Designing Web Success

You may have already received a do not spam list email, seen a web site or even heard a radio advertisement that promises to reduce spam email just by submitting your email address.

Since the federal “Do Not Call List” became law in 2003, it seems logical that a do not spam list exists also. But even though it sounds legitimate, don’t believe the hype or the official looking emails.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorneys, who are experts at fighting spam email, a national do not spam list registry would not be effective at this time for many reasons.

The FTC says the high risk of a list like this would actually result in more in-box clutter because illegal spammers would use the registry as a “do spam” list. So the FTC is advising consumers not to submit their email addresses to any organization that claims to be creating a do not spam list.

The FTC also says emails and web sites that claim to offer a national do not email list or registry could be part of a high-tech scam to trick consumers into disclosing their email address or other sensitive personal information.

According to the FTC, these web sites and emails may be a way to collect valid email addresses to sell to email spammers. The result could be even more spam for anyone who signs up for the do not spam list.

Or, it could be worse because some scammers have collected information through bogus web sites that mimic those of legitimate organizations, and then use the information to commit identity theft.

If you have already submitted your email address to a national do not email list or registry that promises to reduce the amount of spam you receive, you may be a victim of one the latest email scams on the Internet.

Should you get an unsolicited email claiming to represent a do not email list or registry, an organization to stop spam, or even the FTC itself, forward it to the FTC using this email address - spam@uce.gov .

If you believe you have already been scammed, file your complaint at FTC - File Complaint, then visit FTC - Identity Theft Resources to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from identity theft.

You can choose to ignore a do not spam list email or help the FTC with their efforts in fighting spam by forwarding any suspicious emails to them. The important thing is that you don’t become a new victim of the do not spam list email scam.

Copyright © 2005 Spyware Information.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal software and valuable tips. For regularly updated articles about adware and spyware and protection from identity theft go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html

Picture yourself walking down the street, all alone. It’s late at night. It’s a bit brisk, and the wind is blowing through the tall buildings on both sides of you. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, someone runs by you, knocks you over, grabs your wallet, and takes off.

It sounds like a scene from a movie, and there may come a time in the future where this type of person-to-person crime is only found in movies. Why would anyone rob a bank, or rob an individual, when they could simply use a person’s information to obtain employment, credit cards, and lines of credit?

By now, everyone knows what Identity Theft is. Identity Theft has been showing up in the news for several years, and there has been a large public awareness campaign since the FTC Report in September 2003.

In their report, the FTC shared that the average Identity Theft victim spends over $1,400.00, and more than 200 hours, just to clear their good name. Reports now are saying that victims can end up spending much, much more in terms of time, money, and frustration.

Other people may be willing to spend that kind of time and money, but if you don’t have an extra $1400 or 200 hours, read on!

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft couldn’t happen to me, right?

What can I do to protect myself?

There is good news.

Identity Theft Insurance?

What is Identity Theft?

ID Theft happens when someone takes any piece of your personal information, and fraudulently uses it to obtain access to your credit, bank accounts, or to obtain employment.

How can it happen?

There are literally thousands of ways your information can be stolen, and, as Harris County district attorney Chuck Rosenthal knows, if it can happen to him, it is proof that identity theft and fraud can happen to anyone. “Rosenthal said nearly $8,000 was stolen from his account before it was discovered […] He said that he still has problems because of the crime — his check was refused when he tried to buy supplies for his daughter.”

There are thousands of stories like this one, which you have already been hearing about in your local or national news.

What can you do to protect yourself?

To be proactive, here are what the “experts” are telling you to do. Read this list carefully, and while you do, think about what it would mean in added time and frustration for your life:

Avoid giving out your Social Security number…Shred or destroy bank and/or credit card information…Shred or destroy any credit card or other direct mail offers…Create passwords containing numbers and letters…Avoid buying or making donations via the phone…Buy goods online only from a reputable Web site…Install a computer firewall at home… Read the privacy statements for all your accounts and your bank’s liability clauses…Check your credit report more frequently… Use only one credit card for purchases… Avoid shopping online… Update your computer virus protection daily… Install Spyware software on your computer to be sure that you’re not accidentally having your keystrokes recorded… Drop your mail in the blue post boxes, not in your mailbox… Don’t leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends… While you’re at it, sign up for a locked mailbox, because you can’t trust that your mail will stay in your mailbox… The list goes on…and on…and on…

The “experts” are telling you to rearrange your entire life to proactively defend yourself against Identity Theft. However, what no one is telling you is this:

There is no 100% guarantee that your information won’t be used. No matter what you do, you are as likely a target for Identity Theft as any other person you know.

Approximately 2,500 Washington County (Maryland) Board of Education employees discovered this when their Social Security numbers, names, birth dates and other private information were accidentally posted on the school system’s web site for up to 45 days during 2004.

Consumer Reports states, “It is an equal-opportunity crime, affecting victims of all races, incomes, and ages. Overall, more than 33 million Americans, about 1 in 6 adults, say they have had their identities used by someone else sometime since 1990.”

There is good news

If you become a victim of Identity Theft, you basically have two choices. You can try to handle it on your own, or you can let a professional help you.

If you try to handle it on your own, you might try to contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A visit to the BBB’s web site reveals this statement:

“If your complaint is against the identity thief, it is unlikely that the BBB can assist you. We urge you to report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.

So you visit the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) web site, where you read the statement: “The FTC serves as the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of Identity Theft. While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law enforcement action.”

In other words, the BBB and FTC will give you information on how to spend 200 hours and $1400, and will let you report information to them which can “lead to law enforcement action.”

Beyond that, you’re on your own, because they will not work to restore your individual credit. But they will send you a 25 page book with some very helpful information. Good luck.

This is not to fault the BBB or FTC. It’s only to say that they do not have the resources to, on a daily basis, help over 27,000 people restore their good name and credit. Clearly, Americans need a different kind of help to resolve this issue.

Identity Theft Insurance?

Several companies, including Citibank and the three credit repositories, are offering different kinds of credit monitoring services. You have probably seen the very funny Citibank ads, promoting the protection of your information from thieves, and as a result of the ID Theft epidemic, Citibank now offers protection for their credit cards. This is an excellent idea, but credit card fraud only accounts for approximately 40% of Identity Theft cases.

What about the other 60% of identity theft cases? Well, most often, they happen when someone is using your name to obtain credit or employment. The three credit bureaus have stepped in to offer you credit monitoring services, which will let you track what is going on with your credit on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This way, if your information is being used by someone you don’t know, you will know about it the day it happens and, ideally, you’ll be able to do something about it. The cost ranges from $4.95/month to $19.95/month. With these services, you’re generally still on your own to get the issue resolved, but hopefully the early detection will help you be able to resolve the issue in less than 200 hours, and with less than $1,400.00.

Another company has stepped in, because they have seen this trend, and the need that consumers have for protection from identity theft. Kroll Worldwide is the world’s foremost risk consulting company. They’ve been responsible for things like:

Tracking Saddam Hussein’s money after the first Gulf War, creating an evacuation plan for the Sears Tower and many of the world’s tallest buildings, and handling high profile cases such as the Enron debacle.

Kroll has created a product which not only monitors credit on a daily basis, and (like the credit repositories) gives you credit reports in a way that you can understand them, but they also assign a personal licensed investigator to you, who will do the work along side of you, to get your credit and identity restored and to track down the thief who committed the crime. This saves you time and money

Identity Theft shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, many state and federal law enforcement agencies are predicting that the problem will get worse before it gets better. Other companies are sure to follow the lead of Kroll in providing Identity Theft solutions. Probably no other company will be able to match the background and experience of a company like Kroll, but they will create similar products to help consumers, and within the next 3-5 years, Identity Theft protection will become an important part of the insurance-type products we use to protect ourselves on a daily basis.

In short, what the experts aren’t telling you is this:

There is no guaranteed way to protect your information,

In an advanced age of rapid and electronic banking and communication, your information is publicly available to anyone who wants to find it,

If you’ve been a victim before, you’re more likely to become a victim again, and

Identity Theft, as a crime, is here to stay.

Changing the way that you do things reduces the likelihood that you will become a victim, but you have no way of being sure that your information will stay your information.

The real state of affairs today is that you are walking down that dark street on a windy night, and someone robs you, but you don’t know it, or feel it, for days, weeks, or months.

Having Identity Theft protection with highly qualified companies like Kroll is like walking down that street, knowing that you have a highly trained personal bodyguard watching your back and walking by your side.

About The Author

Jonathan Kraft is a specialist in computer-related Identity Theft and options within the legal system. For more information on how you can protect yourself and make sure that your information stays your information, visit www.consumerfairplay.com/idtheft.html

You probably have heard all these terms an awful lot lately. You wonder about what these technologies do? What value to they provide? If you aren’t up to speed on these new applications and how they are impacting retail online interaction then read this brief further.

Will these technologies impact you? To be honest, it’s too early to tell - but awareness drives innovation and maybe your team will develop an idea/application that truly changes a portion of your eCommerce business.

Here’s the rundown:

Blogs

What it is:

Probably the most well known of the three, blogs allow everyday people to quickly develop a website and distribute any type of content that they desire. Many web entrepreneurs use this functionality to develop online stores within niche markets, while using search popularity to beat out larger retailers on the specific terms within the market.

Where Blogs make make sense is within targeted online communities. Certain blog authors develop a large base of specific visitors, hence the site becomes a target market for viral marketing. By integrating your brand image within the site experience at that SPECIFIC blog, you as an online marketer are able to truly segment your marketing PRIOR to converting someone as a customer.

Should you care:

If you have a very unique value proposition, or sell to a very specific or high-value customer segment, blogs can be a great way to increase overall brand awareness. You can better connect with your customers and provide detail into the current sales/promotions that you are providing.

Podcasting

What it is:

Pocasting should be just called mobile video broadcasting - Apple’s marketing/development team did a great job with branding their device to a type of emerging media! Similar to traditional radio and television, mobile video broadcasting delivers branded content in either a paid/free environment, on someone’s mobile MP3 player (Apple only does video currently, but that will change shortly). Retailers can use this communication channel to further connect to their customers with promotional events, while transmitting specialty programming to meet an interest need.

Should you care:

Not really. Until video podcasting penetration increases, it’s still a limited channel for advertising. The best application available right now would be an online content segment that is digitally delivered to an opt-in list. As technology advances, you can potentially do this from your current opt-in page from your website and not from Apple’s iTunes platform.

RSS

RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication and is a method for electronic content distribution. RSS is transmitted via the internet, but what makes it unique is that no downloading efforts are needed by the end receiver of the content. It streams instateneously. Consumers can have news readers on their computers, either integrated into an emal client, or an aggregated web application such as News Gator, and are able to get information relating to their interests.

Already gaining steam in the travel industry and within comparison shopping engines, RSS seems to be a valuable way to push news, offers, and infomrmation to customers. Travel companies are able to provide a streaming supply of last minute airfare offers to their customer segments, without that customer having to open an email or visit a webpage.

Should you care:

Depends on the nature of your business. Do you consistently offer new prices? Do you get new pieces to your assortment consistently? Do you have a customer base that is extremely loyal that you want to reach out to with messaging? If so, RSS may another channel to help build your brand.

Craig Smith

Trinity Insight LLC

http://www.trinityinsight.com

Identity theft could happen to anyone. Someone gets hold of important information, such as your name, credit card information and social security number and uses this to make online purchases or apply for additional credit cards. The source of the information could be a “phishing” e-mail you replied to, stolen mail or one of many other ways.

At first you are probably going to be stunned when you receive that call from a credit rating company or collection agency, but you have to get over your shock and act quickly.

Step number one should be to contact your local police department and report the identity theft. At this point you should ask whether the police department has an information package or website with information on how to deal with identity theft.

If that is not the case, you can use some of the following resources to help you in the arduous process of clearing your good name and credit:

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

This FTP website offers substantial resources, including a downloadable booklet in PDF format.

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html

Resources by the Department of Justice

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml

Identity Theft Resource Center (includes Páginas en Español)

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm

Social Security Administration website that allows you to report misues of your social security number

http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm

Privacy Right Clearinghouse website with numerous links to other resources.

None of this will make the process easier or less painful, but at least now you have some tools to work with.

Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She has been beading since her teens. She is the owner of Love Beads Unlimited and sells the sterling silver and Swarovski crystal bead jewelry she designs and creates at http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com

Identity theft can be extremely damaging and upsetting for victims. Imagine finding yourself with thousands of dollars worth of debt you knew nothing about. Imagine being the subject of a criminal investigation for a crime you didn’t commit. Identity theft opens the door for someone to use your name while committing crimes and opening accounts among other things. Identity theft protection is a must in today’s society.

There are two types of identity theft:

1. Financial Fraud, including credit card fraud, bank account fraud, tax fraud and computer fraud.
2. Criminal behavior that can range from cyber crimes to drugs related crimes and much more. To hide their own identity, criminals often use this type of identity theft.

These crimes can be devastating for the victims in a number of ways and can result in criminal convictions and debt. Identity theft protection is extremely important and if you take specific action you will reduce the chances of it happening to you. The opportunity for identity theft can sometimes be as simple as a forgotten credit card receipt or credit card offers in the mail. Actively protect yourself from identity theft by following these basic steps.

• Never give out your personal information over the phone; it is common for scam artists to pose as your financial institute and request information over the phone.
• When dealing with companies that require personal information such as social security or tax file numbers, check that they will protect your privacy.
• Review your monthly credit card statements and bank activities to make sure you can account for all transactions. If you find anything you can’t account for in you statements report it immediately.
• Dispose of any sensitive material carefully, this may mean destroying documents with personal information on them. You don’t want your rubbish to reveal personal information that could be used in identity theft.
• Don’t carry unnecessary information on you in your purse or wallet. Make photocopies of your passport, credit cards and bankcards to make it easier for you if you lose them and need to cancel them.
• Be careful with deposit slips as they contain all the information someone would require for accessing your bank accounts.
• Use strong passwords on your accounts.
• Be conscientious about credit card receipts.

If you think you have become a victim of identity theft, contact police and fraud offices immediately. Close accounts and get your credit cards reissued with new account numbers and passwords. Let your bank know why you are doing this and follow up the phone call by stating your reasons in writing. Protect yourself and don’t become a victim. By being active in the prevention of identity theft, you will make yourself a less attractive option for identity theft.

Salim Jordan is Editor and Publisher of MoreThanLinks :: Technology. He regulary writes on internet security and identity theft. Visit http://technology.morethanlinks.com

Identity Theft is America’s fastest growing type of robbery. There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America and over 40% of all consumer complaints in the U.S. involve identity theft. About half of the victims do not know how the thief obtained their personal information. The Boston Globe and Newsweek have both covered Identity theft recently telling us how important it is for us to educate ourselves on preventing and protecting ourselves from this type of robbery. Identity theft can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone, individuals or businesses. Everyone must be educated and aware so it can be avoided. Michael Blanchard, US Postal Inspector says postal money orders and business or certified checks are one way you can be at risk. Most identity theft involves the U.S. Mail which is why the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is a lead agency in investigating Identity Theft. Identity Theft is a criminal offense.

Some scams are internet related, you go into a chat room and chat with people there, someone approaches you as a friend, or about an auction. You become comfortable with these people you are chatting with and start a “friendship”. The person who has befriended you may tell you such things as, “I am in the Peace Corp, and I have a money order that I can’t cash where I am”, which is Lagos or Nigeria. They might ask you if they send you the money order, if you will cash it and send them the money. This is a scam. The money order you receive can be fraudulent, once you cash and send the money you are out this money once the bank realizes the money order was no good.

Another scenario might be if you sell items at online auctions. Someone may email you about your item that is for sale. They will tell you they want to purchase your item, and they are in Nigeria so they will send you extra money to pay for a shipper to send the item to them. They will send you a counterfeit money order or check and ask you to cash the check and wire the extra money to them so they can pay the shippers to ship your item. They may even ask you to go to a bank to cash the money order rather than the post office. The reason for this is that the post office has a machine that can tell if the money order is fake, and they have much more experience with money orders than banks.
Many of these types of scams originate in Nigeria, London and Toronto. If you are aware of this, you can prevent this from happening to you. Most thieves still obtain personal information through traditional rather than electronic channels. In the cases where the method was known, 68.2% of information was obtained off-line versus only 11.6% obtained online.

If you receive a fraudulent money order and take it to a bank, rather than the post office, a bank can take a month or more before they notify you that the money order is fake. If this happens, you are then responsible for the funds. If you do get caught up in this situation, take your money order to a post office rather than a bank, it is not guaranteeing you will not be “taken” but it lowers your chances.

How can you tell if a money order is fraudulent? Fake money orders do not have a water mark. Hold up the money order to the window or light, can you see the portrait, on the left side? This portrait needs to be backlit by light to be seen and cannot be mimicked. Some producers of fake money orders try to use fake pictures as a water mark; you will be able to tell if you hold it to the light. These money orders are generally printed in Nigeria, they use the same offset press we use to print real money orders, so check your money orders! You can also check for type size, color and fonts. Another step you can take is to call or go online to the Post office and give them the serial number off of the money order; they can tell if it is real. If you receive a counterfeit money order, you will want to give it to the post office or police. Possession of a counterfeit item is a felony.

Other scams include receiving an email or letter stating you have won a lottery, or a prize notification. Some letters or announcements will arrive with a counterfeit check and you pay a processing fee to get the prize. These checks are counterfeit; never send money to anyone who is asking for money from you in order to give you money, whether it is disguised as a prize or lottery. Any prize that requires you to pay anything is no prize.

How do these people get my name? If you have a credit card, your name is sold to third parties, if you do not want this to happen, you must contact your credit card companies to inform them that you do not want your information sold. Check the privacy notice that comes with your bill. If you enter contests, your information becomes public. Also, when you buy a new product, and fill out the warranty cards, those companies sell that information you provide to other companies. Since when does your toaster manufacturer need to know you households’ annual income to extend a warranty on your toaster? Thieves use dumpster digging, phishing, and pharming to obtain your information. Things they steal from your trash include:

• Pre-approved credit card offers – they complete them and have the card sent to them at a different address

• Loan applications- they complete the application and have the money sent to a phony address.

• Bank statements- they then have your bank account number and can print counterfeit checks

Becky Palmer, a Consumer Credit Counselor, knew of someone who had their wallet stolen, and they used the credit card to buy a $5000.00 gift card at Wal mart, this then become very hard to trace.

People that are more at risk are senior citizens, people with disabilities and immigrants, but remember that everyone, including children are at risk. Senior citizens are home all day; they might get a phone call from a fake charity asking for money. Immigrants are desperate for credit, they may have just arrived in the US and know they need credit to do anything and are not aware of these scams. People with disabilities are home, and may become a victim of phone or online fraud. There have also been cases of home care providers taking advantage of their clients. Remember, it is not always a stranger that can steal someone’s identity. Did you know children can be victims of identity theft? This could affect or ruin their credit before they even are able to build up credit for themselves. There have been cases of parents using a child’s name for their electric bill or phone bill when they have bad credit or owe the utility company money. Thieves will obtain the social security number of these children then use that number to get credit cards and rack up purchases.

Some of these scammers will call you and say they are from a fictitious charity. They will offer to have your contribution automatically deducted from your checking account and will ask for your routing number, bank name, and account number. DO NOT GIVE OUT THIS INFORMATION! If you pick up a call from a telemarketer, ask them the following questions and if they are a fraud, they will hang up quickly.

• Who do you work for? They will try to give you the name of the fake charity here, so ask them “who pays your salary?”

• How much of my donation (percentage) goes to this charity and what is the rest of the money used for?” If they are for real, they can easily give you this information.

• What is the charity’s full name, address and phone number?

Once you have the above information you can check with the state attorney generals’ office or secretary of state to see if the charity is registered. Also check the charity’s rating thru the Better Business Bureau at www.give.org.

How can I prevent Identity theft from happening to me? Never leave your receipt or slip in the ATM or gas pump. Pay attention to your habits, lock up or organize and file your bills, and bank statements. Shred them using a cross shredder before throwing them away.

In a recent article in MSN Money their research showed that 32% of people said they had been a victim of identity fraud by a friend or family, and 13% were victimized by a co-worker. Beware! These people know your patterns and habits.

Some steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of Identity theft are:

Get a copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus. (FREE as of 9/1/05!)

Experien, PO Box 2002, Allen TX 75013 www.experian.com 888-397-3742

Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30348 www.equifax.com 800-685-1111

Trans Union, PO Box 4000, Chester, PA 19016 www.transunion.com 866-887-2673

Opt out of mailing lists by contacting the credit bureaus above.

Opt out by reading the privacy notice that comes with your credit card and following the instructions.

Call the national Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov be sure to call from the number you want to register

Do not carry your Social Security Card in your wallet

Do not print your Social security number on your checks

Do not get your social security number printed on your drivers’ license

Do not carry your medicade card with you, Medicade #’s are your Social security number

Delete any emails from Nigeria, or lottery or prize notifications before opening

Stop credit card offers 888-5-OPT-OUT

Remove your name from national mailing lists by visiting www.the-dma.org or write to:

Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

Install firewall and virus protection software on your computer

Password protect your computer and private personal files

Format your hard drive or physically destroy when disposing of your old computer

When you order new checks, get your first initial printed on them instead of your first name

Use a cross shredder to shred your bills and bank statements or any junk mail

Bring your mail to the post office or secure mail box rather than leaving it in a rural box.

Use only one designated credit card for online purchases

Be sure all online purchases are made through a secure server – notice the “lock” icon and how the URL address changes from http to https. The S means SECURE.

Do not carry your PIN # in your wallet

Do not use your date of birth as a password or PIN.

Do not give out personal or financial information over the phone.

Grind up or shred back up CD’s you are throwing away.

Check your online banking account at least 3 times a week and change your password often.

There is a new bill that is being passes, it is a very weak bill but if passed, it will prohibit using a social security number for identification purposes. This bill should take affect in 2006.

If you feel you have been a victim of identity fraud, contact the Department of Justice, consumer protection division. They offer mediation with identity theft; they also have a hot line for consumers that is available 8-5 Monday – Friday. They maintain a database of written complaints that goes back to 1998. They offer seminars to school, seniors or your group.

Be aware that 40 million crooks obtained credit card numbers this past year, “Be Suspicious”. Also be aware that most identify theft is not reported, especially when it involves family members, so the statistics are off. These statistics show that consumers lost $5 billion last year when in actuality it is closer to $50 billion. There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims in America.

What can I do if I am already a victim of ID theft?

• Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus, to place a fraud alert on your credit file.

• Close all accounts that have been affected and request copies of fraud-dispute forms and complete and return immediately. Keep copies!

• File a police report in each jurisdiction the theft occurred

• Send copies of the report to your creditors or anyone that requires proof of the crime

• File a complaint with the FTC (800-IDTHEFT or www.consumer.gov/idtheft) and Post Office

• Contact the Identity Theft Resource center at 858-693-7935 or www.idtheftcenter.org

• Request a new driver’s license from the state of motor vehicles and have a fraud report attached to your driving record.

• Notify check-verification firms about any fraudulent checks:

International check service 800-526-5380
Telecheck 800-927-0755
Certegy Check Services 800-437-5120

• Call 1-888-CALL-FCC and file a complaint.

• Change your passwords and PIN immediately.

What is “Phishing”?

If you get an email or letter or form that looks like it came from your bank, credit card company, the IRS, online auction or bill pay service asking you to verify information so they can update their records, verify this with your bank or credit card company. Never click on the link in an email; it will take you to a fraudulent website that is disguised to look like the companies. If you call to verify and your bank or credit card company wants this information, give it to them over the phone, if you initiated the call and are sure it is the correct number, or stop by in person if possible.

Warning signs you can look for to identify “Scams”

If someone tells you: “Poor or no credit – No problem!”
Offers you a “Bargain loan”
Rushes you through signing up for anything
Wants you to pay a fee
If a salesman comes to your door and says “I was just in the neighborhood”

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is!

Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection. She is the founder of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC, is a writer, consultant and the Editorial Advisor for Eli Financial Debt Collection Compliance Alert Newsletter. Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency and ran is successfully for 7 years. She owns and runs Credit & Collections.com a free online community for credit and business professionals.

She has written 5 books in her Collecting Money Series. For more information on Michelle’s services or to order any of her books please email her at michelle@michelledunn.com or visit http://www.michelledunn.com & http://www.credit-and-collections.com

RSS feeds have made it very convenient to syndicate information from various sources. Most of websites and services that publish fresh content, such as ezines, press release, new agencies, blogs make their content available thru RSS feeds. As new content is published the RSS feed gets updated automatically.

Adding RSS feeds to web pages has many advantages. Let us say you have added RSS feeds from a popular ezine on one of your web pages.

• The content of the web page is automatically updated as the ezine makes new content available via RSS feeds. Every time search engine spiders crawl your web page they are likely to find the web page updated.

• The visitors to your web site will also find new content on every visit and they might be tempted to visit your web page more often.

• You do not have to bother about writing fresh content as RSS feeds are updated automatically.

Earlier I had written an article on adding RSS feeds to a web page using java script. While this method makes fresh content available to the readers, the content of the feed cannot be “read” by search engine spiders. Therefore the web page does not get the benefit of changing content from the search engines.

On the other hand php based installation makes it possible for spiders to notice the changing content of the web page. This article is a follow-up of my previous article which outlines simple steps to put RSS feeds on a web page.

For the purpose of this article I have chosen the free version of software available from CaRP. The software can be downloaded from this site:

http://www.geckotribe.com/rss/carp/

The instruction manual which comes with the package gives detailed instructions for installing and running the software. Additional information is available from the site. While there are several options available for using the software, I am showing here the simplest steps to load and run the software:

1. Download the software on your computer. It comes in a zip file. After unzipping save the available folders and files on your computer. These files and folders will be available – carp (folder), img (folder), carpsetup.php, README.html .

2. Upload all the files and folders to the root directory of your website. This can be done by using FTP. If uploading is done file by file, ensure that the names of the files and folders, and location of files in their folders do not change.

3. Create a new mySQL database.

4. Run the setup file carpsetup.php from you web browser.

5. A new page will be displayed. On this page select mySQL database option which is easier of the two options given there.

6. Another new page will open in which you have to fill the details of mySQL database. Click on “Create Database Tables”.

7. The page which opens now will have code which has to be put on the web page where you want to show RSS feed. The code will be displayed in a gray box.

8. Within the code there is “setup code”. This setup code should be pasted into a file called carpconf.php . The file will be available in carp directory. On the html script of this file locate the line “//Add configuration code that applies to all themes here” . Just below this line paste the setup code.

9. Choose a web page where RSS feed has to be displayed. The file name of the page should have .php extension. If your page has .html or .htm extension, you can try replacing only the extension with .php . Normally this should not change the way the page appears in a web browser. If you encounter any problem you could make a new web page with .php extension.

10. At appropriate location of the web page, where you want RSS feed to be displayed, paste the code in the html script of the page. From there you can remove the setup code. It is not required to be added to all pages once it has been added to carpconf.php page in step 8 above.

11. If you now open your web page in the web browser it will start showing the RSS feed which comes along with the package. For changing this to RSS feed of your choice you will need to make changes in the code you have entered in step 10. In the code there is a URL after CarpCasheShow. Change this URL with the URL of RSS feed you wish to display.

Now the web page will display the RSS feed of your choice. You can choose to display more feeds on the same page or have separate pages for RSS feeds for different sources.

You can see this page on my website on which RSS feed has been added using exactly the steps shown here.

http://www.sanjay-j.com/RSSFILE/homebusinesspop.php

You can see some more pages from the links on left column of this page.

I have tried to make the process easy to follow. You can always refer to more detailed instructions which come with the package. Take advantage of the free content available and use them to boost your page positioning and traffic to your website.

Sanjay Johari contributes articles regularly to ezines. Grow your list, make new friends and ensure your success in life:
http://www.sanjay-j.com/empowerism.html

Do you need help adding RSS feeds to your blogger? It’s really easy and here is how you can do it:

Log into your blogger account

Go to “settings”

Go to “site feed”

Copy the “site feed url”

Then go to www.feedburner.com

Scroll down to “try feedburner today” and paste your “site feed url” and then click next. You’ll be at “select services” There are lots of options on that page and you can look through them all, but to get to the feeds you need to go to the bottom of that page and click on “next”.

Then you can log in or sign up. It’s free to sign up. After you fill in your info then click and that page will allow you to “activate your feed”. Click on that and then click on “launch your publicity tools” and then click on “chicklet chooser”. Then you have many options. I personally always choose the “my yahoo”, “my msn”, “newsgator” and “xml”. Click on each one and you’ll see the code you need to grab. You have to do it for each one.

Then just go back to your template and put it in. You’re set.
As you can see there are other different things you can do too. So look around in there and check them all out.

But that is just the very basics of getting a feed up.
Now, when you get that feed added let me know so I can add you to my personal “my yahoo” page!

Nell Taliercio is the owner of a leading work at home mom resource website packed full of unique information for the telecommuter, business owner and virtual assistant.

Visit http://www.mommysplace.net today!

Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act several years ago in an attempt to smooth out some problems in the credit reporting industry. The best known provision of this Act is one that permits Americans to receive a free copy of their credit reports from each of the three main credit bureaus once per year. So far, this provision of the Act has been a success. A lesser-known provision of the legislation is one that is intended to protect active duty military personnel from being victimized by identity theft while they are out of the country.

Identity theft is a crime committed by someone who obtains personal information from a victim and then uses that information to obtain loans or credit in the victim’s name. While the thief is making off with the money, goods, or services, the victim is left with the bills. Being a victim of identity theft can be difficult for anyone, as it often takes several years to undo the damage done to the victim’s credit report. Identity theft can be even more difficult if the victim is an active duty soldier serving outside the United States. The average victim of identity theft takes nearly a year to discover the crime; it will undoubtedly take even longer if the victim is outside of the country. The amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows active duty personnel who are away from their main duty stations to place an “active duty alert” on their credit reports. The presence of this alert requires any creditor to verify the identity of the borrower prior to granting credit in his or her name. Since it isn’t usually possible to contact a soldier who is outside the country, this effectively freezes the credit report of the individual until they return from overseas service, thus protecting them from identity theft.

If you are serving the country in a military capacity, away from your active duty station, you may enact an “active duty alert” by contacting one of the three credit bureaus: Experian, Trans Union, or Equifax. It is only necessary to contact one company; that company will inform the other two. At that time, you may also designate a personal representative who will act on your behalf while you are away. This alert is active for one year, and may be renewed.

Military personnel who are serving the United States in a time of war have enough to worry about without having to be concerned about identity theft. The Fair Credit Reporting Act leaves them with one less thing to worry about.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to establishing credit, debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity lines of credit.

It seems more and more these days, I am seeing increased similarities with spam and the flu. With Yahoo and AOL in the news lately about a possible pay to email to avoid spam, this brought be to think about the flu and spam correlation.

If you cannot beat it, or at least stop it completely at this time, why not try to make money off of it (that is unless there’s a permanent solution against it). Right now you could easily relate this statement to spam or the common cold/flu.

We can easily relate spam emails to the virus that will cause you to get sick. With some of the top email providers, you have the option of upgrading your email (pay of course) and have the option of increasing the number of filters to help combat the war against spam. With the flu/cold, we try our best to avoid it, purchase products to help prevent it, and once we do get it, off to the store to get the good ole cold/flu medicine.

With Yahoo and AOL, which I am sure you have probably heard of by now, a possible (most likely) option of paying to avoid the spam filters so your email will get to its intended place. Maybe it is time to start phoning people again?

It will be interesting to see how paying to avoid the spam filters will work out for some of the major players such as Yahoo and AOL. I just hope if the pay to email does come through, I just don’t see an increase in spam emails, but I guess as time goes on, that is very unlikely.

Gerard Manning is an SEO Consultant for Search Engine Marketing Firm Manning Search Marketing based out of Atlantic Canada.