But you can protect yourself and your savings by being informed. In Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud—an hour-long documentary by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation —we uncover these persuasion tactics and explain how you can protect yourself. Order your free copy of the DVD, which has been aired on PBS and recognized by Kiplinger’s Best of Everything. And get one of the most valuable investment tips of all: how to avoid financial fraud.

How Omni-Channel Retailing Revolutionizes Your Shopping Experience

In the last few years, we’ve seen a great deal of power put into the customer’s hands. The freedom to shop from our smartphones and order items online through websites with little more than a click or a tap has given us control of the shopping experience. The ability to tweet customer complaints or leave a comment on a company’s Facebook page about a product or service increases this power.

In response to this new consumerist modality, smart brands are making a shift to stay connected with their consumer markets. By integrating all their brand platforms—brick and mortar stores, websites, mobile apps, social networks, catalogs, and more—companies are able to better serve customer’s needs.

This multi-channel shopping phenomenon is called “omni-channel retailing,” and the good news is that it’s undeniably customer-centric.

How Omni-Channel Retailing Affects You

Many dubbed 2012 “the year of the consumer.” More than ever before, customers have the power to make or break companies based on their approval or dissatisfaction with products and services. The swift expansion of digital channels has given consumers the ability to gain easier access to brands, and have more influence over them. Companies cannot afford to ignore complaints when those complaints are posted, for instance, on their Facebook wall.

The most forward and driven retail brands are becoming quickly aware of this fact. No longer are their sales based strictly on products or catchy TV commercials.

In 2013, with more customers than ever using mobile devices that allow them to stay connected 24/7, retail brands must now focus on how their consumer markets perceive and experience their products and services.

One example of a brand that’s successfully embraced the omni-channel retailing experience is the well-known jewelry store chain, Kay Jewelers.

Retail Brands Going “Omni”

By launching profiles on the social media channels Facebook and Twitter, as well as going live with mobile sites and redesigning their regular website, Kay has been able to deliver a top-notch omni-channel experience to their customers.

Their foremost goal was to give consumers the ability to browse and interact with their website easily and comfortably.

Kay wanted to give online shoppers the feeling that shopping through the website provided you with as many options as it would if you were inside an actual store, whether it was chatting live with a sales associate or checking an available credit balance.

The customer-centric, omni-channel experience has certainly worked out well for Kay, who reported a 49% increase in online sales from the 2012 holiday season.

Next: The Omni-Channel Experience (Part 2)—The Brands That Work for You

Another month later, she started receiving calls from collections.  Likewise, she informed them that her grandfather was deceased, but the calls did not desist.  Looking for solutions to try and get these calls and bills from surfacing, she contacted the Better Business Bureau.

In talking to one of our agents, it occurred to her that her deceased grandfather’s caregiver had been taking advantage of her grandfather’s situation and helping herself to his money, including credit cards.  She received advice from the Better Business Bureau to report the situation to the Federal Trade Commission’s, identity theft hotline, as this is fraud and using someone else’s credit card is technically identity theft and needs to be reported.

It just goes to show that you cannot always trust the ones, who are in charge.  It’s a very sad situation, when an elderly, vulnerable person is entrusted to a family member, who violates that trust.  If you have any suspicion that anyone is a victim of this type of behavior, please contact the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).

The NCEA, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, has locations in various states.  For a contact in your state, please click on the link.  Their mission is to serve “as a national resource center dedicated to the prevention of elder mistreatment.”  For further information, their website is http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/About/NCEA/index.aspx.

The Better Business Bureau complements the NCEA’s efforts by educating the public on scams, charity and business reviews, buying tips, and much more, which affects the general population.  To learn more about our organization, please visit www.bbb.org.

While there is no stopping elder abuse from happening in the first place, there is some comfort in knowing that there are agencies that help with this problem.  We are happy to do what we can!

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/12392252@N03/2433387063/”>Sailing “Footprints: Real to Reel” (Ronn ashore)</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>

How the Scam Works:   

You receive a collect call and accept the charges. When caller comes on the line, it’s clear you don’t know him. But he begs you not to hang up. He claims that he has been arrested for a minor violation and is trying to reach his family. Unfortunately, he’s dialed the wrong number and will only be allowed one phone call.

The caller asks you to help him by forwarding his call. He instructs you to dial *72 and the phone number he needs to reach. You dial the numbers, thinking you are doing him a small favor. But you really just allowed the scammer to bill unlimited collect phone calls to your account.

The *72 code causes all your subsequent incoming calls to be forwarded. The scammer can make collect calls to your number and have them automatically forwarded to the person he wants to reach. Even though you aren’t answering the calls, the charges will still be billed to your account. You may not realize this has happened until you receive your next phone bill.

The scam is most frequently used by inmates looking for a way to make “free” collect calls. But identity thieves can use this technique to “steal” your phone number. They set up your number to forward to themselves and answer when your bank calls to check up on suspicious charges/withdrawals.

How to Spot a Scam:
Protect yourself from call forwarding scams by following these tips:

• Place a collect call block on your account. If you don’t need to make or accept collect calls, telephone service providers often allow you to block them for free.
• If you receive unwanted calls from a nearby correctional facility, contact them directly and request that your number be blocked.
• Read your telephone bills carefully. Watch for any unusual charges.
• Pay attention to your phone’s ringing. If your phone frequently rings only once or is not ringing at all, this could be an indication that your line has been forwarded.
• If you believe your phone is being forwarded, dial *73 or #73 to deactivate the feature.

For More Information

To find out more about scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper.

“After every natural disaster and manmade catastrophe, we see an outpouring of generosity, along with the inevitable scams and frauds,” said Art Taylor, president and CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. “We urge donors to take the time to make sure their donations are going to legitimate charities that can do the most good for those in need.”

“BBB Oklahoma City is so grateful for the immediate response from people all across the country,” said Kitt Letcher, the brand new president and CEO of BBB of Central Oklahoma, who started in the position just yesterday. “We will be keeping a close eye on the situation in order to prevent, as much as possible, scams related to charity relief, as well as restoration and rebuilding services.”

BBB Wise Giving Alliance is offering the following tips to help donors decide where to direct donations to assist victims:

Be cautious when giving online. Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to unsolicited spam messages, and emails and social media posts that claim to link to a relief organization. If you want to give to a charity involved in relief efforts, go directly to the charity’s website. In response to hurricanes Katrina and, Rita, and the Asian tsunamis, the FBI and others raised concerns about websites and new organizations that were created overnight, allegedly to help victims.

Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other websites, as they may not have fully researched the relief organizations they list. The public can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and relief organizations and verify that they are accredited by the BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims. Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee. If a charity claims 100 percent of collected funds will be assisting disaster victims, the truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fund raising and administrative expenses. It may use some of its other funds to pay these costs, but the expenses will still be incurred.

Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas, it may be difficult to bring in new aid workers to provide assistance quickly. See if the charity’s website clearly describes what the charity can do to address immediate needs.

Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to those that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to see whether they are equipped to provide aid effectively.

Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations. In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well intentioned, may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need – unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to distribute such aid properly. Ask the charity about its transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.

For more information, visit give.org.

“I doubt I will ever see my money. No service has been performed, other than a lot of stress and time wasted, “ an Loveland, OH resident, said. She hired Nations Appliance Service to fix her broken dryer.

At the initial inspection, she was told her the dryer needed a part that would cost her $100.  After the business failed to show up to two scheduled appointments to install the ordered part, they finally returned.  But even after they installed the part, the dryer failed to work properly.

Frustrated with the situation, she turned to another repair company who told her that not only did Nations Appliance Service  install the wrong part, they charged her $100 for a part that should have only cost $40 dollars.

BBB’s investigation into Nations Appliance Service was unable to uncover exactly where the business is located. The website doesn’t list any address and neither do any of the business’s receipts or invoices.

Even the real name of the business remains a mystery. Consumers were initially told the business was called Nations Appliance Service, but on the invoices “Nations” was crossed-out and another name, “Ace” Appliance Services was handwritten in its place. A web search turned up a website for Cincinnati Appliance Tech also listing phone number 513-828-0230.

BBB is aware that a Florida appliance repair business, Appliance Services, Inc. also uses one of Nations Appliance Service’s phone numbers, (800) 743-6479.  But we have been unable to confirm whether the two businesses are related.

Interestingly, each of the complaints BBB has received against Nations Appliance Service mention a certain technician, Larry Haynes. Larry Haynes has been associated with several appliance repair businesses with poor BBB ratings.

For those in need of appliance repairs, BBB offers the following advice:

· Watch for up-front fees. While a repair service may require a down-payment, avoid paying for the entire job up front. For extra protection, pay with a credit card whenever possible and make sure to get a receipt.

· Get details in writing. Ask for a detailed contract explaining the work to be done, parts ordered and replaced, the cost of all repairs and any warranties or guarantees associated with the job.

· Confirm the guarantee. Verify the terms of a work guarantee, such as what is covered, what the procedure is for submitting guarantee claims and the time frame that the guarantee lasts.

· Start with trust. Use the BBB’s Accredited Business Directory to find BBB Accredited small and major appliance service and repair businesses. Consumers can narrow their search to find businesses close to their home and contact them for online estimates using BBB’s free Request a Quote service.

She talked with me about scams that have popped up after recent disasters. In March, the family of a 6-year-old shooting victim warned investigators that a fake website appeared to be raising money for them after the Newtown school tragedy.

“Even if there is a website and it’s using someone that is known, you want to follow up and check on that before you give,” I explained.

Following the Boston Marathon bombing, Twitter shut down a questionable account. It promised a one dollar donation to followers who re-tweeted the message.

“We don’t know what the true purpose of the account was. It may have been data mining to gather information about twitter holders, “ I said.

The schemes are on-line and “on-foot.” Victims of the recent tornadoes now have to watch out for contractors coming door to door to discuss repairs.

“The bottom line is simple. Before you sign a contact, click on a link, text, or donate, you need to stop and check out the business or charity first,” Ginger Allen said.

To see the story, go to: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/05/17/i-team-beware-of-after-storm-scams/

To check out a business or charity, start at www.bbb.org. Or use the free BBB iPhone app, www.bbb.org/iphone.

rvices and scam alerts, and complaint and dispute resolution for all branches of the U.S. military. BBB warns of the following scams that are directed at service members:

High priced military loans – Advertisements for loans that promise a guarantee, instant approval or no credit check will often come with hidden fees and extremely high interest rates. Remember that legitimate lenders will never guarantee a loan before you apply and loans that require an upfront fee are likely a scam.

Veterans’ benefits buyout plans – This buyout plan will offer a cash payment in exchange for a disabled veteran’s future benefits or pension payments. The cash amount is only about 30-40% of what the veteran is entitled to. These buyout plans can be structured in several different ways, so research thoroughly before signing anything over.

Fake rental properties – Stolen photos of legitimate rental properties are used in advertisements that promise military discounts and other incentives. Service members will have to pay a fee via wire transfer for security payments or a key to the property – in the end they will receive nothing.

Phony jury duty summons – A caller clams to work for the local court system and states that the service member did not show up for jury duty and now has a warrant out for their arrest. When the victim says they never got a summons, the caller will ask for a credit card number or Social Security number to clear up the matter.

Misleading car sales – Websites posting classified ads will offer false discounts for military personnel or claim to be from soldiers who need to sell their vehicle fast since they have been deployed. Upfront fees will be required via wire transfer, or the vehicle will have problems after purchase.

Expensive life insurance policies – Members of the military are often the targets of high pressured sales pitches that offer unnecessary, expensive life insurance policies. Solicitors may make false statements regarding the benefits that these policies offer.

BBB recommends the following tips to avoid scams:

Do your research. Get as much information as you can about a business or charity before you pay. Check out a business’ BBB Business Review at bbb.org or a charity’s Charity Report at give.org.

Don’t wire transfer money to anyone you don’t know. Money sent via wire transfer is practically impossible to track. Pay by credit card whenever possible, since you can dispute charges easily.

Protect your computer. Don’t click on links within unsolicited emails. Don’t enter personal information on unfamiliar websites. Make sure that you have updated anti-virus software installed and use a firewall at all times.

Put an Active Duty alert on your credit reports when deployed. Doing so will minimize the risk of identity theft because creditors and businesses cannot issue or grant credit until verifying identity.

For more tips you can trust, visit bbb.org and for the latest, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/BetterBusinessBureau and facebook.com/Militaryline.

The consumer also reported that the scammer took the name of her previous tenant and was impersonating the tenant with a fake e-mail address.

Below is part of the correspondence between the prospective renter and the scammer:

Hello,

It gives me great joy to know that you have interest in my lovely house,its still very much available for rent and ready for immediate occupancy. I am sure you would be asking yourself why my rent is low, that’s because i am not too keen about the amount in renting the house out but to whom i am renting the house out to. My intention is to rent my house to someone that is responsible and be ready to take great care of the house as if it were his or hers. I am very certain that you would love the comfy of the house.

I would like you to know that i am giving this house out for rent because i have been posted to West Africa as an Pediatrician (kid’s doctor) and would spend couple of years before i would be through with my assignment here. So my family and i have decided that we would be moving to our other home in Seattle, Washington when we get back to the states,i would like you to complete the tenant application form below and please be honest with these details to enable us choose the right tenant.

The form includes an address, rental amount, description of the property and a questionnaire.

This is obviously the Nigerian rental scam that’s been going around for a while. A quick web search even found exact matches for entire sentences in the above letter from people reporting the scam. Versions of the scam differ, but people have reported being asked to wire money to someone via Western Union or another service to ensure that you’re not a “time waster” or as payment to have them ship the keys to the rental property.

If you send money to someone like this, you won’t have a place to rent, and you’ll have to scrape up more funds for a deposit when you do find a legitimate rental property.

BBB advises renters of the following red flags to look out for:

• The deal sounds too good to be true. Scammers often list a rental for a low price to lure in victims. Find out how comparable listings are priced, and if the rental comes in suspiciously low, walk away.

• The landlord is located elsewhere and prefers to communicate via e-mail. Scammers might say they have just been relocated out of the country for a job or missionary work – don’t believe it.

• The landlord requires a substantial deposit. Don’t pay any money before inspecting the home, inside and out.

• The landlord asks the renter to wire money. Money sent via wire transfer service is very difficult to retrieve and once the scammers have picked it up, there is little recourse. Your money is gone forever.

Yet we all have something else we can do to change our “wellness” habits when we are driving, at this moment. Don’t Text and Drive. #itcanwait

Taking our eyes off the road, our hands off the wheel, to send or read a text, email, comment, post, tweet, is an unnecessary risk. The Department of Transportation has sobering statistics that reinforce the message, and they have compiled a summary of all the state laws about hands-free calling and texting while driving.

We want everyone in the mobile community to arrive at their destination safely. That’s why Verizon is joining forces with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and many others in the It Can Wait campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

The campaign is straightforward: we ask people to visit itcanwait.com, learn about the consequences of distracted driving, and pledge to never text and drive.

We’ve also enlisted our Verizon Wireless sales force throughout the nation to discuss distracted driving and spread the word that Texting and Driving Don’t Mix. We and our partners are also putting advertising muscle behind It Can Wait with a national TV, online and radio campaign.

I know distracted driving is a complex social problem – ingrained habits are hard to break. But we’re working hard to be part of the solution. We’ve advocated for responsible driving laws for more than a decade, and we support common-sense legislation to ban texting and emailing while driving. And we’re putting our sharpest minds to the task of creating innovative technology to help customers drive responsibly.

Driving responsibly is a personal responsibility for all of us. It should be your first priority. Join me in taking a pledge to never text and drive and help spread the word.

NOTE: Verizon is a BBB National Partner and BBB Accredited Business