Did you know 2

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Did you know that the 809 scam is a hoax? Here is why...

Here is the proof that the 809 area code is a hoax!

The Truth About the Area Code 809 Hoax and Scams



Brief Summary: There is no evidence* that anyone falling for the '809 scam' ever complained about their phone bill, or paid more than standard international rates*.

Full Summary: In early October 1996, someone sent out spam* that tricked people into calling an 809 (Dominican Republic) phone number, and the callers were likely billed about $.50/minute *. About a week later, an organization called ScamBusters got a hold of this information, and reported* (incorrectly) that it could cost up to $25/minute and $100+ total. People passed this information on through chain letters, where $25 and $100 got turned into $2,425 and $24,100 (due to encoding and human error*). Everyone from the BBB to Attorneys General got duped*, thinking something barely worthy of the term 'scam'* was a huge deal. There is no evidence* of anyone ever having complained about their phone bill from this! The hoax, on the other hand, causes huge problems*. click here to see more.



Unraveling the Hoax and Proving it

Despite hundreds of newspaper articles, warnings by police, sheriffs, district attorneys, attorneys general, colleges and universities, there is one lynchpin that keeps this whole thing alive: that it might have cost $25/minute to call these numbers (which then snowballs into the higher figures). The prospect of getting charged $25/minute is scary (and worthy of informing others of); getting charged $.25/minute* is not. If that $25/minute can be disproven, the whole thing can be shown to be a hoax, since all the warnings mention amounts of money that are based on the $25/minute rate.

The truth is that there is just one source for that $25/minute amount: The original ScamBusters article, which said "apparently be charged $25 per-minute." Their alert went out on 07 Oct 1996, 5 days after the scam started, so nobody had gotten a phone bill yet. Their alert was based on reports from 2 people, and quoted no sources for any of their information. Five days later, they issued a new alert, mentioning "reportedly up to $25 per minute." So their story changed from a flat rate per call to a variable rate.

On 21 Nov 1996 (6 weeks after the scam started), Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune said that the $25 figure was a 'wild error', and that you are billed standard international rates. The truth is that it cost people about $.50/minute to make the call back in 1996. On 12 Jan 1997, an intelligent Usenet poster claims that he for 6 months requested that anyone with proof of 809 calls cost more than the normal international rate to let him know; nobody responded. We also sent an E-mail to the one of the authors of the original ScamBusters article, asking if he had any evidence that anyone ever paid more than the standard international rate. No response. A reputable website has requested evidence of surchages for 8 years, with no takers.

So it seems very clear that the $25/minute that all the hoaxes are based on was completely made-up, most likely to try to get people to hype the ScamBusters article. A good job they did!

If you really want to report on the scam

Let's say that you want to report about the scam behind the hoax. You feel that your citizens/constituents/students/whatever need to know. That's OK. While we feel that it isn't worthy of reporting, you may. However, please at least consider these guidelines if you do report it:

  • Do NOT just mention area code 809. Mention all area codes that could result in international long distance rates.
  • Do NOT mention any specific information without backing it up. e.g. do not say 'Calls can cost as much as $25/minute'.
  • Do NOT mention vague information that cannot be backed up ('This is spreading rapidly', 'Lots of people have been victims', 'high phone bill', etc.).
  • Do NOT imply that this is 'pay-per-call' or that extra charges, surcharges, or fees apply beyond long distance rates.
  • DO make it clear that people falling for the scam will just pay standard international rates of about $.25/minute.
  • DO make it clear that there is absolutely no reason not to call people or businesses you know in any country (assuming you know what the standard rate is)
  • DO distinguish between the scam in the chain letters (where someone cons you into calling an 809 number, and there is no benefit to the call) from the 'quasi-legitimate' scams such as Mystery Shopping ads that would appear in newspapers, where people actually did get information they wanted (but complained for various reasons). They are very different scams.

Boos to:

  • AT&T - They get a ton of free publicity from the hoax, as many people use their page to 'prove' that the hoax is real. They do admit that the costs are highly exaggerated (but still claims there are 'high charges'). They don't admit that court documents (see p110) show that AT&T received 90% of the money for the printed version of the '809 scam'. Update the page to make sure that people can't accidentally use it as 'proof' that the chain letter is real.
  • ScamBusters - They've gotten a ton of free publicity from the hoax that they helped start! Their page is still used as 'proof' that the hoax is real. They still suggest that the $25/minute rate they made up might be accurate. Just admit that there is no evidence that anyone ever paid huge sums of money, accept that you got tons of free publicity for 13 years, and be done with it.
  • FCC - They are sometimes used as 'proof' of the hoax. They need to revise their article, removing the hoax pieces, and making sure people aren't going to accidentally use it as 'proof' that their chain letter is real.
  • BBB - They are sometimes used as 'proof' of the hoax. They need to revise their article, removing the hoax pieces, and making sure people aren't going to accidentally use it as 'proof' that their chain letter is real.
  • Snopes - This is usually an excellent resource. However, the hoax (showing $2,425/minute) points to their site 'proving' it is real, since they state 'Mixture of true and false information', 'pay-per-call', 'hefty up-front fee', '$25 to $100'. People see that, and the hoax continues (sometimes with modifications, sometimes not). If you're a hoax-busting site like Snopes, and you have a hoax that links to a webpage of yours to 'prove' the hoax is real, that page must make it very clear that it is a hoax, and be completely accurate. If Snopes thinks that people might be billed $100 for this, they haven't done enough research.



Specifics...

In 1996 it only cost about $.50/minute to call the 809 area code

Evidence from Usenet postings shows that in this time a good deal for international rate calling to the 809 area code was $.50/minute.

For example: $.46/minute (soc.culture.dominican-rep 23 May 1996), $.46/minute (biz.marketplace.non-computer 14 Oct 1996), $.47/minute (ca.forsale 27 Aug 1997), $.52/minute (biz.marketplace.services.non-computer 07 Nov 1996), $.52/minute (soc.culture.hongkong, 26 Nov 1996).

There has been no evidence that anyone paid anywhere close to $25/minute. Even if they did, the long distance phone company (who the person being scammed chose) would have pocketed the $24+/minute over the normal rates!



In 2009 it costs about $.25/minute to call the 809 area code

Today, there are typically 2 different international rates: one for normal calls, the other for mobile calls or premium services. Here is what you can expect to pay as of 23 Oct 2009 (all are for 'premium services' calls):

AT&T: $.24/minute (U-verse International Calling).
Charter: $.25/minute
Qwest: $.25 (using Broadband Phone Service)
Verizon: $.18 to $.47/minute


These scams are rare today

First, there's the fact that there are very, very few reports of anyone having ever fallen for this scam (and none include a dollar amount).

Then, there's Ask Andy. He says that he helped investigate this in 1998, and he is not aware of any such scam since then (as of the report, dated 13 Mar 2009).

The only reports we could find were: [1] Per that Ask Andy article, there were about a dozen people targeted in North Mississipi in or before 1998, and [2] A college student that reported it to the campus police (after he called, before he got the bill; he only reported it because he saw an article suggesting he might be paying a high rate), [3] The Missouri Attorney General says that a senior citizen got the message and called, but doesn't remember if he got an extra charge on his phone bill.

Did you know if you want to see more proof click here.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Did you know these 10 ways to earn extra money online?

Did you know these 10 ways to earn extra money online?
Generating multiple streams of income can have a major impact on your finances. Even an extra income of $500 each month could go a long way to paying down debt or increasing your investments.

We often hear about the importance of diversifying our investments, but diversifying our income streams is just as important, particularly in difficult economic times. Let me show you just how valuable even an extra $500 per month can be. Then I'll list the factors to consider in deciding how to generate extra income, followed by 10 multiple-income-stream ideas.

The value of a second income

Recently I was discussing with a friend the income I earn online, which now is about $1,500 per month. He asked why I get so excited about this income, given that it is a lot less than I make from my job. Here are several different ways to look at an extra $1,500 per month:

  • Savings account. To earn $1,500 a month ($18,000 per year) in a savings account at 4%, you would need to save $450,000.

  • Investment account. To earn $18,000 from investments at 10%, you would need to invest $180,000.

  • Employment. For many, to get $18,000 in raises could take several years of dedicated service to your employer.

  • Financial freedom. Extra income of $1,500 per month could cover car payments, help pay down credit card debt, or cover some or even all of a mortgage payment.

The point is that even relatively small amounts of extra income can go a long way.

What makes for a great source of extra income?

We could all go out and get a second job at Home Depot or Starbucks to earn some extra income. As you might imagine, however, that's not what I have in mind. When assessing how you can generate multiple income streams, consider these factors:

  • Flexible. The ideal source of extra income will allow you to call the shots when it comes to your time. Particularly if you have a full-time job, the last thing you want is being tied down to working a set number of hours each week at a second job.

  • Scalable. Look for income sources that have at least the possibility of generating substantial amounts of income.

  • Sustainable. The ideal extra income source will continue to generate cash even when you're not working at it. The idea is to build something that can eventually function without you.

  • Enjoyable. Generating additional sources of income is a lot of work, so you might as well enjoy what you're doing.

  • Inexpensive. I don't like income-generating ideas that require massive investment.

10 extra-income ideas

Now we get to some ideas about how to go about generating extra income. You want to choose something that fits your interests and personality. You may have certain skills, training and education that will dictate what's best for you. So while this is not one size fits all, here are 10 extra-income ideas to consider:

Real estate investing. While real estate investing does require some cash upfront, the potential is enormous. And the current downturn in the housing market is an ideal time to buy property. I write a separate real estate investing blog that describes my experience with buying and managing single-family rental properties.

EBay store. It's now easier than ever to run an online eBay store. You can of course acquire products to resell on eBay. But you can also create an online store to market products that others are selling on eBay and share in the commissions generated by the sales. To find more information, check out the eBay Partner Network and the Build a Niche Store sites.

Realtor. This may seem like a crazy time to start selling real estate, but in a slow market a lot of the competition runs away. You'll need an initial investment to obtain your real estate license, but over the long term you'll have the potential to make substantial income.

Web site design. With the continued growth of the Internet, Web site design has become a growing industry. Unless you already have the know-how, you'll need to spend some time learning the technology. But there are plenty of online resources available, and the best in the business can earn a great income.

Graphic artist. There are a lot of ways to generate money through graphics. Just the logo business alone could keep you busy if you have the artistic skills necessary to develop cool graphics.

Virtual assistant. Virtual assistants today can do just about anything for you that doesn't require their physical presence. Many virtual assistants from places like India are working full time for people in the U.S. The best VAs can earn $30 to $50 per hour. The starting place if you are interested is Elance.

Freelance writer. If you have a knack for writing, you can earn great money writing for others. Not sure how to start? Contact bloggers who are always looking for great writing. As blogs grow, they can afford to pay freelancers good money for quality articles. Web sites looking to build links also hire freelancers to write guest posts to be published on blogs and Web sites.

Home business: The ideas and potential for a home business are limitless. I know folks who have Creative Memories stores or operate a video business or sound studio at their home. One of the great benefits of running a home business is that it greatly reduces your initial investment.

Develop and sell a product. I have good friends who have designed a children's game and are in the process of producing and marketing it. It's a lot of work, but they are passionate about the work, and the potential payoff is huge.

Start a blog. Making money online requires very little cash investment and can be done on your schedule from home. This is one of the reasons I've started a weekend series on how to make money blogging. I am in the process of walking through how to set up a site, and then I'm going to use my Credit Card Offers IQ site as a working example to show step by step how to generate extra income online.

Generating income (along with minimizing expenses) is the foundation of sound money management. While earning extra income does take work, its payoff can be huge. If you are interested to taking the leap, here are some additional resources to consider:

Did you know that People String is the new social media site?


Did you know that People String is the new social media site? People String was launched on September 23, 2009. Did you know that People String is making a bold attempt to compete with giants like Facebook by paying anyone and everyone to recruit members and grow its ranks? FaceBook finally turning a profit, but could you imagine if you were with Face book or Twitter when they first started?

Did you know that People String is also working with companies who want to bypass the advertising giants and pay people directly for looking at their products/services. Quite a novel approach! The more people participate, the more companies will see this as a viable alternative to reaching their target audience.

It can potentially be quite lucrative, for those willing to recruit new members. They will earn a comission for every person they recruit, get paid per item of advertising they look at, thus getting a percentage of revenues from everyone they recruit for life! For those not interested in recruiting others, the remaining income streams may be more to their liking and more are to be added over time.

Those who are interested can click HERE if they wish to take this company up on their offer.

Did you know that if you make People String your start page you make more? Did you know if you click here you can sign up and it does not cost anything to start earning?

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Did you know that these foods make you loose weight?

Did you know that these Foods That help You Lose Weight


image

Losing weight takes effort. But knowing which foods to choose can help make it easier. Eating the right foods can help you stay full longer and boost your calorie-burning power without making you feel hungry or deprived. There are several foods you should include in your diet to help you reach your weight-loss goals.

Foods With High Water Content

image Foods that are composed mostly of water can help you feel satisfied while taking up fewer calories. Similar to drinking a glass of water before you eat, choosing high-water content foods can help fill your stomach before you have the chance to indulge in higher-calorie choices. Even at snack time, these foods can help to tide you over until your next meal without blowing your calorie budget. Some good choices for high-water content foods that help you lose weight are broth-based soups, fresh fruits, vegetables and cooked grains such as beans or pasta.

High-Fiber Foods

image Choosing high-fiber foods can help you feel full faster and for a longer period of time. Fiber expands in your stomach, increasing feelings of satiety. Insoluble fiber, the type found in many vegetables and whole grains, is indigestible. This means that it doesn't get used by your body for energy, but it helps to move things through your digestive system, which can also help when you're trying to lose weight. Additionally, high-fiber foods have little impact on your blood sugar. This helps you to avoid spikes in insulin that can lead to strong cravings and binges. Some good choices for high-fiber foods include oatmeal, brown rice, seeds, nuts, and dark, leafy vegetables.

image

High-Protein Foods

image Compared with other foods, it takes your body more time to digest protein. This helps you feel full for a longer period of time. When choosing protein foods, some options are better than others. Animal proteins often contain high amounts of saturated fats that can cause increased risks of cancer, heart disease and other health conditions. Try to incorporate more heart-healthy proteins such as tofu, nuts, beans, lentils and spinach.

Metabolism-Boosting Foods

image Recent studies have shown that some foods can actually increase your body's ability to burn calories. Some foods that have been proven to increase metabolism include chilies, red pepper flakes, grapefruit and green tea. Don't forget to drink plenty of water, too. Even slight dehydration can cause you to burn fewer calories. Drinking enough water (eight 8-oz. glasses per day for most adults) helps to suppress your appetite and flush out excess sodium and toxins from your body.

Foods to Avoid

image Avoiding foods that can lead to weight gain is as important as adding the right foods to your diet. If you're trying to lose weight, avoid highly processed foods and those high in saturated fat and sugar.

Did you know about hear about 809 area code scam?

809 AREA CODE --- Important

Just passing this along....

We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said 'Hey, this is Karen . Sorry I missed you--get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you.' Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. We didn't respond.

Then this week, we received the following e-mail:

Do Not DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284 AND 876!

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BYAT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809!

This one is being distributed all over the US. This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call.

They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc.

In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls.
If you call from the U.S., you will apparently be charged $2,425 per-minute.

Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges.

WHY IT WORKS:

The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic. The charges afterward can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong.

Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.


AT&T VERIFIES IT'S TRUE:

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6045


SNOPES VERIFIES IT'S TRUE:

http://www.snopes

com/fraud/telephone/809.asp

Did you know that you can travel faster on bicycle than car in Tokyo?

It is estimated that 4 million "junk" telephone calls, phone solicitations by persons or programmed machine are made every day in the United States!






Saturday mail delivery in Canada was eliminated by Canada Post on February 1, 1969!

In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes!






There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Crackers cookie zoo!






Should there be a crash, Prince Charles and Prince William never travel on the same airplane as a precaution!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Did you know who was the First black quarterback to play in the NFL?

Did you know that these were the first blacks that?


Jackie Robinson was a Major league baseball player, he was:

  • The first African-American to play on a Major League baseball team in the 20th century.
  • The first Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to Jackie Robinson.
  • The first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • The first Major League baseball player to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp.
  • The first baseball player to have his uniform number (42) across all teams by the Major League.
  • The first UCLA student to earn a varsity letter in all four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track.
  • The first African-American baseball player to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
  • The first African-American to serve as Vice-President of a major American corporation, Chock Full O' Nuts 1957-1964.

NFL quarterback: Willie Thrower, 1953 he was the first African American player to appear in a "modern-era" (Post World War II) professional game at the quarterback position in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears in 1953. In college he quarterbacked Michigan State to a national championship in 1952.










NFL football coach: Fritz Pollard, 1922–1937. A highly successful football and track athlete, Fritz Pollard became the first African American to play in the Rose Bowl when he played for Brown University in 1916 and the first African American to coach in the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. He assembled and coached the all-black Chicago Black Hawks football team, which became one of the most popular teams from 1929 to 1932.




Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No. 1, he was the highest-paid professional athlete in 2008, having earned an estimated $110 million from winnings and endorsements.[7]

Woods has won fourteen professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 71 PGA Tour events, third all time.[8] He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.

Woods has held the number one position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times, the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has the record of leading the money list in nine different seasons. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, and is the only person to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year more than once.


NHL hockey player: Willie O'Ree, is a retired professional ice hockey player, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League. O'Ree played as a winger for the Boston Bruins. He is frequently but erroneously referred to as the first African American player; while he is black, he is in fact a Canadian born and remains a Canadian national. Additionally, O'Ree is referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" due to breaking the colour barrier in the sport. Willie also has a visual impairment.








Marshall W. "Major" Taylor, was an American cyclist who won the world one-mile track cycling championship in 1899 after setting numerous world records and overcoming racial discrimination. Taylor was the second African-American athlete to achieve the level of world championship—after boxer George Dixon.








Tennis champion: Althea Gibson became the first black person to play in and win Wimbledon and the United States national tennis championship. She won both tournaments twice, in 1957 and 1958. In all, Gibson won 56 tournaments, including five Grand Slam singles events.





The first black male champion was Arthur Ashe who won the 1968 U.S. Open, the1970 Australian Open, and the 1975 Wimbledon
championship.

Did you Know

Did you know that the average human brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons? These remarkable cells form intricate networks, allowing us to think, feel, and experience the world around us. Each neuron communicates with others through electrical impulses, creating a symphony of thoughts, memories, and emotions. So next time you ponder life’s mysteries, remember that your brain is orchestrating a cosmic dance of neurons!