Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

It's that time of year for paying your taxes and getting refunds, but beware - the scam artists are out there on the web. The IRS will never, ever contact you via email about anything to do with your taxes. So, if you get an email claiming to be from the IRS, delete it or report it for free to Spamcop . Just remember, it's not a scam *until* you fall for it. Until then, it's just spam! The following was excerpted from the book Net Crimes & Misdemeanors 2nd edition What To Do ... … if you took the bait and gave away your financial information:* · Report it to the card issuer as quickly as possible: Many companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to deal with such emergencies. · Cancel your account and open a new one. · Review your billing statements carefully after the loss: If they show any unauthorized charges, send a letter to the card issuer describing each questionable charge. · Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCB...

Yesterday was difficult. I had one bass guitar left of my late husband's to sell and one of his friends found someone who wanted it. So I met Bill for lunch yesterday to get the payment. The guitar sold for a lot less than what it cost and a bit less than what I was asking, but beggars can't be choosers, eh? It was nice to see Bill again and he's always fun to talk with. Over the weekend I got an email from one of my late husband's instructors from the Marines, then yesterday morning from a high school friend of his. They had just found out he was dead. It just brings it all back. On the way home, I stopped off again at the cemetery (I was there a week ago and try to go as often as I can). I have noticed the last few times that when there is snow on the ground, I'm the only one leaving footprints to the gravestone. That makes me sad. I talked to my late husband and to "dad" and then left for home. The one bright spot yesterday was when I had my hair done t...

The end of December I'd bought two bottles of Timberwood Merlot wine. I opened one in early January, sipped it through dinner and when the last was poured into my glass I noticed something odd at the bottom of the glass: What the ????? I went in the kitchen, Chris trailing behind. I poured what was in the bottom of the glass onto a paper towel and we both stared at it: Broken glass fused by the wine? Gems? I tentatively picked up one and licked it. Chris kind of freaked - what if it was glass and cut my tongue? It didn't. It also didn't taste like anything at all. Very weird. In the years I've been drinking wine (oh shut up), I have never, ever experienced anything like this. So I checked the bottle - nothing else in the bottom of it, rinsed it out, put the crystals in a baggie (I kept two for myself), took photos and then researched which winery this came from. All the label had on it was Ripon, California and the only match to Timberwood was EJ Gallo Wineries. So I se...