Very Clever Credit Card Scam!

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Give this wide distribution.creditcards1
This scam is actually very clever.
Just when you thought you’d heard it all.
Be very careful out there!Beware of people bearing gifts.
The following is a recounting of the incident from the victim:Wednesday a week ago, I had a phone call from someone saying that he was
from some outfit called: “Express Couriers,”(The name could be any courier company) He asked if I was going to be home because there was a package for me that required a signature .The caller said that the delivery would arrive at my home in roughly an hour. Sure enough, about an hour later, a uniformed delivery man turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and a bottle of wine. I was very surprised since there was no special occasion or holiday, and I certainly didn’t expect anything like it. Intrigued, I inquired as to who the sender was.

The courier replied, “I don’t know, I’m only delivering the package.” Apparently, a card was being sent separately… (the card has never arrived!) There was also a consignment note with the gift.He then went on to explain that because the gift contained alcohol, there was a $3.50 “delivery/ verification charge,” providing proof that he had actually delivered the package to an adult (of legal drinking age), and not
just left it on the doorstep where it could be stolen or taken by anyone, especially a minor.This sounded logical and I offered to pay him cash. He then said that the delivery company required payment to be by credit or debit card only, so that everything is properly accounted for, and this would help in keeping a
legal record of the transaction. He added couriers don’t carry cash to avoid loss or likely targets for
robbery.My husband, who by this time was standing beside me, pulled out his credit card, and ‘John,’ the “delivery man,” asked him to swipe the card on a small mobile card machine with a small screen and keypad. Frank, my husband, was asked to enter his PIN number and a receipt was printed out. He was given a copy of the transaction. He guy said everything was in order, and wished us good day.

To our horrible surprise, between Thursday and the following Monday,  $4,000 had been charged/withdrawn from our credit/debit account at various ATM machines.

Apparently the “mobile credit card machine,” which the deliveryman carried now had all the info necessary to create a “dummy”  card with all our card details including the PIN number.

Upon finding out about the illegal transactions on our card, we immediately notified the bank which issued us a new card, and our credit/debit  account was closed.

We also personally went to the Police, where it was confirmed that it is definitely a scam because several households had been similarly hit.

WARNING: Be wary of accepting any “surprise gift or package,” which you neither expected nor personally ordered, especially if it involves any  kind of payment as a condition of receiving the gift or package. Also, never accept anything if you do not personally know or there is no proper identification of who the sender is.

Above all, the only time you should give out any personal credit/debit  card information is when you yourself initiated the purchase or transaction!

PLEASE   Pass this on, it may just prevent someone else from being swindled.

How to make your child a better investor

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He has introduced Aparnna to the basics of banking and encouraged her to learn about financial concepts and investment products. Two years ago, she topped the South zone in the National Financial Literacy Assessment Test (NFLAT). The exam is conducted by the National Institute of Securities Market (NISM) for students of Classes VIII to X and tests basic financial awareness. Now 15, she already knows about the different types of insurance covers and how mutual funds work.

“Knowledge of financial concepts is necessary to succeed in the real world. It is perhaps the best gift you can give to your child,” says her father Rajendra Chaudhari.

Her money quotient:

– Manages her own bank account but has not yet started investing.

– Knowledge of finance came handy when she co-founded a company that makes eco-friendly water sprinklers.

– Conducts Money Tree workshops where she teaches finance to children from the low-income group 

 

How to make your child a better investor
Neha Chaudhari – 18 years Bengaluru, studying in Class XII. Topped the NFLAT exam in the Western zone in 2013

 

Click Here for more

What to do after a car accident?

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Things can get chaotic very fast after a car accident, but following some basic steps can help improve your situation.

With the rapidly increasing number of cars on the road, the likelihood of being in a car accident increases too. To mitigate the damage caused, it’s important you are well informed of the procedure to follow after such an event has occurred. This infographic is dedicated to educate how to tackle any such unfortunate incidents.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/what-to-do-after-a-car-accident-infographic/tomorrowmakersshow/49468009.cms

Generate cheap, green electricity from sunlight with solar roof tiles

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Alternative energy has become a lot cheaper than it used to be when the public was presented to it. But still, nowadays solar panels are hardly the aesthetically pleasing objects we want them to be. When you think of photovoltaic systems automatically your mind goes to those large panels, which are so awkwardly installed on rooftops. Although the environmental impact of those are practically zero, their architectural impact is not similar! That’s why you should definitely consider the innovative photovoltaic tiles, like these featured here. They are made from natural clay or slate slabs and have small solar panels applied to the flat side facing the sun. They are easy to install and have a high enough energy yield. There are also transparent solar shingles, which have an even less aesthetic impact. They are weather resistant and have similar characteristics to traditional tiles, with the only difference being the material: Plexiglas or PMMA, that allow a 90% passage of natural light. Check them out!

See more at: http://www.goodshomedesign.com/generate-cheap-green-electricity-from-sunlight-with-solar-roof-tiles/

Consumer Alert – Nov 2015

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Consumer Education and Research Centre
(Registered Public Charitable Trust)

November 2015                                                                              Vol. 3   No.2
COVER STORY
Not all calories are equal

Do you know a healthy sandwich contains 400 calories while a sinful brownie has 380! Calorie counts are more complicated than they seem. We help you understand why all calories are not equal. Read more
Subscribe to Grahak Sathi

The third issue of our magazine tells you whether it is wise to buy Organic Turmeric Powder or not. The dangers of overusing antibacterial products and how the social media can help you resolve complaints are some of the other topics covered in this issue.

Click here to subscribe
CERS MEDIATES

  • Godrej Properties waives penal interest
  • Finally, Tata Card stops harassing consumer

If you have a complaint, email it to: complaints@cercindia.org
SETTLED IN COURT

Builder to pay compensation for project delay 

Hotel told to refund part advance amount

CONSUMER TIPS

WhatsApp Tips and Tricks

Popular messaging app WhatsApp has 800 million active users globally of which 50 million are in India. You may be one of them, but we give you tricks and tips to use it effectively. Read more
TALL TALK

Not our cup of tea

Actress Shraddha Kapoor suggests an easy and healthy way of losing weight with no side effects – drinking Lipton Green Tea. But the television commercial is misleading. Read more
HEALTH MATTERS

Your face can be a barometer of your health

Your face is not only your identity but also a vital indicator of your inner condition – both physical and mental. Examining facial parts like eyes, mouth, tongue and skin play an important role in diagnosis. Read more
PUBLIC INTEREST
How to make a consumer complaint
Consumers may not pursue their complaints against manufacturers of goods/service providers because of the time, energy and money involved. In this article, we guide you on how to make a consumer complaint and seek justice. Read more
SNIPPETS
Antacids have a surprising side effect. They can increase bone fracture risk. Also, if you are frequently bitten by mosquitoes, blame your genes. Read more
  • SC rejects move to ban crackers this Diwali
  • Cashless treatment scheme for accident victims
  • Banks can’t force customers to put cheque in drop box 
  • Flight tickets if you are dropped from train waiting list
CERC NEWS
CERC took part in the Green Action Week campaign to encourage consumers to purchase organic foods. This was done by conducting awareness programmes targeted at students, parents and general consumers. To reach out to the most vulnerable, marginalised and backward communities, the CERC-GSK opened its second extension centre at Samerth, Ahmedabad.  Read more
Consumer Education and Research Centre
“Suraksha Sankool”, S. G. Highway, Thaltej, Ahmedabad – 380 054.
Tel: 079-27489945/6, 27450528, 27438752/3/4            Fax: 079-27489947
Email: cerc@cercindia.org
Website: www.cercindia.org

Toll-free Gujarat Consumer Helpline: 1800 233 0222       [from BSNL]
Send your feedback to: alertcerc@gmail.com

 Safe Online Shopping

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Online shopping is convenient; but, unless you take certain precautions and maintain highest security level, it may cause you headaches and financial losses
The festival season is now at its peak. Shopping online is convenient and saves time—but, at the same time, if you are not cautious, it may turn into a nightmare. While using the Internet for any purpose, always remember that there are risks. This is because the same Internet gives attackers/fraudsters ways to access your personal and financial information. Not every attacker would rob you: he will simply sell your personal information to someone else who will do the job.
Attackers are always on the prowl to search for vulnerable computers or PCs, besides creating authentic-looking, but fake, sites and emails and intercepting insecure communication, including that of financial transactions. Here are some basic tips to protect you while shopping online:
1.Use Good Anti-virus and Anti-spyware Software: Avast Free AntiVirus 2015 and AVG AntiVirus Free are two popular free softwares. Anti-Malware from Malwarebytes, also free, helps you keep malware away from your PC. But do not forget to keep the virus/malware definitions up-to-date.
2. Keep Your Browser Updated: Although most browsers alert you about updates, keeping auto updates on and regularly updating your browser helps avoid attacks made using loopholes in the browser. For Firefox, you can use two add-ons, viz., No Script and Ad-Block Plus. Depending on the site, you can give temporary or permanent permission for scripts and advertisements which otherwise get downloaded automatically.
3. Browser Security: Not all browsers offer the highest level of security as default and you need to set it for individual browser/s.
4. Shopping Only with Reputed Vendors/Sites: Although high reputation does not always give you peace of mind and the product you ordered, it helps in avoiding certain issues and get them resolved, if required. Do not get lured to sites that offer the lowest price for any product. If someone is offering a price way below what’s available elsewhere, something is fishy. Stay away from such sites.
5. Avoid Impulse Shopping: Shopping, whether online or offline, should be done only based on needs and not on impulse. Many shopping sites and apps offer you a feature called wish-list (it may differ from site to site). Use this to bookmark a product that you need—or would need—in future. If there is any special offer on this product, you may get an alert as well.
6. Never Share Data over Email: Despite several warnings from regulators and the police, many people still share their personal and financial information. Never do it. The same applies for clicking on links in emails. Unless you have received the mail from a known entity  and from a known email ID, never click on any link. It may open the door     to attackers.
7. Check Encryption of the Site: Most sites, especially online shopping and email service-providers, provide a security layer (SSL or secured sockets layer) to encrypt information. Check for the additional ‘s’ in the address bar: It should be ‘https:’ and not just ‘http:’. There should also be a lock icon there, which, after clicking, will show details about the website, its certificate and confirm if the connection to the server used by the site is encrypted or not.
8. Use Cash on Delivery: If you are not comfortable with the site or the product, use the cash on delivery (CoD) option. In that case, open the product in the presence of the delivery person and try to do a video recording. Although it is rare now, several buyers have received stones/bricks instead of the product they ordered. So it is better to be cautious than sorry.
9. Keep Records: While buying online, we do get SMS alerts and email intimation from the shopping site. Do not delete these messages. They may come handy, in case you need to track shipment of your product or if there is any other issue and you need to file a complaint about.
Happy online shopping!
YOGESH SAPKALE

Be App Smart @Workplace – Using Technology and Online Apps to Boost Productivity at Workplace

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My upcoming workshop @ Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) – Be App Smart @Workplace – Using Technology and Online Apps to Boost Productivity at Workplace on 5th November 2015 – For more details – http://bit.ly/CII0511

cii

Western Region

Be App Smart @Workplace

1000-1630 hrs : Thursday, 5 November 2015 : CII Western Region Office,

I A Modi Conference Room, Kakad Chambers, 132, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai – 18

It is impossible to imagine a time when people did not have Cell Phones or Internet Access. With the advancement of technology, the face of the world has been changing rapidly. From being a mere device to receive and make calls, the Mobile Phone along with the Internet have become an integral part of our lives. Today, mobile applications have made our entire planet almost boundaryless be it in our personal or professional lives. One can connect to any place on earth with, just a click on the mobile/PC/laptop. With the proliferation in devices and Operating Systems, many users find it difficult to track updates and be productive at the same time.
With this backdrop, CII is organising a full-day workshop on “Be App Smart @ Workplace”on Thursday, 5 November 2015, at its Western Region Office in Mumbai. The workshop seeks to addresses the long-felt need for working professionals to keep pace with the latest in technology to boost productivity at workplace. I am happy to share that I am conducting this session and would like invite you for the same. I look forward to participation at this workshop.

 

Who can attend? Beginners to intermediate working professionals with no prior expertise except usage of computers and mobile phones

 

Requirements for the workshop: Participants to carry personal smart phones / laptops with internet connection

 

Registration Fees  (per delegate inclusive of taxes, avail of group discount) : Member Rs 2000/–     Non-Member Rs 3000/– 

To register please send us the attached reply form duly filled in. For online payment please click here

 

 

Warm Regards,

Nayana

 

===============================================

Nayana Narayanan

Deputy Director

Confederation of Indian Industry

Western Region

105, Kakad Chambers,

132 Dr Annie Besant Road,

Worli, Mumbai-400018

Tel        : +91 22 2493 1790 (Extn.424)

Fax       : +91 22 2493 9463/ 2494 5831

Email    : nayana.narayanan@cii.in

Website: www.cii.in

 

Agenda – Be App Smart for the Workplace

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