JAMES RUSSELL PUBLISHING CONSUMER ALERT PAGE

"Free advice to save you from grief!"

  The free advice here will save you a lot of money and a bundle of misery.  Print it out and pass it along to your friends or tell them to visit JamesRussellPublishing.com

Advertisers:  Consumer beware! Watch television, listen to radio and notice those huge full page Yellow Page telephone book ads and you will discover something you may never had been aware of.  The businesses that advertise the most aggressively are usually the very businesses to avoid.  And it makes perfect sense when you think about it.  A good business does not need to advertise wildly because they have good word of mouth advertising and a successful business.  The businesses that have lousy reviews, are problematic with mistreating customers and just plain rip-off's are the ones that advertise the most so they can obtain "new victims" because they have robbed and mistreated thousands of people over the years.  Just because a business has been in business for 24 years and advertises that fact is usually saying, "We have been robbing people for 24 years successfully."  Buyer beware!  Best advice?  Don't do business with companies that advertise heavily and you will have saved yourself a ton of grief.  Just think of how things went wrong for you and you will see that company advertises more than their competition.  You were their next victim!

ARTICLES:  Read our many articles from buying Harley-Davidson and Victory motorcycles and diesel vehicles, and much more.

BANK ATM CARDS:  This is the most dangerous!  Be aware that if anybody at anytime in anyplace uses an ATM machine to steal money from your account your bank will tell you, "Sorry, you are out of luck."  I used my ATM card all of the time.  I thought it was safe because it had the VISA logo and even the words "total security protection" with a symbol of a secure padlock by those words.  I found out the hard way those words are useless and are terribly deceptive to the consumer.

  When I was in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the year 2005 somebody in Tennessee accessed an ATM machine and raided my bank account of $700.00 cash.  When I notified the bank I had to go through a process for their security investigation.  In the end, the bank simply wrote me a letter back telling me there was nothing they could do for me.  Imagine that.  You put your money in the bank, the bank gets robbed and you are out of luck!  I shredded that ATM card and I now went back to using the good old fashion credit card, pay off the amounts I charge just like a debit card would do so no interest is being charged.  But now I am protected because of the credit card's natural anti-fraud features.  Do not trust those ATM Cards.  Your best bet is to not trust your bank and simply use a credit card or write a check to make purchases.  The ATM cards are subject to fraud and you will be the victim when the bank does not reimburse you...  and they won't!  Others have lost thousands of dollars and the banks are keeping this quiet because it would be bad for their business and the economy at large.  Yes, you can lose all of your money in your bank accounts... all of it.  Criminal fraud is not Identity Theft.  That is the loophole.  So the I.D. theft insurance your bank may offer you is useless (and they know it too and still will not warn customers of the extreme danger of losing your wealth).

Can you afford to come home to only to see that all your money has been removed from all of your bank accounts?  Can you?   

  Imagine coming home to find a letter in the mail informing you that the bank wishes you well and they are sorry to see you leave them as a customer.  Then you see the enclosed statement showing all of your money in your checking, savings and investments wiped out!  Accounts closed!  Take this warning seriously.  ATM card fraud is the most dangerous fraud with zero protection for the consumer and it will wipe you out of every dime you possess!  Just owning the ATM card authorizes the fraud.  You must get rid of the ATM card to protect yourself by telling your bank to close the ATM card account and to never reopen it again, ever.  This now seals your account from ATM card fraud, but now you still must do one more thing.  You must seal your accounts so there can be no electronic access by the Internet to the accounts. 

  Spread your money around to other banks and make absolutely sure each account has no electronic access (no Internet banking) to those accounts, period.  For bill electronic paying just use a small checking account, but keep your savings and investments out of that bank.  Now all that is at risk is your special on-line checking account and that is all.  You can sleep tight. 

  Note: no matter what your bank teller or bank employee or supervisor tells you otherwise, do not believe them.  Many are incredibly ignorant of advanced bank fraud policies and they will easily mislead you into thinking your ATM card is safe, when it is not.  Even if it is in writing it may be of no value as the disclaimers and warrantees void your chances of getting your money back.  The banks can't keep up with the bank robbers sophistication, so your money is no longer safe, especially if you own an ATM card and have internet banking activated on your accounts.   Even if you do not use your ATM card, just having it can let thieves rob you of every dime in your checking and savings accounts and the bank is not liable to refund you from any loss.  It is unfair and cheating the public.  You have to tell the bank to lock out all your accounts for "no ATM electronic access."  This does not mean you can't have electronic banking in a special checking account, it just means nobody can withdraw money from any ATM machine from any location.  Protect yourself and do it now.  Tell your friends too!  You must close the ATM card account.

  Another good reason to close the ATM card account?  Why bother using it?  It has no benefits for you.  If you use a credit card they will give you cash-back and gifts and other nice things to your benefit.  Your bank ATM card gives you nothing and can and may even utterly ruin you.  Think about that!  ATM cards are popular, but using a credit card is a whole lot smarter and safer.  There are limits of liability on fraud on the credit card, but the ATM card has "zero protection."

  Beware!  Banks are advertising ATM cards are safe, but they are not safe.  Consumers are being tricked with creative written policies and clever dishonest disclaimers.  Your ATM card may even say, "security guarantee" on it and it still will not protect you one bit.  Beware of bank trickery!  Get rid of that ATM card before it deals you a bad hand.  Use cash, check or credit card instead.

CLOUD COMPUTING: This is dangerous to use a company that permits you to use their software and servers to back up your computer or write documents and save them for you online.  Why?  You lose control.  Your data can be deleted by accident and it is forever gone.  The company can go out of business taking all your data and records with them.  Security of your data is a serious problem.  If the data is stolen you are sunk.  You lose privacy.  You may lose availability to your data if the company's servers go down for maintenance or fail.  Data loss from the Internet's fault while transferring data over the Web leaves you in a lurch.  You may even lose ownership of your own data if the cloud company confiscates it as a matter of internal policy or some other reason.  You may not have the flexibility if the cloud's software is not as powerful as purchased software.  Data file export may not be available for the format you need and that will trap your data on the cloud.  You will pay a fee for some cloud services and the fees may become a monkey on your back over time and you can't get your data off the cloud.  You will have to sign a contract and it will usually be not in your favor.  Stay away from cloud computing.  If you need a software program then buy it and use it on your own computer.  For backups?  Buy a portable hard drive and back up files to that and put it in a safe place offsite.        

  ISOLATE YOUR MONEY: Another thing you must now do is isolate your money.  If you have a bank where you keep your checking account, credit cards and online banking, then do not... I repeat, do not put money into any savings or investment account with that bank.  If that bank is breeched by internet thieves or the databanks are stolen or hacked into you could lose all of your money.   Yes, it may be FDIC insured, but I warn you this... the FDIC only insures up to $100,000 and they do not have to pay you until 20 years later.  Go ahead and read the deal, it's really no deal at all.  Open another account in another bank for a nest egg and do not get any ATM or credit cards or internet online banking service attached to anything at this bank.  Your money is now safe from electronic access regarding unauthorized withdrawals.  Use your other bank for that, but keep your nest egg safe and secure and hidden from modern criminals.  Banks are robbed by guns, but most are electronically robbed and the banks pass the buck losses to you!  Imagine, you put your money into the bank for safekeeping only to have the bank rob you!  This is an important consumer alert.  Do something to protect yourself now from fraud.  Do not procrastinate.  One day  you will read your bank statement and see thousands of dollars removed and the bank will say, "Sorry about that."  They just did it to me.  I isolated my money with multiple banks so I will not lose a huge chunk if criminal fraud hits again.  Don't forget to snip into tiny pieces that ATM card.  It will rob you yet and it may already have.  Scan your bank statements for unauthorized withdrawals.  Use the credit card.  What you need to do is simply return to the old way of banking, at least for your savings nest egg. 

USE CREDIT CARD - Destroy that ATM card and use a credit card to make your purchases.  When you get home go online and pay off the card purchase (or weekly).  If you are "responsible"  you will not run up a credit balance.  Just pay the bill as if it were an ATM card.  It may be like going backwards, but it sure is worth saving every dime you have in your savings and checking account.  The credit card protects you from unauthorized charges and purchases from fraud and I.D. theft automatically.  Your ATM card is like having a bank robber in your wallet who will strike when you least expect it and you will lose your money... guaranteed!  Destroy  your ATM cards now.  Even check writing is not protected from fraud, so it is best to use a credit card for all of your purchases.  Now the bank must take the risks back... where it belongs!  Also, if you buy something and it does not work the credit card company has a dispute process that forces the retailer to "make good" on the deal.  When you pay cash or use ATM you get no protections.  Can you see the benefits now?  Make sure you get a credit card where you can make purchases and pay off the balance in about 30 days without having to pay any interest or other fees.

IDENTITY THEFT - Did you know that most all ID theft occurs not from the Internet or malicious computer code?  It still comes from friends, relatives and neighbors.  The average loss is $15,000.  It still comes from lost or stolen wallets and purses!  Those are the facts.  Go to http://www.ftc.gov as this is the premier Website for victims of identity theft.  If possible, try to get at least $25,000 insurance coverage for ID theft, it will help you a lot when you do.

BANK DEPOSIT THEFT - Did you know that when you deposit checks at your bank you are still risking the loss of all of your deposited money?  That is right.  Even if you do so in person and you receive a receipt!  Frankly, the receipt is useless.  The bank can not use it to track the checks that have been misplaced, lost or stolen by a bank employee.  What you need to do is write in the "bank routing or ID number" on each check deposited on the deposit slip.  It is a number on the check like 12345/1357-1223 or something similar.  Then when you deposit the checks and give the deposit slip to the bank teller, insist that you obtain a photocopy of the deposit slip front and back.  Now, you are fully protected.  If the deposits do not show up your photocopy record can be used to track down each check or permit you to locate the individuals and companies that issued the original check so they can give you a replacement check.  Don't wait until you lose thousands of dollars... heed this message.  

BANK TELLER ERROR - Did you know that if anyone presents a fraudulent withdrawal slip or a fake check to remove money from your bank account they will get the money?  It is true and you will be liable for the loss!  That is how people are so easily robbed.  You assume the bank teller will ask for identification, but they don't... not in all banks.  I learned this while vacationing in South Dakota that nobody was asking for my I.D. when I made withdrawals of cash from my bank.  I found out later that you must notify the bank to put a note in your account, "Check I.D. before withdrawing funds from this account."  Now that you know, tell your bank to check I.D.'s and you will save yourself from bank-error fraud. 

REAL ESTATE & MORTGAGE FRAUD - Go to this website for more information; Real Estate Fraud Prevention. Your will learn how easy it is to get a home stolen from you or how to lose your down-payment.  You need to know this.  Many have and are losing their life savings to fraud.  You could be next!  

GASOLINE THEFT - Thieves are stealing license plates off vehicles to attach to their car.  They gas up at a gasoline station then drive off without paying.  The anti-theft camera takes a picture of your license plate and the law comes after you!  So, make sure the license plate is still affixed to all of your vehicles.    

AUTOMOBILE REPAIR RIP-OFF - This includes motorcycles, ATV's, jet ski's, etc.  When you bring your new vehicle in for repair at a dealership make sure the service writer is writing down what you tell him.  Do not trust the service writer as he/she is often under pressure to comply with the scam.  Then make sure if you are bringing in the vehicle for warrantee repair make sure the service writer does not write in any dollar figure anywhere where you will agree to pay, even if the service writer says it will not apply to you in your case.  Then, make sure the service writer (or you do it yourself) on the intake repair request form, "Warrantee repairs only."  The scam is this.  The service writer writes a half-true or confusing repair request, puts in a dollar figure where you agree to pay in the small print disclaimer section and you sign it agreeing to all of the above.  You assume you will not have to pay anything because you are bring in the vehicle for warrantee service.  The mechanic then performs repairs saying it was not a warrantee item and the billing department now charges you money to get your vehicle back.  Regardless, make sure you write, "Warrantee repairs only" on the service work order form to protect yourself from fraud.  Pay by credit card then dispute the charges.  Or if you have to pay cash do so then contact your State Attorney General office for complaint procedure.  It is amazing how many dealerships are now performing this scam.  Why? Because warrantee work is not as profitable as simply denying the warrantee situation and bill the customer.  Most customers simply do not know they are being scammed!  You are less likely to be scammed if you get your repair work at Sears and Walmart because they have intense corporate overseers and a gold reputation to protect.  Others chain store type auto repairs shops are grossly independently operated with no auditing and you can be easily scammed.  Also, the parts and labor prices are usually lower with Sears and Walmart and the warranty can even be better by a large margin.    

CHECK FRAUD - This Web site will help you learn all about how thieves operate scams to get you to write them a check.  FakeChecks.org

AUTO THEFT ALERT - The Remote Control Reader Thieves Now Use 

I locked my car using my remote control, but as I walked away, I heard my car door unlock. I went back and locked my car again three times . Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again!! Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away. I went straight t o the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars. Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happening. While traveling, my friend's son stopped at a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later, someone had gotten into his car and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase you name it. He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic.  There is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device.  They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run. The police officer said to manually lock your car door-by hitting the lock button inside the car that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you. 

  When you manually use the lock button on your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the remote control door lock on your key chain, it will send the code through the airwaves where it can be instantly stolen.   

  Be wise.  Be aware of what you just read and please pass this advice on to your friends, relatives and co-workers. If you continue to use your remote control?  You could lose your car and/or its contents.

Cover up the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on your dash board with a book or hat.  Why?  Because all a thief need do is take down the number, go to a locksmith and that VIN will cross reference for the key code and the automobile factory will ship new keys and even the Keyfob or pad entry code to open your car doors and start the car.  This is a very fast way to steal your car and thieves are using it to their profit.  Be smart and cover up that VIN number.  If you have expensive wheels?  Buy lug nut locks at any auto parts store or you will risk losing those wheels.

Locksmith Danger - Never pay with a check when having your car or home keys made.  Use cash or credit card.  Why?  The locksmith can easily make a copy of your key, sell it to thieves along with your name and address so they know where to go to steal your car from your home or break into your home.  And now that the thieves are in your home they can get your computer and/or social security number and steal your identity too.  All this grief because you trusted a locksmith you do not know!

YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS You need to read your medical file to see what your doctor and dentist is really saying about you.  Hint:  it will not be nice!  I have seen even sexual harassment allegations with staff members being noted when no such behavior exists.  Why do doctors badmouth their patients?  Lawsuit protection.  They need to "mar" your reputation so in case you ever do file a law suit their insurance company will have "negative" statements about you to destroy your credibility to a jury.  Is this lawful?  Yes.  Civilly unlawful?  Yes.  You can sue your doctor for maligning your character.  Don't think you are immune from such character assassination.  Read your medical files and you will be shocked at what you will find.  Now you will know why your doctor asks you strange and unusual questions that are not medically related in his small talk.  Beware! These medical files follow you everywhere you go and tip off the new doctor that you are a potential threat, yet you are not in reality, but on paper you are.

SPEAKING ALOUD IN PUBLIC: You are at the bank, doctor office or pharmacy and they need your social security number.  Do not speak it aloud so other people can hear you.  Instead, write it down and hand it over and don't forget to take the note back.  Do not let the employee destroy it for you for they may not do so and sell it to a thief for identity theft.

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