| Consumer Affairs warns about 'not-so-free'
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) encourages people to check their credit reports annually. This is an important way consumers can safeguard against identity theft, credit fraud or unauthorized charges, and check for errors or inaccuracies that can affect a credit decision. Legislation that became effective in South Carolina on June 1, 2005, gives consumers the right to receive a FREE copy of their credit report once a year. However, if ordering your credit report online, consumers are warned to stay away from misleading Web sites claiming to offer free credit reports, then enrolling the unsuspecting consumer in a monthly reporting service costing $11.95 each month. SCDCA has received numerous complaints from consumers who are further victimized when emails trying to cancel the service go unanswered and the Web sites offer no information on cancellation.
Personal Finance Notebook: Keep tabs on credit reports, or freeze them
Q: What can I do about online identify theft? Basically, some guy sitting at home in his underwear opened an account with Bank of America using my name and Social Security number. I knew nothing about it until the bank contacted me by letter, letting me know that "my" account was about $600 in the hole. The guy had deposited fake checks to open my account and drained it before they bounced. I shred everything and thought I was safe. Now, I've been forced into a new hobby: filing a police report, contacting my bank and creditors, putting an alert on my credit report, making sure my Social Security number is protected. How can I keep this from happening again? .
Interview with Reza Pourzia, Cyber Rain
For our Friday interview, we thought it would be interesting to profile Cyber Rain (www.cyber-rain.com), a Los Angeles company in the clean technology space which recently raised a small round of funding. Reza Pourzia is founder and CTO of the company, and he told us a little bit more about its "smart" irrigation controllers designed to better control sprinkler systems to conserve water. Reza spoke with Ben Kuo. What's your background, and what's the idea behind Cyber Rain? Reza Pourzia: I was always walking down the street and seeing water running off the sidewalks in the morning. It was a problem that had been bothering me. So, I was the VP of engineering at Bizrate, which is now Shopzilla, and I have also worked at Experian Consumer Direct. I architected their new system, which is used to check your credit report online.
Scam Jam 2007 held
By Karen WilliamsonKARENW@CULLMANTIMES.COMExperts agree shredding mail, paying bills and viewing bank statements online, picking up new check orders at the bank and mailing bills at the post office are ways to stop identity theft.If people take those steps, they will have reduced their risk for identity theft considerably, according to Federal Trade Commission attorney Paul Davis from Atlanta who was one of the experts at the 2007 Scam Jam Wednesday at City Hall."That right there will eliminate a certain percentage of identity theft," he said.Paying bills online requires the use of anti-virus software and firewalls on personal computers, and both have to be updated regularly, he said.Davis recommends contacting one of the three consumer reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — every four months to request a free credit report."Federal law allows you to get free copies of each one every year," he said.That way people will know quickly if there is a problem.
Flying this Thanksgiving? AAA has tips that'll stop you from giving somebody the bird
The movie, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," has become a holiday favorite. Why? Because everybody can identify with Steve Martin's character desire to be home on Thanksgiving. Will your Thanksgiving turn into a turkey because of unexpected travel hassles? .
Credit Freeze: The Surefire Way To Stop Identity Thieves
Are you a victim of credit card and Identity theft? Today, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the US. Often thieves will steal someone's identity and then go on to run up a host of bills in that person's name. So the question is how can you fight back against these criminals and keep your good name intact as well as your credit and money? The answer is to freeze credit reports and stop credit from being issued in your name. By freezing your credit, nobody can get your credit file or details to run up credit in your name leaving you to deal with the bill. Who can put a freeze on their credit? Since 2003, almost everyone can put a credit freeze on his/her credit. Currently, most people simply put a fraud alert on their credit report and hope that solves their problems.
Trans Am Hit the Road With Tool
Sure, there's blogs, downloading, and Radiohead changing everything about everything ever, but one of the most unexpected music-world happenings we've seen in the last couple years has been the way Tool subtly became pals with all these smaller, good bands. Touring with Isis and Mastodon? Getting namedropped by former Low bassist Zak Sally in an ABC News report? There's just something a little strange about it all. Nevertheless, the trend continues with the naming of Thrill Jockey proggers Trans Am as Tool's newest tour BFFs on an upcoming round of North American dates. For Trans Am, the shows come sandwiched in between their appearances at the Thrill Jockey anniversary parties in London on November 11 and Chicago in mid-December. Trans Am are still riding high on the release of Sex Change, LP8 for them, which came out via Thrill Jockey earlier this year.
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