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There will be an open call for the Brighton Beach Memoirs at the Boiler Room Theatre (230 Franklin Rd., Bldg Six, Franklin) on March 21st at 2 PM. Unlike their usual by-appointment audition process, all auditionees need to attend the open call at 2 PM. Actors will read from the script in groups; no need to prepare any audition material. Call backs will be held the same day. Bring (2) copies each of your headshot and resume. The show is scheduled to run My 7th through the 29th. For audition questions, call 615-794-7744. Auditions for Pull-Tight's Father of the Bride will be held Sunday and Monday, April 11 and 12 at 7:00 pm at the Pull-Tight Theatre. There are 13 roles available. 1 man age 40-55, 3 women age 40-55, 2 women age 18-25, 2 men age 18-25, and 2 boys age 12-15. There are additional smaller roles for men or women of any age. Auditions will consist of readings from the script. For more information, please contact director Alan Mancuso directly at 708-6288 (cell) or 794-4045 (home). Actors, reenactors and muscians are desired for a Performance Reading of Scathe: A Civil War Incident in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Auditions will be held Friday, March 19, 7-9 PM and Saturday, March 20, 9-11 PM. Call Backs will be held Monday 7-8:30 PM. Daytime auditions may be by appointment. The auditions will be held at the Heron Center, located at the Tennessee Children's Home (TCH) at 5350 Main Street Spring Hill. 12 men and 7 women ages 18 to 60+. Rehearsals begin after Easter. Performances are scheduled for May 6-8. Scathe is a play with music to be performed as an Outdoor Historical Drama. It concerns the civil war, a love triangle, conspiracy and murder. There is no pay but performers will receive a copy of the performance for their portfolio. For more information contact Deanne Collins at deannemcollins@bellsouth.net.

There will be an open call for theBrighton Beach Memoirs at the Boiler Room Theatre (230 Franklin Rd., Bldg Six, Franklin) on March 21st at 2 PM. Unlike their usual by-appointment audition process, all auditionees need to attend the open call at 2 PM. Actors will read from the script in groups; no need to prepare any audition material. Call backs will be held the same day. Bring (2) copies each of your headshot and resume. The show is scheduled to run My 7th through the 29th. For audition questions, call 615-794-7744. Auditions for Pull-Tight's Father of the Bride will be held Sunday and Monday, April 11 and 12 at 7:00 pm at the Pull-Tight Theatre. There are 13 roles available. 1 man age 40-55, 3 women age 40-55, 2 women age 18-25, 2 men age 18-25, and 2 boys age 12-15. There are additional smaller roles for men or women of any age. Auditions will consist of readings from the script. For more information, please contact director Alan Mancuso directly at 708-6288 (cell) or 794-4045 (home). Actors, reenactors and muscians are desired for a Performance Reading of Scathe: A Civil War Incident in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Auditions will be held Friday, March 19, 7-9 PM and Saturday, March 20, 9-11 PM. Call Backs will be held Monday 7-8:30 PM. Daytime auditions may be by appointment. The auditions will be held at the Heron Center, located at the Tennessee Children's Home (TCH) at 5350 Main Street Spring Hill. 12 men and 7 women ages 18 to 60+. Rehearsals begin after Easter. Performances are scheduled for May 6-8. Scathe is a play with music to be performed as an Outdoor Historical Drama. It concerns the civil war, a love triangle, conspiracy and murder. There is no pay but performers will receive a copy of the performance for their portfolio. For more information contact Deanne Collins atdeannemcollins@bellsouth.net.

There will be an open call for theBrighton Beach Memoirs at the Boiler Room Theatre (230 Franklin Rd., Bldg Six, Franklin) on March 21st at 2 PM. Unlike their usual by-appointment audition process, all auditionees need to attend the open call at 2 PM.  Actors will read from the script in groups; no need to prepare any audition material. Call backs will be held the same day. Bring (2) copies each of your headshot and resume.  The show is scheduled to run My 7th through the 29th.
For audition questions, call 615-794-7744. Auditions for Pull-Tight's Father of the Bride will be held Sunday and Monday, April 11 and 12 at 7:00 pm at the Pull-Tight Theatre.  There are 13 roles available. 1 man age 40-55, 3 women age 40-55, 2 women age 18-25, 2 men age 18-25, and 2 boys age 12-15. There are additional smaller roles for men or women of any age.
Auditions will consist of readings from the script.
For more informat

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

"A personal loan scam victim warns residents to be vigilant of phone calls from fraudsters. LISA (not her real name), from West Suffolk resident, lost £110 after sending over a code for an online voucher as a fee for someone who contacted her by phone promising a loan. They agreed over the phone that she will be receiving the money within 15 minutes; the money was supposedly for Lisa's new furniture. But instead of receiving the said money, she was asked to pay an additional £295 in voucher form Good thing is that she refused.  She rather contacted the police and is now warning residents not to fall prey to such schemes.She said: "I feel absolutely gutted and stupid that I fell for it. They're very crafty and I just don't want anyone else to fall for it. "The company has been harassing me with over 20 calls a day, emptied my bank account and left me nervous of borrowing from other providers." She added. This incident isn't new to Suffolk Police.  They have been receiving details of similar occurrences from residents and are also urging people not to provide personal information to cold callers. Ukash was the code given by Lisa, which can be bought from high street shops with cash and spent online using the code rather than providing bank or credit card details. A police spokesman said: "They are never genuinely used as advance fee payment for loans or other similar products. They are simply designed for the purchase of goods from the internet or other retailers. "Anyone offering a genuine loan will not ask for a cash payment up front for the service. "Fraudsters will try anything to get you to part with your cash so if you receive any unsolicited calls from people asking you for cash or voucher details then please do not give it to them." This is a great example that anyone can be a victim of these scams.  We must be very watchful and on guard of ourselves in all time. We will never know when fraudsters will attack in any form o

ST. PETER'S CHURCH HIT BY EXPLOSION March 31, 1936: Dozens of windows were shattered in surrounding buildings and a number of persons were knocked off their feet by a terrific blast in the boiler room of St. Peter church. Firemen think gas accumulated in the flue, ignited and exploded. No damage was done to the furnace and boiler. Carl Schrattenberger, engineer, who was firing the boiler at the time, escaped without injury. He was hurled 15 feet. Persons in the vicinity said a huge cloud of smoke rolled out of the chimney. The force of the blast was felt up to six blocks away. 1964: Representatives of city employees' unions said the proposed $338,000 increase in the city's pay plan was not enough. The unions recommended, instead, an increase of at least 10 percent. The proposal sent to the Personnel Board by Personnel Director Ernest W. Howard called for an annual increase of about 5 percent. It would give raises to about 80 percent of the city's 1,700 employees. 1987: People wanting to establish a day shelter for the homeless would be required to obtain a city permit under a proposal to be reviewed by the City Planning Board. The board also would consider a redevelopment plan for the Lackawanna leather-processing plant a 2420 Z St. The plan called for the city to provide a $250,000 tax-increment loan to help expand the plant. The homeless shelter permit proposal came from City Councilman Walt Calinger. He said the city needed to have some controls over the establishment of shelters. 1996: The gypsy-moth spraying in the previous May that cost the City of Bellevue $15,000 seemed to have taken care of the moth infestation. Only one male moth was found in traps set during the summer. "We're looking real good there," said Stephen Johnson, an entomologist with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Johnson said that if traps laid out for the next two years didn't contain any moths, the problem would be considered solved.

ST. PETER'S CHURCH HIT BY EXPLOSION March 31, 1936: Dozens of windows were shattered in surrounding buildings and a number of persons were knocked off their feet by a terrific blast in the boiler room of St. Peter church. Firemen think gas accumulated in the flue, ignited and exploded. No damage was done to the furnace and boiler. Carl Schrattenberger, engineer, who was firing the boiler at the time, escaped without injury. He was hurled 15 feet. Persons in the vicinity said a huge cloud of smoke rolled out of the chimney. The force of the blast was felt up to six blocks away. 1964: Representatives of city employees' unions said the proposed $338,000 increase in the city's pay plan was not enough. The unions recommended, instead, an increase of at least 10 percent. The proposal sent to the Personnel Board by Personnel Director Ernest W. Howard called for an annual increase of about 5 percent. It would give raises to about 80 percent of the city's 1,700 employees. 1987: People wanting to establish a day shelter for the homeless would be required to obtain a city permit under a proposal to be reviewed by the City Planning Board. The board also would consider a redevelopment plan for the Lackawanna leather-processing plant a 2420 Z St. The plan called for the city to provide a $250,000 tax-increment loan to help expand the plant. The homeless shelter permit proposal came from City Councilman Walt Calinger. He said the city needed to have some controls over the establishment of shelters. 1996: The gypsy-moth spraying in the previous May that cost the City of Bellevue $15,000 seemed to have taken care of the moth infestation. Only one male moth was found in traps set during the summer. "We're looking real good there," said Stephen Johnson, an entomologist with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Johnson said that if traps laid out for the next two years didn't contain any moths, the problem would

Source : http://www.valueinvestingnews.com/scam-review-springhill-suites-houston-medical-center http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/61/A_Scam_-_Review_of_Springhill_Suites_Houston_Medical_Center Springhill Suites Houston Medical Center/Reliant Park: Traveler Reviews Ranked #91 of 425 hotels in Houston 50 Reviews 50 reviews from our community Trip type Family reviews (16) Couples reviews (6) Business reviews (17) Solo travel reviews (5) Friends reviews (3) "A Scam!" - While this hotel is clean, I would NOT recommend staying here, especially if you need to rely on taxis for transportation. First, we asked for three days in a row for the drain in the bath/shower to be unclogged, which was never done. Standing in inches of water while taking a shower is not my idea of fun. Much worse however, was the scam the hotel seems to be running regarding taxis and car service. The last night of my stay, I requested an early morning cab to go to the airport. I was told it would be taken care of. Shortly after, the front desk called my room, asking if I wouldn't prefer a town car. I was told this was suggested because the cab drivers had been adding extra distance to rides to drive up the cost of the fare. Since I had taken a cab from the airport to the hotel, I had a sense of the cost, and felt confident that I could be firm with the cab driver, especially since the cost of the town car was quoted at $10 more. The next morning, I showed up in the lobby at 4:45 am for my cab. The person at the desk informed me that no cab had been called, that 'cabs don't work that way' here, and strongly suggested (again) that a town car be called, since that was the only way to be sure of a quick arrival. The price this person quoted me was now $5 more than a cab ride, and feeling desperate, I agreed. Once in the town car, I asked the driver if there was any arrangement with the hotel to pass along part of the fare to the hotel. He acknowledged that there

"http://www.fhanewsblog.com/2012/10/fha-warns-about-home-equity-mortgage-loan-scams/ The FHA official site includes a page about reverse mortgages and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. On that page, you'll find a warning from the FHA and HUD about scam artists who take advantage of some loan applicants who don't know enough about the FHA's free information on HECM loans and reverse mortgage loans. "Reverse mortgages are becoming popular in America" the FHA site says, "Reverse mortgages are a special type of home loan that lets a homeowner convert the equity in his/her home into cash. They can give older Americans greater financial security to supplement social security, meet unexpected medical expenses, make home improvements, and more. If you are interested in a reverse mortgage, beware of scam artists that charge thousands of dollars for information that is free from HUD!" The warning is good-but what kind of information are these scam artists charging so much money for? According to the FHA, simple details such as the nature of a HECM loan, who is eligible, even free advice about whether a borrower should us an estate planner to find a participating lender. On this topic, the FHA and HUD advise: "FHA does NOT recommend using any service that charges a fee for referring a borrower to an FHA-approved lender.  You can locate a FHA-approved lender by searching online at www.hud.gov or by contacting a HECM counselor for a listing. Services rendered by HECM counselors are free or at a low cost.  To locate a HECM counselor Search online or call (800) 569-4287 toll-free, for the name and location of a HUD-approved housing counseling agency near you". Very good advice for borrowers age 62 an older (the only people who qualify for FHA HECM loans) interested in applying for an FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage. Here's another fact about HECM loans you might not know-according to the FHA official site: "By law, you have three calendar da

"Springhill Group Korea : News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans - BlogSpot http://newscenter-springhillgrouphome.blogspot.com/ FHA Warns About Home Equity Mortgage Loan Scams The FHA official site includes a page about reverse mortgages and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. On that page, you'll find a warning from the FHA and HUD about scam artists who take advantage of some loan applicants who don't know enough about the FHA's free information on HECM loans and reverse mortgage loans. "Reverse mortgages are becoming popular in America" the FHA site says, "Reverse mortgages are a special type of home loan that lets a homeowner convert the equity in his/her home into cash. They can give older Americans greater financial security to supplement social security, meet unexpected medical expenses, make home improvements, and more. If you are interested in a reverse mortgage, beware of scam artists that charge thousands of dollars for information that is free from HUD!" The warning is good-but what kind of information are these scam artists charging so much money for? According to the FHA, simple details such as the nature of a HECM loan, who is eligible, even free advice about whether a borrower should us an estate planner to find a participating lender. On this topic, the FHA and HUD advise: "FHA does NOT recommend using any service that charges a fee for referring a borrower to an FHA-approved lender. You can locate a FHA-approved lender by searching online at www.hud.gov or by contacting a HECM counselor for a listing. Services rendered by HECM counselors are free or at a low cost. To locate a HECM counselor Search online or call (800) 569-4287 toll-free, for the name and location of a HUD-approved housing counseling agency near you". Very good advice for borrowers age 62 an older (the only people who qualify for FHA HECM loans) interested in applying for an FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage. Here's another fact about HECM loans you might n

"This can work in two ways, trough email, text message or social-media post, the gift-check scam is more popular during Christmas season where people are buying on this a lot. The scam goes like this; a message will appear from nowhere announcing you a winner of a popular retail gift card. You are then instructed to follow a link and when you click it you will be directed to a site that is a remarkable clone of the real thing. This site will ask for your personal information like your email, birth date and favorite color. This indicates that you're directed off the bogus site to a credit-card application, and because you filled-up this information sheet the fraudster has what he wants. You can also deceived by buying bogus card online from third parties. And if buying over the counter, make sure the PIN code on the back hasn't been scratched off, an indication that it's been hacked by someone in the store. This next bogus often comes via email. This one is called package-delivery scam. It appears to be from a legitimate company, the email gives the impression of being genuine complete with a phony tracking number and a note about the delivery error. There's an attachment with a made-up delivery label that you're told to take to the nearest delivery office to get the package. Open it, and you'll be subjecting your computer or smartphone to malware and virus attacks. These E-cards appears to be seemingly harmless thank you note or holiday greetings but you will never know until you click on it and it could be spyware or viruses that automatically download when opened or when they direct you to download to see the card. Best-deal-ever scams, if it is to good to be true more like it is a scam, it is a lie. The idea is they will attract you on deals and items then after sending them the money you will not get anything in return. They will say that items are limited and rare to find so they are selling it for higher prices on online auction site but af

http://www2.hernandotoday.com/news/news/2012/mar/15/6/gypsy-scammer-arrested-ar-381174/ BROOKSVILLE -- Authorities arrested a man accused of scamming a woman into paying him for roof repair and bolting with the money without doing any work. Detectives said it's possible the suspect could have targeted more people in Hernando County. Leonard Lovell, 42, who has a criminal history in three other states, was arrested this week in connection with the scam. He remained in custody in Alabama as of Thursday afternoon, deputies said. On Jan. 12, an 88-year-old woman who lives in the area of U.S. 19 in Spring Hill, answered a knock on her door and encountered Lovell, who was soliciting roof work, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The suspect told the woman her roof needed fixing and he would do it for about $70. She agreed and two men – including Lovell – returned to the house later to do the job. One got on the roof and the other spoke with the woman, presumably to distract her, deputies said. A short time later, both suspects told the woman the job would cost $321. The woman felt "pressured" and she paid Lovell, according to the sheriff's office. The check was cashed almost immediately and the men didn't return, deputies said. The woman's son came to her house later and noticed the men didn't perform any work at all. This type of ruse is called a "gypsy scam" because it is carried out by

http://springhill.newsvine.com/_news/2012/03/15/10709392-gypsy-scammer-accused-of-taking-money-not-doing-work http://www2.hernandotoday.com/news/news/2012/mar/15/6/gypsy-scammer-arrested-ar-381174/ BROOKSVILLE -- Authorities arrested a man accused of scamming a woman into paying him for roof repair and bolting with the money without doing any work. Detectives said it's possible the suspect could have targeted more people in Hernando County. Leonard Lovell, 42, who has a criminal history in three other states, was arrested this week in connection with the scam. He remained in custody in Alabama as of Thursday afternoon, deputies said. On Jan. 12, an 88-year-old woman who lives in the area of U.S. 19 in Spring Hill, answered a knock on her door and encountered Lovell, who was soliciting roof work, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The suspect told the woman her roof needed fixing and he would do it for about $70. She agreed and two men - including Lovell - returned to the house later to do the job. One got on the roof and the other spoke with the woman, presumably to distract her, deputies said. A short time later, both suspects told the woman the job would cost $321. The woman felt "pressured" and she paid Lovell, according to the sheriff's office. The check was cashed almost immediately and the men didn't return, deputies said. The woman's son came to her house later and noticed the men didn't perform any work at all. This type of ruse is called a "gypsy scam" because it is carried out by suspects from out of state, according to the sheriff's office. They target seniors and solicit different kinds of home-improvement work. The man who accompanied Lovell might be related to him, but the sheriff's office is still trying to identify him, said Detective Dustin Mormando. The victim described the second suspect as a white male with blonde hair. Deputies said the case remains active. Anyone with information abo

Statewide California Indian Legal Services Assistance: Foreclosure to all Native Americans living in California and other Residents of select Counties Location: Escondido, Bishop, Eureka, and Sacramento Website: http://www.calindian.org/ Phone: Escondido: (760) 746-8941 or (800) 743-8941 Bishop: (760) 873-3581 or (800) 736-3582 Eureka: (707) 443-8397 or (800) 347-2402 Sacramento: (916) 978-0960 or (800) 829-0284 Services: The various offices provides free and low-cost legal services to Native Americans and Native American tribes and residents of the Counties of Alpine, Inyo, Kern, Mono, Tuolumne, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity , Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Kings, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo, Yuba. California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) Assistance: Foreclosure and Loan Modification Scams for California Residents in Rural Areas in English and Spanish Location: Coachella, Delano, El Centro, Fresno, Gilroy, Lamont, Madera, Marysville, Modesto, Monterey, Oceanside, Oxnard, Paso Robles, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Watsonville Website: http://www.crla.org/ Phone: To find the contact information for the office closest to you, please visithttp://www.crla.org/index.php?page=office-locations-amp-staff Services: CRLA provides free legal services to low-income residents in various rural counties. The organization assists with foreclosure and loan modification scam issues. In particular, CRLA operates free foreclosure intervention workshops out of the Mary

Statewide California Indian Legal Services Assistance: Foreclosure to all Native Americans living in California and other Residents of select Counties Location: Escondido, Bishop, Eureka, and Sacramento Website: http://www.calindian.org/ Phone: Escondido: (760) 746-8941 or (800) 743-8941 Bishop: (760) 873-3581 or (800) 736-3582 Eureka: (707) 443-8397 or (800) 347-2402 Sacramento: (916) 978-0960 or (800) 829-0284 Services: The various offices provides free and low-cost legal services to Native Americans and Native American tribes and residents of the Counties of Alpine, Inyo, Kern, Mono, Tuolumne, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity , Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Kings, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo, Yuba. California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) Assistance: Foreclosure and Loan Modification Scams for California Residents in Rural Areas in English and Spanish Location: Coachella, Delano, El Centro, Fresno, Gilroy, Lamont, Madera, Marysville, Modesto, Monterey, Oceanside, Oxnard, Paso Robles, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Watsonville Website: http://www.crla.org/ Phone: To find the contact information for the office closest to you, please visithttp://www.crla.org/index.php?page=office-locations-amp-staff Services: CRLA provides free legal services to low-income residents in various rural counties. The organization assists with foreclosure and loan modification scam issues. In particular, CRLA operates free foreclosure intervention workshops out of t

The insurance fraud in Changwon uncovered by the Financial Supervisory Service is both shocking and disturbing. It involved as many as 1,361 people, mostly residents of the South Gyeongsang Province city, who either posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses. Collectively, they claimed 9.5 billion won from 33 insurance companies between 2007 and 2011. At the center of the scam ― the largest ever in terms of the number of people involved ― were three unconscionable hospitals in the city, which recruited fake patients systematically in cahoots with insurance brokers and solicitors. They did this to increase revenue and ease their financial distress. The main ploy used by the hospitals was to share a patient, meaning they would arrange for a patient to check in the three hospitals alternately for a different disease. For this, they faked his illnesses and prepared false documents. For close cooperation, they shared patient information among themselves. This scheme helped patients pocket more insurance money. They all purchased multiple private health insurance policies before hospitalization. On average they received some 7 million won per person. In one example, a man in his 50s was hospitalized for a total of 564 days over three years, collecting 95 million won in insurance. The Changwon case followed a similar one that took place in Taebaek last November, involving more than 400 people in the declining mining town in Gangwon Province. They got a total of 14 billion won in insurance payments. As with the Changwon scam, three financially distressed hospitals in the city played a central role. The two cases suggest that insurance fraud is a fairly common occurrence in Korea. According to the FSS, the number of insurance-related crimes has surged in recent years. Last year alone, more than 70,000 people were caught for insurance scams, with the amount of false claims they filed reaching 423 billion won. Yet the figure represented just the tip of the

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to ease mortgage lending limits and take other measures in a bid to tackle the housing market slump and spur domestic demand, the presidential office said Sunday. The plan, which came after a government-private meeting, calls for relaxing the so-called debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, which serves as a major tool to control housing loans by tying the maximum amount of money that home buyers can borrow to their income levels. The current ceiling is 40-60 percent in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the nation's most populous region. "We will maintain the basic principle of DTI and plan to complement irrational parts (of the system) for those who actually want to buy houses," Kim Dae-ki, the chief presidential economic advisor, said at a briefing, without elaborating. The growing number of people who can't afford to make payments on their home loans emerged as a major concern as policymakers brace for an economic slowdown in the wake of the eurozone debt crisis. During the meeting, which lasted nearly 10 hours through midnight, officials and industry experts agreed to a set of measures aimed at spurring foreign investment and tax support for small and medium companies as well as eased regulations on building new hotels and resorts, participants said. As a way to spur domestic demand, the government officials and businessmen agreed to encourage employees to use up their vacations during the summer, they said. Kim said the finance ministry will hold a meeting on Monday with related agencies to prepare follow-up measures aimed at boosting domestic demand in Asia's fourth-largest economy. The stimulus plan comes as South Korea's economy has been losing steam in the face of the eurozone debt crisis and a global economic slump that have made a dent in exports, the main driver of its growth. In the second quarter, Asia's fourth-largest economy is estimated to have grown a

"springhill group seoul korea Multiply-Korea`s largest bank reports 3,000 cases of loa... http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/124/Koreas-largest-bank-reports-3000-cases-of-loan-doc-fraud-    Korea`s largest bank Kookmin has had 3,000 cases of document manipulation in applications for collective loans for intermediate payment. The bank said five people recently filed a petition to police after suffering losses from manipulation of related documents by bank staff, and has launched an investigation into similar cases. According to the Financial Supervisory Service and the bank, Kookmin probed between the end of last month and Aug. 10 manipulation cases on 200,000 collective loans for intermediate payment on 850 reconstruction and redevelopment apartment sites, and discovered more than 3,000 fraud cases. According to the bank`s findings, most cases involved employee manipulation of the expiration date of collective loans for intermediate payment. In the past, three years of maturity have typically been written for collective loans for intermediate payment regardless of when the borrower would move to the house. If the bank`s headquarters reduced the time to 26 or 27 months, however, bank employees would scrape out the number and put in three years again. If the lending period is shorter than the date written in the contract, the borrower would be pressured for repayment. Collective loans for intermediate payment are shifted to lending with home collateral. So a person can move into a house before the lending maturity expires, but failure to move in within the time frame would mean he or she must make the intermediate payment because it is not shifted to a home equity loan. Since the number of manipulation cases was bigger than expected, a massive filing of lawsuits is likely. Fraud was considerable in cases of apartments that people had signed contracts on, an area that has seen many conflicts between builders and banks. A financial regulatory source

"Briefs..... - thenews.com.pk - Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/notes/bethany-rawlins/briefs-thenewscompk/270309179753391 China paper hints at anti-Japan sanctions BEIJING: The mouthpiece of China's Communist Party warned on Monday that Japan's economy could suffer for up to 20 years if Beijing chose to impose sanctions over an escalating territorial row. Anti-Japanese protests have been held across China in recent days over a dispute on a group of small islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries but controlled by Tokyo. The row intensified last week when the Japanese government bought three of the islands, effectively nationalising them, and China responded by sending patrol ships into the waters around them. Trade sanctions between Asia's two biggest economies could cast a pall over growth on the continent, which major Western countries are counting on to drive recovery from the global slowdown. A commentary in the People's Daily newspaper said the Japanese economy has already experienced two lost decades from the 1990s and was suffering further weakness in the aftermath of the world financial crisis and 2011 earthquake. Digital news offering aims at high ground WASHINGTON: It seems like a terrible time to be launching a news operation.But there are opportunities and niches, and the new digital media launch called Quartz from Atlantic Media Company seeks to exploit them. Quartz is set to launch in the coming weeks as a "100 percent digital" news operation covering "the most important themes of the new global economy," said editor-in-chief Kevin Delaney. Quartz has been recruiting a small number of veteran journalists for an overall news staff of around 25 people. The operation will feature tablet and mobile displays as well as a desktop website, qz.com. "There is an opportunity to do great journalism on a digital platform," Delaney, a former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal Online, told AFP."It's a great