| 'Security Risk' Blocks U.S. Troops Overseas from Free Credit Report Site
No Free Online Access for Millions of Americans YONKERS, N.Y., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Millions of U.S. citizens outside the country -- including several hundred thousand members of the armed forces -- are not permitted to see their personal credit information on the Web site set up by law to provide free access, over security concerns that an offshore user might create. Four years ago, the U.S. Congress mandated creating the http://www.annualcreditreport.com site that gives consumers free access to one report per year from each of the three major credit agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The law that created that site, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 -- known as FACTA, or the FACT Act -- was designed to protect U.S.
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.
Child abuse reported every 35 minutes
A CASE of child abuse is reported to Australian authorities every 35 minutes, new research has shown, and government has been called on to do more to stamp it out. The results of a survey conducted by charity Wesley Mission found high levels of abuse in the community, sparking calls for the appointment of a national independent commission for children and a minister for children. "We need a national strategy and leadership on the issue to see a reverse in the number of children who experience abuse, neglect or household dysfunction in their childhood,'' Wesley Mission's Reverend Keith Garner said. "A report is made to the police or other agency across Australia every 35 minutes regarding an instance of child abuse, the numbers of notifications have almost doubled over the past five years and our research suggests that many other incidences go unreported.'' The survey of 1200 people over the age of 25 years showed more than half (612) had experienced "adversity'' during childhood.
Uganda: Business Environment in Commonwealth Countries
COMMONWEALTH countries have less than ideal scores on the critical areas of infrastructure, skills shortage, business friendly tax policies and corruption according to the latest survey by the Commonwealth Business Council. The "Business Environment Survey 2007" listed these as the major impediments to an enhanced business environment, while noting that these issues were pronounced in the lesser developed countries than in the developed countries. .
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