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Source : http://www.valueinvestingnews.com/scam-review-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 was. I believe this is re

The Swedish government want to increase penalties for issuing fake bills and have appointed a committee to look into the growing problem of billing fraud in Sweden. Judge falls asleep twice during trial (6 Jan 12) Fake invoice fraud on the rise in Sweden: report (3 Jan 12) 'Wheelchair man' jailed for four years for fraud (10 Dec 11) "The real problem is that there is no experience among local police stations across the country to investigate this properly. There is no organized or functioning cooperation between different agencies, which is remarkable," said public prosecutor Tord Josefsson to news agency TT. Josefsson has recently appealed a billing fraud verdict in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden, and is set to discuss these issues with minister for justice, Beatrice Ask, on Wednesday. According to Josefsson, harsher legislation is not the answer to the increasing problem. He told TT that longer sentences are not the answer, as the maximum penalty for economic crime is five to six years but that it is unusual for courts to give out sentences this long. "That courts sentence fraudsters to this long sentences is very uncommon. It really only occurs when the activity is seen as particularly menacing to society," Josefsson told TT. Ask, however, told TT that the police and courts need to look closer at this kind of crime. "It is developing at an alarming pace and is becoming a huge problem. Fake bills have become a major source of income for organized crime," Ask said. Although the rules need to differ between individuals and small businesses, it is vital that there are clear guidelines in both cases, according to Ask. "It's not all about giving out harsher sentences but also to see on a larger scale what problems there are. Maybe one also needs to question whether the current legislation is adequate," Ask told TT.

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

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

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 th

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

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

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 testin

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

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

Protect Yourself from Predatory Lenders Buying or refinancing your home may be one of the most important and complex financial decisions you'll ever make. Many lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals stand ready to help you get a nice home and a great loan. However, you need to understand the home buying process to be a smart consumer. Every year, misinformed homebuyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud. Don't let this happen to you! 11 Tips on Being a Smart Consumer - Before you buy a home, attend a homeownership education course offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved, non-profit counseling agencies. - Interview several real estate professionals (agents), and ask for and check references before you select one to help you buy or sell a home. - Get information about the prices of other homes in the neighborhood. Don't be fooled into paying too much. - Hire a properly qualified and licensed home inspector to carefully inspect the property before you are obligated to buy. Determine whether you or the seller is going to be responsible for paying for the repairs. If you have to pay for the repairs, determine whether or not you can afford to make them. - Shop for a lender and compare costs. Be suspicious if anyone tries to steer you to just one lender. - Do NOT let anyone persuade you to make a false statement on your loan application, such as overstating your income, the source of your down payment, failing to disclose the nature and amount of your debts, or even how long you have been employed. When you apply for a mortgage loan, every piece of information that you submit must be acc

"http://newscenter-springhillgrouphome.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/speed-help-for-nevadans-homeowners.html   http://springhillgrouphome.com/2013/03/speed-the-help-for-the-nevadans-homeowners/   $200 million from federal government was given to Nevada to avoid homeowners from losing their homes.  Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation but a Reno Gazette-Journal analysis of the fund distribution confirms that the money was almost intact in the past two years.   Nevada only spent $21 million of the $194 million it was to be paid to homeowners facing foreclosure, this means only 11% of the money it received through the Obama administration's Hardest Hit Fund, this is according to the most recent reports of the analysis of U.S. Treasury the third quarter of 2012   "This is government bureaucracy at its finest," said Victor Joecks, communication director of think tank Nevada Policy Research Institute. "They can't even give away $200 million. This program is a perfect example of why government shouldn't pick winners and losers in the economy."   According to Nevada Hardest Hit officials, just in January, the nonprofit gave $7.2 million in direct aid to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.  A total of $28.4 million was given by the program since it began in mid-2010, which is only 5% of the allocation. More or less 25 % of what they have given out was given out in January.   Mortgage assistance and principal reduction are the two separate components of the state Hardest Hit Fund program that has much given the aid.  75 percent of the budget went to direct aid from July 2011 to June 2012; this is another analysis of yearly financi

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

Heating Systems ExplainedGas Heating SystemsModern gas central heating systems are safe, controllable and efficient to run but can cause confusion as they have a number of controls that you may not fully understand.Using heating controls properly can:-Improve the comfort of your homeReduce the energy used and your fuel billsAvoid the risk of condensation dampnessTo get the best out of your system, you should follow the manufacturers instructions. If you have mislaid the instruction booklet for your systems, most manufacturers can provide a replacement.Why have controls on a gas central heating system?line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 10px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);

"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

"We all know that to easily apply for loans, applicants must have the best qualifications or some may even refer to it as "triple threat".  One must have an excellent credit rating, a large down payment, and low debt-to-income ratio with steady significant income.  This isn't easy for everyone, some may have bad credit but they do not have to forget about the idea of owning a home.  If previously been turned down for a load, homebuyers can still get a home loan. Do not loose hope because even with bad credit you can help improve your chances for obtaining a mortgage, here is how: source: http://springhillgrouphome.com/2013/01/how-to-apply-home-loan-with-bad-credits/ "

On Monday, temperatures in Elkridge are expected to reach a high of 88 degrees. The last time we hit similar temperatures in this area at this time was in 1941, with a record of 88 degrees, according to The Baltimore Sun. At Long Reach High School, the air conditioning went out Monday morning after a refrigerant leak in the boiler room, but school officials said they were able to preserve the internal temperature by keeping windows closed. Howard County schools are in session until June 8, and in Elkridge, the Watermont Swim Club doesn't open until Saturday, May 26. Do you enjoy the summer temperatures in April? Tell us in comments. If you're not a fan of the heat, not to worry-temperatures are expected to cool down on Tuesday, with a high of 74, according to the National Weather Service.

South Korea Group of Springhill: China's Export Machine Goes High-End2 +-6 Respot From its sprawling manufacturing base deep in China's southwestern Hunan province, some 100 kilometers from where Mao was born, construction-machinery maker Sany Group plans to take on the world. While workers in blue overalls and yellow hard hats crawl over huge mobile hydraulic cranes and cement mixer trucks in a gleaming factory, Sany President Tang Xiuguo sits in his expansive office nearby, discussing the opening of Sany factories in Brazil, India, and Alabama, as well as the soon-to-be-completed $475 million acquisition of Germany's Putzmeister, the world's largest maker of cement pumps. The bespectacled Tang, one of four founders of the 22-year-old company, aims to lift overseas sales, now some 5 percent of its $16 billion revenue, to up to one-fifth of revenues within five years. The phrase "Made in China" summons up images of cheap shoes, plastic toys, and electronics assembled in the vast factory complexes of Foxconn Technology Group (HNHPF). While China built its powerful export business-increasing 17 percent a year over the last three decades-on such light industry and electronics assembly, that is fast changing. Rising labor costs, up 15 percent annually since 2005, plus an appreciating currency, are putting new pressures on China's cheap manufacturing model and driving textile, shoe, and apparel factories to close or relocate to Vietnam, Cambodia, or Bangladesh. "China's share of the world's low-end exports has started to fall. This reflects a shift by Chinese producers into sectors where margins are higher rather than a failure to compete," wrote U.K.-based Capital Economics in a March 28 note. Chinese-built ships, for example, dominated the global market with a 41 percent share last year, well ahead of South Korea and Japan, according to London-based shipping services company Clarksons. Data from the International Trade Centre, a joint agen

April 26, 2012: The United States is openly accusing China of supplying North Korea's missile program with components and technology. This may have something to do with intense effort to recover components of the failed North Korean rocket launch on April 13th. The debris of the rocket fell into shallow water off the west coast of South Korea. Russian, Chinese, and American ships, and perhaps submarines, also joined the search. South Korea called off its search on the 17th but the U.S. appeared to be continuing. The water where the debris fell is no deeper than 100 meters (310 feet), making it easy to search for and recover parts of the rocket. If some of those recovered components can be identified as Chinese there could be problems. China has agreed to abide by embargos on North Korea, but Chinese firms are notorious for ignoring their government and just selling to whoever will buy. Ignoring this behavior is not official Chinese policy but accepting bribes to look the other way is a long accepted Chinese practice. If the U.S. or South Korea recover Chinese rocket components from the ocean floor China will simply deny any knowledge of Chinese firms selling rocket components to North Korea, or claim that the rocket components were dual use (which could be technically true). China may even agree to prosecute errant firms but these prosecutions are mainly for show. That approach has worked for years and it will take some hard-ball, behind-the-scenes diplomacy to force the Chinese government to act. That sometimes works but usually not for long.