News

This week I’ve written about what you can do with your economic stimulus check.

Today, I think it is important to address another aspect of the rebates: Scammers.

Unfortunately there are people out there who look for every opportunity to play upon the unwitting public and take their money. The economic stimulus check is no different.

The IRS has put out an official warning about the various scams out there. I’m going to briefly the cover the methods scammers are using. However, if you would like to read the entire new release from the IRS, click here.

Let me start by saying that the IRS never contacts people by phone or e-mail. Do not give out any personal information via the telephone or e-mail. In general, it is a good rule of thumb to not give out your personal information to anyone unless you are absolutely certain of whom you are speaking to.

One scam involves a caller who claims to work for the IRS and tells the targeted victim they are eligible for a large rebate for filing their taxes early. The victim is then prompted to give his or her bank account information and told that is the only way to receive the early rebate.

Another telephone scam again involves a caller who claims to be an IRS employee and who tells the victim they are calling because the IRS sent a check that has not been chased. The caller then asks for the victim to “verify” his or her bank account number. The caller may have a foreign accent.

There are also several e-mail scams circulating.

One scam involves an e-mail that tells the recipient he or she is eligible for a tax refund for a specific amount and instructs the recipient to click on a link to file their refund claim. The recipient is then asked to supply personal information. The bogus e-mail may also include paragraphs that appear to give the recipient the option to direct their refund to a tax-exempt organization.

A new scam that has recently surfaced involves an e-mail informing the recipient he or she will be audited. This e-mail may address the recipient by name, and instructs the recipient to click on a link and supply personal information. This information is then used by the scammer to commit identity theft.

A third bogus e-mail is addressed to businesses, accountants and “Treasury” managers and instructs the recipients to download information about tax law changes. The IRS believes clicking on those links will download malware — a malicious code that can take over the victim’s computer hard drive and give someone remote access to the computer or its passwords.

If you receive a suspicious phone call or e-mail, do not give out any of your information or click any links. Suspicious e-mails can be forwarded to the IRS. Start by reading “How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Scheme,” and you will be given directions. You can find that link through the IRS web site at www.irs.gov.

You can also notify the IRS of suspicious phone calls by e-mailing phishing@irs.gov.

Tips

Computers are wonderful things. They allow us access to our bank accounts, credit card statements, and just about any type of reading you could want.

But, those wonderful computers can also allow con artists access to your most personal information effectively making you a victim of identity theft.

Last week I wrote about scammers who are capitalizing on the economic stimulus checks that have already been electronically distributed to some Americans and will continue to be distributed by mail through mid-summer.

As a follow up, we’ll talk a bit about internet security in general.

To give credit where credit is due, I got this idea from a colleague who handed me the May 1 edition of the Wall-Street Journal. Writer Walter S. Mossberg covered this topic. Any information I pass along from the article will be so credited.

I mentioned this last week, but it bears repeating: DO NOT give out any of your personal information via the internet (or the telephone for that matter) if you are not 100 percent certain of who is on the receiving end of that information.

That is how so many of these internet scams start. An individual receives a very legitimate looking e-mail asking about a timely topic, such as the tax rebates, and that well-intentioned individual supplies all kinds of information under the false pretense of making a legitimate transaction.

Have you gotten one of the many e-mails circulating that claim to be from some guy living in a developing nation who desperately needs to get to the

Some e-mails practically scream SCAM! At least they scream to me, but not to everyone. During my years as a reporter I fielded numerous calls from good people who found themselves stunned and out of a lot of money after falling victim to scammers.

Now to borrow from Mr. Mossberg, here are some tips for navigating the web:

1)                   Never click on a link that is embedded in an e-mail from anything appearing to be a financial institution or any payment or auction web sites. Don’t click on the link even if it appears to be from your bank or a company with which you do business.

2)                   Don’t click on links to offers for free soft-ware or goods that you receive via e-mail. This is especially important if you receive an offer from a sender or company you don’t recognize.

3)                   Never download software from unfamiliar web sites unless you are absolutely certain it is legitimate.

4)                   If a web site tells you that you need a certain type of software to view videos, don’t download it from that site. Mr. Mossberg suggests you go directly to the software company’s official web site to download the product.

5)                   Use a web browser or security software with security features that will block or warn you of phishing sites.

6)                   Educate yourself about internet scams.

If you would like to read more about this or check out Walt Mossberg’s other columns about the web, you can visit his web site at http://walt.allthingsd.com.

I don’t know many people who wouldn’t reduce their cost of living if they could. And many people would be happy to know that you can reduce costs at home and do something good for the environment.

Everyone is talking about “going green” these days. There are some easy ways to be Earth-friendly and pocketbook-friendly at the same time.

This article on MSN has some great suggestions of ways to go green including line drying clothes, using dish towels (especially vintage towels) in place of paper towels and napkins, and catching storm water from your gutters to water gardens and plants.

Here are some more ways to go green at home and save some green in the process:

·        Invest in a water filter at home instead of buying bottled water.

·        If you don’t have a place to recycle plastic shopping bags, keep them. They are useful for many things including as trash bags or cleaning up after pets.

·        If you have a spray bottle of window cleaner, when it’s empty, fill it with vinegar and use that to clean your windows.

·        When cleaning, use rags instead of paper towels, and look for mops with removable, washable heads. You won’t have to keep buying new sponges and mops.

·        Check out the power of baking soda. It can be used as a substitute for many things including store bought cleaning products and deodorizers.

·        Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth. A typical faucet releases about three gallons of water a minute. Look at the math on this one: If you have a household of four people, and each person saves two gallons of water when they brush their teeth, and each person brushes their teeth twice a day, your household could save up to 112 gallons of water a week or 5,824 gallons a year!

·        Buy compact florescent light bulbs. They use less electricity and last much longer than incandescent bulbs.

·        Did you print something on the computer only to realize there’s a mistake or you don’t really need the printout? Don’t throw the paper away. Simply flip it over and keep it handy for scrap paper before tossing it.

·        If you have items around your home that you no longer use, sell them instead of sending them to the landfill. Garage sales and online auction sites are a great way to get rid of unwanted household items and toys and put a little extra cash in your pocket.

Those are just a few tips on living greener and cheaper. Do you have any suggestions of simple ways to be environmentally friendly and save money?

Debt Management

It’s never too late to keep your New Year’s resolution.

Let’s face it, a lot of us probably made promises to ourselves around Jan. 1.  If you did make a promise to better manage your money, have you kept it? If not, it’s time to review and renew your financial goals.

Here at Advantage CCS, we encourage consumers to look to credit counseling as the start to improve budget management and reduce debt.

A credit counseling session should give you your overall financial picture. A certified counselor will review your financial situation including the amount of income you have versus the amount of expenditures you have. The counselor will also look at your debts to determine whether they are secured or unsecured debts and what the interest rates are on those debts.

At the end of the session, the counselor will make recommendations that should help you pay down your debts and better manage your finances.

At Advantage CCS there is no charge to go through a credit counseling session.

There are many types of debt relief out there including Debt Management Plans, debt consolidation loans and debt settlement.

Which form of debt relief is the right one for you depends entirely upon your individual circumstances. If you are looking for a way to lower your debt, it is crucial that you educate yourself about the different debt relief options. Make sure you understand all of the positive and negatives of each option.

However, start with credit counseling. A reputable agency should not force you into a Debt Management Plan and should offer counseling and education regardless of whether or not you choose to enroll in their plan.

Participating in a credit counseling session will not stop you from exploring the other debt relief options. What it will do is give you a good idea of where you stand financially, which is the first step when exploring ways to reduce your debt.

Credit Counseling

It’s never too late to keep your New Year’s resolution.

Let’s face it, a lot of us probably made promises to ourselves around Jan. 1.  If you did make a promise to better manage your money, have you kept it? If not, it’s time to review and renew your financial goals.

Here at Advantage CCS, we encourage consumers to look to credit counseling as the start to improve budget management and reduce debt.

A credit counseling session should give you your overall financial picture. A certified counselor will review your financial situation including the amount of income you have versus the amount of expenditures you have. The counselor will also look at your debts to determine whether they are secured or unsecured debts and what the interest rates are on those debts.

At the end of the session, the counselor will make recommendations that should help you pay down your debts and better manage your finances.

At Advantage CCS there is no charge to go through a credit counseling session.

There are many types of debt relief out there including Debt Management Plans, debt consolidation loans and debt settlement.

Which form of debt relief is the right one for you depends entirely upon your individual circumstances. If you are looking for a way to lower your debt, it is crucial that you educate yourself about the different debt relief options. Make sure you understand all of the positive and negatives of each option.

However, start with credit counseling. A reputable agency should not force you into a Debt Management Plan and should offer counseling and education regardless of whether or not you choose to enroll in their plan.

Participating in a credit counseling session will not stop you from exploring the other debt relief options. What it will do is give you a good idea of where you stand financially, which is the first step when exploring ways to reduce your debt.