Avoiding Email Verification Scams

Email scams abound. They’re usually designed to get your personal financial information, access to your email account or trick you into giving away your hard-earned dollars.  A new email scam targets Hotmail users and attempts to get the victim’s login and password information.  Often, compromised accounts are used to distribute spam or expose the victim to greater identity theft.

The scam in question is delivered in the form of an email message that tries to persuade the victim to “confirm” his or her Hotmail account.  To confirm the account, the user is directed to a page and asked to provide the account’s login ID and password.  The information is collected and the account is officially compromised.

To avoid email scams like this one, here are a few simple tips.

If you have a free email account, your provider may indeed disable accounts that are inactive for long periods of time.  Check with your free email account provider to determine their policies on inactive accounts.  Ask whether and how they will notify you if your account is in danger of being classified as inactive.

If your account is active, don’t respond to requests to “confirm” or “verify” your account. There’s no need to do this for an active account.

Don’t follow links embedded in email, since embedded links can appear to take to you one location, and actually deposit you somewhere else. If you need to go to a Web site to log into an account, enter the site address manually into your browser.

Don’t provide your email login and password to anyone. The provider has no reason to ask you for your password.  If you have been duped into providing this information, contact the provider and ask them to disable your account.

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Ways to Avoid Investment Scams

The second quarter of 2010 wasn’t very good for most peoples’ retirement and investment funds.  Negative 2nd quarter earnings sent many investors – fearful of a double-dip recession – scurrying to find safer, higher-yield funds.  Those fears mean that scammers will be tuning up to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.

Detecting fraudulent investments can sometimes be difficult and investors don’t always check an investment thoroughly before putting their money in harm’s way.  Here are a few tips to help avoid investment scams.

Check out the investment carefully.  Be especially wary of an investment that provides exceptionally high returns even in a lame economy. Ask to see the five-year yield on an investment, and examine the returns on similar investments. If an investment is too new to provide historical data or is very successful when similar investments aren’t, look elsewhere.

Check out the investment firm carefully.  Investment brokers, financial advisors, investment advisers, and securities dealers are required to be licensed by the state.  Verify the currency and standing of the dealer’s license and check for complaints with the licensing agency.  Don’t invest with someone not licensed to do business in your state.  If your dealer is also licensed in other states, check with those states to see if any complaints have been filed against the dealer.

Don’t invest all of your money into one opportunity.  In a tough economy, it’s tempting to want to maximize your gains, but risking all of your savings is a bad idea.

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Avoiding “Free Trial” Scams

The offer seems reasonable. It’s a free trial of a weight-loss product made from all-natural ingredients including acai berries. The product is even endorsed by well-known television personalities.  The manufacturer only asks that the customer pay a nominal fee for shipping.

Consumers who went to the company’s Web site and entered their credit card number soon found out that their wallets were the only things that ended up a bit lighter. The “free trial” was really a monthly subscription to the weight-loss product, and canceling the subscription was nearly impossible.  In addition, the weight-loss supplement didn’t work as advertised, and the “celebrity endorsers” disavowed any knowledge of the product, saying their reported endorsements were fabricated.

Planet Antares Scam Tips offers a few tips to avoid being victimized by free-trial scams.

Read the fine print carefully on all “free trial” offers that require you to enter a credit card number, even if you’re only being asked to pay shipping charges.  Look for small print that details any on-going charges, monthly fees or subscriptions.  If you find any, don’t submit your credit card information.

When purchasing products on the Internet, be especially careful about “post-transaction” referrals to a third-party “reward site.”  Even if you don’t enter your credit card number, the site from which you were referred may forward your transaction information anyway. Your safest bet is to decline the offer to check out additional products or claim “rewards”, thank-you gifts and coupons presented after your primary transaction. Let the original merchant know that you do not appreciate being subjected to third-party scams and withhold future transactions with the retailer until they clean up their sales tactics.

Check your credit card statements carefully each month.  Report any suspicious charges to your credit card issuer immediately and dispute any monthly charges you did not agree to.  Disputing a charge may take months, so be prepared to fight.

Attempt to contact the party that’s charging your credit card, but don’t be surprised if you find that they’re located outside the United States.  The merchant may not cooperate with canceling a lucrative monthly subscription, so ask your bank to reject the transactions, or close the account and transfer your balance to a new one.

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Planning Company Functions on a Budget

Company hosted events do not need to be expensive in order to be successful. Any event that encourages interaction between employees, such as those that incorporate games or team building, will leave a lasting impression long after the function is over.

When planning a company function on a budget, it’s best to focus on establishing a carefree environment where employees can feel at ease. Outdoor, daytime functions are generally less expensive than more formal, evening ones. It also lends itself to a more relaxed atmosphere.

In many working environments, employees often feel alienated from upper management personnel. A company picnic – executed in the style of a family BBQ – is an excellent way for everyone to let down their hair. At the same time, you have the opportunity to humanize those individuals who once may have seemed unapproachable – and maybe a little scary.

Imagine the company’s CEO wearing a chef’s hat and an apron reading “Kiss the Cook” while standing at the grill, taking hamburger and hot dog orders. This can instantly put employees at ease. It can also create a different level of respect and admiration for the higher-ups.

A company picnic is relatively inexpensive to host. Allowing employees to invite their immediate family will set the tone and create a warm and friendly, playful atmosphere. It allows employees to leave “work mode” and enter “family mode”. They end up seeing a different side of each other, which can often lead to lasting friendships and improved morale in the workplace.

When considering a venue for a company picnic, a public park with a cabana grilling area is ideal. In fact, some parks will allow you to use their facility at little or no charge. Most of them have volleyball nets and sports equipment available.

Plan enjoyable team-building activities throughout the day. Wacky competitions can include sack races and balloon tosses. Hire a face painter for the kids. Hula hoop and Frisbee competitions can be a lot of fun, too. Prizes don’t have to be expensive – but they will most certainly be cherished. Rewarding staff and planning a company function doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Personal Space Decorating in a Place of Employment

Decorating your personal space at your place of employment is a way in which you can create a comfortable environment to complete all your work. Creating too comfortable of a work space can cause distraction, which will not allow you to complete your work in a focused manner. There are some rules when it comes to decorative a work space regarding the do’s and don’ts of the process.

Some people find that bringing in a small refrigerator or a coffee machine is extremely beneficial for their work day. This allows them to get a drink or store small snacks in a close perimeter, so they spend more time working and less time walking to find these items. When workers have to leave their personal space to get a cup of coffee, they waste an average of five minutes per trip with the distractions from other people during their walk. People who see you will stop you to talk, so having these items in your personal space will stop this from occurring.

One thing you want to focus on is remembering that the space is still located in your place of employment. Cleaners and other workers are able to access this space when you are not in the building, therefore try to avoid placing anything extremely valuable in your personal space. With other people having the opportunity to enter into your area, these items are basically left for anyone, and could result in the item being stolen.

You also want to avoid creating too comfortable of an atmosphere in your office. If you are able to achieve a high level of comfort, you are more likely to slack off during your work day. This can lead to a loss of potential earnings, because you are unable to perform to your fullest potential. Avoid bringing a lot of furniture from your home. A nice comfortable desk chair is perfectly acceptable, however it is not recommended to bring tables or sofas. With this overall rule, avoid bringing any type of furniture that is not office-type furniture into your personal office space.

It is very comforting to include one or two family photos in your personal space. These photos should be placed on your desk, facing you while you work. This can be a very inspiration inclusion, which helps you focus on exactly what you are working for. Photos are also very good to look at during stressful moments, because they allow you to recollect yourself and focus harder on your job.

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The Benefits of Multiple Monitors

Recently, I decided added a second monitor to my computer system. I was spending much of my time rearranging windows on the desktop and less time getting work done. I always have 2 or more projects going on at any given time, and the addition of a second monitor has dramatically increased my work output. Adding a second monitor is an inexpensive way to double your screen real estate. Many high quality flat screen monitors are available for less than $200.

Monitor Size
I originally was interested in a 30 inch flat screen monitor however it proved a bit difficult to get around on. After researching and demoing a few monitors, I decided to buy another 17 inch flat screen monitor similar to the one I am using. The two easily fit on my medium size desk and with a second monitor, I can refer to help files and tutorials without having to constantly go back and forth between applications. My web design work requires constant review in 2 or 3 browsers so I dedicate one monitor specifically for that task. I also am able to continuously monitor my email.

For years, Macintosh has supported dual monitors. Many newer PC’s support it as well provided you have a computer with dual monitor support and run XP, Vista and Windows 7. If you have 2 monitor connectors on the back of your PC, it will support dual monitors. If you have a PC without dual monitor support, all is not lost. Video adaptors are available that will replace your existing adaptor and provide you with the extra connections.
In some instances, you may need a Microsoft upgrade or an updated display driver from your computer manufacturer.

The Data is In
Informal tests have determined productivity increases when using dual/multiple monitors. A software development manager documented a 9% increase in productivity amount his staff. The same survey discovered users would rather use 2 smaller monitors than 1 large monitor especially when using multiple applications or opening multiple windows.

Conclusion
A dual monitor setup is a simple, inexpensive way to minimize window dragging and increase productivity.

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