Hi there, I think the rate our economy is going right now, I must say we need a lot of luck for our future.

USAO rapporterar att Jeremy Jamal Bell, 24. Anthony Keith Bivins, 42, båda Birmingham; och Cametrica L. Menifield, 31, i Bessemer, debiteras med conspiring i 2011 att delta i ett system att lura Gulf Coast fordringar anläggningen. Dessa tre svarande, fick tillsammans $138,881 från BP oil spill fordringar fonderna.

Samtliga tre åtalade har undertecknat vädjan avtal med regeringen uttrycker sin avsikt att erkänna sig skyldig till anklagelserna.

Bell, Bivins och Menifield debiteras varje med självständigt accepterar att tillhandahålla personlig information, såsom personnummer och bankkontoinformation, till individer som rekryterats dem så att de kunde använda informationen till filen bedrägliga anspråk för förlorad lön med GCCF. Rekryterare kallas inte i dokument som laddning. Efter de bedrägliga påståendena betalades till Bell, Bivins och Menifield, återvände var och en av dem del av pengarna till de individer som rekryterats dem för att delta i systemet, enligt de informationer och grunden avtal.

Bell, Bivins och Menifield debiteras varje med självständigt accepterar att tillhandahålla personlig information, såsom personnummer och bankkontoinformation, till individer som rekryterats dem så att de kunde använda informationen till filen bedrägliga anspråk för förlorad lön med GCCF.

Efter bedrägliga påståenden betalades till Bell, Bivins och Menifield, återvände var och en av dem påstås del av pengarna till de individer som rekryterats dem för att delta i systemet, enligt de informationer och grunden avtal.

Enligt domstolen betalade handlingar GCCF Bell $42,877 från Djuphavsräka Horizon Oil Spill förvaltningsfonden den 9 augusti, 2011. Senare samma månad, Bell återtog $42,402 från sitt konto och gav det till den person som rekryterade honom att delta i systemet, handlingarna.

Bivins fick ca $61,987 i anspråk medel i oktober 2011. Okt 29, 2011, enligt sin information och grunden avtal, Han inkasserades de fordringar kontrollen, brukade en del av det köpa postanvisningar och en $5.000 debet kontantkort, som riktade, och vände det över till en medbrottsling.Han gavs $5,000 och förutbetalda debitering kort i gengäld.

Menifield fick ca $34,023 från GCCF juli 21, 2011, enligt hennes information och grunden avtal. Juli 22, 2011, hon gav cirka $24.000 till en medåtalad och höll ca $10,000, enligt domstolshandlingar.

http://www.scambusters.org/scammers2.html
In this article, we add another five -- making 10 in all -- with a particular focus on identity theft, the biggest scam of all.
By taking these simple precautions, you can substantially reduce the risk that you'll lose your money, your identity, or both, to the villains.
Before we get started, we suggest you visit last week's most popular articles from our other websites:
2 Easy Tips for Getting out of Holiday Credit Card Debt: Tips to remedy that holiday credit card debt you might find yourself in.
4 New Year's Resolutions to Help Prevent Identity Theft: Make some resolutions about how to prevent identity theft for you and your family.
Key Ways to Reduce the Photo Size of Your Images Using iPhoto (For Mac Users): A quick, easy way to reduce photo size with iPhoto, just for Mac users.
Winter Safety Tips that Could Save Your Life: Things you need to do to stay safe this winter, whether the storm of the century hits you or not.

Time to get going...

A New Year's Resolution: 10 Top Tips To Beat the Scammers -- Part 2

We want 2009 to be a scam-free year for all our subscribers, so we're offering some of the most valuable tips to beat the scammers, for you to add to your New Year's resolutions.

Last week, we listed five simple things you can do to cut the risk of being scammed:
Be skeptical -- trust no one, even friends and family who may be innocent accomplices.
Don't click on links or attachments -- always check them out first.
Use your eyes -- watch what goes on around you and always check the small print.
Take your time -- don't be rushed into making decisions or signing documents.
Know the rules -- so you'll know if someone offers a deal that's actually illegal.

Read the full issue at A New Year Resolution: 10 Top Tips To Beat the Scammers -- Part 1.

This time we complete our list with five more tips. Most of them specifically relate to identity theft. You can find out a lot more about this evil crime by checking out other Scambusters articles and by visiting our Identity Theft Information Center.
Now, on with our tips list...

Tip #6. Protect your identity
Again, it may sound obvious, but you'd be amazed at how many people are careless with information that can be used by criminals to pass themselves off as their victims. For a start, that means taking special care of documents and other items you carry around with you -- like credit and health insurance cards. Keep them out of sight and out of reach. Never leave them in your car, and leave those you don't need, like your Social Security card, at home. Equally, don't be too generous with information about yourself on the Internet, especially on social networks liked Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter. Disclosing info like your address or phone number, your employer and your educational and career history, all provide valuable background for ID thieves.

Tip #7. Monitor yourself
In Tip #3 we mentioned the importance of checking the details of your bank and credit card statements to provide early warning of identity theft. Well, that's just the start of the whole process of monitoring the activities of those who keep records about you. You also should take advantage of your entitlement to get a free report on your credit rating once a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies -- again so you can spot anything unusual. Also check out your medical and employment records and keep a close eye on your tax records -- all of these are used by scammers in building up stolen identities and, sometimes, even assuming the full identity of victims. Sound like too much trouble? Don't have the time? Then consider enrolling with a company that will monitor your credit activities and issue an immediate alert if someone tries to pass themselves off as you.

Tip #8. Stay up to date
Crooks want to break into your computer, usually to steal confidential information they can use for identity theft, and sometimes so they can take control of your PC and link it into their network of spamming and scamming machines. To beat the scammers, it's not enough to have Internet security installed. It must be completely up to date, since new viruses appear every day. Make sure your security software (you do have it, don't you?) is set to automatically update. But sometimes even that isn't enough. Hackers can worm their way into your computer using what are known as "exploits" -- techniques that take advantage of security weaknesses in other programs like Internet browsers, email programs and even the commercial office and graphics programs we use. To keep ahead of the rogues, software firms constantly update their applications. Make sure you either auto-update or regularly check -- usually via the Help menu -- for new versions.

Tip #9. Speak up
It sounds kind of obvious that when you're unsure about what you're doing you should seek advice and that when things go wrong you should 'fess up and tell someone. But many people are often too embarrassed to admit they need help -- with using the Internet, for example -- or to report a scam to law enforcement when they get conned. That's what the scammers count on -- ignorance and silence. After all, the fewer people who know how to spot their tricks or report their crimes, the more likely they are to get away with it. If you feel uneasy about an unfamiliar situation online, always seek advice -- even if you just Google for help. And if, sadly, you get scammed, report the incident immediately; then the crook is not only more likely to get caught but he (or she) is also less likely to be able to use his (or her) ill-gotten gains. By alerting law enforcement you may also be helping to prevent other people from getting caught by the same trick.

Tip #10. Read Scambusters -- and spread the word!
It's no coincidence that Scambusters is the #1 online source of information about Internet and associated frauds. We work hard to provide the best scam reports, and we've been around for far longer than most. When the media want a scam expert for an interview or sound bite, they frequently call on us. We've been listed independently among the most useful and user-friendly sites. And our service is free (helped by earnings from sponsors, advertisers and other sites, which we encourage you to support). In these hard-pressed economic times, it's more important than ever to take action to beat the scammers. And you can be sure we're looking out for you and will report on their latest tricks.

So, in addition to following our 10 tips, we ask you to do three things for 2009:
Continue to subscribe to Scambusters to keep up to date.
Look back regularly through our list of articles to keep yourself informed about all types of scams.
Tell your friends and relatives about Scambusters, so we can help them too.
Help yourselves, help each other -- and let's beat the scammers in 2009!
That's a wrap for this issue. Wishing you a great week!

This is simply ingenious. Now why didn't anybody think of this before.