Entry bubble Certified Deed Scam

By: Nancy | August 28, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Recently, Gov Gab headquarters, aka the Federal Citizen Information Center, enjoyed a visit from investigative reporter Lisa Robinson from Baltimore's WBAL-TV. She was here to put together a story about one of our office's pet peeves: a consumer scam. We hate it when people try to rip you off and we do everything we can to keep you informed. So we like people, like Lisa, who are looking out for you, too.

deedOne of Lisa's viewers told her about a scam that's been circulating the country. It involves the deed to your home.

Like thousands of people nationwide, this viewer received a letter that looks like this from an official sounding company. It might also come to you in email form. The letter says that the Federal Citizen Information Center recommends that you get a certified copy of the deed to your home. Not sure where to get it? Lucky you—the company will provide it for you for just fifty-nine to eighty-nine bucks, depending on the version of the letter you receive. Oh, and don't forget the $4.50 shipping fee. I guess they photocopy your deed on especially heavy paper or something.

The truth is, we don't endorse that company or their service. You can get a copy of your deed yourself from your county clerk or registrar. In most places it's free or no more than ten bucks.

If you get any offer like this by mail, phone or email that sounds fishy, trust your gut and check it out with us, with your state or local consumer office or attorney general, or with your local consumer or investigative reporter, like Lisa.

Have you gotten one of these letters? What other scams have been hitting your area (or your inbox) lately?

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Entry bubble Find a Job

By: Joanne | May 20, 2008 | Category: Money

help wanted ads

Are you sick of your job? Are you ready to move on to other things? Are you unemployed and wearing a deep groove in your parents’ sofa? A student looking for an internship? It sounds like you need a job.

From time to time, we all need to look for a job, and I don’t know if you find it easy, but most of us don’t. You’ve got to figure out what you want to do, determine if there’s a market for the occupation that interests you, polish that resume, and begin the hunt.

It’s always good to look in the local paper or check an online source for local job listings, but the government’s got some resources to help too. If you’re looking for a job or an internship with the federal government, you’ll find all openings announced to the public at USAJOBS. Check out your state job bank for even more job opportunities in your area. If you need a helping hand, look up your local Department of Labor office and see what services they offer to job seekers in your area. And if the job sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be aware of job scams.

p.s. Thanks for all your great suggestions in response to my post last week! This post was inspired by one of your comments, and we'll be using more of your ideas in coming posts.

| Comments [3] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: career   employment   federal   joanne   job   labor   resume   scam