Month: December 2018

What to Do If You Have Been Defrauded

No one wants to think about what to do if they are the victim of online fraud, but being familiar with the most important steps to take could help the whole incident become a lot less devastating.

State versus Federal Level

Fraud can be on a state or federal level in the US. If federal, the Department of Justice would be involved in the case. A case is federal depending on:

* The type of fraud
* The amount of money stolen
* The laws violated (federal, state or both)
* If public services were used, such as the U.S. Postal Service or Medicare
* The location of the crime; that is, within a state, or across state or national borders

Types of Fraud to Look Out For

Here are the main types of fraud to look out for:

* Telemarketing fraud, trying to sell fake goods or services
* Mail fraud
* Credit card and check fraud
* Identity theft
* Bank fraud
* Pyramid or Ponzi schemes
* Internet fraud
* Health care and insurance fraud
* Pension and trust fund fraud
* Fraud related to securities, commodities, and other investments

What to Do If You Are a Victim

This will depend in part on what kind of fraud you have fallen victim to, but the best policy is to inform the people who need to know right away so your legal protection can kick in. For example, if you’re the victim of credit card theft, the sooner you report it, the less likely you are to be found liable for the fraudulent charges on the card.

In this case, you would notify the credit card company and file a police report. Start gathering paperwork as needed, such as a copy of the scamming web page, receipts, bank statements and so on.

1. File a police report

This will alert the police to the fraud and help put your legal protection into place in relation to, for example, what you might or might not be liable for if someone has stolen your credit card and is on a shopping spree.

2. Notify the bank and credit card company

If you used a debit card, you have 48 hours to report a fraudulent charge.

If you are having credit card issues, phone the issuer right away to freeze your account and report the status of the card, such as lost, stolen, or your statement as showing fraudulent charges.

3. Deal with the credit bureaus

Contact the three main credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to file a Fraud Victim Statement. Also ask them to issue a security freeze on your credit report so that no one will be able to try to get extended credit on the basis of your credit history and score.

4. Report Any Phishing

Go to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing to report any phishing emails you’ve received, or may have fallen prey to.

5. Deal with identity theft proactively

Go to https://www.identitytheft.gov/ Tell them what happened, and formulate an action plan for recovery.

6. Don’t be embarrassed

Experts suspect that a lot of fraud is going unreported because people are embarrassed to admit they have been tricked by a phishing email and so on. But loss of money and personal data can have serious consequences. Plus, the more that is reported, the better chance there is of stopping the cybercriminals and helping save others from being defrauded.

Ways to Avoid Distractions When Growing Your Home-Based Business

Working from home can be either a blessing or curse depending on how organized you are and what family circumstances you are dealing with.

If you have young children, for example, you may find it tough to try to get it all done each day unless you have a great support network. If your children are older, they need to understand that just because you are home does not mean you have “free time”. The same is true of neighbors and family members who try to load tasks on your plate because they don’t understand that work has to be your priority.

Here are nine ways to avoid distractions so you can grow your home-based business successfully.

1. Have Your Own Dedicated Workspace

Hopefully it should have a door you can close. But no matter how large or small, it should be the place where all your business-related items are.

2. Make the Most of the Space You Have

Make the most of the space you have by going up to the ceiling with shelving units. Get a multipurpose printer that also faxes and so on. Get a tall filing cabinet for your important papers, supplies, etc.

3. Be Sure to Have Fast Connectivity

If your computer is old and clunky or your internet connection is always buffering, update them.

4. Keep Your Phone Nearby but on Vibrate

Vibrate will let you know calls are coming in but without a distracting sound or ringtone that will break your concentration.

5. Keep a To-Do List

Pen and paper is fine for this, or you can create a digital one. There is nothing quite as satisfying as crossing something off the list once you have done it.

6. Keep a Calendar and Timetable

Keep a calendar with all of your most important dates, such as project deadlines. Try to work something that resembles 9 to 5 or a reasonably regular number of hours per day if you can, by setting a timetable of what needs to be done each day.

For example, pencil in 30 minutes at 9, 12, and 4 to take care of email, phone calls, and social media marketing. Create a time slot for marketing your services regularly and looking for work on the freelance websites so you can pick up more clients. Set aside time for breaks and also exercise.

7. Keep Media to a Minimum

Turn off social media notifications. Don’t try to listen to the news, TV, or music with vocals while you work, as they are all too distracting. Don’t keep checking your email and don’t answer the phone if you are really in the middle of something.

8. Don’t Fall for the Myth of Multitasking

There is no such thing as multitasking. It is actually the brain switching back and forth rapidly between two or more tasks. It can be very stressful and above all, it is inefficient. If you have two tasks that will take an hour each but try to do them at the same time, it will take you at least two hours to get them done – compared to working on the first one for an hour and the second one for an hour without having to worry about where you left off.

9. Be Organized and Have Systems

Have a place for everything, and everything in its place. You should also create systems whereby you do the same task the same way each time. In this way, if you ever want to delegate it to someone else, you can easily do so and free up your time to accomplish less menial tasks.

Use these tips to minimize distractions when working from home.