How To Protect Yourself - Scams and Cons Explained

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Learn about scams before they happen. While we cannot offer legal advice we can teach and inform so you know what to watch for. Collection offers may sound valid, but companies want your money and may promise to help. This is your online scam, fraud and con prevention center

On these pages we tell you the truth about settlements scams, debt collector scams, false promises, and how companies later claim "There is no record of that conversation", and how to prevent future frustration

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The FBI says types of public corruption include:

Law Enforcement corruption at the state or local level typically involves the payment of bribes or kickbacks in exchange for official actions or inaction. It also includes any violation of law not necessarily connected to the official duties of law enforcement personnel.

Legislative corruption at the state or local level usually involves payment of bribes or kickbacks in exchange for official action or inaction. These bribes or kickbacks can be received by the legislators themselves, by aides, by staff persons, and/or by outside parties doing business with the government.

Municipal corruption involves illegal activities similar to legislative corruption. Common corruption schemes at a local level include bribes or kickbacks in exchange for: supporting local ordinances, approving local government bond issuance, reducing taxes unlawfully, fraudulently manipulating probate assets, and conspiring with others to rezone property or to influence land-use proposals.

Judicial corruption typically arises out of the corrupt influencing of state or local judges, juries, or court personnel (clerks, bailiffs, probation officials, and other administrative staff). Common corrupt schemes include: payments to judiciary personnel in exchange for dismissal of charges; reduction of charges, bonds, or sentences; waiver of fines; return of forfeitable property; and favorable probation conditions.

Contract corruption usually involves the payment of bribes or kickbacks to local or state officials in exchange for favorable treatment on government contracts. Potential subjects are private contractors, anyone acting on their behalf, and public officials involved in the contracting process (procurement officers, purchasing agents, city councilpersons, and county commissioners).

Regulatory corruption involves payment to local, state, or federal officials in exchange for favorable action or inaction pertaining to identification documents, licensing, and inspection and zoning variances. Unlawful payments are commonly known as bribes and kickbacks.

Prison corruption involves corrections officers taking unlawful payment for acts directly or indirectly related to their job. Common schemes include: smuggling contraband into the facility, granting unlawful privileges, and prematurely releasing inmates.

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The Rise and Fall of Household International and HSBC Finance Free Document - Learn more about the history of predatory lending and causes of the financial crisis. 32 Page Free PDF. Get it now

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New Bankruptcy Law Key Points

Here are key points, changes, and considerations. The bankruptcy laws were changed in 2005-2006, and much of the new law was pushed by credit grantors, finance companies, and shady politicians like Bob Ney of Ohio and lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Here are some points to consider:

1 Means Test for Chapter 7 Eligibility: Under the new act, the U.S. Trustee, or any creditor, can bring a motion to dismiss a bankruptcy case if the debtor's income is greater than the state's median income. A debtor's living expenses, including transportation and housing, are determined by what's allowed under Internal Revenue Service rules. Under the old law, the debtor's actual expenses were taken into account in determining who qualified to file for Chapter 7. Under the new law, abuse of the bankruptcy law is presumed if the debtor's current monthly income, minus allowed deductions, is greater than $100. Debtors who meet this new standard would be put into a 5-year repayment plan under Chapter 13.

2 Mandatory Credit Counseling and Debtor Education: No individual debtor may file for bankruptcy unless he or she has received credit counseling from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee within the past 180 days. The court may not grant discharge of a bankruptcy unless the debtor has completed an educational course approved by the Trustee in personal financial management and a debtor can be denied discharge if he fails to complete the course. The old law did not require any counseling or education.

3 Serial Filings: A Chapter 13 bankruptcy discharge will not be granted if the debtor obtained a discharge in Chapter 7, 11 or 12 in the four years before filing the current case. If the previous filing was a Chapter 13, the discharge must be more than two years prior to the pending Chapter 13 case.

4 Homestead Exemption: Under the new law, debtors must live in their state or residence for 730 days prior to taking local exemption. Any move during that two-year period means a debtor's residency is deemed to be the state in which he or she spent most of the 180 days before that period. Nevada allows a $350,000 exemption.

5 Attorney Verification: Debtors' attorneys must make a "reasonable inquiry" to confirm that the information given by their clients is accurate and truthful. Attorneys can be ordered to pay fees and penalties if the court decides they did not make reasonable verification efforts.

6 Mandatory Tax Return Filings: These are required under the new law. The debtor must provide a copy of his or her most recent tax return, or a transcript of it, seven days before meeting with creditors or the case will be dismissed. The information must be provided to any creditor who requests it. Tax returns for the last four years must also be filed before filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

2010/09/03 · by T. Blake