MARS shines on short selling homeowners

Homeowners facing foreclosure could enjoy greater access to short sales and less confusion about the foreclosure alternative, thanks to new federal regulatory relief for real estate brokers and agents.



by Broderick Perkins
© 2011 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Homeowners facing foreclosure could enjoy greater access to short sales and less confusion about the foreclosure alternative, thanks to new federal regulatory relief for real estate brokers and agents.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), on July 15, announced it will immediately stop enforcing most of the provisions of the "MARS" rule against real estate professionals representing homeowners in short sales.

A short sale occurs when the bank allows the sale of a home for less than the existing mortgage balance, provided the seller finds a qualified buyer. Such homes are often held by homeowners struggling with "underwater" mortgages -- mortgages with balances larger than the value of the home.

MARS, the federal "Mortgage Assistance Relief Services" rule, protects homeowners from fraud by forcing mortgage assistance relief services to disclose information about their services. It also mandates certain business practices.

The FTC ordered the stay of enforcement because real estate brokerages' distinctive relationship with homeowners selling short conflicts with many of MARS disclosure requirements.

The full story is here: "MARS Shines on Short Selling Homeowners"

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Under the DeadlineNews Group umbrella:

Perkins was the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Real Estate Examiner
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• National Offbeat News Examiner

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Utah BBB issues EZ Loan Protection alert

Over the past six months, more than one hundred consumers from 31 states have filed complaints with the Utah BBB about Washington, UT-based EZ Loan Protection after it snatched cash at $30 a pop from bank accounts -- a total of at least $3,000.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2011 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Utah's Better Business Bureau recently issued a nationwide alert warning consumers about an operation selling "payday loan protection" and surreptitiously snatching cash from dozens of consumers' bank accounts.

Over the past six months, more than one hundred consumers from 31 states have filed complaints with the BBB about Washington, UT-based EZ Loan Protection after it grabbed cash at $30 a pop from bank accounts -- a total of at least $3,000.

Utah BBB reports the complainants generally allege they have no knowledge of EZ Loan Protection and don't remember signing up for any sort of loan protection, but have been dinged for $30 and are demanding their money back.

Several consumers said they've never taken out a payday loan.

Payday loans are supposed to be quick and easy, short term loans to see you through a brief hard time lasting a week or two.

To the contrary, the Center For Responsible Lending's (CRL) latest treatise on the payday loan industry "Payday Loans, Inc. Short on Credit, Long on Debt," found that the predatory loans have trapped 12 million Americans in a payday loan borrowing cycle that can last for up to two years and cost as much as 400 percent in interest.

It's not surprising an outside operation would try to cash in on vulnerable consumers struggling to escape payday loans. Just as mortgage fraud has piled on since the housing crash, come-ons related to other financial services is a common under current in a weak economy.

Utah BBB says EZ Loan Protection has responded to some complaints, while some remain unanswered and many are unresolved.

The company responds by claiming "Our records indicate that (customer) entered into our program and was charged $30.00 on (date) in compliance with our terms and conditions," according to the BBC.

Some complainants told the BBB they are not sure how the company got their bank account information.

Others say a representative from the company called and offered the product, they declined, but were jacked for the cash anyway.

Other consumers say they were lured by an online popup ad, closed the ad, but were nevertheless charged.

Still others, who seldom conduct business on the internet are "baffled" by how the company got their information.

"This company is obviously not telling customers in a clear and conspicuous manner that they will be charging them for loan protection services," said Jane Driggs, BBB president.

EZLoanProtection.com. One and the same?

It's not known if the two are connected, but a privately listed Internet domain EZLoanProtection.com, due to expire in November, a year after it was initially registered, also appears to offer loan protection services, claming "MORE THAN 17 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS."

Items quoted below appear just as they appear on the web site.

The site design itself contains a host of dead elements and other red flags that should make any relatively savvy web-browsing consumer suspicious, including a dateline/clock frozen at "Friday, July 18, 2010"; social network buttons and menu items ("Support," "FAQs," "Help," etc.) that go nowhere; and what appears to be several blog entries from November and October (It's June) that don't link to anything.

EZLoanProtection.com's home page offers "SKIP PAYMENT," "LOSS OF JOB" and "EASY CASH NETWORK" services, the latter of which promises to "put interest-free money back in your pocket through its vast network of lending, insurance, debt consolidation, and tax savings institutions," but on it's "Solutions" page, it lists only two generic names from it's "vast network":

"Here are few companies we work with
Extra Cash
Network Loan Solutions"

The "company names" are not hot linked.

Also, on the home page, the site says, "Skip Payment and Disability coverage -- up to $500 per loan amount. For literally pennies over the life of your loan you can be protected. And for your convenience, we'll add the amount to the loan's principal outstanding balance."

"Payday Loan Security" (rather than "Protection") is mentioned on the site, but only in the browser header for the "Terms and Conditions" page.

Those Terms and Conditions are either very poorly conceived and written or purposely vague and confusing.

On the Terms and Conditions page, a "Payment Assistance" service (also found on the "Solutions" menu page) says, "In the event you are unable to meet your scheduled payment obligation with your loan provider(s) due to loss of income or financial hardship, please fill out the form on this site LEAST 5 DAYS PRIOR to your payment due date. You are eligible for assistance with up to THREE CONSECUTIVE PAYMENTS or a maximum benefit amount of up to $79. YOU will need to make arrangements directly with your loan provider(s) should you choose to defer your loan, or pay penalties due to delaying your payment, as we will mail the Payment Protection Plan benefit payment directly to you within 7-10 business days of receiving your request and your premium payment of $30"

Huh?

EZLoanProtection.com's confusing Terms and Conditions also do not fully disclose interest rates, APRs, total "protection" costs or real, detailed loan terms.

It offers an online "Loan Request" form asking for name, address, email, phone number, "Payment Location, Payment Due Date, Amout due, Original loan amount, and Payments to date.

Silence isn't so golden

The online company didn't respond to an email request for an interview and several calls to a number listed on the Web site were dropped before getting through.

When someone finally answered, he said, "We are not EZ Loan Protection. We help with one of their services. We are a customer care company that works with dozens of Internet companies," and then suggested I talk to his supervisor and forwarded me to a "Mike," -- voicemail.

We left a message, asking for their side of the story, explained we were on deadline and left "Mike" a contact number.

He had not returned the call at deadline.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a good chance there's a bill of goods involved.

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Under the DeadlineNews Group umbrella:

Perkins was the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
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Agencies warn of oil spill scams

Go offbeat! Click my head!

Federal and state agencies are warning Gulf area residents not to fall for bogus charities, fraudulent employment offers or deceitful financial assistance.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2010 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime


Deadline Newsroom - Scam artists follow the headlines, and with one as big as the Gulf oil disaster, you can bet they are making the rounds.

Federal and state agencies are warning Gulf area residents not to fall for bogus charities, fraudulent employment offers or deceitful financial assistance.

Scammers use e-mail, website, door-to-door operations, flyers, mailings and telephone calls to make contact and solicit money.

Some may claim they’re raising money for environmental causes or offer fraudulent services – including remediation services – related to the oil spill. Others may claim they can expedite loss claims for a fee.

Still others may knock on your door and talk about placing booms or checking for oil on your property.

"Unfortunately, while the public's attention is focused on an event like this and citizens pull together to do what they can to help, it is almost inevitable that con artists will emerge to exploit the situation in an effort to enrich themselves," said Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson.

Bronson says it's important to avoid providing personal and financial information to those making unsolicited offers for assistance or promises to help.

• Avoid scam artists posing as authorized claims adjusters asking for fees to expedite services. Likewise, steer clear of those who pretend to be government officials demanding a processing fee for government services.

The government does not require processing fees. There is no charge to process claims. Always verify you are dealing with authorized representatives and don't sign waivers of liability without legal and financial counsel.

The Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), administered by Kenneth R. Feinberg, has been established, to take over from BP and assist claimants in filing claims for costs and damages incurred as a result of the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon Incident of April 20, 2010.

• Don't be taken by high-pressure people who misrepresent an affiliation with an environmental or other organization when they ask for charity donations via e-mail or social networking sites.

Reputable charities don't pressure. Check out charities at the Better Business Bureau. Contribute to charities you know and have vetted as bona fide. Rather than clicking on a link to a purported website, verify the legitimacy of a nonprofit organization by using search engines and other online resources to confirm the group's existence, history, mission and nonprofit status. Avoid cash donations. Pay be debit or credit card or write a check so you have a record of the donation.

• Beware of unsolicited employment offers, especially those that require you to pay a fee before you begin work and request personal financial information such as a social security number, bank account or credit cards. Likewise, don't do business with unlicensed contractors nor those who require upfront payment for services.

The U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop's Deepwater Horizon Response site provides quick access to a range of employment and related resources for individuals impacted by the disaster in the Gulf. There are links to CareerOneStop services in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

For more information see:

• FTC Warns of Oil Spill Scams

• FTC: Avoid Charity Fraud

• Florida Attorney General: Beware of Scams

• New York State Consumer Protection Board Warns of Oil Spill Charity Scams


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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Under the DeadlineNews Group umbrella:

Perkins is managing editor of HomeAway.com's Gulf Coast Response Center.

Perkins was the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Real Estate Examiner
• National Consumer News Examiner
• National Offbeat News Examiner

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Site to See: Esteemed Lending Services (It's a fake)

Cow dentist prolongs bovine life

The FTC created a faux website for a fictitious lending company to warn consumers how easy it is to be fooled by scammers, especially online scams, charging up-front fees for bogus loans, including mortgages.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2010 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime


Deadline Newsroom - The Federal Trade Commission's new loan website Esteemed Lending Services offers "A Loan for every situation. Guaranteed."

However, and pay attention now, unlike other websites offering similar come-ons, it's a fake.

The website is a convincing example of how the Obama Administration gets it when it comes to what consumers face in the financial world -- too much bull.

The FTC created the faux website for a fictitious lending company to warn consumers how easy it is to be fooled by scammers, especially online scams, charging up-front fees for bogus loans, including mortgages.

The site also explains how to spot and avoid loan scams.

The website is part of the FTC's stepped up consumer education campaign to help consumers manage their money and learn to recognize rip offs.

At Esteemed Lending Services consumers enter the fictitious world of "a guaranteed loan for every situation – regardless of your credit history," only to find a world where:

• Lenders aren't interested in your credit history and claim bad credit isn't a problem. (Honest ones are and bad credit can be a problem.)

• Fees aren't' disclosed clearly or prominently. (Honest firms disclose fees. Regulations mandate it.)

• Loans by phone are legal. (They aren't.)

• Lenders use copy-cat names that sound like well-known or respected organizations to convince you they're legitimate. (While using variant names isn't necessarily illegal, it is a scamming tactic.)

• Lenders are not registered in your state. (While state registration is not a guarantee the best loan, it does help weed out the come-ons by giving you a government agency to seek redress.)

• Lenders ask you to wire money or pay a particular person. (Don't!)

The FTC explains its ruse with links to "testimonials," "FAQs," "loan programs," "contact us," all of which point to warnings about scammers masquerading as lenders.

While Esteemed Lending Services isn't particularly loaded with a lot of new information, it is a website that reveals how easy it is to scam consumers. It's also a handy website to use as a reminder of what's out there to take you to the cleaners.

Bookmark it.

A feature of DeadlineNews.Com, "Site To See" reviews are occasional, but timely critiques of content-heavy real estate Web sites deemed unique, consumer-friendly, informative and easy to use.

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You are reading a sample of "News that really hits home!", now available from several beats and published in a growing number of locations.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins was the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Offbeat News Examiner
• National Consumer News Examiner
• National Real Estate Examiner

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ID theft can bring you to tears

Alleged 'sex-for-Phillies tickets'
spawns latest virtual celebrity

More than 50 percent of those surveyed about ID-theft concerns said their greatest concerns would be associated with the personal side of being victimized, leaving them uncertain, insecure and fearful.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - It's not just about losing money to identity theft.

And it's more than the time-is-money spent recovering from the ordeal.

ID theft is also emotionally trying.

When the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) asked Harris International to query consumers about ID theft, the related costs and time topped the list of concerns.

However, the vast majority also said the ordeal would leave them uncertain, insecure and fearful.

The survey found 73 percent were concerned about losing money and 69 percent would fret over spending time to resolve the issue (69 percent), but more than 50 percent said their greatest concerns would be associated with the personal side of being victimized.

• Among adult consumers, 75 percent said their greatest concern would be not knowing who has their personal information.

• Also, 65 percent said their greatest concern would be becoming a victim of ID theft again.

• And 56 percent said knowing that the thief knew where they lived would be one of their greatest concerns.

"Identity theft victimization violates consumers on many levels," said Gail Cunningham, spokeswoman for the NFCC.

"Whereas people previously may have focused on the inconvenience and financial side of recovery, we now know that consumers also associate great personal insecurity with this crime," she added.

To feel better, get over to the NFCC-sponsored ProtectYourIDNow.org (or the Spanish-language version and take advantage of information you can use to protect yourself before, and if it comes to it, after ID theft.

The sites include ID theft prevention tips, informational videos, an interactive quiz to assess your risk of identity theft, and resources for victims.

There's also a blog hosted by ID theft expert Robert Siciliano who provides weekly entries with additional insight, information and advice.


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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins is also the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
• National Offbeat News Examiner
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Home buyer tax credit fraud nets $600 million

Black Barbie's back, wrapped
in plenty of plastic controversy

A federal audit revealed this week that nearly 90,000 taxpayers may have fraudulently enjoyed the first-time home buyer tax credit, hoodwinking the government out of more than $600 million.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - If you bilked Uncle Sam out of a first-time home buyer tax credit, start looking over your shoulder

Wait, better yet, turn yourself in and beg for mercy.

The Internal Revenue Service will likely audit your tax return. Tax fraud is a felony.

On the other hand, the IRS may get in touch with you to let you know you are due a lager first-time home buyer tax credit.

As Congress considers extending the first-time home buyer tax credit, a federal audit revealed this week that nearly 90,000 taxpayers may have fraudulently enjoyed the credit, hoodwinking the government out of more than $600 million.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) said the Internal Revenue Service may have allowed about 70,000 taxpayers to claim approximately $480 million in tax credits even though there were "indications" that they were not first-time homebuyers.

The rules define a "first-time" buyer as one who has not owned a home in the past three years.

Another group, more than 19,000 taxpayers, claimed about $140 million in credits for homes they had not yet purchased. If they closed later they may have been eligible for the credit, but could be audited to verify the purchase anyway.

Current rules say you must actually close escrow and provide proof to apply for the credit.

Among the alleged defrauders, the audit found 582 taxpayers who claimed almost $4 million in credits were under 18 years of age and as young as 4 years old. The tax credit is only eligible for those 18 and older.

Cheating the IRS is a federal felony that comes with a fine of up to $250,000 and three years in a federal pen, or both.

Another group of about 48,000 taxpayers didn't get the full credit, but likely because they weren't aware they were eligible.

As part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Congress first created a $7,500 tax credit for those who purchased a home between April 8, 2008, and July 1, 2009.

Later, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress extended the credit and raised it to an $8,000 tax credit for those who purchased homes by the current Nov. 30, 2009 expiration date.

By October 9, 2009, more than 1.2 million tax returns had claimed about $8.5 billion in the refundable tax credit, according to TIGTA.

The report said the frauds were able to snooker the IRS because the agency didn't originally use recommended controls available on IRS Form 5405 to prevent fraud. IRS also didn't require taxpayers to provide documentation to verify their eligibility.

The IRS says it is tracking down the frauds and taking corrective measures to prevent future problems with the credit.




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You are reading a sample of "News that really hits home!", now available from several beats and published in a growing number of locations.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group, including DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site, and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop.

Perkins is also the first Examiner to cover three beats for the Examiner.com news service:
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200,000 Silicon Valley homeowners up for property tax reductions

200,000 on deck for property tax reduction.

Some 200,000 Silicon Valley homeowners, about half those in the Santa Clara County region, may soon enjoy a hefty reduction in property taxes.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Some 200,000 Silicon Valley homeowners, about half those in the Santa Clara County region, may soon enjoy a hefty reduction in property taxes.

The reduction will be temporary, but that could be a long temporary and the break could save some homeowners hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year -- and they may not have to lift a finger to get the small windfall.

Santa Clara County Assessor's office has recognized the steep decline in real estate property values and has begun a wholesale review of some 200,000 property values to determine if they are eligible for a reduction in assessed values.

All properties involved in transactions since January 1, 2000 will get market values reviewed.

"Obviously, not every community is the same. The value decline in Palo Alto and Los Altos is vastly different from the much steeper degree of decline in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, East San Jose or Milpitas," said County Assessor Larry Stone.

Property taxes in Santa Clara County amount to about 1.25 percent of the assessed property value. The assessed property value is set, most often, based on a property's last sales price. For example, a property purchased for $500,000 comes with property taxes each year of about $6,250. However, when property values fall (or rise), provisions in tax law allow the assessor to lower (or raise) assessed values and, right now, that could mean lower values and lower property taxes.

The review should be completed in June with any reassessed values to show up on the 2008 to 2009 property tax rolls due beginning later this year.

Home prices tabulated by a host of Santa Clara County sources show prices have fallen by as much as 50 percent or more in the last year, depending upon the location of the property. Forecasts call for continued drop in prices and prolonged depressed values. Once values return to their pre-adjusted levels, however, property taxes can be returned, on a fast track, to those levels.

Even after the assessor lowers any property values, homeowners can still appeal the assessed value -- at no cost -- by filing an appeal directly with the assessors office.

The assessor cautioned taxpayers to be wary of solicitations promising reduced assessed values in exchange for a fee. A recent solicitation this tax year sought to get homebuyers to send in $179 for a property value assessment appeal, after the period for such appeals had already ended.

See: Beware bogus 'Property Tax Reassessment' letter

"It is outrageous. There's simply no reason for a property owner to pay a fee to a private company for a service taxpayers receive from the Assessor’s Office without charge. Property owners most likely eligible for an automatic reduction in their property’s assessed value are being inundated by these questionable operators who are feeding upon the increased fears of homeowners stressed by a declining real estate market and the loss of equity," said Stone.

"My best advice on hiring someone to help you appeal your assessed value is to wait until you get your notification card,” said Stone.

Last year, the Assessor’s Office temporarily reduced the assessed value on over 45,000 properties for a total reduction in excess of $5 billion.

"Everyone who received a reduction last year is nearly certain to receive at least the same level of reduction, and perhaps substantially more. While I rarely make predictions, I fully expect that the number of property owners receiving reductions will increase this year," said Stone.

Between now and June, the Assessor’s Office will review the assessed value of nearly 200,000 properties to determine if the market value, as of January 1, has fallen below the original assessed value.

Once all properties are assessed, the Assessor’s Office will mail an assessment notification card to every property owner. This year, that notice is expected to arrive during the last week of June, a tad later than usual because of the extra workload.

If a property owner disagrees with the value on the notification card, they are encouraged to contact the Assessor’s Office to request a review. A simple interactive form is available on line on the assessor’s website.

Again, the service is free.

Avoid official-looking solicitations that claim "due dates" and request "payments due."

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. Perkins is also a National Real Estate Examiner. All the news that really hits home from three locations -- that's location, location, location!

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Beware bogus 'Property Tax Reassessment' letter

A come on looking to separate homeowners from $179 is inducing them with an official looking "property tax reassessment" mailing that may not be illegal but is certainly duplicitous. Don't fall for it.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com


Unauthorized use of this story is a copyright violation -- a federal crime

Deadline Newsroom - Some San Jose, CA area homeowners, and likely homeowners elsewhere, just received a dubious "Property Tax Reassessment" mailing from a company looking to net $179 per mailing.

It and similar mailings -- typically timed when real property taxes are due -- are quite bogus.

It's not a property tax reassessment, but a well-crafted come-on to get you to send the company $179 for a real property tax reassessment you may not need, is no longer available or you can otherwise obtain for free.

San Jose, CA is in Santa Clara County where appealing your property tax assessment is free and often granted without the homeowner doing anything. The Assessor periodically examines the property tax rolls and lowers property tax assessments as needed.

For property taxes due now, however, it's too late to file for a reassessment.

See a similar story: "Consumer Alert: Property Tax Reduction Offers"

The cunning company takes advantage of the fact that parcel numbers are a matter of public record to create a devious come on that may not be illegal but is certainly deceptive.

You can choose to pay someone to help you with your property tax assessment appeal, but why would you if it's free? Trickery could induce you to pony up.

The single-page, double-sided mailing (front) (back) from "Property Tax Reassessment, P.O. Box 25519, Los Angeles, CA 90025" comes with the homeowner's address, the correct parcel number and a claim that the property may be over assessed.

"Due to this estimated decline in market value, Property Tax Reassessment shows an estimated property tax savings of $1,532.76 annually," the come on goes on in one mailing.

Further attempting to separate a homeowner from $179 the mailing warns "Your reply is due Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009."

The second installment of bona fide property taxes in Santa Clara County was due for the 2008-2009 tax year beginning on Feb. 1. The tax is late if it isn't paid by April 10.

It's already too late in Santa Clara County to file to appeal a reassessment. The county's assessment notices go out in May and appeals can be filed from July 2 to September 15 of the same year.

The bogus mailing comes in a plain white business envelope that also contains a green, business-size, addressed, return envelope.

Return nothing.

Report such mailings to your assessor or tax collector and always beware of unsolicited fee-based offers to reduce your property tax -- especially those that arrive with an official-looking letterhead, right at property tax time.

Get the facts from your local tax office or assessor.


© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Advertise on DeadlineNews.Com

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Get news that really hits home for your Web site or blog from DeadlineNews.Com.

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist, parlayed 30 years of old-school journalism into a digital real estate news service, the San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. Perkins is also a National Real Estate Examiner. All the news that really hits home from three locations -- that's location, location, location!

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ID Theft Hits Home

A new breed of ID-thief wants to heist your home (literally), because they know it's likely your most valuable asset. Here's how to keep the swindlers from wrecking your home ownership.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

More ID theft news that really hits home.

Deadline Newsroom - A growing number of crooks who steal your identity don't swipe your personal information to pilfer from your financial accounts.

They want to get their hands on your home and snatch it right out from under you.

Modern day malefactors are mindful of the fact that while you may have quite a stash to swipe from your savings, credit and investment accounts, chances are your home is your most valuable asset.

You can, however, protect your home from a heist by taking measured preventative steps.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations recently reported the new scourge of "house stealing", a marriage between mortgage fraud and identity theft (ID theft), both of which are now staples of organized criminal activity.

Here's the basic house stealing scam:

• A grifter chooses a house and assumes the identity of the homeowner, often using the Internet to obtain personal information. The information is used to create fake identification papers.

• The culprit then transfers the deed into his or her name using forged documents, signatures and fake identification, but by filing the paperwork with the proper authorities. Now they "own" the home.

• In one variation, the house thief steals the home and then sells it to pocket the profits -- even if someone still lives there. In another variation, crooks prey on homeowners in financial trouble. They promise to refinance the mortgage, but instead "buy" the home using fake identities.

Sai Huda, CEO of San Diego, CA-based Compliance Coach recently deployed CompliancePal the first-of-its kind software clients use to meet federal requirements to weed out ID theft "red flags" -- indicators that identity filching could be afoot.

Huda said the software has found other variations on the house stealing scheme including a team posing as both the owner selling the property and the buyer making the purchase. The real homeowner is left in the lurch.

He developed the software to help federally regulated institutions comply with the so-called "Red Flag" provision of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA). Fully effective in November this year, the provision requires that financial institutions, creditors and others who handle your personal identifying documents develop and deploy an ID theft prevention program.

The federal provision comes with more than two dozen red flags regulated companies must heed.

"If businesses fail to comply it's not only civil monetary penalties, it's also violations of federal and state unfair and deceptive acts laws. It's a serious risk for Realtors, mortgage brokers, lenders and others who don't comply," Huda said.

But Huda's software has found nearly as many additional red flags beyond the federal regulations and he says that indicates consumers also have their work cut out for them.

"Consumers need to ask, 'Who am I doing business with? What are they doing to protect me? What am I doing to protect myself?' " he added.

To prevent someone from stealing your home, take conventional ID-theft prevention measures with a focus on protecting your home's ownership.

• Review your credit report frequently. You can do so three times a year for free at the one and only federally-sanctioned AnnualCreditReport.com by getting one report, in turn, every four months from each of the three major credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian and Transunion. Avoid sound-alike services.

• "Just as you keep tabs on your credit report, keep a watch once or twice a year on your home's title records," says Huda. You don't need to hire a title company for a title search, but it's a smart move to visit your county recorder or other public recording agency to check your title for lien changes or additions, requests for information or other anomalies.

• Question all real estate professionals who work on your home transaction about their experience, how they handle your private information and check their license or certification status for complaints or other issues.

• Invest in a confetti shredder to destroy identifying documents before tossing them. Better yet, rub out the paper trail and move financial transactions online. Conduct as much digital banking as possible. The online account gives you 24 hour access to inspect your accounts as often as you wish.

• When you are away, put a stop on all mail and deliveries rather than have someone pick them up.

• Use a safe or safety deposit box for any important documents paperwork you must retain.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Mortgage Fraud Now Organized Crime Staple

Once the domain of home buying and home equity rip-offs, mortgage fraud is muscling in on foreclosures, reverses mortgages and insider trading related to mortgage securities. Here's how not to get taken.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - Mortgage fraud has become a staple in today's organized crime circles.

Fraud associated with home loans first cashed in on the greed that came with the previously booming housing market, when some buyers would do anything to own a home.

The cons used falsified applications, inflated appraisals and other techniques to get home loans approved on the home buying end.

Now, mortgage fraud is taking advantage of vulnerabilities that come with the housing market's down cycle, including homeowners, down on their luck, who face losing their homes and would do anything to avoid losing their homes.

It's a real racket.

FBI Director Robert Mueller recently testified before the U.S. Senate Appropriations panel that the "tremendous surge" in mortgage fraud investigations has been so great he has diverted agents and resources from other areas of white collar crime.

Suspicious activity reports the FBI reviews for potential mortgage fraud have grown from 3,000 in fiscal year 2003 to 48,000 in fiscal year 2007. In 2008, the FBI is on track to receive more than 60,000 such reports.

The subprime crisis will only aggravate matters, Mueller testified.

"I'm not sure at this point we can see the extent of the surge," he added.

Fraud that once primarily used inflated appraisals, "flipping" schemes and identity theft ruses to target home buying and home equity growth is now muscling in on foreclosures, reverses mortgages and subprime loans.

The FBI says known organized crime syndicates, terrorists and recognized political activists are not currently associated with mortgage fraud, but the crime does come with the hallmarks of what is considered organized crime -- collusion, conspiracy, insider cooperation and now, identity theft, one of the newest growth sectors in organized crime recognized by the FBI.

"We are investigating more than 1,300 individual mortgage fraud matters. Perhaps more importantly, we have identified 19 corporate fraud matters related to the subprime lending crisis -- cases that may have a substantial impact on the marketplace," he said.

The racketeers are also using insider trading violations connected to risky loans and the investments spun off of those loans.

On the consumer level, one of the latest cons is a bold one called "House Stealing". A con artist assumes the identity of a homeowner and transfers the deed into the con's name or sells the home outright -- even while the owner is still living there.

A variation on House Stealing includes the con artist preying on homeowners having mortgage troubles. The con promises to refinance the mortgage, but instead buys the home using a fake identity.

Mortgage fraud hotspots include California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Utah.

Now that mortgage fraud is considered a staple in organized crime circles, how can you avoid getting caught in the web of crime?

• Don't be a rube. If it sounds too good to be true -- it probably is. Debts, bad credit and other financial holes didn't appear over night. They won't magically disappear over night.

• Be wary of strangers and unsolicited contacts, as well as high-pressure sales techniques. Avoid spam come-ons and web-based advertisements promoting the elimination of mortgage loans and credit card and other debts for an up-front fee to prepare documents to satisfy the debt. Beware of offers to "save" you from defaulting on loan payments or from foreclosure. Beware of zero-down loans and falsely altered information to qualify you for a loan. Don't borrow money you can't afford to repay.

• Don't be cajoled into making false statements on loan applications including overstating your income, the source of your down payment or the nature and length of your employment.

• Ask family, friends, co-workers and others you trust who also recently completed a satisfactory mortgage, for referrals to mortgage and other real estate professionals. That applies to loan modifications, work outs and "restructuring."

• Always shop for a lender by comparing all costs and terms. Don't be sucked in by lenders who tell you they are your last chance at home ownership.

• Don't sign blank documents, documents containing blank sections or documents you don't understand. Get help from trusted individuals to go over the terms of the deal.

• Examine for accuracy recent comparable sales, tax assessments and other documents that offer evidence of a home's true value.

• Review a property's title history to determine if the property has been sold multiple times recently and within a short period. That could be evidence the property has been "flipped" which can cause artificial value inflation.

• Do your home work and research home prices in the neighborhood before beginning the leg work of home buying.

• Obtain credit and financial counseling, attend home buying classes, seminars or workshops and otherwise bone up on your home buying education before taking the plunge.

• More on real estate industry fraud.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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How To Stop ID Theft, Cold

Consumers are proving they can turn back time on identity theft by following a prescribed program of diligent document protection and criminal deterrence.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - A well-measured program of preventive steps can protect your identity from theft.

ID theft-related fraud fell by 12 percent in 2007 and 300,000 fewer adults were victims, according to the latest from Javelin Strategy & Research, the longest-running ID theft study in the nation.

At the top of the list of reasons for the decline is "greater consumer vigilance and awareness," according to the report.

When someone steals your identity, you don't wander around aimlessly like some John or Jane Doe. Someone pilfers enough of your personal identifying information --name, address, Social Security Number, drivers license, credit and financial account numbers and the like -- then masquerades as you to make purchases, withdraw cash or otherwise undermine your financial assets and your name.

ID theft can cost you time and money (averaging $691, according to the report) to correct the misdeed and it can ruin your credit enough to prevent you from making major purchases including buying a home.

Companies that manage personal information have improved their ID theft protection measures, but consumers who protect their own personal information is the first line of defense.

Here's what Javelin suggests.

• Move your financial transactions online by turning off paper invoices, statements and checks, including paychecks, and replacing them with electronic versions where offered by employers, banks, utilities or merchants. Avoid mailing checks to pay bills or deposit funds in your banking account. Instead, pay bills online and use remote deposit check imaging services on online banking sites.

This effort rubs out the paper trail. Crooks are more likely to steal information on paper, from personal belongings and through telephone calls, rather than online.

• Monitor your accounts regularly online at bank and credit card websites. Americans who monitor their accounts online are most likely to uncover suspicious or unauthorized activity early.

• Likewise, review your credit information frequently. You can do so three times a year for free at the federally-sanctioned AnnualCreditReport.com by getting one report, from each of the three major credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, Experian and Transunion -- in turn, every four months.

• Reduce unnecessary access to your personal information wherever possible. For example, don't carry Social Security cards, unused credit cards or checks, and don't leave sensitive documents out in the open.

• Never provide sensitive financial information over the phone or Internet, including Social Security numbers, passwords, PINs or account numbers, unless you placed the call directly to a verified and trusted location, such as the number on back of a credit card or statement.

• Add your name to the federal Do Not Call registry and direct marketing opt-out lists to reduce solicitations that could be bogus.

Even as overall ID theft has fallen, "vishing," criminals using telecommunications, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and like methods, is on the rise. That's because, as more consumers shift more transactions to secure online services, thieves are becoming more creative on the telephone claiming to represent non-profit and charitable operations.

In the same vein, wireless phone accounts have become the most frequent types of new accounts opened fraudulently by criminals using stolen data. The trend exceeds that of fraudulent new credit cards, loans, checking or savings accounts.

• Install and regularly update firewall, browser, anti-spyware, and anti-virus security software on your personal computer, and keep operating systems updated. Updates typically come with spyware, virus and other protections.

• Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit report or your child's credit report if you know you won't be using credit for some time. Child ID theft is on the rise because thieves know you and your kid aren't likely to check the child's credit report for some time due to a lack of credit use. Check your state's "credit freeze" law. The cost may be nominal or free. The three credit reporting agencies offer the service for a fee.

• If you are an ID theft victim, report it to the police, affected accounts, and call any one of the three credit bureaus to have a fraud alert placed on your account to prevent future infractions as you sort out the mess. Contact one bureau to place a fraud alert on your credit report and that company is required to notify the other two so that they too can place an alert on their versions of your report.

More ID Theft news that really hits home.

Also see DeadlineNews.Com's ID Theft Archives

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© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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YouTube Video Fights Foreclosure Fraud

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - Freddie Mac is using YouTube drama to get the word out about foreclosure fraud.

Freddie Mac is one of the nation's largest investors in residential mortgages and it decided to air an Internet video about foreclosure fraud because a survey found the Internet is the first place one in four mortgage delinquent homeowners go for mortgage information.

That's almost as many troubled homeowners who go to their mortgage lender (28 percent) or bank (32 percent) first, according to the Freddie Mac-sponsored survey.

Unfortunately, Internet searches can send you right into the hands of con artists whose only desire is to steal your home equity.

Generally speaking, equity is the difference between the market value of a home and the amount the homeowner owes the lender.

Home values have fallen in many areas, but before the current soft market, the housing boom generated enough equity to see many borrowers through hard times.

Freddie Mac's two-minute, professionally-produced and acted "Avoid Fraud" video dramatizes a common foreclosure fraud scheme and demonstrates the game the scam artist plays to get at your equity.



According to the video:

• The con artist gets copies of public documents, including default and foreclosure notices filed at city and county offices.

• The scammer telephones to prey upon the homeowner's distressed and vulnerable state. He offers empty promises to convince the homeowner to give up deeds and other mortgage documents.

• The scammer uses the deeds to secure new loans, but pulls out the equity for himself and allows the homeowner's loan to go into foreclosure.

• The homeowner who was hoping for help, loses the home, equity and any cash necessary to finance the new loan.

Freddie Mac's "Avoid Fraud" YouTube video also comes with the message: "Shut the door on fraud." Report it to 1-800-4Fraud8 (1-800-437-2838).

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© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Burning Down The House

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

The Deadline Newsroom - Insurance fraud investigators say they are bracing for an outbreak of home arsons set by cash-strapped homeowners looking for insurance money to escape from foreclosure.

Homeowners who resort to such tactics face felony charges including arson, conspiracy and fraud. The charges could be much greater if someone is harmed. If the charges stick, homeowners who set their homes ablaze likely will be jailed.

Coalition Against Insurance Fraud says the illegal tactic is not new, but the coalition fears current market conditions could trigger a home-based arson outbreak beyond normal levels.

Falling home values and tighter lending rules are making it difficult for many people to refinance their way out of trouble, get loan work outs or otherwise escape foreclosure.

The number of alleged mortgage-related arsons remain small, but this year the number jumped 50 percent above the 2006 rate in California, according to the coalition.

"I don't believe that it's had time to ripple through the market yet to the point that many people have reached the point of desperation, but I absolutely think it's coming" says Alex Ahart, a fire investigator with EFI Global, an insurance claims investigator.


The coalition has recorded a few home torching incidents, including a Houston, TX home owner who allegedly set his home ablaze after allegedly spray-painting racial slurs on the exterior to disguise his actions as a hate crime.

A Google News search turns up a host of home arson-for-insurance reports.

Fire officials suspect arson in a vacant home fire that killed an unidentified male in recentLathrop, CA. The house was in the early stages of foreclosure.

In Putnam County, IN the prosecutor says a home owner offered a neighbor $5,000 in a home arson-for-insurance scam.

Instead of participating, the neighbor told police of the scheme. And court records reveal a bank had filed for a mortgage foreclosure on the rural home.

In related news, Central Florida law enforcement officials have tied an unusual crime spree of auto arsons to the housing market as homeowners try to "burn off" excess debt in order to make the mortgage payment.

The right way to approach an impending default on a mortgage payment or foreclosure isn't with a box of matches. At the first sign of trouble, work closely with the lender for a workout or refinance or seek other assistance, consumer experts advise.

• More Foreclosure News That Really Hits Home

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© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Online 'Privacy Policies' Vastly Misunderstood

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom – Follow up the federal Do Not Call registry with a Do Not Track list for those who shop online from home and elsewhere.

That's the appeal from consumer agencies to the Federal Trade Commission after a compilation of several academic studies revealed online "privacy policies" at ecommerce sites are not what users think they are -- often because they don't take the time to read them.

With no Do Not Track service in place as the holiday shopping frenzy ensues in households from coast-to-coast, reading privacy policies is consumers' best bet to learn what happens to their information when they shop online.

As many as 63 percent of Americans incorrectly believe the phrase "privacy policy" on online shopping sites signifies that their information will be kept private, according to "Consumers Fundamentally Misunderstand The Online Advertising Marketplace".

Also, 37 percent of online shoppers falsely believe that a privacy policy prohibits a website from using information to analyze individuals' activities online.

Wrong again.

In fact, "privacy policies" typically explain common ecommerce practices, those perfectly legal information-collection techniques that are the foundation of online advertising business models, according to the report of surveys co-compiled by the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication and University of California-Berkeley Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic.

"They assume the website cannot engage in many practices that, in reality, are common in ecommerce. Consumers do not understand the nature and legality of information-collection techniques that form the core of online advertising business models," according to the report.

The report's authors say because incorrect consumer beliefs about privacy policies are so widespread and disconnected, the Feds should step in to better police the term "privacy policy" to make it truer to its perception.

Consumers also believe privacy policies prohibit "enhancement" -- the common practice of collecting data and combining it with information from other sources.

In one survey when consumers were asked "If a website has a privacy policy, it means that the site cannot buy information about you from other sources to analyze your online activities," 39.8 percent answered (incorrectly) true, and 10.8 percent didn't know.

However, when information-gathering techniques -- the process of tracking, extracting and sharing information to make money from advertising -- were explained to consumers, 85 percent overwhelmingly rejected the privacy they give up in exchange for access to content.

When offered a choice to get content from a valued site with such a policy or pay for the site and not have it collect information, 54 percent of adults who go online at home said that they would rather use legwork and search for information offline than exercise either option presented.

The report concludes: "As the Federal Trade Commission revisits privacy issues implicated by behavioral profiling and online advertising, its approach must be informed by the fact that consumers understandably assume that 'privacy policies' create substantive rules limiting collection and use of data. The Commission should police the term 'privacy policy' so that websites and network advertisers have protections in place consistent with reasonable consumer expectations."

Consumers are also responsible for taking steps to keep private information as close to the vest as possible.

• Privacy Rights Clearing House offers insights on the privacy policy issue in "Online Shopping Tips: E-Commerce and You."
• The Federal Trade Commission also offers a guide "Online Shopping & E-Payments."

• Preventing ID Thieves From Stealing Innocence
• Final 'Red Flag' Rules Set To Wave Off ID Theft
• New ID Theft Study Points to Strangers
• Credit Freeze Doesn't Guarantee ID Theft Protection

© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Preventing ID Thieves From Stealing Innocence

by Broderick Perkins
© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom – Kids have become easy targets for ID thieves because of exposure offered by popular social networking sites on the Internet. In their naiveté, kids are also too often willing to give out information that can be used fraudulently.

Former Arkansas Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Jimmie Lou Fisher, now the consumer education instructor for the state's attorney general, is a pioneer in child privacy issues, including the fight against child identity theft.

She says a child's stolen Social Security number, used to open credit, may not be discovered until after the child turns 18 or attempts to open a credit account.

Case in point: In Pensacola, FL, a Girl Scout leader pleaded guilty to stealing her scouts' personal information in a ruse to obtain $87,000 in illegal tax refunds.

The scout leader admitted asking parents to provide their children's Social Security numbers for a medical release the scout leader claimed was required for field trips. The leader used the numbers to file 19 false tax returns, including four using her own kids' Social Security Numbers.

And then there's Zach Friesen who became the poster child for ID theft when at 17 he applied for a job and a school loan and discovered he was in debt for a $40,000 house boat. Someone stole his identity when he was only 7.

Now 21 and a political science major at the University of Colorado, Friesen works for the Qwest Communications' Incredible Internet Program spreading the beware gospel to teens, parents, legislators and others who need to know about child ID theft.

Kids have become easy targets for ID thieves because of exposure offered by popular social networking sites on the Internet. In their naiveté, kids are also too often willing to give out information that can be used fraudulently.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 400,000 children have their IDs stolen each year and are perfect targets because they have clean credit histories. The crooks often can get away with the crime for years because kids and their parents seldom if ever check kids' credit reports.

However, kids have the same protections adults can use to protect their identity.

It starts with using free annual access to a kid's credit reports available through the federally-sanctioned Annual Credit Report.com.

Avoid offers from similarly sounding Web sites offering "free" credit reports. They typically come with mandatory fee-based services, say credit report monitoring.

Some child privacy advocates say the Social Security number assigned at birth is enough to trigger the creation of a credit report by one of big three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and Transunion.

However, many kids won't get a credit report, until, say, a parent's credit card account is used to issue a card in the child's name, a child co-signs for a auto or other loan, or perhaps if an older teen manages to secure a gas, retail or other merchant card. Youth employment, a rental application or other activities that warrant a credit check by a company could also generate an initial credit report.

If a child spends a lot of time online in chat rooms, social networking sites or other information gathering and sharing sites, parents checking for a credit report isn't a bad idea, if only to determine a credit report doesn't exist or that there is no suspicious activity.

The free-credit-report provision of the 2003 Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), which amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives anyone access to credit reports from the big three credit reporting agencies and others governed by federal regulations.

The provision is not for a single, free credit report a year, but one from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year. That means parents can check for free three times a year, each time getting a different report from a different agency. Parents may need a birth certificate to prove the identity of a child to check their credit report.

Another tool is a no- or low-cost credit freeze, previously offered by law in three dozen states and now offered for a fee by the three credit reporting agencies.

The freeze placed on a credit report -- via direct contact with each credit bureau -- blocks requests for credit and may be particularly useful for kids who typically don't have a need for credit until they are young adults.

Also, for kids who become ID theft victims and generate a police report, parents can, for free, call any one of the three credit bureaus and have a fraud alert placed on the credit report to prevent future infractions while sorting out the mess. In this instance, contacting just one bureau gets the fraud alert placed on your credit report at each of the three credit reporting bureaus.

For kids in general, Qwest Communications, the FTC, Arkansas' Fisher and others suggest the follow child ID theft prevention measures:

• Insist that kids never provide personal information to strangers on or off line. That includes phone numbers, addresses, age, school, gender, hobbies or interests. Kids should always use a screen name, rather than their real name on social networking sites. Likewise their email address shouldn't include their real name.

Posting personal photos isn't a good idea. Nor is posting photos with identifying info including, say, a t-shirt emblazoned with your high school name or a photo with a your house and home address number in the background.

• Be sure you know who is receiving instant messages you send. Under the supervision of a parent, kids should exchange email addresses in person, rather than online.

• If something inappropriate happens online, kids should report it immediately to parents. Parents can also use CyberTipLine.com and report suspicious activity to the police.

• Kids and adults should always be alert to Internet scams and protect themselves and computers with software that thwarts spyware, spam and viruses.

• Parents should know kids' passwords and screen names. They also should learn Internet lingo such as POS: parent over shoulder.

• Parents should monitor their kids' online activity to be available should a site ask for personal information -- like a last name or address -- to make sure the child doesn't provide the information.

• Parents shouldn't ignore junk mail in a child's name. Parents should react to kids getting credit cards promotions in the mail as a red flag. It's time to pull the kid's credit report.

• Parents should put magazine subscriptions in the parent's name to keep the kids' names off mailing lists.

• Don't let kids carry their Social Security cards or numbers with them -- nor should parents. Keep cards and numbers in a safe place at home.

• Check for an earnings statement for your kids from the Social Security Administration. Unless your child has earned Social Security taxed income, there should be no earning associated with his Social Security number. You can sign up to have an annual Social Security earnings statement sent to you.

• Final 'Red Flag' Rules Set To Wave Off ID Theft
• New ID Theft Study Blames Strangers
• More Related News From DeadlineNews.Com

© 2007 DeadlineNews.Com

Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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