Friday, February 24, 2012

Check Out The Horizon At Sunset This Weekend

This is a wonderful weekend to watch the sun go down. Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon are will be lined up in the western sky. Together they'll form a bright triangle in the evening twilight. These three celestial objects are so bright, they shine through thin clouds and even city lights.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Malicious Software Features Usama bin Laden Links to Ensnare Unsuspecting Computer Users

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) urges computer users to not open unsolicited (spam) e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages. Even if the sender is familiar, the public should exercise due diligence. Computer owners must ensure they have up-to-date firewall and anti-virus software running on their machines to detect and deflect malicious software.

The IC3 recommends the public do the following:

Adjust the privacy settings on social networking sites you frequent to make it more difficult for people you know and do not know to post content to your page.

Even a “friend” can unknowingly pass on multimedia that’s actually malicious software.

Do not agree to download software to view videos. These applications can infect your computer.

Read e-mails you receive carefully. Fraudulent messages often feature misspellings, poor grammar, and nonstandard English.

Report e-mails you receive that purport to be from the FBI. Criminals often use the FBI’s name and seal to add legitimacy to their fraudulent schemes. In fact, the FBI does not send unsolicited e-mails to the public. Should you receive unsolicited messages that feature the FBI’s name, seal, or that reference a division or unit within the FBI or an individual employee, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Timeshare owners across the country are being scammed out of millions of dollars by unscrupulous companies that promise to sell or rent the unsuspecting victims’ timeshares. In the typical scam, timeshare owners receive unexpected or uninvited telephone calls or e-mails from criminals posing as sales representatives for a timeshare resale company. The representative promises a quick sale, often within 60-90 days. The sales representatives often use high-pressure sales tactics to add a sense of urgency to the deal. Some victims have reported that sales representatives pressured them by claiming there was a buyer waiting in the wings, either on the other line or even present in the office.
Timeshare owners who agree to sell are told that they must pay an upfront fee to cover anything from listing and advertising fees to closing costs. Many victims have provided credit cards to pay the fees ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Once the fee is paid, timeshare owners report that the company becomes evasive—calls go unanswered, numbers are disconnected, and websites are inaccessible.
In some cases, timeshare owners who have been defrauded by a timeshare sales scheme have been subsequently contacted by an unscrupulous timeshare fraud recovery company as well. The representative from the recovery company promises assistance in recovering money lost in the sales scam. Some recovery companies require an up-front fee for services rendered, while others promise no fees will be paid unless a refund is obtained for the timeshare owner. The IC3 has identified some instances where people involved with the recovery company also have a connection to the resale company, raising the possibility that timeshare owners are being scammed twice by the same people.
If you are contacted by someone offering to sell or rent your timeshare, the IC3 recommends using caution. Listed below are tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of a timeshare scheme:
  • Be wary if a company asks you for up-front fees to sell or rent your timeshare.
  • Read the fine print of any sales contract or rental agreement provided.
  • Check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure the company is reputable.
To obtain more information on Internet schemes, visit www.LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com.
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of this type of scam should promptly report it to the IC3’s website at www.IC3.gov. The IC3’s complaint database links complaints together to refer them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration.
line

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Alleged Child Predator Arrested on Reservation

The United States Marshals Service in Farmington arrested Julian Marty Perea in Dulce, NM. Perea was wanted by the State of Arizona on a Grand Jury indictment charging Perea with (Count 1): intentionally or knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with a victim under the age of 15 years. (Count 2): intentionally or knowingly engaged in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with a victim under the age of 15 years. (Count 3): intentionally or knowingly engaged in any direct touching, fondling, or manipulating any part of the victim under the age of 15. (Count 4): recklessly furnished, presented, provided, made available, gave, lent, showed, advertised, or distributed the victim under the age of 15 Marijuana.

Investigators In Arizona believed Perea to be hiding in New Mexico possibly on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation and referred the case to the United States Marshals Service Southwest Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT Task Force) in New Mexico. SWIFT Investigators confirmed that Perea was indeed attempting to seek refuge on the Jicarilla Reservation. SWIFT investigators worked closely with Law Enforcement Officials of the Jicarilla Apache Criminal Prosecutors Office and obtained state extradition approval to arrest Perea on the Jicarilla Reservation. Perea was located and arrested on the Jicarilla Apache reservation in Dulce, NM without incident. Perea was booked into Tierra Amarilla Rio Arriba County Detention Center pending extradition back to Arizona.

United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico Conrad E. Candelaria commented “in the matter of protecting children, the United States Marshals Service will do everything within its legal authority to pursue those fugitives that have victimized children, because these fugitives need to be held accountable for the heinous crimes they have committed against children; our community is safer because this dangerous fugitive is in jail awaiting extradition back to Arizona so that justice can be served.”

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency

U.S. Marshals Arrest Alleged Sexual Predator

Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals led Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force arrested Robert Franz, 63, at a truck stop near 339th Ave and Van Buren Rd in Buckeye. Franz was wanted by the Pampa, TX Police Department for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.

In December 2011, a warrant was issued by the Gray County Sheriff’s Office in Pampa, TX for the arrest of Franz. The arrest warrant stems from an incident that is alleged to have occurred in October 2011 during which Franz was discovered to have sexually assaulted a child under the age of five. Shortly after the issuance of the warrant, Franz fled Texas.

This afternoon, the Pampa Police Department contacted the Yuma division of the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force after information had been developed indicating that Franz had recently been in the Yuma area. After receiving this information, the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force was able to further cultivate it and discovered that Franz had likely fled Yuma and was in the Buckeye area. Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers from the Phoenix Division quickly responded to a request from Yuma and located Franz at a Truck stop in Buckeye. After a brief surveillance, Franz was arrested as he exited the Truck stop.

U.S. Marshal David Gonzales stated, “This arrest is a true testament of what happens when law enforcement agencies work together to get predators off our streets. Fugitives should take notice that they will not be able to escape justice by fleeing from state-to-state.”

The United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal agencies combined.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Today's Email Spam: 02/12/2012


 from:     Ben S. Bernanke fedreservesystem@state.gov
reply-to:fedreservesystem@cpll.cn
to:  
date:     Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM
subject: Federal Reserve System (Your Contract Payment Notification)
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
20th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC  20551
Dr. Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman Board of Governors
Federal Reserve System Washington DC.


Attn:

This is a brief outline of the Federal Reserve System of Washington DC, obligation. The Fed, as the system is commonly called, is an independent governmental entity created by Congress in 1913 to serve as the central bank of the United States and provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. The Fed is also responsible for formulating and executing monetary policy, supervising and regulating depository institutions, providing an elastic currency, assisting the federal government's financing operations, and serving as the banker for the U.S government.

Today, I Dr. Ben Bernanke, Chairman Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Washington DC, and the Twelve Districts Federal Reserve Banks of United States with Twenty Four  Branches, acknowledge  the gratification to register  my words of  advice to you owing to my wealth of experience here in the office, of which I would not advocate any reason that will warrant your fund valued at $12.8Million USD presently lying dormant in the FED pecuniary vault since the second quarter of the year 2011 to this first quarter of  the year 2012 to be questionable by any governmental agency.

The above valued transaction in your name was brought to my attention today as a result of the confiscation of all overdue dormant transaction campaign held by the board of Governors of the FED, but the FED decision taken on your transaction file was unanimous and collective effort  of the board, which is based on the grand’s that the existence of this transaction in the pecuniary vault of the U.S FED; have not been made known to you before now, therefore it is paramount and highly essential that you respond to this vital notice for further important discussion as regards to your funds release to you.

I believe that this tip of an iceberg will convince you of my information and nursed intention to guide and protect your civil /commercial interests here in this office adequately on your behalf, so as to ensure, we handle your funds release legally and under the law stipulation as enshrined in the American law.

Thank you and I look forward for your email response.

Dr. Ben S. Bernanke,
Chairman Board of Governors
Federal Reserve System Washington  DC.


CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE: This facsimile or email message, including any attachments, is intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and prohibited from unauthorized disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, any retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. Copyright © 2009 - 2010 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM WASHINGTON DC®. All rights reserved.
                              

Friday, February 10, 2012

Tax Tip: IRS Tax Tip 2012-28

The IRS has a new form taxpayers must use to report most capital gains and losses from transactions relating to investment property. In previous years, these transactions would have been reported on your IRS Schedule D or D-1, but for tax year 2011, use Form 8949, Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets.
Here are eight important points about the new Form 8949 and IRS Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses:
1. Short-term capital gains or losses (assets held for one year or less) are now reported on Part I of Form 8949.
2. Long-term capital gains or losses (assets held for more than one year) are now reported on Part II of Form 8949.
3. Fill out Form 8949 before you fill out line 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 or 10 of Schedule D.
4. Most property you own and use for personal purposes, pleasure or investment is a capital asset. Use Form 8949 to report the sale or exchange of a capital asset you are not reporting on another form or schedule (such as Form 6252 or 8824).
5. At the top of each Form 8949 you file, you'll need to check box A, B or C, based on what is indicated in box 3 of the Form 1099-B or substitute statement.
  • Check box A if your broker reported the transaction to you and the basis of the securities sold also was reported to the IRS
  • Check box B if the transaction was reported to you but box 3 of the Form 1099-B is blank or your statement says the basis was not reported to the IRS.
  • Check box C for all other transactions.
6. If you have a lot of transactions, use as many Forms 8949 as necessary to report all of them, but make sure that each Form 8949 includes only the type of transactions described in the text for the box you checked (A, B or C).
7. The reporting of certain transactions has changed. If you have to adjust your gain or loss, you may have to enter a code in column (b) and an adjustment in column (g). For details, see the 2011 Instructions for Schedule D (and Form 8949).
8. For 2011 transactions, Schedule D-1 is no longer in use. Form 8949 replaces it.

Today's Email Spam: 02/10/212

from: The Orgreenic offer@info.qdue311osinger.com to: date: Wed, Dec 31, 1969 at 5:00 PM subject: Cook without oil, butter or grease Images are not displayed. Display images below please click "Not Spam" above if delivered to spam folder Click Here No longer have food stick to your pans

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

America's Most Wanted Fugitive Captured in Port Wentworth, GA

Jennifer Segrest, on the run for the past two years, was arrested by members of the Savannah Office of the United States Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Port Wentworth Police Department and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on February 7, 2012.

Jennifer Segrest, 38, was wanted by the Cobb County Police Department for the offenses of child molestation and enticement of a child. According to the warrant, Segrest knowingly facilitated the repeated molestation of her two minor daughters, ages five and six to a pedophile in exchange for $30,000. After an investigation into these child abuse allegations the Cob County Police Department charged Segrest with the underlying sex offenses.

The case was referred to the U.S. Marshals South East Regional Fugitive Task Force to help find this dangerous felon. An extensive investigation ensued over the last two years. Recently this case was profiled on America’s Most Wanted as early as December 2011. The segment was shown several times over the ensuing months and recently a concerned citizen provided information that lead law enforcement to an address in Port Wentworth. The Savannah Task Force with the assistance of the Port Wentworth Police Department and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office went to the address of 202 Cantyre Street, Port Wentworth and arrested Segrest without incident. Segrest was taken to the Chatham County Jail to await extradition back to Cobb County.

This case embodies the motto of the United States Marshals Service “You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide”. Through the unwavering perseverance of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension program along with the assistance of our state and local law enforcement agencies a very dangerous and violent felon was taken off the street.

Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of over 36, 000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by the Marshals Service than all other federal agencies combined. In 2011, U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 86,000 state and local fugitives, which cleared over 113,000 warrants.

The Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force has three offices: Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. The task force covers the whole state of Georgia. The Savannah Office of the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of investigators from the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department, the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Department, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Department, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department, and the United States Marshals Service. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug crimes, sex offenders, and other felonies.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Today's Email Scam: 02/06/2012

from:      HFS hr@yonho.com
reply-to: hfs2471@aol.com
to:      info@go.com
date:      Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 2:43 PM
subject:  loan offer!!!

This is to inform you that Private company is Granting loan facilities to its old and new customers at two percent interest rate Within minimum range of $5,000 to Maximum of $200,000,000. Please provide the following if interested as shown below:

Name----
Amount----
Duration----
Phone number---
Regards Tim Friend