DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/The Best and Worst Women's Deodorantshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/25/the-best-and-worst-womens-deodorants/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/25/the-best-and-worst-womens-deodorants/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/25/the-best-and-worst-womens-deodorants/#commentsFiled under: , ,

DeodorantSummer's here with a sweltering vengeance, and if there's one product we all need to help get us (and those around us) through the day, it's deodorant and/or antiperspirant.

We've all probably arrived at our favorite brand through some anxious trial and error, but just because you've settled on a brand that works doesn't mean it's good for the environment or your health.

As part of its ongoing mission to help consumers find healthy, green, ethical products based on scientific ratings, our colleagues at GoodGuide reviewed and rated nearly 500 women's deodorants. Let's see how these products stacked up.

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]]>best womens deoderantgoodguide ratingsworst womens deoderantJorgen WoutersMon, 25 Jul 2011 09:00:00 ESTTimeshare Scam Shutteredhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/21/timeshare-scam-shuttered/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/21/timeshare-scam-shuttered/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/21/timeshare-scam-shuttered/#commentsFiled under: , ,

TimeshareA telemarketing scheme that scammed consumers who were trying to unload their timeshares has been temporarily shut down by a judge at the request of the Federal Trade Commission.

National Solutions LLC, the FTC said, charged consumers thousands of dollars for lining up fictitious buyers they claimed were eager to purchase their timeshares in deals they claimed would be reviewed and approved by the FTC.

As part of its ongoing crackdown on swindlers who prey upon financially strapped consumers, the FTC wants to to put the defendants out of business permanently and force them to refund their victims.

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]]>FTCTimeshareTimeshare scamJorgen WoutersThu, 21 Jul 2011 13:00:00 ESTFeds Bust Global Scareware Ringshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/20/feds-bust-global-scareware-rings/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/20/feds-bust-global-scareware-rings/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/20/feds-bust-global-scareware-rings/#commentsFiled under: ,

ScarewareIf you've ever landed on a web page that supposedly scanned your computer, said it was infected and tried to sell you anti-virus software, you've had a brush with "scareware."

Scareware is malicious software designed to scare consumers into buying something they don't need by masquerading as a legitimate anti-virus product that supposedly detects a variety of threats that don't exist.

Once a consumer lands on a scareware-loaded webpage, they're informed they need to purchase antivirus software immediately to repair their "infected" machines. Scam victims are typically barraged with aggressive and irritating notifications such as pop-ups that refuse to close until they agree to supply a credit card number and buy the utterly worthless "antivirus" software.

U.S. and European law enforcement agencies recently busted two international cybercrime rings that infected more than one million computers worldwide with scareware and swindled consumers out of nearly $75 million in the process.

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]]>computer fraudFBImalwarescarewaretrojanJorgen WoutersWed, 20 Jul 2011 09:45:00 ESTBeware of Online Help Wanted Scams, BBB Warnshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/18/beware-of-online-help-wanted-scams-bbb-warns/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/18/beware-of-online-help-wanted-scams-bbb-warns/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/18/beware-of-online-help-wanted-scams-bbb-warns/#commentsFiled under: , ,

BBBAs the unemployment rate climbed yet again during this seemingly endless recession, desperate job seekers need to be extra careful not to get sucker punched by bogus help wanted ads.

Many of these phony help wanted listings, the Better Business Bureau warns, are designed to extract upfront fees or steal your identity.

For instance, a recent job scam in upstate New York lured victims with phony data entry job listings on craigslist -- ads supposedly placed by the BBB.

A local job seeker who responded to the fake job offer was informed via email that she'd been chosen for an interview. The email also told her that employees are paid via direct deposit and invited her to click a link in order to enroll with their preferred bank.

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]]>BBBcraigslisthelp wanted scamsidentity theftonline job scamswork at home scamsJorgen WoutersMon, 18 Jul 2011 14:30:00 ESTFBI Scam Alert: More Phony FBI Emails and Online Blackmailhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/15/fbi-scam-alert-more-phony-fbi-emails-and-online-blackmail/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/15/fbi-scam-alert-more-phony-fbi-emails-and-online-blackmail/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/15/fbi-scam-alert-more-phony-fbi-emails-and-online-blackmail/#commentsFiled under: ,

Phony scamsThe Internet Crime Complaint Center's latest scam alert included too much to cover in one story, so we did one yesterday, while today's focuses on phony, Trojan-laden emails from the FBI and an email campaign targeting victims with an online blackmail scheme.

Alerts by the IC3, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), reflect recent cyber-crime trends and new takes on existing scams. Recent alerts have included warnings about Osama Bin Laden spam and a reshipping scam designed to hijack your personal information.

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]]>extortionFBI scam alertIC3malwareonline fraudJorgen WoutersFri, 15 Jul 2011 16:45:00 ESTFBI Scam Alert: Phony Emails and Bogus Payday Loan Callshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/14/fbi-scam-alert-phony-emails-and-bogus-payday-loan-calls/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/14/fbi-scam-alert-phony-emails-and-bogus-payday-loan-calls/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/14/fbi-scam-alert-phony-emails-and-bogus-payday-loan-calls/#commentsFiled under: ,

Phony phone calls scamsThe Internet Crime Complaint Center's latest scam alert includes a bogus advance-fee email purportedly sent by the director of the FBI as well as harassing payday loan calls from scammers claiming to represent the IC3.

Alerts by the IC3, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), reflect recent cyber-crime trends and new takes on existing scams. Recent alerts have included warnings about virus-laden Osama Bin Laden spam and a reshipping scam designed to hijack your personal information.

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]]>advance-fee scamFBI scam alertIC3lottery scampayday loan scamsspamJorgen WoutersThu, 14 Jul 2011 15:30:00 ESTPhony Doctor Admits 'Treating' Hundreds of Elderly Patientshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/13/phony-doctor-admits-treating-hundreds-of-elderly-patients/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/13/phony-doctor-admits-treating-hundreds-of-elderly-patients/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/13/phony-doctor-admits-treating-hundreds-of-elderly-patients/#commentsFiled under: , ,

senior patientA New Jersey man posing as a licensed physicians admitted illegally treating patients, prescribing medicine and even ordering procedures for dozens of unsuspecting victims in the Toms River area of New Jersey, the FBI announced.

Patrick Lynch, 54, who masqueraded as an doctor with an Ocean County, N.J., practice, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of health-care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in an elaborate scheme to defraud Medicare.

Lynch, via his Toms River-based Visiting Doctors of New Jersey, visited hundreds elderly, home-bound patients and billed Medicare for the bogus and potentially dangerous treatments.

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]]>health care fraudidentity theftJorgen WoutersWed, 13 Jul 2011 11:30:00 ESTMacy's to Pay $750K Fine for Peddling Deadly Hoodieshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/12/macy-s-to-pay-750k-fine-for-peddling-deadly-hoodies/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/12/macy-s-to-pay-750k-fine-for-peddling-deadly-hoodies/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/12/macy-s-to-pay-750k-fine-for-peddling-deadly-hoodies/#commentsFiled under: ,

Macy's hoodiesMacy's Inc. has agreed to pay a $750,000 penalty for selling dangerous, drawstring-equipped children's clothing, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced.

Children's upper outerwear with drawstrings, such as sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets, pose a strangulation hazard that may result in serious injury or death.

The civil penalty agreement settles CPSC charges that Macy's deliberately failed to notify the CPSC immediately -- as required by federal law -- that it sold children's sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets with neck drawstrings between 2006 and 2010.

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]]>CSPChoodiesMacysrecalled hoodiesJorgen WoutersTue, 12 Jul 2011 16:00:00 ESTJP Morgan Penalized $228 Million to Settle Bid Rigging Chargeshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/11/jp-morgan-penalized-228-million-to-settle-bid-rigging-charges/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/11/jp-morgan-penalized-228-million-to-settle-bid-rigging-charges/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/11/jp-morgan-penalized-228-million-to-settle-bid-rigging-charges/#commentsJP Morgan Chase has agreed to pay nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in compensation, penalties and disgorgement to federal and state agencies to settle charges of bid rigging in the municipal bond market, the Justice Department announced.

Under the agreement, the nation's second-largest bank "admits, acknowledges and accepts responsibility for illegal and anticompetitive conduct" by former employees at its municipal derivatives desk, who, from 2001 through 2006, rigged bids and manipulated the bidding process on municipal investment contracts.

"By entering into illegal agreements to rig bids on certain investment contracts, JPMorgan and its former executives deprived municipalities of the competitive process to which they were entitled," U.S. Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said in a statement.

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]]>bid riggingjp morgan chasemunicipal bondsJorgen WoutersMon, 11 Jul 2011 13:15:00 ESTPsychiatrist Pleads Guilty in $200 Million Medicare Kickback Schemehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/08/psychiatrist-pleads-guilty-in-200-million-medicare-kickback-sch/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/08/psychiatrist-pleads-guilty-in-200-million-medicare-kickback-sch/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/08/psychiatrist-pleads-guilty-in-200-million-medicare-kickback-sch/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Healthcare scamA Florida psychiatrist pleaded guilty last week for his role in a health care scam that resulted in the submission of more than $200 million worth of bogus claims to Medicare, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

Dr. Alan Gumer, 64, of Tamarac, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud after being charged on Feb. 15, 2011, along with 19 others involved in the scheme, on various counts of health care fraud, money laundering and other offenses.

Gumer was a psychiatrist at American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), a Miami-based corporation that supposedly operated partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) in seven locations throughout South Florida and Orlando. Co-defendants included ATC; its management company, Medlink Professional Management Group Inc.; and the owners and lead manager of ATC, Medlink and the American Sleep Institute (ASI).

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]]>Medicare fraudJorgen WoutersFri, 08 Jul 2011 09:00:00 ESTAvoiding the Summertime Burglary Blueshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/07/avoiding-the-summertime-burglary-blues/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/07/avoiding-the-summertime-burglary-blues/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/07/avoiding-the-summertime-burglary-blues/#commentsFiled under:

BurglarySummer may be the best time to get away from it all, but unfortunately, it's also the season when burglars are most likely to take advantage of your absence to clean you out.

July and August, according to the FBI, are peak months for home robberies. And for those hoping to avoid becoming another statistic by installing a home alarm system, the Better Business Bureau advises consumers to do their homework carefully before purchasing a system

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]]>BBBburglar alarmshome security systemsSecurity System adviceJorgen WoutersThu, 07 Jul 2011 13:00:00 ESTTeletrack Penalized $1.8 Million for Peddling Consumer Credit Reportshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/06/teletrack-fined-1-8-million-for-peddling-consumer-credit-report/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/06/teletrack-fined-1-8-million-for-peddling-consumer-credit-report/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/06/teletrack-fined-1-8-million-for-peddling-consumer-credit-report/#commentsFiled under: ,

credit reportA credit reporting agency agreed to pay a nearly $2 million fine to settle federal charges that it broke the law by selling sensitive financial information about consumers seeking payday loans to marketers.

Teletrack Inc. of Norcross, Ga., will pay the Federal Trade Commission $1.8 million to settle an FTC lawsuit charging it with violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by selling credit reports to marketers.

Specifically, the FTC accused Teletrack of running afoul of the FCRA and abusing consumer privacy by peddling lists of people who were struggling to keep themselves afloat by applying for "non-traditional credit products" such as payday loans.

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]]>credit reportsFair Credit Reporting Actftc settlementpayday loansTeletrack Inc.Jorgen WoutersWed, 06 Jul 2011 10:30:00 ESTNivea Fined for Claiming Skin Cream Caused Weight Losshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/05/nivea-fined-for-claiming-skin-cream-caused-weight-loss/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/05/nivea-fined-for-claiming-skin-cream-caused-weight-loss/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/05/nivea-fined-for-claiming-skin-cream-caused-weight-loss/#commentsFiled under:

NiveaThe maker of Nivea skin creams has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges of false advertising by claiming one of its skin creams helps consumers melt away excess pounds.

The settlement prohibits Beiersdorf Inc. from promoting its My Silhouette! skin cream to consumers as a weight-loss treatment and requires the company to fork over $900,000 to the FTC.

"The real skinny on weight loss is that no cream is going to help you fit into your jeans," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement. "The tried-and-true formula for weight loss is diet and exercise."

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]]>false advertisingftc settlementNivea My Silhouetteweight lossJorgen WoutersTue, 05 Jul 2011 08:00:00 ESTNY Sues to Shut Down 'Sham Charity'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/01/ny-sues-to-shut-down-sham-charity/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/01/ny-sues-to-shut-down-sham-charity/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/07/01/ny-sues-to-shut-down-sham-charity/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Breast Cancer scamNew York State is suing a bogus charity that raised millions of dollars to battle breast cancer -- but diverted almost all of that money into the pockets of its principals.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's lawsuit aims to shut down the Long Island-based Coalition Against Breast Cancer (CABC), which Schneiderman says raised $9.1 million from the public over the past five years but spent hardly any of that money on breast cancer programs.

Instead, the lawsuit claims, CABC used the money it raised to pay excessive fundraiser fees, unwarranted salaries and benefits, and other perks. The lawsuit accuses CABC and its for-profit fundraiser, Campaign Center, of violating New York State's not-for-profit and charitable solicitations laws.

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]]>fraudphony breast cancer charityphony charitiesJorgen WoutersFri, 01 Jul 2011 11:00:00 ESTBBB Consumer Alert Rounduphttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/30/bbb-consumer-alert-roundup/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/30/bbb-consumer-alert-roundup/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/30/bbb-consumer-alert-roundup/#commentsFiled under:

phone scamThe Better Business Bureau recently issued a number of consumer warnings, so to make it easier for you to stay on top of them all, Consumer Ally decided to condense and combine a few below for your convenience.

Jamaican Phone Scams

The BBBs of Minnesota and North Dakota are warning area consumers to be suspicious of phone calls informing them they've won a prize package that includes a new car.

According to a consumer who contacted the BBB, when he expressed his doubts to the caller about the veracity of the prize, the scammer promised the prize was real and claimed an affiliation with the BBB.

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]]>advertising scamsphone scamsreal estate scamsJorgen WoutersThu, 30 Jun 2011 09:30:00 ESTBusinessman Pleads Guilty to $50 Million Mortgage Fraud Schemehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/29/businessman-pleads-guilty-to-50-million-mortgage-fraud-scheme/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/29/businessman-pleads-guilty-to-50-million-mortgage-fraud-scheme/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/29/businessman-pleads-guilty-to-50-million-mortgage-fraud-scheme/#commentsFiled under: ,

Arizona morgage fraud schemeA real estate investor and ringleader of an operation responsible for nearly $50 million of mortgage fraud pleaded guilty on June 20 in a federal court, the Justice Department announced.

Brett Matheson, 46, president and CEO of Maricopa Property Investment Solutions Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., admitted recruiting "straw buyers" during real estate seminars to submit false mortgage applications as part of a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

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]]>mortgage fraud schemesJorgen WoutersWed, 29 Jun 2011 11:00:00 EST3 Ways to Protect Your Child Against Identity Thefthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/28/3-ways-to-protect-your-child-against-identity-theft/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/28/3-ways-to-protect-your-child-against-identity-theft/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/28/3-ways-to-protect-your-child-against-identity-theft/#commentsFiled under: ,

protect childAlthough your child probably doesn't even know they have a Social Security number, scores of scammers are selling those to identity thieves. But parents can take steps to prevent their child from becoming a victim of identity theft, the Better Business Bureau warns.

"It's terrifying to think that your child or even unborn child's identity could be comprised for the sole reason that they have a clean record," Stephen A. Cox, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, said in a statement. "It is extremely important that parents take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their child's precious and helpless identity."

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]]>BBBidentity theftjuvenile identity theftJorgen WoutersTue, 28 Jun 2011 12:00:00 ESTClinic Owner Jailed for Medicare Fraudhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/27/clinic-owner-jailed-for-medicare-fraud/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/27/clinic-owner-jailed-for-medicare-fraud/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/27/clinic-owner-jailed-for-medicare-fraud/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Clinic malpracticeThe owner of a medical clinic was fined more than $1 million and sentenced to 15 months in prison for running an operation that defrauded Medicare, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

Maria Haber, 46, who owned CompleteHealth LLC, a Detroit area medical clinic, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release upon completing her prison term and was ordered to pay $ 1,004,343 in restitution.

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]]>CompleteHealthfraudMaria HaberRitecareJorgen WoutersMon, 27 Jun 2011 08:00:00 ESTBogus Mortgage Modifiers Fined Nearly $19 Millionhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/24/bogus-mortgage-modifiers-fined-nearly-19-million/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/24/bogus-mortgage-modifiers-fined-nearly-19-million/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/24/bogus-mortgage-modifiers-fined-nearly-19-million/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Mortgage A trio of con artists will pay $18.8 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they and their company swindled homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments.

Sean Zausner, David Zausner, David J. Feingold and First Universal Lending LLC were accused by the FTC of preying upon destitute homeowners with lies about their ability to negotiate more affordable mortgages.

In addition to the nearly $19 million penalty, a federal court also banned the defendants, all of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., from the mortgage modification business.

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]]>ftc settlementmortgage modification scamsJorgen WoutersFri, 24 Jun 2011 09:00:00 ESTBeware of Green Dot MoneyPak Scamshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/23/beware-of-green-dot-moneypak-scams/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/23/beware-of-green-dot-moneypak-scams/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/23/beware-of-green-dot-moneypak-scams/#commentsFiled under: ,

BBBThe Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be on guard for a rising tide of scams involving Green Dot MoneyPaks, reloadable debit cards that are widely available nationwide at more than 50,000 locations.

Moneypaks can be used for funding PayPal accounts and to pay phone, cable or credit card bills. But the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's (DPS) Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED) say criminals are also using them to fleece consumers.

The BBB and the DPS have recently noted a "significant increase" in various schemes where fraudsters tried or succeeded in collecting payments via MoneyPak for merchandise, advance fee loans or sweepstakes prizes -- all of which turned out to be either fraudulent or nonexistent.

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]]>advance fee scamsBBB alertGreen Dot MoneyPakJorgen WoutersThu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST