Even “Global Warming Central” at Britain’s Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research had to admit that their past figures were suspect and that rather than a 0.2% temperature increase over the past decade their adjusted figures suggested only a 0.07% temperature increase during that period. Hadley has always been a leading source for global warming activism and their computer models and data analysis techniques are being looked at with increasing skepticism as they remain one of the few climate research groups still reporting any warming at all over the last 10 years.

Scam baiting, also known as counterscamming, is the practice of feigning interest in a fraudulent scheme in order to manipulate a scammer. The purpose of scam baiting might be to waste the scammer’s time, cause them embarrassment, cause them to reveal incriminating information which can be passed on to legal authorities, waste the scammer’s money, or simply for the baiter’s amusement.

The primary goal of the majority of scam baiting is stopping “419″ advance-fee fraud, which bilks hundreds of millions of dollars from victims, and can lead to victims committing crimes to raise enough money to feed the fraudulent schemes.

Scam baiters often simply attempt to waste the scammer’s time by pretending to be a victim; they often believe if a scammer is busy communicating with a baiter, then less time is spent finding and exploiting potential victims. In “Conversations with a Nigerian Bank Scammer,” writer Karl Mamer documents verbose “conversations” over email with several Nigerian 419 scammers. After statements like “Marco, my good and soon to be prosperous friend, you have correctly intimated from my writings on religion and Elvis that indeed, like you, I whole heartily [sic] agree that the separation of church and state is both unnatural and ungodly,” “Marco” finally says “I am so scared to meet you with this amount of talking.” Baiters often refer to scammers as “lads.”

Another common practice among scambaiters is to ask the scammer to do something in order to prove their identity or their intentions, such as sending a photograph of himself or herself in a compromising position. Baiting forums relish in a special bait they term “safari” in which they attempt to persuade scammers into traveling long distances to meet phantom victims or to pick up bogus wire transfers.

A small number of scam baiters claim to have convinced their scammers to send money to them, although the actual occurrence of this is disputed. Tom Craig, a former Scotland Yard officer, says that it would be unprecedented for 419 con artists to part with money and suggests that scam baiters could easily forge the scanty “evidence” of such successes. Other baiters have succeeded in getting their scammers to send them art or other “trophies” as evidence of completed work for the baiter, which is, of course, never paid.

Foreclosure rescue fraud is sweeping the country and can end up costing you the home and equity you’re desperately trying to save from foreclosure.

In these tough economic times, mortgage foreclosure rescue scams are sweeping the nation. Foreclosure rescue fraud is both devious and cruel. Homeowners, finding it difficult to make ends meet and facing foreclosure, are promised help to save their homes. These scammers often turn around and steal the homes from those they promised aid to. Some collect large fees for services never provided and are never seen from again.

In any form, mortgage foreclosure rescue scams add insult to injury and are expected to grow in popularity with crooks as Americans default on their mortgages in larger and larger numbers.

I stopped at a Kangaroo BP gas station, located at 1325 Main Street, Cartersville, GA. My truck’s gas gauge was on 1/4 of a tank. I use the mid-grade, which was priced at $3.71 per gallon. When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere around 14 gallon’s to fill it up. When the pump showed 14 gallons had been pumped I began to slow it down, then to my surprise it went to 15, then 16. I even looked under my truck to see if it was being spilled. It was not. Then it showed 17 gallons had been pumped. It stopped at almost 18 gallons. This was very strange to me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon tank. I went on my way a little confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that 1 out of 4 gas stations had calibrated their pumps to show more gas had been pumped than a person actually got. Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount: Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10 GALLONS in your tank, then look at the dollar amount, if the dollar amount is not EXACTLY 10 times the price of the fuel you have chosen, then the pumps are rigged. In my case as I said the mid-grade was $3.71 9/10 per gallon, my dollar amount for 10 gallons should have been $37.19. If I had only checked the pump. It doesn’t matter where you pump gas, please check the 10 gallon price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the Georgia Agriculture Department, and direct your comments to Tommy Irvin, Commissioner. In other states contact proper authorities. Please don’t delete this until you have sent it to all people in your address book. We need to put a stop to this outrageous cheating of customers. The gas companies are making enough profits at honest rates.

Sandy Hutchens at Ripoff Reporting thinks these are some great warning signs for consumers trying to stay safe from fraudsters.

1. The “Bait and Switch” Fraud - Management is the real culprit behind this deception; they advertise items at very low prices (usually below their cost), to drive customers into the store. The problem is they generally don’t have the items in stock, or they have far fewer than needed to meet the demand they created with their ad. Then management insists that the salespeople “step the customer up” or “step off” the advertised item, to a higher priced, more profitable model. In some cases the sales staff is penalized for failing to make the “step off”. Selling the “bait” can even cost the salesperson their job. If you push them to sell you the advertised model they’ll usually give you a “rain check” and promise to call you as soon as more stock comes in. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the call. Remember, they lose money on every one they sell. When you run into this fraud, it tells you something about the people in charge. Just imagine how helpful they’ll be if something breaks and you need service. Our advice: Head for the exit, and never return.. There are stores that have what they advertise, and will actually sell it to you, if you decide you want the item. Seek them out.

2. The “Keep You Waiting /Wear You Down” Ploy – This is a famous one at car dealerships. The salesperson puts you in a little room, then abandons you for very long periods of time. They claim to be working on the “sales manager” to get you a better deal. (In actuality, they’re in the back eating donuts or playing cards while you’re fidgeting in the little office, soaking up the ambiance of the sales awards and family pictures.) The psychology behind this ploy is simple: the longer you’re in the dealership, the greater the sense of “investment” you have in finally making a deal with them. They also know you don’t have unlimited time to shop, and the more of your time they eat up, the less of it you’ll have to shop around. Don’t allow it! After two or three minutes, get up and WALK OUT. They’ll probably tackle you before you get away.

3. Extended Warranty Scare Tactics - Extended warranties may (or may not) be a good deal, depending on the item in question, the likelihood of it needing repairs during the warranty period, and the price you have to pay for it. Keep in mind that what you’re buying is insurance; and like any other kind of insurance, an extended warranty can provide valuable protection, or it can be a waste of money. What you need is honest information about the average cost of repair, and frequency of repair record to make an intelligent determination. Unfortunately, some stores choose to skip the facts and go directly to scare tactics to try to pressure you into buying an overpriced extended warranty. Lines like:”You’ll sleep better knowing you’re protected from costly repair bills”, or “a friend of mine paid over $200.00 to get his fixed. . . now he wishes he’d bought the extra warranty”. Another tip off: When the salesman (or woman) pushes much harder to sell the warranty than the product. This is the case when the store makes more money on the warranty than on the sale of the product. A good way to gauge the relative price of an extended warranty is to compare the stores cost per year of coverage with the manufacturers own extended warranty plan. It would be foolish to pay MORE than the manufacturer charges. Comparison shopping in this way can turn up a good value, but, (and this is a BIG BUT), be sure the warranty is insured by an outside underwriter – too many stores have gone belly up and left their customers holding the bag. . .and the bag is empty.

4. The “I Made a Mistake Adding This Up” Trick – This is an old trick, sometimes used when you’re negotiating to purchase several items at once, like a furniture ensemble, or a car with a number of options. Prior to your making a buying decision, the salesman will offer to give you an estimate of the “total investment”. (They never say price; it’s always an investment – even though it does nothing but depreciate from day one. Very strange.) The trick is, they “make a mistake” and quote you a figure, perhaps a few hundred dollars too high. Then, they carefully gauge your reaction to the inflated price. The idea is to “soften you up” with the higher figure, then “discover” their error, and viola’, you just “saved” another two hundred dollars. You’re supposed to be so excited by this “discovery” and the “lower” price that you go ahead and agree to make the purchase right then. It’s an old trick, but it still works on the uninformed.

5. The “Get `Em Saying Yes” Routine – This is easy to spot. You’re asked a series of questions that you will likely answer in the affirmative. “Do you want a car that handles well?” (Who doesn’t?) Is low maintenance cost important to you? (No, I like $150 oil changes.) Is the safety of your family a concern? (No, I just took out a big insurance policy on the whole bunch.) See the pattern? This is supposed to “set you up” to say yes to the all important “closing” question: “Can I get you into this car today?” If you see the pattern developing, throw them a few curves, just for fun – then “just say no!”

6. The “This is the Last One” Ruse - Along with a hundred variations: “Another couple is looking at this same home – but if you can make a decision now. . .” This is an attempt to play on our fear of “missing out” on something. Simple logic will tell you that even if it is the “last one”, whoever made it will be glad to make another. But they don’t want logic to come into this equation, they prefer emotion – and fear is a powerful motivator. Question the assertion. Is this the last one because they’re not making it any more? Why? Was it a bad design? Didn’t sell well? Sounds like a reason to negotiate a lower price! Don’t be pressured into making a premature decision.

7. The “Low-Ball” Lie - This is often used when you’re pre-shopping by phone. The salesman will give you a very low price (called a low ball) to get you to come into the store or dealership. Sadly, when you get there, the one you were quoted has been sold, but another even nicer model is available for just a little bit more. (It’s a variation of bait and switch.) Or apologies are forthcoming because a “mistake” has been made, and they can’t sell the item for the price you were quoted. In either case, the aimed for result was to get your warm body into striking distance of one of their snakes. Then they have a chance to try one or more of the other deceptions on you. Sure, it makes some people so angry that they never go back to a store that “low balled” them – but unfortunately, others fall for it. You don’t have to be one of them. Grab your wallet and run.

8. The “Today Only” Tactic - It’s a popular variation of the “this is the last one” ruse, but even more common, now as so many so called “power retailers” run sales promotions for very limited time periods. This sets up an atmosphere of supposed “urgency”, wherein you must decide to make the purchase right then. (The urgency is suspect since these guys will very likely be running another “Today Only” sale, with the “Lowest Prices EVER!” the day after tomorrow.) Again, they just want to make it difficult for you to shop the competition and comparison shop. Of course some sales and promotional offers ARE for a limited time, (nothing lasts forever), but a store that respects your intelligence and dignity will probably give you several days or even a week or two to shop, compare and make a decision that’s right for you.

9. The “Paperwork” Euphemism - This illustrates the power of words. Salespeople have been taught to be very careful about the words they use in front of a customer; especially at the point of finally closing the sale. You’ll hear an innocent sounding request like: “I just need you to “OK” the paperwork, sign right here”, or “just initial this for me”. Please note that the so called “paperwork” is actually a legally binding contract; salespeople know most of us have a natural aversion to signing a contract, so the “C” word is transformed into the more innocuous “paperwork”. Whatever they call it, remember: If you sign it, you may be legally obligating yourself to BUY, and you may forfeit any money put on deposit should you change your mind. READ the thing CAREFULLY before you sign. (The “three day cooling off period” that allows you to cancel a contract within three days usually applies only to “in home” sales presentations, in most states. Check locally to be sure of the laws that apply in your area.) It’s a good sign when you find a salesperson that calls a contract a contract.

10. The “Turn Over” Maneuver - Known on the inside as a “T.O.” or “hand-off”, it’s the last ditch attempt to turn a shopper into a buyer by turning you over to someone in higher authority. This person is usually identified as the “store manager”, or “sales manager”, but that may just be a euphemism for a very strong “closer”. Many stores REQUIRE their salespeople to do a “T.O.” if they fail to close the sale. So after trying every close they know, before you leave they may say something like: “Hold on, let me get the store manager to see if we can get you a better deal.” You may be able to negotiate a better price with the “T.O.” man, but it’s more likely that you’ll be subjected to additional pressure to buy right then. When you see the “T.O.” coming, it’s pretty strong evidence that the store’s focus is on selling you, rather than helping you. Caveat Emptor. Latin for “Let the buyer beware.”

read more at www.trampolinesales.com

Are new project called fail scam will now include some of the worlds worst scam artists, so stay logged in as we will be posting these fail scams ever now and again.

Many are now planing to sue the social networking website for deceptive marketing and invasion of privacy.
Consumers had their privacy invaded and were forced into the embarrassing position of having to apologise to all their email contacts for Tagged illegal behaviour.

Started in 2004 by Harvard math students Greg Tseng and Johann Schleier-Smith, Tagged calls itself a “premier social-networking destination.” The California-based company claims to be the third-largest social networking site after Facebook and MySpace, with 80 million registered users.

Tagged may have acquired many of them fraudulently, sending unsuspecting recipients emails that urged them to view private photos posted by friends.The message read: “(name of friend) sent you photos on Tagged.”
When recipients tried to access the photos, they could in effect become new members of the site

The system was set up so that a user was asked whether the sender of the photos was a friend, then suggesting that if the recipient didn’t respond, the friend “may think you said no” (accompanied by a sad face icon). Every person on a user’s contact list received an email that again read, “(name of user) sent you photos on Tagged.” The site then released a flood of offers for everything from sweepstakes to other services.

The attorney general said a lawsuit would seek to stop Tagged from engaging in “fraudulent practices” and to seek fines. Plans to sue the social networking website for deceptive marketing and invasion of privacy are definitely in the works.

If you or anyone you Know have more information on this scam please leave us a comment on Sandy Hutchens Ripoff Repoting.

Millions of customers have been hit by the charges, with some forced to pay hundreds of pounds just for going a few pence into the red.

But the watchdog has decided it can no longer pursue its claim that the fees are unfair after a surprise Supreme Court ruling last month that sided with the banks.

The court said that the OFT had no jurisdiction over the charges and no right to reach a ruling that would have paved the way for customers to claim a refund.

Some estimates had suggested that the banks would have faced repaying more than £10billion if they had lost. The OFT’s decision was described as a ‘huge blow’ for consumers yesterday.

Philip Cullum, of the official customer body, Consumer Focus, said: ‘Consumer trust in banks is at an all-time low. This decision will add to the public frustration towards the banking sector.’

Conservative Shadow Treasury minister Mark Hoban added: ‘This is a huge blow. Given the uncertainty-about the fairness of charges for unauthorised overdrafts, we urge the OFT to use other avenues to ensure a fair deal for consumers.’

The Tories have pledged to set up a Consumer Protection Agency to represent ordinary people against the might of large organisations if they win the General Election.

LibDem leader Nick Clegg described the move as ‘extremely disappointing’. He added: ‘We will continue the fight for fair bank charges in Parliament and push for a change in the law if necessary so that High Street banks cannot keep ripping off their customers.’

The OFT said it would change its focus to winning a voluntary agreement from banks to adopt a fairer and more open system of overdraft charges.

Chief executive John Fingleton said: ‘We remain deeply concerned that the market for personal current accounts is not working well for consumers and does not give banks sufficient incentives to compete.

‘We are committed to securing significant changes to unarranged overdraft charges going forward, whether through voluntary agreement with the banks or by other means.’

Some consumer campaigners, including Which?, believe there is still scope to mount a legal challenge.

But it is unlikely any change could happen before next year’s General Election. The Daily Mail has campaigned for customers to be given refunds of unfair charges since February 2006.

Anger was fuelled by reports of students and pensioners being forced to pay huge amounts of money. Banks have been raking in more than £2.6billion a year – £5,000 a minute – from the charges.

One-off charges have included up to £39 for bouncing a cheque or exceeding an overdraft limit.

Even the banks themselves were doubtful that the charges were legal, with many offering refunds to customers who threatened to take them to court even before the OFT launched its legal challenge.

It is believed banks paid out more than £500million to those who complained and asked for refunds.

But once the OFT tried to cap the charges, the banks poured millions into a legal case and repeated appeals to block it.

Detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff’s ALERT Squad (Area Law Enforcement & Retailers Team) say they’re tracking a spate of locker room thefts at fitness centers from Southaven to Collierville to East Shelby County.

The latest, a break-in at 24-Hour Fitness Sport, 1285 Ridgeway Rd. in East Memphis, led to a credit card theft caught on the Action News 5 Scam Cam.

ALERT Det. Dee Bowling says Nov. 7, someone worked her way through 24-Hour Fitness Sport’s check-in process and broke into a member’s locker inside the women’s locker room.

“Cut the lock off her locker, took all of the personal belongings out, then replaced it with a new lock,” says Bowling.

Not long afterward, the Scam Cam caught the woman below using the member’s credit card at two Southeast Shelby County department stores.

Bowling says the suspect charged over $8,500 in electronics.

“We’re talking IPods, Wii games, high-end electronics, and each time she forged the victim’s signature,” says Bowling.

A department store source says the cashier never asked the suspect for identification because credit card companies, including VISA and MasterCard, advise retailers not to request identification on credit card purchases. The source says — and a MasterCard source confirms — that the companies believe it’s more beneficial to keep purchases flowing and let the credit card’s built-in insurance against unauthorized purchases protect the consumer.

Bowling disagrees.

He says retailers should make it store policy to request identification on all credit and debit card purchases. He also believes consumers should write “Ask For ID” or “Check ID” in the signature boxes on the back of their credit cards to subtly encourage cashiers to check.

This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. Government. Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DoT,and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign.

This is what the Obama administration will be able to do once you log onto their “Cash for Clunkers” website at cars.gov do not go to this website.

Jeff Poor wrote, “Say what you want about the Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck and his antics, but to give credit where credit is due, he exposed some disturbing language from the Obama administration’s ‘Cash for Clunker’ program Web site Cars.gov.”

Your website privacy and everything on your hard drive may be in jeopardy.