As is the case anytime there is opportunity (high demand for something by those with limited knowledge/experience), individuals are out there to take advantage of our efforts to file those taxes on time, maximize the refund and minimize refund turn-around time. Bottom line is be smart in choosing a tax preparer as they are NOT licensed, regulated or vetted in any way by state or federal government (they do NOT have to have any credentials to do YOUR taxes).

Pop-up ads in some cases are attempts to sell bogus software that can result in identity theft. The one-two punch, they take your money - then your name! According to the FBI, repercussions of malicious software downloads have resulted in excess of $150 million in losses to victims throughout the U.S.

Peel Inc. is an Internet company that sells a variety of products under multiple names and Web site addresses. If you like Seattle coffee, you may have seen one of their ads through seattlecoffeedirect.com. Looking for inexpensive art décor? Peel’s EspeciallyPosters.com and PosterPass.com sell a variety of posters just right for your new dorm or apartment. And even though a consumer complained the jewelry looked like the inexpensive children’s “pretend” jewelry, the company wasn’t pretending when they sold jewelry at a nearly $100 per order through shopdani.com.

Within hours of the announcement of Haiti’s devastation, cell phone text messages delivered options to millions of Americans soliciting relief donations. According to Mobile Giving Foundation, within 36 hours, donations made via mobile phones for Haiti earthquake relief surpassed $7 million – compared to $400,000 raised after Hurricane Katrina. Many gave without a second thought, but hopefully many more stopped to at least consider if this was a valid and legitimate charitable donation, or one that would only relieve the pain of a scam artist.

Welcome 2010 and my resolve to “do better”! I want financial planning to enter not only my vocabulary but my actions. I want to be a better citizen to my community, a better mom to my adult daughter and a better daughter to my aging parents. Above all, I want to take better care of myself so I will be around to do my “to do” list! Around the corner in nearly every neighborhood is the one beacon of light that offers the help we need to become more fit and more energized so we can indeed “do better” – your local fitness center!

Let’s do a quick Phishing 101. Phishing is the process of tossing out a net, then a lure, and catching a victim who willingly provides personal identifying information (PII) to a scam artist who uses the information for financial gain. Internet fraudsters send email spam, spoof websites, and use pop up messages to lure folks like you and me into providing credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, and passwords of other sensitive information.

According to the Giving USA Foundation, charity contributions totaled $307.65 billion (there’s that B word again!) with 75% coming from individual donors. If the good will and holiday cheer is combined with visions of tax incentives dancing in your head - some good hearted individuals will end up hurting if proper background research isn’t conducted!

BBB rarely if ever engages in any political ballyhoo but when I found a 2006 article quoting NY Senator Charles E. Schumer as asking the FTC to standardize rebate procedures, well I gave a big “yahoo”! Rebates or as called by Sen. Schumer “fools gold” can be the post holiday bait-and-switch. They lure consumers to purchase full price retail items by marketing lower prices through mail-in rebate.

FREE SHIPPING? How about 20, 30, even 50% off of your purchase? Tantalizing deals, they sound great! But beware… Today, Cyber-Monday—the Monday following Thanksgiving—marks the open season for online Holiday Shopping. Dealing with economic woes, online sales draw in bargain conscious consumers searching for the ultimate deal.

I joined BBB team nearly four years ago as a novice to the BBB world. My first day, my first week, my first month, and every month thereafter, BBB Maryland buzz has been all about BlueHippo. While I’ve never met the Hippo, I’ve talked to countless victims on the phone who can’t file a BlueHippo (BH) complaint online because hey – they never received their computer!

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