on, etc. So why would you want to advertise on a social network that you are going to be on vacation?
A new scam is targeting cell phone users who speak Spanish in the Worthington, Minnesota area according to an article in Pioneer Press. Recently there have been three separate reports where victims received text messages in Spanish. The message tells the cell phone user that they won a large sum of cash and a Toyota car. The message gives a phone number to call to receive the prizes.
The police believe that the phone number is located somewhere in Guatemala. Unfortunately, one victim wired $1,700 and gave out their bank account number. Chances for this victim to see their prize money and a Toyota car are slim to none. The break in this phone scam came when one victim who does not speak Spanish asked authorities for help in interpreting the message.
Once again, never call back a phone number you don’t recognize. Never send money to an address you don’t know and never give out your bank account number to anyone. Remember, if it is going to cost you money to get something for “free,” it’s a scam.
Just when you thought you’ve heard all the scams going around, here is another one. Scammers who claim to be US Marshals are calling people to tell them they have won the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes. These scammers tell you that they have $90,000 prize to deliver to you but you have to wire them $450 in insurance before the US Marshals can bring you the money.
First of all, if you get a call like this asking for money before you can claim a prize, hang up on them. It is nothing but a scam. In fact, if you receive a phone call with the caller’s phone number blocked and the caller won’t give you a phone number for call back information, you know they are nothing but low-life scammers trying to get money from you.
Entering a sweepstakes does not cost you anything and should not cost you anything if you win. Doesn’t Publisher’s Clearing House come to your house in a mini-van with balloons, flowers and a check?
During these tough times however, many people may consider paying $450 in order to make $90,000. However, in the end, you will not only be out $450 but also $90,000.
The US Marshall’s believe that these scam artists are calling from out of state or even out of country. This makes it difficult for law enforcement to track them down. In Colorado, it is a Class 6 felony to impersonate a peace officer so if they are caught, they will go to jail.
The best advice for not receiving these scam phone calls is not to sign up for any get rich quick contests. They may be a scam and may get you on a list that scammers can buy.
Did you know that Bounty Hunter, Duane “Dog” Chapman, lives part- time in Colorado Springs, Colorado? When he comes home, he gets to work in cleaning up the streets of Colorado Springs.
As many of you know, one of his most famous captures was that of the cosmetic heir Andrew Luster who jumped bond in his rape and drugging charges. Dog the Bounty Hunter hunted him down in Mexico where he arrested the fugitive. Unfortunately, Mexico didn’t take too kindly to his bounty hunting ways, was arrested, and incarcerated in a Mexican jail. Fortunately, Dog was able to beat the charges in Mexico.
Recently, several incidents once again have put Dog the Bounty Hunter in the news again.
Dog and a local bail bondsman, Bobby Brown were involved in a capture where they were shot at in Colorado Springs while trying to apprehend a man wanted for attempted second-degree murder. The man escaped but Dog caught him hours later.
While in Colorado Springs Dog has arrested at least 12 people. The latest capture was a 32-year-old woman who faces charges of forgery and theft. She was a vice president of a bank but unfortunately she got hooked on meth and that’s when her criminal ways began.
Bounty hunting is a dangerous job. Bounty hunters make their living in finding criminals and bringing them to justice. No matter what you may think of bounty hunters, they do fill a need for law enforcement as well as keeping the community safe from wanted criminals.
With the Memorial Weekend coming up, law enforcement agencies throughout the country will be out in force to remind drivers and passengers to buckle up. The “Click it or Ticket” campaign kicks off for hundreds of agencies who will have larger numbers of officers patrolling for longer hours on the road to enforce many states’ mandatory safety belt law.
The money for this campaign for law enforcement comes as a result of a federal grant. Many states have seat belt laws that are “secondary enforcement,” which means an officer cannot stop a driver and give him a ticket for not buckling up. However, if you are pulled over for some other violation and the officer sees that you are not wearing a seat belt, you can be ticketed.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, an estimated 1,652 lives could be saved and 22,372 serious injuries avoided each year if seat belt use rates rose to 90 percent in every state. Based on 2007 data, the report also shows that an estimated 15,147 lives were saved because of drivers buckling up their seat belts when driving.
It is especially important to make sure that your teen driver buckles up when driving. Approximately over 2,500 16-20 year old passengers not wearing a seat belt in vehicles were killed in 2007.
It only takes a minute to “Click It.” Buckle up for safety and save your life.
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