April 3, 2008

Bankruptcy Public Records: Did You Really Think It Was Public?

The Freedom Of Information Act is a legislation signed into law in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Also referred to as the "FOIA" this law provides for the release of public records to anyone who might request it as long as the request is in writing. Attached to this legislation are restrictions and exceptions, and the autonomy of each state who may or may not have its own related laws and restrictions in that matter.

Public Records

There are nine exemption to the FOIA. Here are the first 5

1. (A) specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and (B) are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order;
2. related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency;
3. specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than section 552b of this title), provided that such statute (A) requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue, or (B) establishes particular criteria for withholding or refers to particular types of matters to be withheld;
4. trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential;
5. inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letters which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency;

Customers who speak to us certainly fall into two categories. There are those who realize that dealing with the bureaucracy of the government may at best be challenging and given the time element that this whole exercise entails recognize that when it comes to public record, the free option is not always the cheapest. And of course there are some who don't mind the time it takes nor that they probably will have to give this exercise a whole lot more energy that they originally anticipated.

This is why I always advise my customers and friends that when it comes to their own safety and the safety of their loved ones and co-workers, accessing Public Records through a specialized web site such as ours is vitally important!

Many businesses with a large staff turnaround actually benefit from a voluntary monthly membership with no restrictions.

Public Records

Irrespective of your status, the facts are that if you are going to hire someone, (a contractor, worker, lawyer, doctor…) you owe it to yourself to ensure that there is nothing untoward in that person's past.

A background check through the following Public Records website will provide you with all the information you need!

For these reasons, it is always my belief that when it comes to personal safety, a paid up service is always the better option.

More and more businesses actually take the steps of consulting Public Records in order to check their personnel's background information and rather than consulting a private investigator, or deal with the government, find that a quick search through out extensive database is all it takes to find out exactly the type of information they need to make a business decision on whom they seek to bring into their organization.

Indeed for around $30, the nightmare of dealing with governmental agencies, and the time it takes to actually obtain anything, the use of the following website is entirely justified.

find public records

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March 23, 2008

Be Aware Of Internet Frauds

Today, most of us surf the internet to complete a multitude of tasks. We do everything from online bill paying, to emailing friends and family around the world. But what about the darker side of the internet? Everyday there are innocent people who fall victim to different types of fraud online. There are numerous internet scams out there that mimic those we once only heard about happening over the telephone or through snail mail. It is important to be aware of the different types of internet frauds so that we can avoid them whenever possible.

Most of us think to take extreme measures to protect our children from online predators, which in today's world unfortunately is something that we must do. But what about protecting ourselves from fraud online? Being aware that there are criminals online who are using different methods to introduce online scams is the first step in protecting yourself. Some of the frauds that are used are obvious, while others might not seem to pose a threat to your money or put you at risk from identity theft. Scammers use tactics ranging from email spamming of bogus lottery contests to methods of stealing your credit card information. Knowing the methods that internet criminals use to commit these crimes can be a huge step in protecting yourself.

Credit card scams have existed for a long time and are one of the most prevalent online scams out there. Internet frauds dealing with credit cards can happen in different ways. Identity theft involving credit cards is a big business and affects hundreds of people every day. There are two types of scams involving credit cards and identity theft. The first is account takeovers and the second is called application fraud.

Account takeovers happen when an individual takes over another individual's credit card account. This happens by gathering pertinent information about the victim and then contacting their credit card company or bank. These types of frauds are committed first by asking for all relevant documents to be mailed to an alternate address, then the credit card is reported lost and a new one is sent to the new address. This type of scam allows the individual committing the fraud to easily obtain the victim's credit card information and then fraudulently make charges in the victim's name.

Application fraud differs in that they are committed by opening new credit card accounts using stolen information. This occurs when fake or stolen documents are used to open up a credit card account in another person's name. Frauds such as this are not as hard to commit as you might think. Personal information contained in household bills and bank statements can be used to create fraudulent documents, which most of the time are credit cards. Even when there are fraud protection systems in place, internet scams involving credit cards can happen. You might want to consider using the services of Life Lock or IdentityTruth to protect your identity.

Other individuals may get caught up in online fraud that concerns manipulation of the stock market. These types of scams can happen in areas of the internet that may seem harmless to most. They are called pump and dump. This takes place when false stock information is broadcast in places such as internet forums, chat rooms and also through spam emails. The reason that people committing the fraud do this is to cause a huge increase in the stock prices of stocks that are normally thinly traded and owned by shell companies. Shell companies are those that have no independent operations of their own and are used by their owners to normally maintain control over other companies. This is the pump in the pump and dump scheme. The dump happens when the stock prices get to a certain level, and those committing the fraud sell off their stock. This allows them to gain an abundant profit before the prices of the stock go back to the normal levels. In this case, the victims are those who purchased the stock and were unaware that the price was going to fall.

It is extremely important to be aware of the types of internet frauds out there. Anything that virtually seems too good to be true just may be. Any type of investment or other opportunity should be thoroughly examined before any action is taken. Be aware that there are those out to gather our information in order to better themselves, leaving you the one that is harmed financially. Before you fall victim to any of these online scams, do some research and always get the facts.

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July 24, 2007

PayPal Identity Theft Scam

Anatomy of A PayPal Identity Theft Scam - The 7 Warning Signs

Paypal is becoming the online payment processor of choice for many users. Paypal allows virtually anyone to except credit card payments. Paypal is also a great way to send and receive electronic payments. Unfortunate fame has it's price and in the case of Paypal that means scam artists preying on the Paypal members

The Most common Paypal Scam Involves E-Mail, You will receive an E-mail from Someone claiming to be Paypal requesting you Verify your Information. That is Warning Sign 1 Paypal will never send you an E-Mail Requesting Your Personal Information

Often this E_mail will be sent to an E-Mail Address that is not the same one that Paypal has on File. That is Warning Sign 2

The Third Warning Sign is forged Headers (From Address). This is often hard to detect without knowledge of the Internet. Many Spam filters are now setup to block E-mail that has forged headers. Ask your E-mail provider how you can block Forged Headers.

The Fourth Warning Sign is the Greeting says something like Dear Paypal user or Paypal Member. Paypal knows who you are they will use the name you registered with.

The Fifth Warning Sign is the threat. The E_mail will threaten to suspend your account if you don't take immediate action.

The Sixth Warning Sign is a Non Secure Page. If you do click on the link in the E-Mail you will not be on a secure Page, No Https in the URL and no little Padlock in the lower left hand corner of your browser.

Bad Grammar or Misspelled words in the

If you receive an E-mail from Paypal with even 1 of these warning signs more likely then not it is a scam. Forward the E-Mail to Paypal and ask for assistance if you have any doubts.

Don't let these modern day thieves keep you from go about your every day life. Life is a risk the key of course is to do all you can to protect yourself and still enjoy life.

About The Author:
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built
an Organization of over 100,000 Members

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Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler the Coolest Guy in the Universe

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Makler
http://EzineArticles.com/?Anatomy-of-A-PayPal-Identity-Theft-Scam—The-7-Warning-Signs&id=73439

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June 6, 2007

Key Logger - How to Dectect this Identity Theft Spyware

Detect Key Logger, Identity Theft Spyware

To detect key logger spyware, you need to know what it is and how it works. Key logger is an invisible software program that identity thieves can use to track your online activity.

It is almost impossible to detect key logger on your computer and even if you're careful you'll never know if it is recording information such as bank account passwords and credit card numbers.

You won't even see your machine slow down or see anything unusual. It just silently watches every keystroke you type in as if the identity thieves were standing over your shoulder.

At least on third of all online scams can now be traced to keylogging. If you type key logger into any Internet search engine you can find several perfectly legal ways to buy and install it.

Several businesses use key logger software to monitor employee activity and parents can use keylogging to check up on the web sites their children are visiting. But in the hands of a hacker wanting to steal your financial information, key loggers are extremely dangerous.

Attackers who use key logger spyware often sell the information to third parties who can funnel money out of bank accounts or charge up credit cards. Hackers who use keylogging to get into one computer at a company have the ability to steal vital information from the entire organization.

The best rule of thumb is to carefully monitor what you download on your computer and what sites you visit. The major sites of banks and retailers are usually relatively safe. But be aware of downloading free software from an unfamiliar site that could leave you vulnerable to a potential hacker.

Here are a few tips to protect you against keylogging:

  • Never open spam e-mail.

  • Do not open e-mail attachments from someone you don't know.
  • Do not click ok on pop-up windows without reading them first.
  • Use a firewall to help prevent any unauthorized computer activity.
  • Run a weekly, full system anti-virus computer scan.

    Computer experts say the number of keylogging crimes is on the rise but there are ways to protect yourself . Detecting key logger spyware and destroying it can be done by installing spyware protection software.

    Becoming aware of the different ways that you can avoid this from happening to you is the first step to protecting yourself.

    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, computer firewalls and valuable tips. For regularly updated articles about adware, spyware and protection from identity theft go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Gresham
    http://EzineArticles.com/?Detect-Key-Logger,-Identity-Theft-Spyware&id=78066

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