Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams: Don't Be an On-line Victim: How to Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams

Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams: Don't Be an On-line Victim: How to Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams: "Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, and has ranked as one of the top consumer concerns for the past several years. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has produced a multimedia presentation to help consumers protect themselves from identity theft. The presentation provides information on steps consumers should take to secure their computer and protect themselves from identity theft, as well as actions consumers should take if they become a victim of identity theft. Financial institutions are encouraged to make the link available to their customers from their websites. This presentation is hosted by Vodium."

Mortgage Foreclosure: FTC Testifies on Efforts to Stop Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Fraud

Mortgage Foreclosure: FTC Testifies on Efforts to Stop Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Fraud: "Noting an estimated 75 percent increase in foreclosure filings from 2006 to 2007, Peggy Twohig, Associate Director of the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices, told the committee about the Commission’s enforcement efforts and its work to educate consumers about scams in which borrowers typically pay thousands of dollars but end up losing their homes and the money."

Consumer Fraud: FTC Releases List of Top Consumer Fraud Complaints in 2007

Consumer Fraud: FTC Releases List of Top Consumer Fraud Complaints in 2007: "The FTC today released the list of top consumer fraud complaints received by the agency in 2007. The list, contained in the publication “Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data January-December 2007,” showed that for the seventh year in a row, identity theft is the number one consumer complaint category. Of 813,899 total complaints received in 2007, 258,427, or 32 percent, were related to identity theft."

Tornado Victims: HUD Announces Disaster Assistance For Arkansas Tornado Victims

Tornado Victims: HUD Announces Disaster Assistance For Arkansas Tornado Victims: "President Bush declared Baxter, Conway, Independence, Izard, Pope, Randolph, Sharp, Stone, Union, and Van Buren Counties a major disaster area. This presidential declaration triggers a variety of federal assistance including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster."

Foreclusre Help: FHA Reaching Out To 850,000 At-Risk Homeowners

Foreclusre Help: FHA Reaching Out To 850,000 At-Risk Homeowners: "Beginning this week, HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is mailing hundreds of thousands of letters to at-risk homeowners who need a more affordable alternative to the high-cost mortgages they are currently paying. The first round of 280,000 letters was sent this week with another 570,000 letters to be sent through September 2008."

Prostate Cancer: Outcomes Vary for Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate Cancer: Outcomes Vary for Prostate Cancer Patients: "Patients who undergo complete prostate removal are less likely to experience urinary incontinence or other complications if the operation is done by an experienced surgeon in a hospital that does many of the procedures, according to a report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)."

FEMA Helping States Recover From Tornado Outbreak

FEMA Helping States Recover From Tornado Outbreak: "FEMA liaisons are in the state emergency operations centers in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi, and the Atlanta-based Federal Incident Response Support Team deployed at midnight and is now in Lafayette, Tenn., 60 miles northeast of Nashville"

New Air Traffic Tower Simulators Will Improve Controller Training

New Air Traffic Tower Simulators Will Improve Controller Training: "The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will deploy new air traffic tower simulators to 19 locations around the country to help train thousands of new air traffic controllers in an operational environment that is interactive and provides realistic scenarios. The new simulators will be deployed over the next 18 months at the following towers: John F. Kennedy (NY); Los Angeles; Oakland (CA); Washington Reagan National; Dallas Fort-Worth; Atlanta; Denver; Philadelphia; Cincinnati; Cleveland; San Antonio; Memphis (TN); Honolulu; Orlando (FL); Charlotte (NC); Minneapolis; Boston; and Newport News (VA.). The FAA will install an additional six simulators at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City."

New Passport Fee Schedule Starting February 1, 2008

New Passport Fee Schedule Starting February 1, 2008: "Beginning February 1, 2008, the Department of State will institute a new fee schedule for passport services. At this time applicants will also have the option of pre-ordering a new Passport Card, a low cost, limited use (land and sea only) alternative to the Passport Book designed for those living along the border. In addition, the age for which both parents must appear and sign a passport application on behalf of a child will increase from 14 to 16 years old."

IRS Offers New Online Help Tools for 2008 Tax Filers

IRS Offers New Online Help Tools for 2008 Tax Filers: "WASHINGTON -- Things have gotten easier for taxpayers who need help preparing their federal returns this year. The IRS has enhanced both Publication 17 and Where’s My Refund?, two key electronic tools available on this Web site, IRS.gov, the official Web site of the IRS. These improvements will help any taxpayer with Internet access find answers to tax questions quickly, prepare returns accurately and file on time."

Log 300A: OSHA Reminds Employers to Post Injury/Illness Summaries Beginning Feb. 1, 2008

Log 300A: OSHA Reminds Employers to Post Injury/Illness Summaries Beginning Feb. 1, 2008: "The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today reminded employers that beginning Feb. 1, 2008, they must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during 2007. Employers are required to post OSHA Form 300A (summary). The 2007 summary must be posted from Feb. 1 to April 30, 2008."

Don’t Take a Risk with Your Valentine’s Day Gifts

Don’t Take a Risk with Your Valentine’s Day Gifts: "With consumers estimated to spent over 17 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, it is extremely important that expensive items such as jewelry or electronics are properly insured, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.)."

e-file - A Smart Way to do Your Taxes

e-file - A Smart Way to do Your Taxes: "Every year, more taxpayers discover the benefits of filing their tax return electronically. Whether you use a professional tax preparer authorized by the IRS or do it yourself from a home computer, there are many reasons to consider e-filing your tax return this year."

2008 Contractors License Law & Reference Book Now Available

2008 California Contractors License Law & Reference Book Now Available: "SACRAMENTO -- This year's issue of the annual Contractors State License Board (CSLB) California Contractors License Law & Reference Book is now available for purchase or for online viewing. The publication includes easy reference to new laws that became effective January 1, 2008, in the “Summary of Major Changes to Contractor Law” section at the beginning of the book"

OSHA Poster Scam Alert

OSHA Poster Scam Alert: "We continue to learn of complaints from employers who have received 'official looking' announcements and -- in some cases -- threatening notices, messages, or telephone calls from various companies requiring that employers purchase OSHA documents from them in order to remain in compliance with OSHA rules and regulations."

The Earned Income Tax Credit: The IRS Reports

The Earned Income Tax Credit: The IRS Reports: "The EITC is for people who work, but have lower incomes. If you qualify, it could be worth up to $4,700 this year. So you could pay less federal tax or even get a refund. That’s money you can use to make a difference in your life. Did you know that in Tax Year 2006, over 22.4million taxpayers received $43.7 billion dollars in EITC – making the credit a great investment in the lives of those who claim it? However, the IRS estimates 20 percent to 25 percent of people who qualify for the credit do not claim it. At the same time, there are millions of Americans who have claimed the credit in error, many of whom simply don’t understand the criteria."

Broadband in America, 2007: NTIA Releases New Report

Broadband in America, 2007: NTIA Releases New Report: "WASHINGTON-- The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released the report, 'Networked Nation: Broadband in America, 2007,' that highlights the dramatic growth of broadband in the United States. The report shows that the Administration’s technology, regulatory and fiscal policies have stimulated innovation and competition, and encouraged investment in the U.S. broadband market contributing to significantly increased accessibility of broadband services."

Government Jobs: MSHA seeking to hire more mine inspectors

Government Jobs: MSHA seeking to hire more mine inspectors: "The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced the availability of additional metal and nonmetal mine inspector positions for duty stations in Mesa, Ariz.; Denver, Colo.; Topeka, Kan.; Helena, Mont.; and Salt Lake City, Utah. Interested citizens should register and apply online through MSHA's Web site prior to the Feb. 25 deadline. MSHA is recruiting for general and electrical positions under the agency's ongoing Mine Inspector Career Trainee Program."

Internet Pagejacking: FTC Asks Court to Hold Internet Pagejacking Defendants in Contempt

Internet Pagejacking: FTC Asks Court to Hold Internet Pagejacking Defendants in Contempt: "The Federal Trade Commission has asked a U.S. district court to hold three Internet pagejackers in contempt and order them to give up their ill-gotten gains for violating a previous order barring their unfair and deceptive practices."

CDC Update: HIV Prevalence in the U.S. Household Population

CDC Update: HIV Prevalence in the U.S. Household Population: "Approximately half of 1 percent (0.47 percent) of the U.S. household population between the ages of 18 and 49 are living with HIV, according to estimates from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) based on surveys conducted between 1999-2006."