419 er Watch

Who Gets

Hey, here's a little free online site offering prizes. No money needed to enter and you don't end up getting shedloads of spam, either. It's over at whogets.com and the way it works is that first you sign up for the site. Then they show what it is that's on offer and you can simply enter to win it. Then, at the end, 7 lucky people are picked and they each write a 100 word post about why it should be them that wins it.  The best one does.

Very simple so why not try it out?

Disclosure Policy.

Online College

One of the recent seemingly minor rule changes in the way that student loans are offered seems to have been missed by so many people. It's one of those seemingly minor ones that is really rather going to change the world around us.

Until recently you could only get a federally subsidised (Stafford, Pell etc) student loan if you went to a college that did more than 50% of it's teaching on campus. This was really something of a protective manouvre by the traditional colleges. With the rise of the internet, the possibilities of internet video etc there's no particular reason why students should have to assemble in one place in order to be educated. But, if to pay for the courses they were required to, this maintained the privileged position of the older schools.

Now this is no longer true. As long as a college meets the other requirements about quality etc, purely online places can also allow their students access to those federally funded loans.

Expect to see an explosion of interest in those seeking an online college degree as the implications of this work through the system. At this point perhaps it's worth clicking though that link there to see what Capella University, one of the largest such online colleges can offer.

Despite working only online, they're a fully fledged academic sorta place, as the recent publication of ‘Appreciative Coaching:  A Positive Process for Change’ by a faculty member shows.

This  blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Congoo News Circles

I have to admit that I always feel a little silly trying to discuss these new various additions to the blogging experience. Twitter and the like, I mean, what's it for, really?

However, Congoo News Circles don't mystify me so much, they're a great way of promoting a News Blog.

Once you've got your basic blog set up on their system you can then go on to create a variety of widgets and tools to help you popularise that bog. Intelligent thinking really, as there's plenty of blogging systems but few decent ways to get the word out about them.

Disclosure Policy.

Vancouver Lawyers

There's a number of reasons why you might want to think about lawyers, not all of them jokes. In fact, I'm reasonably certain that all those laywer jokes are in fact because we know that we'll need them at some point and rather resent this.

For example, Vancouver personal injury lawyers might be something you need if you get injured in Vancouver. Makes sense really, doesn't it? However, don't think that the guys at that link only work on that one subject.

They're also experts in hte complecities of immigration law and while Canada is welcoming to immigrants they certainly don't make the paperwork process easy, which is why you'llç need good lawyers. It's also true that the supposedly simpler process of getting a working visa can be bureauctratic and time consuming.

But the real reason you want a lawyer is of course if you ever get accused of something. Sure, there's a justice system there but you need someone to fight your corner, someone who knows what they're doing.

Reverse Auctions

You might like to try your hand at this little site, bid4prizes.

Yes, it's an auction, but an auction site with a difference, in fact somthing of a serious twist to it. The thing is, it's the lowest bid that wins, not the highest. Well, to be more precise, it's the lowest unique bid that wins.

The way it works is that you log on and then select what you're trying to bid on (a large plasma screen for example) and then you send in by SMS (or text message) your bid to the company. They'll then tell you whether you are the lowest bidder, and also whether you've made a unique bid. With that information you can then make another attempt to be the lowest unique bidder.

Sounds like a lot of fun actually, especially if you're good at the sort of mathematical games needed to make the right decisions...for of course, you need to work out what all of the other people are going to be bidding.

Well worth trying I think, who knows, you might win with a bid of $1.38 or something!

Disclosure Policy.

The Perfect Pint!

So scientists have now given us the formula for a perfect pint.

A mathematical formula can now predict how the frothy head on a beer changes over time, a finding that may have a wide range of commercial uses beyond pulling the perfect pint, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.    

The formula explains how the tiny bubbles that make up foam grow -- an explanation that could lead to the development of products such as metal shrink wrap.    

The possibilities include "the heat treatment of metals or even controlling (the) head on a pint of beer," Robert MacPherson of Princeton University in New Jersey and David Srolovitz of Yeshiva University in New York report in the journal Nature.

The only problem of course is that the researchers are American and therefore think that beer should in fact be fizzy. Which of course it should not be at all, the froth should be only that provided by the hand pump bringing it up from the cellar.

But then we know that the colonial cousins don't understand that.

UK Mortgages

With interest rates on the rise it's even more important that you scour the market properly for the best possible deal in the UK mortgage market. There are so many people offering mortgages now, with so many possible different variations that it's almost impossible for anyone to find out everything for themselves.

Thus the way to deal with looking for Mortgages is to simply click through one of the links and take the advice of those peple who have already done all of the heavy footwork for you.

Whether you need to get a loan on a self-reporting basis, or a traditional floating rate, or a fixed rate (for however many years) perhaps you need 100%, they'll be able to guide you to hte best offers available on the market today.

Hey, why do all the work yourself if someone's already done it for you?

Disclosure Policy.

THE COCA COLA COMPANY PROMOTIONS

No, this has nothing at all to do with the Coca Cola company.

There is no lottery and there are no prizes. This is just a group of criminals who are using the name so they can steal your money.

You will be asked to send them money to release your prize. Any money that you send will just be kept  by hte criminals and no prize will ever be sent to you.

Ignore it, it's a fake, a scam, a fraud.

  THE COCA COLA COMPANY
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD
DEPTCOCA COLA AVENUE
STANFORD BRIDGE LONDON SW1V 3DW UNITED KINGDOM
THE COCA COLA COMPANY OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION  

 

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded annual final draws held on the 30th Of December 2006 by Coca-Cola in conjunction with the.
British American Tobacco Worldwide Promotion, your email Was among the 20 Lucky winners who won a lump sum of One Million pound sterling (£1,000,000.000) each
on THE COCA\'COLA COMPANY PROMOTIONS however the results were released on the 5th of January 2007and your email was attached to ticket number (CC/7PWYZ2006) and ballot number (CC/BT:12052006/20) The online draws was conducted by a random selection of email addresses from an exclusive list of 29,031 E-mail addresses of individuals and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the internet.
However, no tickets were sold but all email addresses were assigned to different ticket numbers for representation and privacy.
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over 250,000 email
addresses drawn from all the continents of the world. This Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and also Licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR).
This lottery and it is the 3rd of its kind and we intend to sensitize the public. In other to claim your prize winning which has been deposited to
customized Courier and Security Company who has been to deliver it to your designated contact address.
Above all, you are required to fill out the Claims Verification form below and send it to the Fiduciary Agent Of THE COCA COLA COMPANY for verification and
processing who is going to refer you on how to claims your winning.

 

1.Name............................
2.Address.........................
3.Age...............................
4.Sex...............................
5.Occupation....................
6.Country Of Resident.......
7.Nationality......................
8.Tel/Fax...........................

 

Please you are advice to complete the form and send it immediately to our Fiduciary Agent through email or fax for Verification and Remittance of your Winning To your designated Address.You are therefore advised to contact our Fiduciary Agent for the Verification And Remittance Of Your Winning with
Your Information and do remember to quote your Ticket Numbers And Ballot Numbers.

 

  Fiduciary Agent Max Ralph
DEPTCOCA COLA AVENUE
STANFORD BRIDGE
LONDON SW1V 3DW
UNITED KINGDOM
Email: infowebcocacola@yahoo.co.uk  
Telephone: +44-7979391755
Best wishes:
Mrs. Juliet marrow
(Processing Manager)  

 

On Behalf of the staff And Members Of the COCA COLA COMPANIES Congratulates and therefore advised you to keep your winning information
confidential and restrict from third Party to avoid double or false claims of your winning

Futures Markets

There's an awful lot about investment markets that people really don't seem to understand. The most important is the concept of diversification.

This means that you should have some money in cash, some in bonds, some in stock and so on. One way of putting it is that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. Another is that you should look to different asset classes and adjust the amount that you have in each based on the riskiness of that class, plus the needs of your own investment policy.

At the riskier end, but still something that you should think about, is global futures. What you need to understand here is that while the returns can be high, so are the risks (indeed, the two go together in financial markets) so it isn't something that should be at the core of your strategy. Rather, something to do with a small part of your portfolio.

Click through that link and see how Global Futures Exchange & Trading Co., Inc. can get you started in the market for as little as $250.

Disclosure Policy.

Nederlandse Staatsloterij

Now there is a real lottery in Holland but this has nothing to do with it. For the other one, the real one, you have to buy a ticket and they do not operate by email.

This one is just a group of criminals who have stolen the name. They will ask you to send them money to process your prize. As there is no lottery here and there are no prizes all that will happen is that any money sent by you will be kept by the criminals., No prize will ever be sent to you.

Ignore it, it's a scam, a fake, a fraud.

CONTACT CLAIM PROCESSING DEPARTMENT!!!
Nederlandse Staatsloterij
Postbus 3334
5902 RH Venlo
Den Haag, The - Netherlands
YOUR REF. No: SNL/4249859609/WP1
YOUR BATCH NO: AT-040SB03-07.

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Staatsloterij
International 
Prize award Winners that was announced today 24th of April 2007. Your
email 
address have been selected as one of the lucky winning Address,
therefore you 
have been approved for a lump sum payout of Euro 920,000.00. (Nine
Hundred And 
Twenty Thousand Euro only) in the 3rd category winners. Your email
address 
attached to a Ticket numbers 7775114-6410 with Serial No: 472-9768-98.

Congratulations!!!
All participants where selected through a computer ballot system drawn
from 
over 20,000 company and 30,000,000 individual email addresses and names 
from all over the world drawn from Europe. America, Asia, Australia, New 
Zealand, Middle-East, parts of Africa, North and South America. We
hope with 
part of your winning you will take part in our next year 50 million 
international lottery. To file for your claim, please contact our claim
processing department with the contact information below:

********************************************
MR. DOMENICO GRANITO
Staatsloterij N.V
(CLAIM PROCESSING DEPARTMENT)                                    
Tel: +31- 641 940320
Fax: +31 847 195169
Email: infodomenicogranito@gmail.com
************************************************

We expect you to provide them with the information below for the
processing of 
your winning documents.

1). FULL NAMES:......................................
2). AGE: ..................................................
3. OCCUPATION :........................................
4). SEX:...........................................
5). PHONES AND FAX NUMBERS:..............................
6). COUNTRY OF RESIDENT:.................................
7). NATIONALITY: ....................................
8). MAILING ADDRESS:............................... ....
9). ANNUAL INCOME..............................
10). AMOUNT WON:.......................................... 
11). REFRENCE NUMBERS.................................
12). BATCH NUMBERS................................
13). YOUR WINNING EMAIL ADDRESS.......................
14). SERIAL NUMBERS.........................................
15). TICKET NUMBERS.....................................

NOTE: All winnings must be claimed not later than 5th of May 2007,
after this 
date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake. Anybody 
under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Congratulations once more, as we expect you to make good use of your
funds.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Janet van Sintel (Mrs).
(Loterij Promotions Coordinator)

Ode To Heavy Equipment Operators

This is an interesting little use of You Tube I think. A poem and a video looking to encourage people to train as heavy equipment operators. It's backed by www.nahets.com and it appears that they're so short of people capable of doing the job demanded that they'll actually pay for people to go through the training school if they'll agree to work for them afterwards. Obviously, there's a shortage of such people. a real shortage.

Disclosure Policy.

Online Coupons

We're all familiar with the idea of clipping coupons from the newspaper in order to save money at the grocery store. But what do we do in this new brave online world? How do we find the online coupons we need in order to save money at the online stores?

Well, my advice would be to click through one or more of the links in this post actually, as that is indeed where you can get those coupons.

For example, Spring Hill Nursery coupons, just ideal for that spring replanning of the garden (they've even got a 1 cent sale on at the moment). Or maybe you'd prefer some money off with a Dirt Devil coupon to help out with the spring cleaning?

I know what I'm going to personally though, get my Better Homes and Gardens discount. That way I can just read about and look at the pictures of all the hard work everyone else has done without actually having to do any myself.

But then each to their own, eh?

Credit Card Search Engine

Trying to work out which credit card is best for you is one of the more tedious little things that has to be done. There are so many options and so many different providers that it sometimes seems that simply taking all and any of the offers that comes through the mail makes sense.
This is not, however, the sensible way to go about things. What you should in fact do is go to this search engine for Credit Card Applications and then use their knowledge to help you get the best deal possible. For depending upon your credit rating there are a number of different options that you can get.
If you have a high credit rating, just as an example, you can get zero balance transfers. This allows you to move money that you're paying a high interest rate on to another card where you'll pay none. Or if you don't carry card debt from month to month then you can go for a cashback card, which pays you to use it. Or perhaps one that provides frequent flier miles instead.
As I say, there are many options but you will be able to find a card that does something more than simply allow you to charge items.
If you've got a bad credit record then there are cards out there which seem designed to help you get a better one. You only get a small amount of credit, that's true, but every month that you have one of these cards, and pay off the amount owed, then your credit rating just gets better. That can help when you apply for other loans, like a mortgage or a car finance package.
Anyway, check out the site by clicking through that link. You'll almost certainly be able to find a better deal on credit cards than the one that you have now.
Disclosure Policy.

OncePromo 2007

This is just another name for the standard lottery scam.

There is no lottery and there are no prizes. You'll be aksed to send them money in advance to release your prize. If you do, the criminals will simply keep it and nothing will be sent to you.

It's a scam, a fake, a fraud, ignore it.

Attention: Winner,


Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice the result of ONCE  
PROMO2007 promotions.We are happy to inform you that your email
address have 
emerged a winner of Five hundred and fifty thousand euro(550,
000.00)Euros.

NOTE: to file for your claim, please contact the claim department
below on 
email or phone LOTERIA TRUST AGENCY S.L Mr.PAUL VANFRANT
Emails:loteriatrust11@aim.com
Tel:+34646468264

Find below your promotion date, Reference and Batch numbers. Remember to 
quote these numbers in your correspondence with your claims agent
(Mr.PAUL 
VANFRANT)

PROMOTION DATE: 15th of April 2007.
REFERENCE NUMBER: LSLUK/2031/8161/07
BATCH NUMBER: 15/051/IPD
1.Name in full
2.Address
3.Nationality
4.Age
5.Sex
6.Occupation
7Phone
8Fax
9.Present Country
10.Amount  won.

Congratulations once again from all our staff and thank you for
believing on 
email communication and also for being part of our

promotion program.

Sincerely Yours,
Mrs.JACKLIN WILLIAMS
THE PROMOTION COORDINATOR.

_________________________________________________________________
¿Cuánto vale tu auto? Tips para mantener tu carro. ¡De todo en MSN
Latino 
Autos! http://latino.msn.com/autos/

PrepLogic

The thing we all need to know in this brave new job world is that we have to be continually increasing our skills and level of training. No longer does economic success depend upon position, class or background, it's the skills that you carry in your head that determine how well you're going to do.

With this in mind you'll want to check out what PrepLogic can do for you. It offers a series of classes, courses and programs that will prepare you for the various certifications that you need to get ahead in hte world of computers and programming. Downloaded over the internet, you'll be able to work at your own speed to such things as Java Certification.

There's a seriesof free tests and intorductory programs and also great savings to be had when you sign up. Well worth taking a look at.

Disclosure Policy.

GLOBAL SOFTWARE AGENCY

This is a very poor attempt at climbing aboard the bandwagon of the lottery scams.

Of course, there is no lottery and there are no prizes.

You'll be asked to send them money to release your prize. Any money you send will just be kept by hte criminals and no prize will ever be sent to you.

Ignore it, it's a fake, a scam, a fraud.

YOU ARE THE WINNER!!!

This is to notify you that your Email Address attached to a Ticket
Number(106012) has won an Award Sum of (???750.000.00) Euros (Seven
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euros)
In an Email Sweepstakes program held on the 13th of April 2007.

Please contact the claim officer through the below given contact
information for the Claim
GLOBAL SOFTWARE AGENCY
Mr. :Phil Owens
Contact Email : sponsorgroup@netscape.net
Alternative Email:sponsorgroup07@yahoo.co.uk 


WINNING INFORMATIONS
Ref Nnumber (42261),Serial Number 76087, lucky Numbers4426765,
Batch Number EU85011

Please forward the above stated winning information to forward to your
Global software Claim Agent.

Congratulations!!!

Mrs Patricia Walker.

PayPerPost Purchase

Hhhmm. This is interesting, those nice folks at PayPerPost will be announcing next week that they've bought a company. They are, as you will know, the people who run the advertising system on blogs.

Now, they've not announced which company they're buying, nor what it will mean for Posties like me so perhaps it's time for a little speculation?

From a business point of view there's two things they might be trying to do. The first is to consilidate within the sector, to purchase another of the (much smaller) companies that offer a similar service, offering advertisers the opportunity to places ads upon blogs. Whether they'll do this or not I'm not sure. They are by far and away the market leader at present. The others are much smaller, have no where near as good a system or the breadth of bloggers and advertisers in the system. Any blogger or advertiser is free to use one or more of the companies, so there wouldn't be that much of an additional impact.

On the other hand it might be that one of them is offering themselves very cheaply, thus making such consolidation worthwhile.

The other idea might be to extend the company's reach into other markets. At this point, given my general techno-luddism, I have to say I have no idea. So I guess we'll have to wait for the announcement, eh?

Disclosure Policy.

CANADA LOTTERY OFFICE CANADA.

This is so obviously a copy of an earlier scam that was run about the World Cup in South Africa.

No, there is no lottery here and there definitely are no prizes.

You will be aksed to send them money in advance of receiving your prize. They might say it's for legal fees, or taxes, or a courier to send your check. But whatever they call it, the same thing will happen.

Any money you send will just be kept by the criminals  because there is not lottery and here are no prizes.

It's a scam, a fraud, a fake. Ignore it.

From: DESMOND JONES
CANADA LOTTERY OFFICE CANADA.
TEL:  +1-646-213-2850
FAX: +1-502-470-2962
Email: canadaloto2010@yahoo.ca 
        
Customer Service: 700 CASA 7490
Ref: CASA2010/001000/2007
Batch No: Lotto 6/49
Draw Coupon: Match 1+NS
 
                WINNING NOTIFICATION
THIS LOTTERY IS SPONSORED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE PROMOTION
OF THE 2010 WORLD CUP TO BE HOSTED IN SOUTH AFRICA.
We happily announce to you the draw of the Euro-Afro- American
Sweepstake Lottery International programs held Wednesday February 28,
2007 in Essex United Kingdom 
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:SA1000 with Serial
number 29071 drew the Winning numbers 3/6/12/15/43/44 with a bonus
Number 37, for LOTTO 6/49 under the choice of the lottery in the 1st
category of daily three. You have therefore been approved to claim a
total sum of US$1,000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars) in
cash credited to file CASA/100034205378/07.
  
This is from a total cash prize of US $6,680,107.97 Million dollars,
shared amongst the first lucky winners in this category Worldwide.
Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our Afro
booklet representative office in Africa as indicated in your play
coupon, because this particular draw was selected to promote the 2010
World
Cup to be Hosted in South Africa hence your winning information must
be kept to enable you participate in our subsequent games before the
grand finale. In view of this, your US$1,000,000.00 (One Million
United States Dollars) would be released to you by an accredited
commercial Bank in South Africa. Our African agent will immediately
commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon
as you contact him.
 
All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site
through computer draws system and extracted from over 60,000,00
companies and personal e-mails. For security reasons, you are advised
to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is
processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem
fit to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to
avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
unscrupulous elements. Please be warned. To file for your claim,
please contact our corresponding agent in South Africa immediately you
read this message for quick and urgent release of your fund, contact
information is as follow:

Mr. Mac Donald
Email: macdonald1_2@canada.com
             macdonald1_4@yahoo.ca 
Tel: +27 835852071

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________
2.ADDRESS:_____________________________________________
____________________________________________
3.SEX:_______________
4.AGE:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________
6.OCCUPATION:________________________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________
8.TELEPHONE_____________________
9. FAX NUMBER:_____________________
10.BANK NAME:_____________________
11.ACCOUNT NAME:_____________________
12.ACCOUNT NUMBER:_____________________
13.SERIAL NUMBER:__________________
14.WINNING NUMBER: ________________________________
15. STATE:__________________________________
16. COUNTRY________________________________

SEND THE FILLED FORM TO: 
Upon receipt of the duly requested data, your claim agent will proceed
with the release of your winning.
Warm Regards,
Mr. Desmond Jones
Promotion Manager
Congratulations once more from all members and staff of this program
you have successfully won this competition. Thank you for being part
of our promotional lottery program. 

Park City

Managed to sort out your next vacation yet? No? Fear not, there are still some stunning vacations available. Why not check out Park City lodging for example, a great opportunity for a vacation in Utah.

The site is run and offered by Lespri Resort Property Management and includes condos in both Deer Valley and Park City in Utah. Why not click through the link to Park City lodging and see what's on offer as a vacation in this great part of the world?

Remeber, Utah isn't just about Mormons, there's the most amazing and fabulous scenery to be had, the air is clean and the skies clear. Kick back and relax this comin vacation, why not?

Disclosure Policy.

SEAT AUTOMOBILE PROMOTION

This is a variation on the earlier BMW scam from a few months ago.

No, it's nothing to do with Seat, it is simply a group of criminals. No, there is no lottery and you have not won anything.

You will be asked to pay certain fees in advance of gettin your prize. Maybe taxes, or legal fees, or even trapnsport for the car. But the same thing will always happen. Any money you send will be kept by hte criminals and no prize or car will ever be sent to you.

Ignore it, it's a scam, a fake, a fraud.

SEAT AUTOMOBILE PROMOTION
Madrid-Spain.

www.seat.es

Ref No: SEAT/WIN/008/05/10/ALTEA
************************************

 

Attn: Winner,
We wish to congratulate you over your email success in online SEAT
AUTO AWARENESS computer balloting sweepstake held on 6th  April 2007.

This is a millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses
were used. It is a promotional program aimed at promoting SEAT NEW AUTO
CAR SERIES to the world Market; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for
it. You have been approved for the following Prize in the Second Category.

 

**********************************************************************

1. Star Cash prize of Eur 950, 000.00 (Nine Hundred And Fifty  Thousand Euro Only) and

2. A BRAND NEW SEAT ALTEA - Model 2007 [ 20%  Purchase Discount] (Additional Prize)

**********************************************************************

This the first Promotional program for the year 2007. It is absolutely
the biggest bonanza in this year stakes.

To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact accredited the
appointed agent with the Telephone number and emails address provided below
soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

 

*********************************************************************
Mr. Edward Lopez (Claim Director)
FINANFACIL SEGUROS S.A
Avda. Puerto Rico, S/N
28090 Madrid.
Tel: 0034-651-047-021 
E-mail: finanfacilsec@aim.com

Alternative E-mail: finanfacilseguro@aol.com
*********************************************************************

The below informations are attached to your winning informations
(1) Ref No: SEAT/WIN/008/05/10/ALTEA
(2) Ticket Nº: 45407
(3) Lucky Nº: 3-28-40-45
(4) Serial Nº: S-51622
(5) Batch Nº: ESP/SEAT/2007/AUTO

 

You must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names,Contact
Telephone Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number) including
your winning informations stated above via email to process the immediate
payment of your prize.

The Validity period of the winnings is for 30 working days hence you
are expected to make your claims immediately.Any claim not made before this
date will be CANCELLED.

Best Regards,
Mrs. Pamela C. Sollana
(SEAT ONLINE CO-ORDINATOR).
Madrid, 19th  April. 2007

 

SEAT AUTOMOBILE PROMOTION 2007 

Lemon Laws

One of the innovations certain US states have made is in the passing of the lemon law.

The concept is simply, that there are certain purchases made where the item itself is a "lemon". That is, not suitable or fit for purpose. The most obvious example is when a new or used car simply doesn't work, or has so many faults that it is forever being repaired.

In fact, one guy, Ackerloff, won the Nobel Prize in economics for pointing out that such markets can't in fact work without intervention. The lemon law is one sort of intervention to correct this market failure.

However, having a law that gives you rights is all very well, but you need experts to enable you to exercise such rights. Which is what the Burdge Law office does. They're in Ohio but they're plugged into a nationwide network of such lawyers as well. Clickj through the link above if you've ended up with a lemon: they will be able to help you.

Disclosure Policy.

Booked Your Holiday Yet?

Yes, it's that time of year when you've got to start making the choice of where you're going to go for that all important summer vacation. Remember? The one time of the year when you get to relax, destress and generally kick back?

Have you thought of an all inclusive resort vacation? Whether you have or you haven't you'll still want to click through that link to see what Vacations.net has to offer. They're the specialists in such vacations in the various countries around the Caribbean and as such give you the greatest choice.

They've got good descriptions of all of the various resorts, many money saving offers (some as much as 50% off) and perhaps best of all, ratings of the resorts by past visitors, so you know you're getting the right information.

Well worth checking out.

2007 Web Awards

So here's somthing that I might enter a blog or two for, the 2007 WebAwards.

There's some 90 or more categories and you get your blog evaluated by professionals in both blogging in general and also by those from the specific vertical niche you're in.

My puzzle is really which blog I should enter? This, about scams and frauds? That would put me up against 419 er Eater and the like. One of the celebrity blogs I run? Bu there the competition is huge. My personal one? I don't think they're going to have a category of "insane right wing nutjob political rants" so perhaps not that then, eh?

Óne useful thing, even if you don't win, is that you get an evaluation of the blog from those experts. So worth entering even if you don't think you will win.

Disclosure Policy.

The full press release is as follows:

The Web Marketing Association is now accepting entries into its 11th annual international WebAward Competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks and recognized the best web sites in 96 industries. The deadline for entry is May 31, 2007 and the WebAward Web site is located at www.webaward.org.

“Even the most amazing web sites remain invisible without the proper recognition,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The WebAward competition not only recognizes the best web sites on the Internet today, but our participants get valuable feedback from our experts judges to help make their web site better in the future”.

The WebAwards competition judges website entries on seven criteria: design, innovation, content, use of technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use. Participants receive not only their score for each criteria, but the average for their industry and the overall WebAwards to provide them benchmarks for their own web development efforts.

Participants in the 2007 WebAwards will receive:

• An independent evaluation of their Website
• Valuable feedback to help benchmark your efforts and it relationship to its industry.
• A free copy of the 2008 Internet Standards Assessment Report when published

If your site wins a WebAward, you will also get:

• A beautiful image plaque or certificate of achievement to display proudly
• Higher visibility for your company
• A great marketing opportunity to promote your site to the media
• Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
• Best of Industry winners will also receive a free press release distributed by PRWeb.

Judges are leading Internet professionals that are selected from hundreds of nominations every year. They volunteer their time and talent to help improve the standard of excellence of Web development. Most judges have participated in the WebAwards for several years.

Judging for the 2006 WebAwards will take place in June through August, with winners announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites, including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters, with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology.

The WMA’s WebAward competition is the only major award program to provide in-depth, quantitative analysis of results that help entrants develop standards of excellence for future innovation. The aggregated results of each WebAward competition are published in the annual Internet Standards Assessment Report which will be provided to each participant.

To enter, go to www.webaward.org and create a free nominator account. The deadline is May 31,2007 so don't wait, enter today!

BMW Automobile International Awareness Promotion

This is a variation on the well known lottery scam.

This has nothing to do withthe BMW company at all, it's just a group of criminals pretending to be them.

What will happen is that this new car you are told you will get for free: well, they'll tell you that it's ready but there's just one or two little fees you have to pay to get it. Transport, customs, legal fees and so on. If you send them any money for these then they'll just ask for more, making up some more charges that you have to pay.

You won't ever get a car of course, you'll just end up sending lots of money to the criminals.

Ignore it, it's a scam, a fake, a fraud.

HEAD OFFICE:BMW Kundenbetreuung
80788 München,Germany.
Tel/Fax:+491-8054-8207-90718

THE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS
PROMOTION CLAIMS DEPARTMENT OF
THE BMW AUTOMOBILE COMPANY.
Surinamestraat 24
2585 GJ  Den Haag
Netherlands  .

                                      Reference Number:BMW/2441257016/21

CONGRATULATION!!! YOU ARE A WINNER.
 The Board of Directors, members of staff and the International Awareness
Promotion Department of the BMW Automobile Company, wishes to
congratulate you
on your success as the STAR PRIZE WINNER in this years' BMW Automobile
International Awareness Promotion (IAP) held on Friday 13th of April
2007,
in München, Germany.
     This makes you the proud owner of a brand new BMW 5 Series, M Sport
Saloon car and a cash prize of $500,000.00us dollars (Five Hundred
Thousand
united state dollars). The car comes with a special BMW Insurance
Cover for
one whole year, that is, till the next promotion in 2008. It also
comes with a
one year warranty.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIZE VEHICLE: YEAR 2006 MODEL(550i M Sport Saloon)

  The selection process was carried out through random selection in our
Computerized Email Selection System (C.E.S.S.) from a database of over a
million email addresses from the world wide web. Each email address was
attached to a ticket number and your email address with ticket
number:7657645545100 and serial number:BMWP/226543451008 was randomly
selected
as the star prize winner amongst other consolation prize winners.
 For you to collect your prizes/winnings, kindly fill the verification
form
below and send it to the Claims Manager, Dr.Donald Todd of our claims
department in the netherlands through email, stating your receipt of this
notification. He has been mandated to offer you assistance and
fascilitate the
urgent delivery of your prizes.
CLAIMS MANAGER:
Dr.Donald Todd.
BMW Promotion Claims Department
TEL: +31-626-798-892
FAX: +31-847-474-594
EMAIL: bmwpromoclaims@aol.com
VERIFICATION FORM:
1.) FULL NAME:
2.) AGE:
3.) SEX:
4.) ADDRESS:
5.) ZIP/POSTAL CODE:
6.) STATE/PROVINCE:
7.) COUNTRY:
8.) PHONE:
9.) OCCUPATION/POSITION:
10.) COMPANY:
11.) EMAIL ADDRESS:
12.) TICKET NUMBER:
13.) SERIAL NUMBER
  Congratulations once more, & keep trusting BMW Automobile for top
quality
automobiles.

Engr. Martin Schultz.
DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS PROMOTIONS,
BMW AUTOMOBILE.
Kundenbetreuung 80788 München,Germany.
Tel/Fax:+491-8054-8207-90718

The Bmw International Awareness Promotion Copyright ©2007.All Right
Reserve.

Student Loans Blog

Here's an interesting blog, something that will appeal to millions upon millions. It's all about student loans and more specifically, why and how and when you might want to consolidate student loans.

It's very informative: for example, they've a post up about the changes in interest rates upon Stafford loans. Currently these are above market rates and a bill has just been passed to reduce them to below market rates (after all, why borrow from the government if they're going to charge you more than a bank would?).

There's also a couple of issues of the Carnival of Student Finance where they round up articles from elsewhere (and those that have been submitted) to give you a wider view of the whole subject.

Well worth having a look: you might want to find out how to consolidate student loans for it can save you money to do so, depending upon the interest rates you're currently paying.

Disclosure Policy.

SWISS-LOTTO

Yes, there is indeed a Swiss Lottery but this has nothing to do with it. To win the real one you have to buy a ticket. And they do not send prize winning notices to people via email.

This is a scam, a fraud. You'll be asked to pay some fees to receive your prize. Maybe for legal fees, or taxes, or the courier, whatever they thin you will believe.

If you send money al that happens is that the criminals keep the money and no prize is sent to you.

Ignore it.

Safe Sex

Well, given the effort that's been put into talking about thism, advising us about it, over the past few decades, I'm not sure that's there's any sentient being left in the rich world who doesn't know that if you're going to bonk around and have that illicit fun then you really do have to use a condom.

They're not the magic bullet of course, even if correctly used over a period of a year you'd expect some 3% of the women using them to become pregnant. But of course that's not the only thing they protect against, there's also STDs and and HIV, where they are much more effective than that 97% safe rate.

But if we're to have a vivid, variable and interesting sex life that does then mean that we've got to find a good place to get our condom supplies from which is what leads us to Undercover Condoms (just click through one of the links). You can save up to 50% off the regular prices of Trojans and Durex and all of the other leading brands.

Of course, your inamorata isn't going to take very kindly to the idea that you willing to try and save money when you're sleeping with her but then you don't have to tell her now, do you?

Or, if you prefer, spend the full regular amount and have two inamoratas, why not?

Disclosure Policy.

LAPRIMITIVA EL GORDO LOTTERY

This is another variation in name of the same old lottery scam. There is no lottery here and there are no prizes.

You'll be asked to send them money to get your prize released. All that will happen is that the criminals will keep your money and no prize will ever be sent to you.

Ignore it.

TICKET NUMBER: 0016-35914-07
LAPRIMITIVA EL GORDO LOTTERY
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT

Don Pedro Raul
Games/Lottery Coordinator..
OSA  LOTTERY PROMOTIONS
(E-Lottery Games)

RESULTS FOR CATEGORY "C" DRAWS
Dear Sir/Madam,

Congratulations to you as we bring to your notice, the results of the
Third Category draws of EL GORDO DE LAPRIMITIVA SPANISH LOTTERY INT. We
are happy to inform you that you have emerged as a winner under the 
Third Category, which is part of our promotional draws.. The results
of  the
draws have been officially announced .

Participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from
2,500,000 email addresses of individuals and companies from Africa,
America, Asia,Australia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania as part of
our International Promotions Program.

Your e-mail address, attached to ticket number 0016-359142-07,with 
serial number 52201-61 and lucky number 14-18-24-30-31-35 consequently
won in
the Third Category. You have therefore been awarded a lump sum pay 
out of
€615,810.00 (Six Hundred and fifteen Thousand Eight Hundred and  Ten
Euros), which is the winning payout for Category C winners.

This is from a total cash prize of €10,468,770.00 (Ten Million,Four
Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Euros)
shared amongst
the first Seventeen (17) lucky winners in this category.
In your best interest to avoid mix up of numbers and names of any kind,
we request that you keep the entire details of your award strictly from
public notice until the process of transferring your claims has been
completed, and your funds remitted to your account.This is part of our
security protocol to avoid double claiming or unscrupulous acts by
Participants/nonparticipants of this program. Please contact our
Processing Agency (Estrella Seguro S.A) immediately for due processing
and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of your
choice:

NOTE: For easy reference and identification, find below your Reference
and Batch  numbers. Remember to quote these numbers in your
correspondence with your paying bank.Also give them the following
informations:

Name:
Age:
Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Occupation:
REF Number:  NM/BC921245/KY14
BATCH No: NM/207161/WOP.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your fund is now deposited in an Offshore Bank Insured with your name. 
To begin your claims, kindly contact the Claims Agent with the below
information:
***********************************************
Dr. Antonio Navarro,
(Foreign Operation Manager)
Estrella Seguros S.A
Tel: +34 (911)-51-67-93
Fax: +34 (911) 81-74-19
Email: zeeraf12@aol.com  

***********************************************
NOTE: All claims are nullified after 21 working days from today if
unclaimed. Congratulations once again from all our staffs, and  thank
you for being part of our promotions program.

Yours Sincerely,
Don Pedro Raul
(Lottery Coordinator)

Copyright ? 1994-2006 The Laprimitiva El Gordo Inc..........

Gold Coins

A standard part of the theory of any investment portfolio is that you should have something within it that reacts counter-cyclically to inflation. This almost always means holding some commodities, most especially some of the precious metals.

Monex Deposit Company can guide you through the details of this somewhat arcane world but do understand that there can be problems. Platinum and palladium, while precious metals (and others such as rhodium and osmium can be even more difficult) generally have their prices driven by industrial demand more than anything else. So if you can predict the demand for car catalytic convertors (where most of them a re used) then you can predict the market. If not, then you can't.

However, gold is generally driven by the investment demand and even more so for coins like the American Eagle. So, it's worth talking to Monex about how to buy gold coin as it can be an extremely useful hedge against inflation in your portfolio.

Okoza

Okoza is  neat little site aimed at helping you connect with the world of personal finances. More than that, they concentrate very much on the mortgage market.

There's a basic thing you need to understand about financial markets, mortgages most especially,something that will help you before you go and look for an Online Mortgage Quote.

Whenever there is transfer of risk, prices change. So if you have a floating rate mortgage, the risk of rates rising lies with you. If you have a fixed rate one, then the risk lies with the lender. So, at he same interest rate, the floating rate mortgage will be cheaper. Because of that transfer of risk, the price expressed as an interest rate changes.

This is true whether you're looking at Abbey National Mortgages, Barclay's Mortgages, Mortgage Express Mortgages, Northern Rock, or, indeed, any other supplier.

With that in mind, click through any of the links to see what Okoza can help you with, it's a very informative site.

Disclosure Policy.

Never Mind tha Car, How Much Petrol is in it?

An interesting way to make a living. Stealing cars, not for the cars, but for the petrol in them:

A serial car thief in Myanmar who stole 11 vehicles in six months was only after the fuel, which is severely rationed in the military-run former Burma, a police source said on Tuesday.    

Police caught Maung Myo Win red-handed last month as he was trying to climb into a minivan in downtown Yangon, the semi-official Myanmar-language Crime Journal reported.

   

Under questioning, it emerged he had been involved in at least 10 other vehicle thefts in which the cars were left in another part of the capital with empty fuel tanks.

   

"As far as I know, he just stole the petrol," said a policeman, who requested anonymity.

Don't Trust the Tax Man

What gets me here is the way that people trusted him:

U.S. authorities charged a former employee of the national tax-collection agency with fraud Thursday, accusing him of stealing $330,000 in goods from stores and then returning them for store credit.    

Prosecutors said Robert Dooley, a former Internal Revenue Service clerk, carried out the operation at Home Depot Inc.stores in nine states from 2002 through 2005.

   

According to papers filed in Boston federal court, Dooley preyed upon a store policy that allowed customers to return merchandise without a receipt if they showed photo identification. He would show store clerks his IRS badge and on occasion said that as an IRS employee he was "trustworthy," prosecutors alleged.

...

Dooley, who would gather merchandise and go straight to the returns counter without paying, was arrested in October 2005 and has been in prison for a prior conviction since that time.

Showing me an IRS ID would make me less likely to trust someone, not more!

Social Media Blog

If you're trying to get your head around what all this new social marketing thing is all about then you'll want to check out the Britopian blog. Very clear and concise descriptions of all of the major problems. For example, this post on Viral Marketing makes the, once its been made, obvious point that such marketing can only work if there's a community to sustain it.

The rest of the blog is full of similarly good common sense and industry insights. Well worth having a look at.

Disclosure Policy.