WHAT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT IN 2011

It's January 2011, a time for people to get excited about the new year, a new start, and new opportunities. So what's in store for you? ...

We start over with a clean slate making sure we do not repeat the same mistakes. We look forward to a brighter future and a better economy.

First lets look back on what we accomplished in the year of 2010

The precious metals have impressively gained in spite of the bounce in the dollar. Gold topped
over $1400 up 28% this year.  Silver reached $30 up 77% and Copper up 29%

APPLE, the stock, helped the tech sector which has increased 50% this year after more than doubling in 2009.

Exxon reached new highs along with many other stocks. The Market has been a bull since March of the year 2009..

Consumer confidence dips, home prices still dipping. The jobless report show more jobs being created.

What are we to expect with this new Health Plan?  I cannot believe  that  Speaker  of the house, Nancy Pelosi said "we have to pass it to find out the rest of what is in it".

We are waiting for the HS10 food bill to be approved and no one is talking about labeling Genetic Modified foods.  How do we know what we are buying? We have the right to know which foods are genetically modified.

Apartment rentals have increased as many homeowners had to vacate their homes.  Yet I have seen luxury apartment developments rising

Hybrid and Electric cars and scooters are coming into the country and we will be seeing more and more of them on the road during 2011 and increasing by 2012

What to be careful about in 2011


New social engineering scams. Criminals used various schemes to exploit consumer fear (your account has been compromised!); relationships (my passport and wallet were stolen, send money please!) and greed (you’ve won the lottery!) over the past year. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports a recent sweepstakes scam that sends consumers emails and letters with fraudulent checks bearing the logos of financial services companies. Expect to see variations of these schemes in the coming year using every channel of communication, including text messages and phone calls.

We were also a victim of a scheme whereby we received a check from a Texas bank with its identical logo along with a letter telling me to cash it and mail a small balance to one of their companies.  We were allowed to keep a percentage.

The check had an 800 number.  When I called, they confirmed the check was good.  Dubiously I looked the bank up on Google, and saw the exact logo, however it did not have an 800 phone number, only a local one. I called the local phone number to confirm the check authenticity.  I was told I was the 20th person that called and to destroy the check.  It was not theirs.

Another friend told me a similar story of a relative who received a $100,000 check with similar instructions.  They called the bank and was told the check was bogus.  However the relative decided to take a chance and deposited it.  Within a short time, the FBI came to his house and arrested him.  He had to pay thousands of dollars to lawyers to get him out of jail.  So please be careful.

Someone looking for employment answered an ad on Craig's list who got hurt financially. It was recently reported on the news.   I have seen that ad myself as I was looking for a job as well. It listed normal qualifications and asked to submit a resume.  Since the ad looked legitimate I submitted mine

Within 24 hours after sending it, I received a reply via email saying "based on my resume I would be perfect for the position"  Since the employer is in another country, I would be receiving checks among my other duties, and deposit them in my own account. After a few days, I should send  checks to the employer's charities  and keep 10% as my commission or wages.

When I read the employer was from another country, I knew right away the ad was bogus.  I heard on the radio, complaints from other people who lost their money believing the ad was legitimate. So watch out for this.  Some times you can tell if its bogus by the poor grammar and misspelled words on the ads.

Another scam that will happen more frequently:  Ladies, never go into crowds with a shoulder bag or purse unless it is securely under your armpit.  I am sure you have heard of many people being pick pocketed. 

On a brighter note, we look forward to a more prosperous year.  The stock market is in rally mode, The dollar is bouncing back, more jobs are being created, and scientists are working diligently looking for ways to cure cancer and other diseases.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends, family and loyal readers a very HEALTHY, HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR






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