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Mumbai: The BSE Sensex plunged to 2-week low of 17,196.47 Thursday, down 405 points as investors sold stocks amid weakening rupee, allegations of massive losses to the government in coal blocks allocation and shaky overseas markets. Of the 30 Sensex scrips, 28 tumbled. All the 13 sectoral indices closed in losses, with realty, power, banking, capital goods, metal and refinery stocks being hit hard. Market heavyweight Reliance Industries dropped 4.15 percent, and Infosys by 1.39 percent. The two carry 20 percent weight on the Sensex. The rupee's sharp decline against the US dollar to Rs 51 level worried investors that it will inflate government's import bill, especially on account of oil, worsening fiscal deficit situation. Besides, reminiscent of the 2G spectrum allocation scam, the Comptroller an Auditor General (CAG) said in a draft report that the government lost Rs 10.67 lakh crore on account of allotment of coal blocks to 100 private and public sector companies without auction during 2004-2009. However, CAG later informed the Prime Minister that media reports on alleged coal scam were "exceedingly misleading". Sensex moved in a narrow range till late afternoon, but last hour selling pulled it down sharply to 17,196.47, erasing 405.24 points or 2.30 percent. In last two days, it had risen 328.34 points or 1.90 percent. Similarly, NSE 50-scrip index Nifty tumbled 136.50 points or 2.54 percent to two-week low of 5,228.45. "A mix of domestic and global factors hurt investor sentiment. The leakage of a draft CAG draft report weighed markets down. The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar further spooked sentiments," said Paras Bothra, Research Head, Ashika Stock Brokers. Globally, European markets were trading weak, adding to investor woes, he said. As per Sebi data, FIIs bought shares worth Rs 651.70 crore yesterday. Asian stocks were down in early trade after a survey showed China's manufacturing has shrunk. Key indices in China, Singapore and Sou

A US government-funded study says North Koreans have unprecedented access to foreign media, giving them a more positive impression of the outside world. But it says North Korea still has the world's most closed media environment, and those changing perceptions are unlikely to translate into significant pressure on their repressive government in the short term. The study was commissioned by the State Department and conducted by a consulting group, InterMedia. It is based on research involving several hundred North Korean defectors and refugees during 2010-2011. The Associated Press obtained the study ahead of its formal release Thursday. The study, titled "A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment," says restrictions that threaten years in prison and hard labor for activities like watching a South Korean soap opera or listening to foreign news broadcasts have been tightened since the mid-2000s, but are enforced less than in the past. People remain wary of government inspection teams, but fewer citizens appear to be reporting on each other. Nearly half of those interviewed said that while in North Korea they had watched a foreign DVD, the most commonly used type of outside media. About a quarter of people had listened to a foreign radio news broadcast or watched a foreign news station. Nearly one-third of television watchers whose sets were fixed to state-run programming had modified them in order to capture a signal from outside stations detectable along the Chinese and South Korean borders. The authors caution that the interviews and surveys on which their research is based are not statistically representative of North Korea's population. A disproportionate number lived in proximity to the Chinese border before they fled. North Korea is separated from the more prosperous South Korea by a heavily militarized frontier, and access to the country is strictly controlled. But the communist government's monopoly on information began to erode in

Springhill Group Home has a wide network of contacts from different loan companies within United States and Asia catering to towns & cities spread across the country providing housing loans and property advisory

Springhill Group Home News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : Blogspot News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : Fed Seen Buying $545B of Home-Loan Debt : Report By Joseph Woelfel NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The Federal Reserve is poised to start a new round of stimulus, Bloomberg reported, citing the biggest bond dealers in the U.S. The Fed will inject more money into the economy next quarter by purchasing mortgage securities instead of Treasuries, the bond dealers said. The Fed may buy about $545 billion in home-loan debt, Bloomberg said. The Fed bought $2.3 trillion of Treasury and mortgage-related bonds between 2008 and June. Separately, Bloomberg reported the Fed and big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing, Bloomberg said, based on 29,000 pages of Fed documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and central bank records of more than 21,000 transactions. According to Bloomberg Markets magazine's January issue, the Fed didn't tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day; bankers didn't mention they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy; and no one calculated until now that banks got an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed's below-market rates. Fed officials say almost all of the loans were repaid and there have been no losses, but details suggest the secret funding enabled the biggest banks to grow even bigger, according to Bloomberg. The six biggest U.S. ba

Embattled Rupert Murdoch's empire, News Corp. appears to be planning a spin-off of its core businesses. Its own flagship newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has reported this week that the company's board is considering a proposal that will make its publishing arm into a separate company. Springhill Group Home analysts expect such separation of assets would appease regulators and could help it to avoid selling a USD 6.9 billion stake. Fortunately, the same became true for investors as the announcement was met with the rallying of News Corp's stock to 8.3% high - the highest level it has reached since 2007. "News Corp. has one of the best TV businesses, but some people like musty, dusty publishing companies that pay great dividends. It's a good thing for shareholders." said an analyst from Lazard Capital. The media conglomerate has not yet specified which business units would be grouped together but the company is reportedly mulling to separate the entertainment operations from the book and newspaper publishing one. News Corp's publishing business brought in USD 8.8 billion in profit last year, accounting for about 7% of the company's enterprise value or 24% of the revenues. This division includes a number of prominent newspapers (Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Australian and the Sun) and HarperCollins book publisher, all of which are valued for around USD 5 billion. Meanwhile, its entertainment business is more profitable with revenues of USD 23.5 billion last year, accounting for around 75% of the firm's profit and almost all of the operating revenue in the first half of the fiscal year. News Corp's television and film business consists of the Fox News channel, Fox broadcasting network and 20th Century Fox film studio. Experts are saying that the move to split the news and media operations from its more profitable film and TV businesses might be a good one, as the former has been marred by the pho

By Todd Gilbert Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks reaching 6,000 feet . . . rocky knolls amidst a river of trees that flow through the valley and greet the slopes of the adjacent mountains . . . an Eden amidst the dry, parched chaparral . . . an oasis dense with pines, manzanita and centuries old oak trees that once shaded only the Indians that inhabited the region: "El Valle de los Pinos", as this beautiful mountain valley was known before 1869, describes the abrupt change in scenery that only nature can explain. The surrounding desert terrain compliments the unique valley of over 1,200 acres where cedars and pines flourish amidst lush green meadows of sage and wild lilac. Early settlers of the region included the Cocopah and Coyote Indians and later the Machados family of Old Town who had come to California as pioneers in the late 18th century. For a number of years, Don Manuel Machado and his wife, Serafina Valdes operated a cattle grazing station and lived out of a Adobe house they had built. During the summer, thin and starved longhorn cattle were brought in to fatten up in the rich pastureland. In 1869, former Butterfield Stage coach driver, Captain William S. Emery and his wife settled in the area. Being Scotch-English pioneers from New England, the sound of Spanish words were unpleasant to their ears and, quickly, renamed "El Valle de los Pinos" to its literal translation of Pine Valley. Either way, the valley boasts one of the oldest names in the county. Charles F. Emery, son of Captain Emery, used to tell the story of his father's experiences on the old desert stage route and in dealing with the local Cocopah and Coyote Indians who were constantly running off the cattle he had accumulated. One old Indian, Antonio, told Captain Emery he could show him a beautiful valley in the mountains where there was plenty of grass for cattle where nobody else lived. So the two came on horseback over the Vallecitos trail th

Feb 1, '12 1:07 AM by hannah for everyone By Todd Gilbert Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks reaching 6,000 feet . . . rocky knolls amidst a river of trees that flow through the valley and greet the slopes of the adjacent mountains . . . an Eden amidst the dry, parched chaparral . . . an oasis dense with pines, manzanita and centuries old oak trees that once shaded only the Indians that inhabited the region: "El Valle de los Pinos", as this beautiful mountain valley was known before 1869, describes the abrupt change in scenery that only nature can explain. The surrounding desert terrain compliments the unique valley of over 1,200 acres where cedars and pines flourish amidst lush green meadows of sage and wild lilac. Early settlers of the region included the Cocopah and Coyote Indians and later the Machados family of Old Town who had come to California as pioneers in the late 18th century. For a number of years, Don Manuel Machado and his wife, Serafina Valdes operated a cattle grazing station and lived out of a Adobe house they had built. During the summer, thin and starved longhorn cattle were brought in to fatten up in the rich pastureland. In 1869, former Butterfield Stage coach driver, Captain William S. Emery and his wife settled in the area. Being Scotch-English pioneers from New England, the sound of Spanish words were unpleasant to their ears and, quickly, renamed "El Valle de los Pinos" to its literal translation of Pine Valley. Either way, the valley boasts one of the oldest names in the county. Charles F. Emery, son of Captain Emery, used to tell the story of his father's experiences on the old desert stage route and in dealing with the local Cocopah and Coyote Indians who were constantly running off the cattle he had accumulated. One old Indian, Antonio, told Captain Emery he could show him a beautiful valley in the mountains where there was plenty of grass for cattle where nobody else lived. So the two came on hors

Over 200 people have been arrested in connection with a massive bank card fraud that may have bilked banks and clients out of a billion yuan ($159 million), the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. The Ministry of Public Security detained 208 people in eight provinces and municipalities. Police said they confiscated thousands of bank cards and have frozen 150 bank accounts. Police in eight regions coordinated the bust on June 11, following a lengthy investigation of key suspects including a Taiwanese surnamed Wu and a South Korean surnamed Park. The investigation began in November 2011, when two Taiwanese were caught using a counterfeit bank card to withdraw cash from an automatic teller machine (ATM) in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, according to the ministry. A similarly faked card was used three days later when another suspect tried to withdraw money from an ATM on Jiefang Road in the city. The police investigation concludes that banks in South Korea and Thailand were the main targets of the swindle. Local police in Shaoxing confirmed to the Global Times yesterday that 146 suspects were arrested in the city alone. "All 208 suspects are now here for questioning, and no further details can be provided at the moment," a police officer surnamed Sun from Shaoxing public security bureau, told the Global Times. The Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported that the bust involves the largest amount of money and the most suspects of any bank card fraud in China. It is not known how the gang may have managed to swindle hundreds of millions of yuan from Chinese ATMs without being detected earlier. Police say suspects in South Korea bought the phone numbers of bank clients online, and managed to scam them by posing as bank officials who were concerned their accounts were at risk, said Xinhua. The clients were told to use their account number and password to log onto seemingly official South Korean websites. After obtaining the bank client's account in

By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Cases of residential mortgage fraud in the US done in collusion with mortgage industry professionals dropped 35 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report. The report tracked actual cases of mortgage fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage sector professionals, as reported by lenders and other financial institutions. These include cases of borrowers falsifying information on mortgage documents but only if they conspired with mortgage industry professionals. One reason for the significant decline is because mortgage loan originations fell to its lowest level in 2011 since 2001, indicating a sharp reduction in sales of new and previously-occupied homes. Another reason is that fewer fraud schemes are committed when a buyer is trying to get a home loan. However, the FBI noted that loan fraud involving selling or buying homes is more common at some stages of foreclosure, adding that mortgage fraud investigations led to 1,082 convictions in FY 2011. According to the LexisNexis study, home appraisal and loan application fraud, along with misrepresentation, accounted for the biggest category of fraud investigated by lenders in 2011. Related Stories: Fixed-rate mortgage in demand despite cheaper tracker-rate loans 15% discount on mortgages reappears in Shanghai US mortgage rates fall to new record lows More from PropertyGuru: Fixed-rate mortgage in demand despite cheaper tracker-rate loans 15% discount on mortgages reappears in Shanghai US mortgage rates fall to new record lows HK mortgage numbers shrinking

The Bozeman Police Department reports for Sunday included the following: People were fighting in front of an East Main Street bar. Most fled when police arrived around 1:40 a.m. The man who was assaulted did not want to press charges. Police found "a man by himself drinking a beer and playing loud video games at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning" on Ida Avenue after a neighbor complained about the noise. A 21-year-old Belgrade man was cited for stealing two DVDs from a Catron Street store around 1:45 p.m. Read more . . .

Repost From : http://springhillgroupbyrichparker.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/notes/springhill-group-home-loans-news-center/springhill-group-springhillgroupbyrichparkerblogspotcom/300574126678023 BLOGSPOT: Police Reports for Feb. 26, 2012 - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Police Reports http://springcaregroup.blogspot.com/2012/03/police-reports-for-feb-26-2012-bozeman.html The Bozeman Police Department reports for Sunday included the following: People were fighting in front of an East Main Street bar. Most fled when police arrived around 1:40 a.m.

News Center - Springhill Group Home LoansBy Joseph Woelfel NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The Federal Reserve is poised to start a new round of stimulus,Bloomberg reported, citing the biggest bond dealers in the U.S. The Fed will inject more money into the economy next quarter by purchasing mortgage securities instead of Treasuries, the bond dealers said. The Fed may buy about $545 billion in home-loan debt, Bloomberg said. The Fed bought $2.3 trillion of Treasury and mortgage-related bonds between 2008 and June. Separately, Bloomberg reported the Fed and big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing, Bloomberg said, based on 29,000 pages of Fed documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and central bank records of more than 21,000 transactions. According to Bloomberg Markets magazine's January issue, the Fed didn't tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day; bankers didn't mention they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy; and no one calculated until now that banks got an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed's below-market rates. Fed officials say almost all of the loans were repaid and there have been no losses, but details suggest the secret funding enabled the biggest banks to grow even bigger, according toBloomberg. The six biggest U.S. banks - JPMorgan Chase(JPM_), Bank of America(BAC_),Citigroup(C_), Wells Fargo(WFC_), Goldman Sachs(GS_) and Morgan Stanley (MS_)which received $160 billion from the Troubled Assets Relief Program, borrowed as much as $460 billion from the Fed, Bloomberg calculated, citing data obtained from the Fed. - Written by Joseph Woelfel >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Joseph Woelf

Posted by Springhill Group Home Loans on 12/9/2011 9:54 PM By Joseph Woelfel NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The Federal Reserve is poised to start a new round of stimulus,Bloomberg reported, citing the biggest bond dealers in the U.S. The Fed will inject more money into the economy next quarter by purchasing mortgage securities instead of Treasuries, the bond dealers said. The Fed may buy about $545 billion in home-loan debt, Bloomberg said. The Fed bought $2.3 trillion of Treasury and mortgage-related bonds between 2008 and June. Separately, Bloomberg reported the Fed and big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing, Bloomberg said, based on 29,000 pages of Fed documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and central bank records of more than 21,000 transactions. According to Bloomberg Markets magazine's January issue, the Fed didn't tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day; bankers didn't mention they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy; and no one calculated until now that banks got an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed's below-market rates. Fed officials say almost all of the loans were repaid and there have been no losses, but details suggest the secret funding enabled the biggest banks to grow even bigger, according toBloomberg. The six biggest U.S. banks - JPMorgan Chase(JPM_), Bank of America(BAC_),Citigroup(C_), Wells Fargo(WFC_), Goldman Sachs(GS_) and Morgan Stanley(MS_)which received $160 billion from the Troubled Assets Relief Program, borrowed as much as $460 billion from the Fed, Bloomberg calculated, citing data obtained from the Fed. - Written by Joseph Woelfel >To contact the writer of

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/nature_coast/crackdown-on-synthetic-marijuana-02272012 Peter Linton-SmithFOX 13 News Pasco County reporter SPRING HILL - Brightly colored packages of potpourri can be found at many convenience stores -- and most of them are illegal. Last year, Florida banned some of the ingredients found in the potpourri because it is being used like marijuana. When the synthetic marijuana is used as pot, it can be dangerous. "It has a tendency to be more likely to lead to psychosis

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/nature_coast/crackdown-on-synthetic-marijuana-02272012 Peter Linton-Smith FOX 13 News Pasco County reporter SPRING HILL - Brightly colored packages of potpourri can be found at many convenience stores -- and most of them are illegal. Last year, Florida banned some of the ingredients found in the potpourri because it is being used like marijuana. When the synthetic marijuana is used as pot, it can be dangerous. "It has a tendency to be more likely to lead to psychosis and sometimes prolonged psychosis," according to Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis. Emergency rooms are beginning to report more cases of people with bizarre side effects related to the use of fake marijuana, sometimes called K-2. "These manufacturing conditions are not up to pharmaceutical grade," Sheriff Nienhuis added. This week, deputies fanned out across the county to visit 130 convenience stores. Deputy Steve Snell is one of the deputies checking the shelves. "We're going around to all our convenience stores our retailers that might be selling this type of product and trying to inform them what law changes have taken place," Snell said. Snell will deliver a page-long warning letter. It lists the ingredients in potpourri that are now banned. "This letter is to inform you of recent changes in the Florida State Statutes which specifically address the possession of chemicals in synthetic Marijuana (commonly referred to as Spice or K-2)." The letter goes on the warn the "...chemicals are now outlawed (making) it a third degree felony for ANYONE to posses of sell items that contain these chemicals." The warning letters have been well received thus far, according to Snell. "We haven't had any resistance. They're very appreciative of what we're doing. We're trying to make sure they're in compliance." Deputies will eventually make a return visit. If the K-2 or Spice is found on the shelves, the store owner could b

South Korea Group of Springhill | edublogs.org May 22, '12 12:35 AM by SpringHill for everyone http://tonybricks96.edublogs.org/ http://tonybricks96.edublogs.org/2012/05/21/scrap-n-test-china-tells-n-korea/ China has been quietly and gently pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test, said two sources with knowledge of closed-door discussions between the countries, but there is no indication how Pyongyang will react. If North Korea goes ahead with the test, China would consider taking some retaliatory steps, but they would not be substantive, a source with ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said. North Korea has almost completed preparations for the test, Reuters had reported in late April, a step that would further isolate the impoverished state after last month's failed rocket launch that the United States says was a ballistic missile test. "China is unhappy … and urged North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test near Changbai Mountain," said the source, who declined to be identified. China feared a radiation leak and damage to the environment from a blast, the source added. "China also complained about the environmental damage to the area after the first two tests." When North Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, it caused environmental damage to the mountain straddling the border with China. North Korea ceded part of the mountain to China in 1963. It was unclear if the secretive North Korean government, typically unwilling to bow to outside pressure, would defer or drop the plans. China is the closest thing to an ally that North Korea has. "The impact on China's northeast would be huge," the source said of a third test. Chinese officials have discussed whether threats of diplomatic action would be effective, but any action might be restricted to some economic measures to signal China's displeasure and would not affect vital food aid for North Korea, the source said. A Western diplomat, who also asked n

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/06/11/north-korea-uses-infected-games-to-ddos-south-korea/ FILED UNDER: Featured, Law & order, background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(37, 113, 194); text-decorati

Springhill Group : Facebook might be reading your text messages The online community is all abuzz on Sunday after an explosive report has accused Facebook of snooping in smartphone users' text messages. Though Facebook admitted to reading SMS of users who have downloaded their app, they said they are only doing so as part of a limited testing phase prior to launching their own messaging service and not to deliberately expose users to fraud. The Facebook app running on Android is authorized to process, read, receive and write SMS, something they have declared in their terms beginning from the 1.7 version. Facebook said this is in anticipation of new features that will integrate Facebook tools with user texts. Now, if Facebook eventually introduces a feature that will be applicable to those permissions, they are ensuring the users even now that it will be accompanied by proper educational and guiding materials. Facebook retorted that users should be aware that it said it might access their messages, contained under "Permissions" - that long article you are expected to have read before downloading/using the app. Unfortunately, 70% of smartphone users do not seem to have the time for reading the terms and conditions attached to an app. Other popular companies that are using smartphones to access data and other personal details of users include Yahoo Messenger, Badoo, Google and Flickr. Several companies can reportedly control smartphone features remotely, which includes taking images and video using the camera, as in the case of YouTube. Also, details like contacts list, location and browser history are accessed and can be passed on to third-parties like advertisers. According to a statement issued by Facebook, it does not read user text messages and described the Sunday Times report as 'completely wrong' on their terminology and the impression they have made. But Facebook gave an explanation anyway: "…w

News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : Blogspot Articles: News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : America's Choice Home Loans LP Opens In Oregon And Welcomes Jerry Holman To The Team Mes Jerry Holman To The Team By Angie Barrett | November 28, 2011 10:09 am America's Choice Home Loans announced the opening of Branch 1013, located in Newberg, Oregon. Managed by Jerry Holman, a long time veteran of the mortgage industry, the branch opened on October 20. "Please give Jerry a warm welcome and let him ... READ MORE News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans:Fed Seen Buying $545B Of Home-Loan Debt : Report By Joseph Woelfel NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Federal Reserve is poised to start a new round of stimulus, Bloomberg reported, citing the biggest bond dealers in the U.S. The Fed will inject more money into the economy next quarter by purchasing mortgage securities instead of Treasuries, the bond dealers said. The ... READ MORE News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : Rates For Home Loans And Savings Could Swing Again The deteriorating situation in Europe has increased the chances of a December interest rate cut. Australian banks are coming under increasing pressure from the ensuing European debt crisis, and have become nervous about lending to each other because of their exposure to risky European debt. Consequently, there are concerns about the ... READ MORE

Springhill Group : Facebook might be reading your text messages The online community is all abuzz on Sunday after an explosive report has accused Facebook of snooping in smartphone users' text messages. Though Facebook admitted to reading SMS of users who have downloaded their app, they said they are only doing so as part of a limited testing phase prior to launching their own messaging service and not to deliberately expose users to fraud. The Facebook app running on Android is authorized to process, read, receive and write SMS, something they have declared in their terms beginning from the 1.7 version. Facebook said this is in anticipation of new features that will integrate Facebook tools with user texts. Now, if Facebook eventually introduces a feature that will be applicable to those permissions, they are ensuring the users even now that it will be accompanied by proper educational and guiding materials. Facebook retorted that users should be aware that it said it might access their messages, contained under "Permissions" - that long article you are expected to have read before downloading/using the app. Unfortunately, 70% of smartphone users do not seem to have the time for reading the terms and conditions attached to an app. Other popular companies that are using smartphones to access data and other personal details of users include Yahoo Messenger, Badoo, Google and Flickr. Several companies can reportedly control smartphone features remotely, which includes taking images and video using the camera, as in the case of YouTube. Also, details like contacts list, location and browser history are accessed and can be passed on to third-parties like advertisers. According to a statement issued by Facebook, it does not read user text messages and described the Sunday Times report as 'completely wrong' on their terminology and the impression they have made. But Facebook gave an explanation anyway: "…we have done some testing of pr

Recent headlines about the troubled subprime lending industry are making Americans more aware of the consequences of risky lending practices. But unscrupulous lenders and scam artists continue to prey on unsuspecting loan shoppers and homeowners. Unfortunately, loan-related scams aren't restricted to tricking consumers into loans with outrageously high interest rates. Today's sophisticated scammers are using loans as a vehicle to do everything from stealing sensitive personal information to virtually stealing a credit-challenged homeowner's own home. The mortgage experts at Loan.com have identified five top scams that all consumers - mortgage shoppers and homeowners alike - should be on the look-out for. 1. Unsolicited phone calls Americans across the country have reported receiving phone calls from telemarketers posing as representatives from well-known organizations such as Fannie Mae offering to refinance loans at low rates. These "representatives" often ask for personal information, claiming they need it to qualify a victim for a loan. This information is then used to steal a victim's identity. Loan.com's Advice: Be wary of any phone call offering remarkably low interest rates on loans, especially if you have registered your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry. Most major nationwide lenders do not solicit business over the phone. Never give out personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure who you are speaking with. 2. "Helpful" contractors Many homeowners have reported contractors - often roofing or remodel professionals - approaching them with an offer to perform upgrades on their home at a reasonable price. These contractors offer financing through low-interest loans. It's not until after signing numerous forms that too many homeowners realize they have signed off on a high-interest home equity loan, and that the contractor has been hired by unscrupulous lenders to sell loans, not impro

Recent headlines about the troubled subprime lending industry are making Americans more aware of the consequences of risky lending practices. But unscrupulous lenders and scam artists continue to prey on unsuspecting loan shoppers and homeowners. Unfortunately, loan-related scams aren't restricted to tricking consumers into loans with outrageously high interest rates. Today's sophisticated scammers are using loans as a vehicle to do everything from stealing sensitive personal information to virtually stealing a credit-challenged homeowner's own home. The mortgage experts at Loan.com have identified five top scams that all consumers - mortgage shoppers and homeowners alike - should be on the look-out for. 1. Unsolicited phone calls Americans across the country have reported receiving phone calls from telemarketers posing as representatives from well-known organizations such as Fannie Mae offering to refinance loans at low rates. These "representatives" often ask for personal information, claiming they need it to qualify a victim for a loan. This information is then used to steal a victim's identity. Loan.com's Advice: Be wary of any phone call offering remarkably low interest rates on loans, especially if you have registered your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry. Most major nationwide lenders do not solicit business over the phone. Never give out personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure who you are speaking with. 2. "Helpful" contractors Many homeowners have reported contractors - often roofing or remodel professionals - approaching them with an offer to perform upgrades on their home at a reasonable price. These contractors offer financing through low-interest loans. It's not until after signing numerous forms that too many homeowners realize they have signed off on a high-interest home equity loan, and that the contractor has been hired by unscrupulous lenders to sell loans, not improve

Springhill Group : Facebook might be reading your text messages The online community is all abuzz on Sunday after an explosive report has accused Facebook of snooping in smartphone users' text messages. Though Facebook admitted to reading SMS of users who have downloaded their app, they said they are only doing so as part of a limited testing phase prior to launching their own messaging service and not to deliberately expose users to fraud. The Facebook app running on Android is authorized to process, read, receive and write SMS, something they have declared in their terms beginning from the 1.7 version. Facebook said this is in anticipation of new features that will integrate Facebook tools with user texts. Now, if Facebook eventually introduces a feature that will be applicable to those permissions, they are ensuring the users even now that it will be accompanied by proper educational and guiding materials. Facebook retorted that users should be aware that it said it might access their messages, contained under "Permissions" - that long article you are expected to have read before downloading/using the app. Unfortunately, 70% of smartphone users do not seem to have the time for reading the terms and conditions attached to an app. Other popular companies that are using smartphones to access data and other personal details of users include Yahoo Messenger, Badoo, Google and Flickr. Several companies can reportedly control smartphone features remotely, which includes taking images and video using the camera, as in the case of YouTube. Also, details like contacts list, location and browser history are accessed and can be passed on to third-parties like advertisers. According to a statement issued by Facebook, it does not read user text messages and described the Sunday Times report as 'completely wrong' on their terminology and the impression they have made. But Facebook gave an explanation anyway: "…we have done some testing of pr