DSEF & BBB: 10 Ways To Spot Work At Home Scams

By Kelsey Owen

Beware of “jobs” or “business opportunities” that seem to offer high pay for work you can do at home. Often these programs are bogus.

Common scams involve package forwarding, Internet searches or advertising, envelope stuffing, medical billing, discount or coupon programs, rebate processing, distributorships, sales, or the purchase of special equipment or software to start businesses.

Many people lose large sums of money through work at home scams. Some versions of these scams – like package forwarding – might also involve the victim in crimes such as identity theft and handling of stolen merchandise.

Here are 10 tip-offs that the “opportunity” could be a scam:

Big bucks for simple tasks. Watch out if they promise to pay you a lot of money for jobs that don’t seem to require much effort or skill. Sound too good to be true? It might be a scam.

Job offers out of nowhere from strangers. If they offer you a job without getting an application from you first, meeting you, or doing an interview, it’s probably a scam. Don’t hand your personal employment information to such folk (especially your Social Security number!). That could lead to identity theft.

Requests for up-front payments. If someone wants you to make an advance payment to “get in” on the ground floor of a new business opportunity – especially if it’s a big investment, or you don’t have much information about the deal – this is a big red flag. Don’t do it. “Advance fee scams” are very common and they come in many varieties.

They ask you to wire the money. If you wire a payment to somebody, it’s gone forever. Wire transfers of money are a convenient and perfectly legitimate service. But scam artists often ask you to wire payments that they are requesting (especially to destinations in other countries!) because they know you won’t be able to get your money back.

High pressure to do it now. Don’t be in a hurry to accept an unsolicited offer of work, or to make a business investment, particularly if the other party is asking you to spend your money on the deal.

Take your time. If somebody tries to convince you that this is a “limited time” offer and you have to act now, just tell them to forget it. Ignore anybody who pushes you to agree. High pressure is a big sign that something’s wrong.

– See more at: http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/06/10-ways-to-spot-work-at-home-scams/#sthash.LQEaYFu7.dpuf

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Identity Theft on Social Media – Are You at Risk?

By Katie Burgoyne

Social media is a great outlet to engage with family and friends, but are you sharing too much in the process? Identity theft can occur with only a few key pieces of your personal information. And now, courtesy of social media profiles, that information is easier than ever to steal. For example, an average Facebook profile lists a person’s name, date of birth, and hometown. So already you have provided a thief with crucial information they need to steal your identity.

The most effective way to protect yourself from identity theft is to make your social profile private. As well, consider the information your putting on your site. Does your friend of a friend really need to know your home address? Probably not. The more personal details you withhold, the safer you will be.

Check out NextAdvisor’s infographic below that presents some alarming statistics about identity theft on social media sites.

To read the full article, visit http://www.nextadvisor.com/blog/2013/04/02/are-we-revealing-too-much-about-ourselves-on-social-media.

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Cut Down on Junk Mail and Spam

DSEF & BBB: Cut Down on Junk Mail and Spam

By Kelsey Owen

There are a few things more annoying than junk mail, spam and unsolicited calls and texts messages. Not only are these unwanted communications an annoyance, but they can potentially lead to identity theft.

But how do you stop them? While it’s nearly impossible to completely eliminate junk mail, spam text messages and unwanted phone calls, BBB recommends taking the following steps for getting your inboxes and phone lines under control.

Unwanted mail shouldn’t cost you your identity. Pre-approved credit card offers are an easy target for identity thieves who can steal incoming mail and use these offers to open fraudulent credit accounts. Stopping these pre-screened credit offers can help reduce the chances of identity theft. U.S. consumers can “opt-out” of receiving pre-approved credit card offers for at least five years by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688) or visit: optoutprescreen.com. This service is offered by the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Canadian residents can visit fightspam.gc.ca/eic/sit e/030.nsf/eng/home for more tips.

Stop unwanted direct mail solicitations. To stop most mailings, U.S. consumers can go to dmachoice.org and opt out of mail from members of the Direct Marketing Association. DMA regularly updates its list, but it may take up to six months before solicitations from all DMA members stop. If you live in Canada, register for the Canadian Marketing Association’s Do Not Contact list at the-cma.org.

Has your evening been interrupted by telemarketers? You’re not alone. The U.S. government’s National Do Not Call Registry is a free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you get at home. To register your phone number or to get information about the registry, visit donotcall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register. You will get fewer telemarketing calls within 31 days of registering your number. Canadian residents can visitlnnte-dncl.gc.ca for opt-out information.

Are you receiving spam text messages? First and foremost, don’t respond. Responding to the text message only confirms a working number and opens the door for more messages. If your number is already on the Do Not Call Registry and you’re still receiving messages and phone calls, file a complaint with the FCC or the Canadian Anti–Fraud Centre and consider PrivacyStar. BBB National Partners AT&T and Verizon have partnered with PrivacyStar to give you back control of your smartphone. The smartphone application, available in the U.S. for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone, lets you block unwanted numbers, look up unknown numbers, and file a complaint with the FTC.

– See more at: http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/06/cut-down-on-junk-mail-and-spam/#sthash.tyeG39En.dpuf

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Do Your Homework Before Signing Up For Work-At-Home

DSEF & BBB: Do Your Homework Before Signing Up For Work-At-Home

By Charles Wood

The ability to work from home is an attractive proposition, especially when a company promises high income for little effort. But Better Business Bureau advises consumers to be careful about accepting these offers.

BBB received over 1,800 complaints about work-at-home businesses in 2012. The majority of consumer complaints alleged companies required them to pay up front for work-at-home opportunities and were promised income that never materialized.

Work-at-home schemes have been around for a long time. Traditional schemes such as envelope-stuffing are still around. A consumer recently forwarded to BBB a pay-upfront offer from Preston Lord Enterprises aka Maxwell Gates Enterprises, which was sued in 2011 by the New Jersey Attorney General. The lawsuit was part of “Operation Empty Promises,” a nationwide crackdown against work-at-home scams.

Digital age work-at-home scams are now commonly reported by consumers who respond to offers found on the Web or receive offers after signing up on job-hunting sites.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations warns that involvement in work-at-home schemes can make a consumer vulnerable to identity theft or unknowing involvement in criminal activity. The FBI breaks work-at-home scams down into the following basic categories:

• Advance-fee. Consumers are asked to invest money up front to pay for inventory, set-up or training materials. When the materials arrive and turn out to be worthless, the consumer is stuck with the bill.

• Counterfeit check “mystery shopper.” The consumer is sent a check and asked to deposit the funds, withdraw money to shop in local stores and wire part of the money to the employer, keeping a percentage. When the check turns out to be bogus, the consumer is left on the hook for the full amount.

• Pyramid schemes. The consumer is hired as a distributor and must pay large amounts for promotional materials and products such as pamphlets with little value. The consumer is promised income from recruiting more distributors. When the scheme falls apart, the only ones to make money are those who started the pyramid.

• International go-between. Criminals, often located overseas, sometimes involve unknowing victims to help them steal, launder money and remain anonymous. A criminal may offer to hire the consumer as a U.S.-based agent to receive and re-ship checks, merchandise and offers to other potential victims.

Austin-area resident Carolyn Reininger was excited when she was contacted after signing up online for work-at-home opportunities. It wasn’t long before her excitement turned to frustration and disappointment. The company offered to help her start a small credit-card processing business—for a fee.

Reininger paid $5,495 and was told the company would get her started by developing a list of businesses that needed third-party credit card processing. “They were supposed to work your leads,” she said. “They were going to work them and then give you the first 1,000 leads. They would get it started, help get your company established. The leads would help you contact companies that wanted this service.”

After Reininger noticed the company no longer seemed to be gathering leads, she began to call with questions and either got no response, or was encouraged to spend more money.
Reininger said she got a call from someone she said was touted as an expert who told her he could make anyone into a millionaire. “He wanted me to spend more money. I didn’t want to. He got kind of belligerent and then I never heard from them again.”

Perry Bird of Round Rock paid over $2,000 for a website advertising diet and nutrition products. He was told he would receive money for advertising based on traffic to the site. He said the income did not materialize and the company would not honor a promise to refund his money if he cancelled within 30 days.

Bird said after he bought the website, he could not get through to anyone with the company. “At first they wouldn’t take my calls,” he said. “Now they won’t answer the phone at all. They got $2,250 from me. I’m on a fixed income on Social Security Disability.”
Bird said after he sent his second payment via bank draft, he had second thoughts and the next day sent certified letters to two Phoenix, Arizona addresses saying he wanted to cancel. The letters were not accepted. “They said I could cancel within three days,” he said.

Before signing up for any work-at-home opportunity, BBB advises job hunters to:

• Start with trust. Check out any company at bbb.org to view their BBB Business Review free of charge. There you will find the company’s history of complaints and contact information. For a list of accredited businesses, go to checkbbb.org.

• Be skeptical. Beware of any offer that guarantees a lot of money for little effort and no experience. Thoroughly read the website’s terms and conditions, keeping in mind that a free trial could cost you in the end.

• Don’t be fooled by affiliation claims. Be wary of work-at-home offers that use logos from Google, Twitter or other popular online sites. Just because Google is in the name doesn’t mean the business is affiliated with Google.

• Check the domain. Research the website with Whois.net or a similar site for determining domain name ownership. Be cautious if the site is anonymous or individually registered.

• Beware of unexpected offers. If you receive a job offer without filling out an application, meeting with the business or being interviewed, it is probably a scam.

• Don’t pay up front. Being asked to make an advance payment to get on the ground floor of a big opportunity is a red flag, especially if it is a large payment or the company doesn’t provide much information about the deal. Handing your Social Security number or other personal information to suspicious sources could lead to identity theft.

• Don’t wire money. Being asked to wire money is a red flag. Scam artists often ask you to wire payments because they know you won’t be able to get the money back.

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Navigating New Technology – Why is This Model Better Than That One?

DSEF & BBB: Navigating New Technology – Why is This Model Better Than That One?

By Howard Schwartz

I bit the bullet a few weeks ago and went shopping for a tablet. I decided my smart phone was fine for many purposes, but I was finally able to justify getting a tablet to watch videos and read articles without torturing my eyes. The print seems to get finer as I grow older. I don’t need my technology to constantly remind me about that.

Reading consumer reviews about the different makes and models only served to confuse me.

Online reviews were numerous but not very specific. Customer reviews were based largely on brand preference and price – not performance.

Just when I thought I knew what I wanted, I went to a retailer to check it out, I was told “That model isn’t as good as the others.”

As I continued my research, it seemed that I was getting closer to finding the best device at the right price when tech-smart employees told me “I personally prefer the XYZ with the 10 inch screen.” I figured I could make a decision with a few more visits to stores for the recommendations of employees who use these devices.

I have been working with computers since 1995, and realize the learning curve is constantly evolving. However, I only started to understand which model and brand would be appropriate for me once I asked an obvious question I neglected to ask earlier: “Why do you prefer this particular device?”

The answers were revealing. One clerk said his choice was because of brand loyalty. Another said his store had a great price on a particular model and that’s what drove his decision. The last one I asked showed me the difference between my two top choices and explained that one of them had a lot of storage space, but the other model’s screen was less jerky and the model was faster than the others. He showed me and I agreed.

It’s a lot easier to choose a dessert in a restaurant. If you ask a waiter or waitress which is their favorite, one might recommend the peanut butter cupcake because they love peanut butter. Another might steer you towards the chocolate cake because of their love of chocolate. However, when we as consumers tread on unfamiliar territory, it is important to understand the details of why a product or service is better, and in the case of home improvements, why one design is different than the others, and why it is best choice.

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Be Cool. Know About the “3 Day Cooling Off Rule”

DSEF & BBB: Be Cool. Know About the “3 Day Cooling Off Rule”

By Myriam Cruz

One of the questions we often hear at BBB is how to cancel the purchase of a product or service. While there are various reasons for wanting to cancel, many consumers feel they are pressured into making a purchase or signing a contract. They often feel they don’t have all the necessary information to make an educated decision, hence the feeling of buyer’s remorse. However, the desire to cancel a purchase seems to be most often on sales made at a consumer’s home or at a location other than the company’s normal place of business. For purchases such as these, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has guidelines for consumers and businesses.

What Consumers Should Know

The FTC’s Cooling – Off R ule gives consumers three days to cancel purchases of $25 or more conducted at a buyer’s home – even if the salesperson is invited to make a presentation at the home, workplace or dormitory, or at facilities rented by seller on a temporary or short-term basis, such as convention centers, fairgrounds, and/or restaurants. The right to cancel for a full refund extends until midnight of the third business day after the sale and consumers do not have to give a reason for cancelling. However, there are exceptions.

Company’s Responsibility

The salesperson must tell consumers about their cancellation rights at time of sale and provide two copies of the cancellation form, along with a copy of the contract or receipt. The contract should be dated, show the name and address of the seller, and explain the right to cancel in the same language used in the sales presentation.

How to Cancel

To cancel, consumers need to sign and date a copy of the cancellation form – or a letter – and mail it to the address given for cancellation, making sure it is postmarked before midnight of the third business day after the contract date.

Upon cancellation, the seller has 10 days to:

· Cancel and return any promissory note or negotiable instrument signed;

· Refund all money and tell whether any product will be picked up; and

· Return any trade-in

Within 20 days, the seller must either pick up any items left with the consumer or reimburse the consumer for mailing expenses if they agree to send back the items.

If consumers don’t make the items available to the seller and return them in good condition, they remain obligated under contract.

Handling Problems

Complaints regarding the Cooling Off Rule can be submitted online to the FTC atwww.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.

When have you experienced buyer’s remorse? What service have you had trouble cancelling?

Blog / Video

Today’s Highlighted Video from the DSEF: Earnings Claims

Today’s highlighted video from DSEF:

Can’t see this? Click here: http://youtu.be/qHI4JbU28sE

Do you know what the DSA Code of Ethics says about earnings claims?

Get The Latest News

Sign up for our quarterly newsletter and receive a free copy of our “What is Direct Selling?” video. Just enter your email address in the upper-right corner of our website here.

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Facebook Page Owners – Beware of New Phishing Scam

By Caitlin Vancas

If you’re the owner or manager of a company or organization’s Facebook Page, you may be the target of a new phishing scam. Phishing emails are being sent by scammers alleging to be from “Facebook Security.”

This phishing scam attempts to trick Page owners into initiating a “Fan Page Verification Program.” Users are asked to share their Facebook Page’s URL, login credentials and create a 10-digit number as a “Transferring Code.” See a screenshot of this scam.

After providing the requested information, the scammer has been given the ability to post spam and malicious links to your Page followers. Why are Facebook Page owners being targeted? Pages usually have more followers than private users AND fans of the Page are more likely to click on posted links, trusting the source.

Blog

Becoming a Money Wise Woman

We have only to examine a few statistics to understand why it’s important to become educated on financial issues and begin planning our futures now. Between raising children and taking care of parents, women are losing an average of 14.7 years from the workplace. A woman who is out of the work force for one year must work five years to recover lost income, pension coverage and promotional opportunities. In spite of our best intentions, between the 43% divorce rate and the fact that women tend to live seven to ten years longer than men, the reality is that if we aren’t already, most of us are going to be the sole person responsible for our financial security at some points in our lives.

Marcia Brixey

Women are by nature, caretakers. We take care of our children, husbands, partners, grandchildren and parents. We take care of everyone, but ourselves. But, ladies we need to be proactive and make an investment in ourselves. The investment we make now will determine our quality of life both financially and personally in the years ahead.

I wrote this in my first Kitsap Sun article – Becoming a Money Wise Woman in January 2003. Although 10 years later the statistics are still much the same, Money Wise Women has provided thousands of women with the tools and education to live financially healthy. More than 6,600 women have attended 70 Money Wise Women Conferences in Washington, California, Idaho and Oregon since November 2002.

Several years ago Money Wise Women joined forces with the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) to educate and empower women on their financial and business goals through the Money Wise Women Teleseminar Series. The free teleseminars (thanks to DSEF’s sponsorship) cover a variety of topics relating to finance and business. Topics include investing, credit reports, credit card debt, goal setting, time management and much more.

Each monthly listeners have the opportunity to listen live to my interview with powerful women who are experts in their field. We tape the teleseminar allowing women to listen and learn at their leisure in the comfort of their own home. Upcoming Money Wise Women Teleseminars include:

Treating Your Business Like a Professional with Deb Bixler
May 7, 2013
A Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement with Jan Cullinane
June 11, 2013
Calling All Super Complainers with Michele Corey
July 9, 2013
A Man is Not a Financial Plan with Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall
August 13, 2013
Business in the You Economy with Tara Gentile
October 8, 2013
Communicating with Many Generations with Jennifer Fong
November 12, 2013

If you’re ready to get financially healthy and/or take your business to the next level visit Money Wise Women Teleseminar website – www.moneywisewomengetsmart.com to listen to past teleseminars and sign up for upcoming teleseminars.

“Whatever you think you can do or believe you can, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.” Goethe

About Marcia Brixey

During her 26 years working for the Social Security Administration Marcia Brixey met thousands of women who experienced financial difficulties resulting from a personal crisis – husband’s death, divorce, illness or loss of a job. In August 2002 she founded Money Wise Women Educational Services to ensure every woman is financially articulate, confident, secure and independent. Today she hosts and speaks at Money Wi$e Women Conferences throughout the Western United States. Marcia also hosts the popular Money Wi$e Women Teleseminar Series. She is the author of The Money Therapist: A Woman’s Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life (Seal Press). Ms. Brixey regularly blogs for Money Wise Women and Forbes.com.

Ms. Brixey’s been the featured speaker at numerous conferences including the Women’s Money Conference in Reno and Las Vegas; Central California Women’s Conference in Fresno, CA; Prudential Financial Stepping Out Conference in Santa Clara, CA and Chicago IL; Choice Hotels Convention in Orlando, FL; Oklahoma Society of CPAs Invest in Herself: Journey to Financial Freedom Conference in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, OK; Washington State Employed Women in Vancouver, WA; Today’s Woman Expo in Boise, ID; Invest in Yourself Strategies for Women Conference in Costa Mesa, CA; and Northwest Women’s Show, Seattle WA and Portland OR. She’s also spoken at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Marcia is a former columnist for The Kitsap Sun newspaper, which serves the Kitsap Peninsula in Western Washington. She has been a guest on Northwest Afternoon (Seattle, KOMO TV), View from the Bay (San Francisco, ABC affiliate), Good Day Sacramento, About the Money (Seattle, PBS affiliate) and Sonoran Living Live (Phoenix, ABC15 TV). Marcia’s been interviewed on numerous radio shows and featured on CBS Report of the Week with Brian Banmiller. Marcia’s print media appearances include Quick and Simple, Redbook, Family Circle, Reader’s Digest, Ladies Home Journal, Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle Woman Magazine, and US News and World Report. She is a member of the My Own Business Institute Advisory Panel. Ms. Brixey received the 2006 YWCA Woman of Achievement award in Kitsap County.

Marcia was inspired to take early retirement from her public relations job with the Social Security Administration in August 2002 after reading the quote “Our purpose in life is to find our gift, perfect it and give it back to others”. Ms. Brixey’s experience with the Social Security Administration includes District Manager, Supervisor, and Public Relations Specialist. She graduated from California State University, East Bay with a B.S. degree in Business Administration.

Blog

DSEF & BBB: Understanding Your Credit Score

According to Experian’s 2012 State of Credit study, the national average credit score increased from 749 to 750. In addition, the average credit scores of Pennsylvania residents are above the national average, ranging from 758-773 depending on the city.

Your credit score can help lenders measure your financial risk when applying for credit cards, credit lines and loans. Higher scores generally equate to higher credit worthiness.

Your BBB offers the following tips for understanding and boosting your credit score:

Pay bills on time. On average, more than one-third of your credit score is based on payment history. Bills that end up going to a collection agency can drop a credit score as much as 100 points. Consider activating an automatic electronic payment schedule with your bank so payments won’t be late. Pay credit cards before they’re due. Promptly pay traffic or parking tickets and library fines and keep all payment records.
Maintain low credit card balances. Generally, another one-third of your credit score is based on the amounts you owe; often expressed as a “credit utilization ratio,” it is the percentage of the credit limit used. Keep purchases down to less than 25% of the credit limit at any time, even if the bill is paid off in full every month.
Limit your number of credit cards, including retail store cards. Typically, the length of credit history accounts for 15% of your credit score. Opening several new cards within a short period of time can hurt your score by lowering the average age of open accounts. Lenders worry about those who borrow more money than they can repay.

In order to detect fraud and fix potential errors that can affect your credit score, monitor your credit reports for free on a consistent basis by usingwww.annualcreditreport.com. Free reports through this site from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion show credit transactions, but not your actual credit score, which you can pay a fee to receive. For more helpful tips on managing credit, visit www.bbb.org.