How to Take Part in Verizon Class-Action Cramming Settlement

You’ve heard about the mounting charges that can add up if you’ve been an unknowing victim of “cramming”, the placement of unauthorized phone charges on a consumer’s phone bill, for a period of time, but there is good news today, as Verizon announces a settlement of a related class-action lawsuit. In this settlement, Verizon customers who have been subjected to such unknown charges will receive 100% of the payments they have made toward these crammed charges. Verizon has not admitted fault in this case, but they are giving full restitution to all claimants.

BBB Announces Top Ten Scams of 2011

The nominees are in and after reviewing thousands of scam reports over the last  year, the Better  Business Bureau (BBB) has named its infamous list of the Top Ten Scams of 2011 by category, including one scam so notoriously evil that is earns honors as Scam of the Year! This year, scams are increasingly reliant upon technology, with a healthy smattering that includes the use of texting, Facebook and email. What’s more, it’s getting even more difficult for unsuspecting victims to discern a legitimate communication from a fraudulent one, thus making 2011 a bountiful year for scammers and fraudsters alike.

According to the BBB, the top ten scams of 2011 by category include:

Smart enough for everything but a phonecall

You wake up every morning, and as sure as the existence of morning breath, technology has changed. Computers are a little faster, Facebook is a little more invasive, and smartphones are a little smarter than they were just one day ago. But in the case of smartphones, are they becoming  just a little too smart and little too less phone? According to new research, this is exactly the case. Particularly in rural areas, smartphones are just not the best at the basics; 3G phones like the iPhone can give high speed access to email and the web, but they are often below par when it comes to making a traditional phone call.

Smartphone multifunctionality continues to grow

Smaller than a calculator, today’s smartphones are quickly replacing more and more consumer devices. Not only are they one of the most used picture taking devices around, but they are replacing MP3 players, GPS devices, and even bulky, old paperback books for travelers on the go these days.  In fact, a recent survey published by Prosper Mobile Insights take a broad look at what consumers are actually  using their smart phones these days, and the results probably won’t surprise you, though actually seeing them listed out probably will!

How to spot unauthorized phone charges

When you think of telephone fraud, you automatically picture a phone conversation in which a mysterious voice asks you for social security and bank account numbers, but the sad truth is that you can be deceived right there in black and white, on your telephone bill. “Cramming” is the addition of charges for unauthorized products or services directly to your monthly phone bill, and most of us never even notice it. In fact, according to the FCC, as many as 20 million Americans have been victims of cramming, and it is likely that 95% of us don’t even know it! The losses attributed to cramming add up — cramming can add as little as $1.99 or as much as $19.99 each month to your bill.

How to opt out of phone book delivery

They pile up on our driveways and in our homes. A relic of the past, over 660,000 tons of phone books were discarded in the 2007, and only 22% were recycled, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, the EPA equates the production and disposal of these phone books to the carbon dioxide equivalent of 770 cars on the road and a death sentence on more than 5 million trees each year.

At the same time, Internet searches and digital directories have not only replaced the bulky phone books, but now give us more functionality than any paper versions ever could provide, presenting the results of any query within milliseconds. So why, is the decision to discard the yellow-paged dinosaurs of the past so difficult? Advertising revenue, of course, as phone companies rely on these to provide a hefty sum of profits and jobs.

Cell phone costs soar overseas

Once upon a time, a man named Chris got on an airplane to Japan to help out with his sick grandmother.  Chris was not a rich man, but he did feel kindly toward his grandmother, so he happily plunked down the big bucks for his trip across the seas.  Up, up, in the air, away Chris flew to grandma’s house with his new iPhone 4 tucked snugly in his pocket.

7 Simple Ways to Reduce Cell Phone Radiation

An announcement last week from the World Health Organization (WHO) has sent consumers into a blind panic, as a team of 31 scientists from 14 different countries released findings that cell phone use is “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” WHO assures consumers that at this point, no adverse health effects have been established, but concern is definitely among top of mind (and next to ear) for all consumers, as mobile phone usage is on the rise. Of course, even though the findings are only “possibly” conclusive, it’s still enough to make you think twice about your handy, dandy connection to the rest of the world, but are you willing to give up your phone? Probably not, so we’ve put together a handy list of tips that will allow you to continue to use your cell phone and reduce radiation exposure at the same time.

If you can’t trust the photo, what else is a lie?

Online dating is a billion dollar industry that is growing by the day. Time is short, life is busy, and sometimes it’s just not that easy to get out there and meet the person of your dreams. Thanks to a comprehensive list of online dating statistics research put together by ManVsDate, we know that in the United States alone approximately 40 million people use a service, and the average age of the online dater is 48. By gender, slightly more males (52.4%) date online than females (47.6%),  and the average time spent on a single visit to a site is just over 22 minutes.

From phishing to vishing, common phone scam terms

With the unfortunate number of phone scams multiplying each and every day, it’s confusing and near impossible to keep up with the latest scam terminology. But, never fear — we’ve compiled this helpful glossary of common telephone scam definitions, from cramming to vishing!