Greg's Corner

Updates from July, 2019 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 17, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: brushing scam ( 23 ), parking lot scam, phone scam ( 46 ), Prime Day ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,383 ), theme parks, tickets ( 17 )   

  This scam takes advantage of Prime Day purchases! 

  

  As we mentioned yesterday, Amazon just had its annual Prime Day sale. If you decided to take advantage of the deals to be had online you should be aware of a particular scam that looks to take advantage of all the orders made on Prime Day. It’s called brushing and some retailers will send you a product of their’s unsolicited and at no charge to you. They’re looking for favorable online reviews and even if sent to you free of charge, the vendor can consider you a ‘verified purchase’ on Amazon. The main problem with brushing scams is that someone may have purchased these items on yours on someone else’s stolen account.

  In other scam news, reports are coming out of Northern California about a parking lot scam designed to pressure you into giving a stranger money. Several residents have complained about a scam where someone walks behind your car in a parking lot as you try to pull out. The scammer will drop their phone then act like it’s broken, or more than likely they’ll have dropped an already broken phone. They’ll then try to claim it was your fault and try to get you to give them money for their phone’s insurance deductible. If this scam happens to you, it’s recommended that you call the police.

  While this next scam happens all year round with places like Disney World, it picks up in the summer months due to other regional theme parks being open for the season. If you see a post on social media promising you free tickets to a theme park or other attraction it is more than likely a scam. This happened recently in the Sandusky, Ohio area where the popular Cedar Point theme park is. This scam is intended to get either your personal or financial information which the scammers will say is necessary in order to get the tickets. They could even ask for a processing fee. In the end, the scammers end up with your information and possibly your money and you’re left with nothing.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 16, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon ( 108 ), Prime Day ( 8 ), strike ( 2 ), working conditions ( 4 )   

  Amazon workers need consumers to support strike! 

  

  Right now, Amazon is having its annual mid-year sale known as Prime Day. This year, the sales are taking place over two days with today being the last. Prime Day is only second to Black Friday in terms of purchases made online. Prime Day has gotten so huge that even other retailers are trying to get in on the action. Since this is one of Amazon’s busiest times of the year it should come as no surprise that Amazon workers are probably working extra hours and possibly even extra shifts to get all the merchandise delivered in a timely manner. However, a number of Amazon employees used Prime Day as an opportune time to protest working conditions in the Amazon fulfillment centers.

  Amazon employees from around the globe took to the picket lines to protest what they consider to be problematic working conditions. In Europe, many of Amazon’s employees are unionized but here in the US, they are not. That didn’t stop several Amazon employees from protesting in Shakopee, Minnesota. The protesters believe that they are expected to reach unobtainable production goals at the cost of their health and well being.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxvH82pMnQI%5D

  If Amazon was to decrease the demands of their workers that would affect the overall shipping process. Instead of being able to receive a package in two days it might be four or five days instead. Would consumers who are already used to Amazon’s quick delivery be willing to give up such convenience? In order to really send a message to Amazon, the protesters would really need to get a rather large amount of Amazon’s consumers on their side. Without the support of consumers voting with their wallets, we might not see working conditions improve for Amazon fulfillment center employees. Short of government intervention, which seems unlikely at this point, consumer persuasion is probably the only way Amazon will change.

  This scam takes advantage of Prime Day purchases! | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:16 am on July 15, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Alexander Acosta ( 5 ), child trafficking ( 7 ), Human trafficking ( 98 ), Jeffrey Epstein ( 6 ), sex offender ( 5 )   

  Secretary of Labor quits after Epstein arrest! 

  

  US Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta resigned his post this past Friday in the wake of the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein. If you’ll recall, Acosta was the Miami U.S. Attorney who negotiated the relatively light sentence the supposed billionaire received after pleading guilty to state charges of that involved trafficking underage girls. Not surprisingly, President Trump stood behind Acosta amidst the recent controversy.

  Trump said he believed Acosta thoroughly “explained” his decision making at the news conference, which sources said the president urged him to conduct. The president praised Acosta’s performance “under pressure,” saying he did a “fantastic job.”

  [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRQzJBD92us]

  However, that wasn’t the only revelation that came out over the weekend. According to part of his indictment in the Southern District of New York, it was revealed that Epstein never bothered to check in with New York officials since he was a registered sex offender and maintained a residence in New York. That’s a potential felony violation that could carry a sentence of four years behind bars alone.

  Epstein is also said to have paid $350,000 to two potential witnesses after the Miami Herald first broke their story about Epstein back in November. Prosecutors argue that this is just one of many reasons to have Epstein denied bond while he awaits trial. Of course, with Epstein’s wealth and resources at his expense, he could be considered a considerable flight risk. A bond hearing is set for later today.

  Lastly, and possibly one of the more disturbing aspects of this story, is that even though Epstein was a convicted sex offender, he was still welcomed among the financial elites and celebrities.

  In 2010, the year after he got out of a Florida jail, Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos dined at his Manhattan mansion with a British royal. The next year, Mr. Epstein was photographed at a “billionaire’s dinner” attended by tech titans like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

  Had this been just about anyone else, they would have never been released from prison in the first place. Justice is supposed to be blind, but apparently it doesn’t stop it from being greedy. Just ask Alexander Acosta.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 12, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: MLM ( 2 ), multi-level marketing ( 2 ), pyramid scheme ( 12 ), Scams ( 1,383 )   

  Are MLMs the biggest scam? 

  

  Let’s say that you’re between jobs and looking for work. You come across an ad for an amazing position that promises flexible hours and an amazing salary, however, it’s a sales position. Sales isn’t the worst thing that you could do and you need a paycheck soon. You may then be asked to join a group of people in a meeting room where you realize that this isn’t just any sales position, it’s an ‘opportunity’ to join the exciting world of multi-level marketing.

  If you’re not familiar with multi-level marketing, or MLMs as they’re commonly known, are those ‘businesses’ that one of your Facebook friends may be trying to recruit you to join. The reason they’re trying to recruit you is that they only really make any kind of money if they get more people to join. The MLMs impress this upon their members to try to recruit their friends and family. Outside of just being annoying when someone tries to recruit you to one of these schemes, there’s a darker side to MLMs. Often, you have to buy stock from the person who recruited you before you can sell your own stock. Many MLMs are accused of having many cult-like tendencies such as pressure to stay and isolation from those critical of MLMs. Sometimes friend or family relationships are severed due to someone’s devotion to an MLM.

  [youtube https://youtu.be/o5xhNXVfPYQ%5D

  The truth is that MLM salespeople tend to not make very much money and in numerous cases wind up in crippling debt. The math just isn’t in their favor. MLMs generally tell their salespeople that they need to recruit a certain number of other people to join the MLM. Then those people also need to recruit the same number of people. What they don’t tell you is that this cycle can only be repeated a handful of times before the number of people needed becomes astronomical and unobtainable. But that’s not the MLM’s problem since they already sold you, and anyone else who’s joined, their product. If this sounds a lot like a pyramid scheme that’s because it essentially is. The only reason there hasn’t been mass prosecution of these MLMs is that the fact that they’re ‘selling’ a product makes their businesses legal.

  In most MLMs, the only people making any real money are the ones at the top of the pyramid and unfortunately, that’s probably not you.

  Instagram influencer charged in get rich quick scheme | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:36 am on July 11, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: ICE ( 2 ), Immigration ( 12 )   

  Are immigration raids what we really need? 

  

  Immigration has been a contentious topic in our country since the start of the 2016 Presidential campaign. Today, the focus seems to be on the country’s southern border even though most people here illegally are from overseas on expired visas. However, demonizing a certain group of immigrants is nothing new in our country’s history. In the 19th Century, Irish and Italian immigrants were being openly discriminated against even though that seems unimaginable today. It seems that every generation or so, certain politicians seem to inevitably stir up anti-immigrant sentiment and today’s climate is no exception.

  In a move that seems more like an intimidation tactic than a law enforcement operation, the government has made it known that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be conducting raids against thousands of undocumented families. According to the New York Times, investigators might even detain immigrants who happened to be on the scene, even though they were not targets of the raids. The government already knows about many of the families who are here illegally and have given them notice to leave the country. However, these raids may be mostly pointless as ICE officers have no legal authority to forcibly enter someone’s home.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaL-7p9DeSc%5D

  Instead of expending resources on these raids, why isn’t the government trying to make the path to citizenship to easier? Wouldn’t it be better to have new groups of taxpaying citizens rather than having a targeted group of people fearing for their well-being?

  As we previously mentioned in this post, immigration scares are nothing new in our country but they go against one of the tenets of our great nation. The poem on the Statue of Liberty known as “The New Colossus”, seems to be falling on unironically deaf ears.

  Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
  With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
  Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
  A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
  Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
  Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
  Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
  The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
  “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
  With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
  Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
  The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
  I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

  Now it seems that the Government is trying to close that golden door on the very people that the Statue of Liberty is supposed to welcome.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 10, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deep fakes ( 6 ), defense contractor, google voice ( 13 ), phishing ( 77 ), Scams ( 1,383 )   

  These tech scams are frightening! 

  

  This week’s set of scams are incredibly troubling. Technology has advanced to a point where scams have become harder to spot. Not to mention that some of the tactics used by these scammers are like something out of a movie.

  The first scam is kind of confusing and seems a little convoluted for something that doesn’t bring that much to the scammers. If you’re not familiar with Google Voice, it’s a service that provides you with a free supplementary phone number. Scammers are using Google Voice to hijack phone numbers from personal numbers that have been shared online. For example, if you’ve posted your phone number in a classified ad the scammers will attempt to hijack that number. The scammers won’t be able to take any money from you but could potentially use your number for criminal activity. If your number has been hijacked in one of these scams this article has instructions on how to get your number back. Unfortunately, the steps won’t be that easy.

  The next scam, while rare, is very disconcerting. Security firm Symantec has said that they have found a handful of scams where the scammers have used deep fake audio of business executives in order to trick employees into transferring money to the scammers. Deep fakes are AI generated video or audio that can be hard to tell from the real thing. We’ve previously discussed the potential harm that deep fakes could cause here. The process to generate these deep fakes can cost thousands of dollars ut could end up costing businesses untold losses in the future.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnFC-s2nOtI%5D

  Our last scam for today is the most alarming. According to news site Quartz, a US military defense contractor was taken for $3 million in top-secret equipment by international con artists. All the scammers had to do was use an email address that looks similar to official military domains. This is basically the same phishing scam that’s used to try to steal your banking information except a company with a high government security clearance fell for it to the tune of $3 million. Thankfully, the scammers were apprehended after federal investigators tracked them down through the mailing address they used that they claimed was a military installation. Disturbingly, neither the Quartz article nor the legal documents Quartz obtained state whether or not the sensitive equipment was ever recovered.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 9, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: equal pay, soccer ( 2 ), USWNT, wage gap, World Cup   

  Does the USWNT deserve more? 

  

  With the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) recently winning their fourth World Cup the topic of equal pay has been a popular talking point lately. It’s been well documented that the Men’s National Team (USMNT) gets paid a substantially larger wage than the women’s team. Many people will be quick to point out that many women’s professional sports just aren’t as popular as men’s professional sports. After all, it is all about ticket sales, merchandise sales, and sponsorships that earn sports teams their money. So the Men’s National Team must be more popular and successful than the Women’s team, right? Well, not exactly.

  As far as success on the pitch goes the Women’s National Team has won Four World Cups since 1991 with this year’s win being a back to back championship. The US Men’s Team has never won a World Cup. The closest they came was in 1930 when they finished in 3rd place. In the last World Cup which took place last year, the men’s team didn’t even make the tournament after being knocked out by Trinidad and Tobago in a qualifying round.

  So, is it all the merch that the Men’s Team sells that makes them all that extra money? Not really. The USWNT jersey is the best selling jersey of all time according to Nike.

  How about TV ratings? The Women’s Team has their male counterparts beat there too. This past Sunday’s win against The Netherlands was the highest rated soccer broadcast ever in the US.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9vvWD21qoM%5D

  Then what about the professional soccer leagues in the US? Surely the men’s league must sell more tickets than the men’s. According to the Washington Post, the ticket sales between the two leagues are almost dead even.

  So is it any surprise that the USWNT are suing the US Soccer Federation over unequal pay?

  If there was true equity in the world the USWNT would be making not just the same as the men’s team but much more.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 8, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Alexander Acosta ( 5 ), child trafficking ( 7 ), Jeffrey Epstein ( 6 ), sex offender ( 5 )   

  Jeffrey Epstein arrested in NY for trafficking minors 

  

  Jeffrey Epstein

  If you’re unfamiliar with the story of Jeffrey Epstein, he is the billionaire hedge fund manager who was arrested in the 2000s for molesting underage girls in his Florida mansion under the guise of ‘massages’. It’s also believed that Epstein not only flew some of his victims to New York where he’s believed to have abused his victims in his Upper East Side mansion, but he may have also flown them out of the country and allegedly allowed some of his powerful friends to abuse the girls as well. Epstein received a virtual slap on the wrist by then-Miami U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta who is now President Trump’s current Secretary of Labor. Epstein has escaped any real justice, until recently.

  Over the weekend, Epstein was arrested in New York by the FBI and the NYPD’s Crimes Against Children Task Force. These new charges come from a federal indictment which will be unsealed later today. However, it’s believed that the indictment will have Epstein facing federal charges of trafficking children. when Epstein made the plea deal in Florida he did so in order to avoid being prosecuted federally.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtBaXrApm3M%5D

  The next major hurdle for prosecutors will be Epstein’s bond hearing. Considering Epstein has a vast amount of wealth and a number of residences outside the US, if he’s not issued the proper amount of bail or no bail at all, It’s easily conceivable that Epstein could flee the country to avoid prosecution, much in the same way that infamous film director Roman Polanski has avoided prosecution for several decades. Considering the scope of Epstein’s connections and influence that goes all the way to the President how great is the potential that we could see another miscarriage of justice in Epstein’s prosecution? If we do see that kind of interference will those involved be then held accountable enough by the public? Only time will tell but we should know much more later today after the indictments are unsealed.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 5, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: 4th of July ( 5 ), fireworks ( 5 ), missing pets ( 11 ), pets ( 15 )   

  How to get your lost pet back! 

  

  Hopefully, you had a safe and happy Independence Day. We especially hope your pets were safe yesterday as the 4th of July fireworks are one of the leading causes of missing pets. If your pet happened to vanish during t=yesterday’s festivities you have our deepest sympathies, however, we will do what we can to help you get your fur baby back into your home.

  If your pet is tagged with your home address and phone number or have been microchipped, you’re already ahead of the game. Contact your local animal control, animal shelters, and police departments. You may even want to contact those in neighboring towns or cities just in case your pet was able to get that far. Ask your neighbors if they’ve seen your pet and also ask your mail carrier as they tend to be familiar with some of the pets on their route.

  Posting fliers around town never hurts either. Just make sure the posting is not too cluttered but be sure to include the important details. You may want to also add a note on the flier asking people to check their backyards as well. Put the fliers in mailboxes, on telephone poles and ask local businesses if you can post the fliers in their windows.

  Even the digital world can be of assistance too in helping to find your lost pet. You can post notices on classifieds sites, neighborhood sites and apps like Nextdoor, and sites and apps specifically designed for missing pets. However, this can open you up to missing pet scams where people claim to have your pets. These scammers will try to get you to send them money to deliver your pet back to you. If you take the digital route, make sure the person claiming to have found your pet sends you a picture of your pet. These scammers will try to get you to send them money to deliver your pet back to you.

  Even though the 4th of July may be over since it’s become a four day weekend this year the fireworks may continue well into Sunday night. Keep your pets inside as much as you can to better protect them from the loud noises and hopefully, you’ll be able to keep them at home.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0EGOi0Wcok%5D

  Below are more resources to better help assist you.

  What to do if you lose your pet
  More Tips for Finding a Lost Pet
  Clever Ways to Find Lost Pets

   
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  Geebo 8:08 am on July 3, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Air Max 1 USA, Arizona ( 11 ), Colin Kaepernick, Flag, Nike   

  Nike pulls shoes over Kaepernick protest! 

  

  Former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick is obviously no stranger to controversy. In 2016, Kaepernick famously started kneeling during the playing of the National anthem prior to NFL games. He did this in protest of police shootings against black victims while the police involved would receive little to no punishment. Many say this is what has kept him out of the NFL since his contract expired with the 49ers. Even though Kaepernick was no longer in the NFL, he remained a spokesman for Nike shoes sparking even more controversy in a 2018 advertising campaign. While many consumers protested that campaign, Nike’s sales shot up by 31%.

  

  So it should really come as no surprise that Kaepernick has courted controversy once again, and again it has to deal with Nike. The shoe manufacturer recently pulled its Air Max 1 USA from store shelves after a complaint from Kaepernick. The shoes are adorned with the original American flag of the 13 colonies with 13 stars. Kaepernick asked Nike to pull the shoes since he believes that the flag represents an era of slavery in America. Not only that but more recently the flag has been taken up by some white supremacist groups.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFl6ifq5eNk%5D

  In response to Nike’s recall of the product, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) announced he was withdrawing some of Nike’s financial incentives in his state. Considering that Ducey represents the party of the free market this can be seen as somewhat hypocritical since the market has spoken mostly in favor of Nike’s actions with Kaepernick in the past. What’s more important to the state of Arizona, the jobs that a proposed Nike plant would bring to his state or a silly squabble over an outdated flag?