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Good Tuesday
morning.....
...and
won't it be
a good week after all now that you're
reading your
Dose
of Dover
The
most reliable source for un-common
sense advice,
insights and
cover-your-backside strategies you
simply won't be able to find anywhere
else.
Take
your best shot...try to put
me out of a job!
How?
Forward
this week's newsletter
to
everyone in
your Address Book
and
with any luck, make 'em a little lot
smarter.
[Come
on! Be a big shot and
spread the word!]
Tuesday,
May 13, 2003:
By
the way Einstein, are you taking full advantage of all of
Ben's hard work that goes into every show, every KFI Update or
Dose of Dover newsletter? [I doubt it.] Seriously...you're
leaving a bunch of additional information and entertainment
value on the proverbial table if you don't "click
over" to any hot-linked [highlighted] word or sentence
you come across. Terrific insights and [frequently]
twisted
humor are
only one click away...
If
you use ATMs, listen up because the bad guys have
figured out a new
way to steal your cash! If
you're a frequent or even an occasional ATM user, you
need to be aware of the latest skimming scam that's showing up
around the nation. The bad guys attach a
magnetic scanning device to an ATM. When you slide in your
card, this device copies all of your information. So
how do you know if you're using a compromised machine? Here's
what to watch for the next time you stroll up to an ATM:
* Take a look at the ATM before you pop in your card...and if
you see anything
that looks suspicious, do not
use the machine...and if you've got the time, call the cops.
* Be wary of nearby strangers or
"good Samaritans" who offer to help, particularly
when if the ATM eats your card. They could be in on the fix
and trying to steal your card and [Personal ID Number] PIN.
* If an ATM has a discolored card reader
or an unresponsive keypad, use another machine. The "it's
not convenient" argument is exactly what the bad
guys are betting on, and why they're successful.
* Don't key in your PIN until the ATM
asks for it.
* ATM 101: Never give your PIN to
anyone!
* Don't ever try hiding your PIN in your
wallet. The bad guys are a lot smarter than most of us - or at
least a lot more devious. If your wallet gets stolen, you'll
also be handing over the keys to your account.
* Only use ATMs that are in well-lit
areas...and stay away from ATMs that are in hidden areas.
* After you've gotten your cash, jam it in your pocket or
purse and get out of there quickly. Don't stand there and
count it...you can count your cash once you're in a safe
area...and away from the ATM. (Again, this sounds incredibly
obvious, but I continue to be amazed at what easy targets many
of you become when you decide to pull out a wad of cash
amongst strangers.)
While
the authorities are awaiting the results of DNA tests to prove
their case and convict the punk, the more serious message
is obvious: Eating out really can be
dangerous to your health! You never know who's having a bad
day and who didn't wash their hands after their last bathroom
break...or worse.
And
remember Dover's #1 cardinal rule for eating out safely:
Don't treat your server rudely...at least until after
you've eaten your meal.
If
your computer's running a little slower than usual, there
might be sinister forces at work! New viruses and spyware are
on the loose that could be spilling your cyber-guts to the bad
guys: What's the #1 way the bad guys get
in? By invitation!
That's
right...you're inviting them into your private world of credit
card and bank account numbers: All of
those .gifs or .jpegs or .mp3s you've been collecting, plus all
of the sensitive e-mail that you just thought was
private is anything, but. The gaping hole in your
computer security is your unwillingness to install anti-virus
software and your laziness when it comes to
keeping your anti-virus definitions up-to-date.
More
than six months ago, a friend of mine got a hot new computer.
Finally last week (after my continued brow-beatings) he
installed a copy of Norton
Antivirus, my anti-virus software of choice.
Once he loaded it up and updated the antivirus
definitions, he was shocked to find over one thousand
virus-laden e-mails infecting not only his computer, but
potentially everyone he sends an e-mail to (from that
computer)!
If
you're spending any time on line, you've got to take this
stuff seriously: If viruses aren't putting all
of the data on your computer at risk, spyware
lurking in the depths of your hard drive will. If
you're seeing an increasing number of those irritating
pop-up (or pop-under ads), there's a reasonable chance that
you've got some form of spyware on your computer.
Here's
more info about spyware and where to download free software
that'll help you wipe this garbage off your computer once and
for all: Spyware
Info Spybot (this
one works great...I've installed it on both of my computers)
Doxdesk -
or -
Lavasoft
Didja hear about the latest
IRS-related scams making the circuit?
Two new schemes target families of those serving in the
Armed Forces and e-mail users. In both schemes, people
represent themselves as being from the IRS.
The IRS has seen isolated
instances of the scam that targets the families of those
serving in the Armed Forces: Beware of the variations
of these scenarios in which a telephone caller posing
as an IRS employee tells a family member that he is entitled
to a $4,000 refund because his relative is in the Armed
Forces, then they move in for the kill, requesting a
credit card number to cover a $42 fee for postage. The
scammer provides an actual IRS toll-free number as the call
back number in order to make the call seem legitimate...but then
makes numerous unauthorized purchases (surprise!) with the
victim's credit card number.
Genuine IRS employees who
call taxpayers do not ask for credit card numbers or
request fees for payment of a refund...they'll
just go ahead and clean out all of your bank accounts and
put liens against all of your personal property!
[Just kidding.....sorta.] Read
more about it, direct from the source...
I
gotta call on last week's show from one of you asking for help
with a cell phone company that was ignoring repeated pleas for
help. They not only responded...but delivered-in the name of
customer service-in a big time way: I've
said it before and I'll say it again: It's not what you
say...and it's not how you say it...but who
you say it, to!
Dover's
Six Steps To Successful Complaining Pays off once again: Last
Sunday (5/4/03), Jim called asking for advice on how to deal
with his cell phone company (Nextel) and their continued
run-around. Check out his e-mailed description of his
success: "Dear
Ben: Jennifer [from Nextel] called me and offered me 8
months totally free unlimited cellular service and a new $500
phone for free. Do you think that's a good deal? I do! Thanks
a lot, Ben. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks
Again, Jim B., Los Angeles."
Ben's
Bottom line? Cut through the crap, keep it
simple, short and sweet, put it in writing...and direct your
complaint to the right people the first time out. Don't
waste time on toll-free numbers, and don't waste your energy
sending e-mails through their conventional customer service
channels. Follow
the steps that'll set you free.....
Summer
time is the hottest time (sorry about the pun) for finding a
new home. Cash in while interest rates remain at their
lowest leves in decades: are still low. So when are you
gonna buy a house or re-finance your current mortgage?
But get educated about the process first...and the price is
right. Everything you need to know, and the price is
right [free!] can
be found on-line; get your own copy of Ben's 2003
Home Buyer's Guide by clicking here.
We
used to get it for free but even if you have to pay for it, 50
cents for 5-minutes worth of air to fill-up the tires on your
car is a cheap investment in your ride: Did
you know that under-inflation (of your tires) can
increase fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent?
Under-inflation also causes flats (87 percent of flat tires
have a history of under-inflation), and leads to handling
problems, especially on trucks and SUV's.
Almost
25% of all cars and a third of the SUV's and light trucks on
the roads are operating with at least one tire that's
under-inflated. Ben's Solution?
Quit being lazy...because basic tire care's simple.
Find
the suggested pressure numbers inside the door frame or in
your owner's manual. (Don't go by the figure stamped on the
tire; it's the maximum pressure for the tire itself but may
not be right for your particular car.)
Use
a tire gauge to check your tires: They should be checked when
cool or at least after a relatively short drive.
Oh
yeah: Don't forget to check your spare.
The
two websites the FTC shut down were popped for making
deceptive claims that they'll pre-register consumers for the
national do-not-call list for a nominal fee:
Oops...this registry's actually free
and won't start signing up people until July 1st. Consumers
who responded to the sites received an e-mail stating that
their pre-registration was received and their "information
will been transmitted to the FTC as soon as the list becomes
available." One of the sites advertised a
subscription service for blocking telemarketing calls,
unsolicited faxes and junk mail costing anywhere from $9.99 to
$17.99 per year and falsely claimed it could place consumers
on the government's national do-not-call registry.
The
most devious spin of this story? They had a parallel "Do
Not Call List" scam going: Identity
thieves posing as FTC officials working on the do-not-call
list are calling consumers and tricking them into giving up
personal information such as Social Security, bank account and
credit card numbers.
Father's
Day is now 33 days away: Now that we've got Mother's
Day is behind us for another year, maybe you
should start thinking about getting dear ol' Dad something
better than a crummy tie he'll never wear. The
perfect gift? The biggest, most
lucious and amazing towel on the planet, from our friends at www.fattowels.com
There's
no damned excuse for scumbag parents that aren't paying what
they owe in child support: I hate hearing the
stories...and they're all pretty much the same. (So there's no
need to re-visit the misery and circumstances that lead to
child support deadbeats.)
In
honor of Mother's
Day 2003, here are Dover's Four Steps
To Getting The Back Child Support Cash Flow(ing):
1.
Get proactive: There are several parent
empowerment groups out there that support custodial parents in
their quest for cash. The biggest and best organized
organization is The
Association for Children for Enforcement of Support, also
known as ACES. They're worth taking a look at,
and will teach you how to pursue the dollars you're owed so
that you get to keep every penny collected.
They're
also the most cost-effective...with membership fees based on
your annual income: The highest price tag's
only $25. Call (800) 738-ACES.
Even though their website's pretty amateurish, they've
got some excellent information and ideas.
3.
Hire a professional collector: Hold your water
and don't waste your time writing me poison-pen e-mails about
having to pay a debt collector a third of everything they
collect.
Either
get 66.66% of something or 100% of nothing, which is what
you've got now if you're reading this: How
many custodial parents have time to chase the deadbeat
parents? Answer: Very
few. There are some pretty decent child support collection
agencies out there, but make sure you
clearly understand the terms of their agreement before you
sign up. Don't agree to big
up-front fees...ever. If
they collect, they get paid... but if they don't produce, they
don't get a penny.
4.
Be willing to move on with your life and not become obsessed
with the scumbag: I'm not suggesting you throw
in the towel, but there comes a point in your life when your
chance of seeing any return on your investment of time becomes
negligible. And what's your
obsession doing to your kid or kids? How's it affecting
them emotionally? You've gotta get real and learn to
move on.
Gas
prices are (thankfully!) coming down...sounds like you'd
better start planning that road trip soon! Summer
vacation time is almost here and you haven't gotten out the
road maps yet? Vacations are a lot more
fun when you're not spending all of your dough on lodging
or rental cars: Only dopes pay full
retail for hotel or motel rooms, condos or rental
cars. Here's Ben's one-stop-shop for stretching the
budget: www.hotels.com
(And you can
use the extra cash you'll be saving to buy some duct tape
and Benadryl to use on the kids to keep 'em quiet.....)
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