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December 21, 2006
Home Trust Inc. - SCAM!! READ!
In visiting a friend, I watched as he opened a letter from a company - Home Trust Inc. - that issued him a 'legit' check for $3,000 and some change. He said, "This can't be real" and so I proceeded to check things out.
The check looks viable. There's the mention of 'grant' on it. There are symbols from all sorts of businesses that we recognize on the letter as participants of this sweepstakes. There is nothing that states a condition required to be met if the check is cashed. The letter states that this is a beginning check that will, once cashed and once the appropriate people are contact, allow the recipient (award winner) to receive the rest of his $48,000. It was even sent to his home address.
Here's where it raised a few questions:
1. The letter said that it was a grant, and yet it also said that my friend was a 'winner'.
2. The letter said it was a 'final notice' but my friend had never received an initial notice.
I went online and did a search through Google and came up with nothing. I said, why don't you call them in the morning and ask if they have requirements for the money, etc? If they require you to do something additional, sign up for something, give something, then you know it's a scam, right?
He called this morning and asked for the contact person who was on the letter. This person spoke English, but it was heavily accented and from an Indian decent. (Indian, not Native American.) After a bit they got disconnected, but not before the man was saying that there is a processing fee that my friend would have to submit first.
I went online again, this time at the BBB, and looked up Home Trust Inc.
The nit and grit of it is that this company fraudulently claims to be part of an actual business, and the check is issued in their name. You go to the bank, you sign the check, you get the money, and then you send the person who's in charge of the scam money for 'processing and legal fees'. In the meantime, the real company says, "Why is this check being cashed? We never issued this check." And then takes the funds back, because they're not legally yours to begin with.
In the meantime, the scammer has not only $3,100 of your money, but also your name, address, and bank account information.
The worst part is, that we're so trained to seeing scams through email that getting one through snail mail is relatively unheard of anymore, at least in my book. Given that, the legitimate look and feel of the check, and the holiday spirit/seasons, this can be some really icky scam that gets lots of people.
My friend - the girlfriend of my other friend - is a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, and they'll be writing up a story on this, but in the meantime and because most of you don't live in Alaska, pass this story on. This company has a history of scamming people, moving locals as they get 'found out', and $3,100 is nothing to joke about.
Posted by Kelli Little at 09:39 AM
December 17, 2006
Home, home on the range.
So, I am officially home, and have been for a full day now. Currently I am staying at my sister's house, which has been nice. I am not, however, on her schedule, which means taking a mid-afternoon nap when she's not working, so that leaves me going to bed and waking up far earlier than she.
My nephew? Adorable. He's incredibly alert, and has finally discovered his feet, his tongue, and his voice. He loves investigating things, so it really isn't hard to entertain him, and he is not anywhere close to fussy. I tease his mommy about teaching him bad words and bad manners, like our uncles did for us, but she takes it into (playfully shocked) stride.
I haven't written in a while, so lemme summarize the last few important things in my life:
1. I stopped working 80 hour weeks at the end of October. And then proceded to do nothing for a good two weeks, as I wanted absolutely nothing to do with 'obligations'. The feeling of anxiety that would creep up at the idea of even completing one of these obligations - even things that I really enjoyed doing - was enough to convince me I had to stop for a while, rest, recup.
2. I started going back to martial arts, after I did nothing for those few weeks. It feels good to be back in the swing of things. I will hopefully be getting my red belt at the end of this month. (Well, technically it is being held first week of January, given the holidays.)
3. I still haven't had my job promotion. My boss doesn't sense the urgency in me, I think, and I think doesn't anticipate that I will walk away from this job.
I will, in fact, walk away from this job. It's been 9 months since I was promised a promotion or job title change, and 16 months since I have been successfully doing far above and beyond what I am supposed to be doing in this job. I'm ok with the 'doing more' bit; there is nothing worse than being bored at work, and I'm a person who really likes to learn and be challeged at work. However, I refuse to be a monkey for someone for the rest of my life. And the fact is, I gave my revision for my new job title a month and a half ago, and she still hasn't scheduled a meeting with the appropriate person tells me she doesn't care enough to keep me.
So I'm looking elsewhere.
4. I'm in Alaska for the holidays. I think I am going to stay in Arizona next year, mainly because I haven't had a Christmas with Joe in a while and my sister and nephew won't be here next year (if all things go well for her), so. But I love it. People think I'm crazy, but I love being in the cold again, seeing snow on the trees. And yeah, others will say that it's only for two weeks and that I wouldn't love it. To them I sez, "Hush, bitches. I lived in Fairbanks for the better part of five years, and that place is far more frigid and I loved it even then."
5. I don't have breast cancer. They weren't certain, so a bunch of tests were run. End results: Clean bill of health. Except that now I have a very recently formed mole on my chest that is the colour of my skin. And, it should be checked out because of the whole - I'm whitey McWhiterson who was burned horribly there several times. Dammit. I am tired of doctors.
There's more, but my sister's awake now. Will chitter chatter later.
Posted by Kelli Little at 08:02 AM
December 01, 2006
Xmas List
Because I've been tickled by others out there about ideas for Xmas, here are a few things I've an interest in having. Please note that honestly? I'm spoiled rotten, I don't need anything. If you insist, however, we've got this list, and the list on Amazon (under Kelli Little) if you're fishing for ideas. So, without further ado:
1. Movies: Blade, Blade II, Blade III, Weird Science, 16 Candles, The Lake House, The Usual Suspects, Love Actually
2. Dark red velvet curtains with ivory linen curtains for our bedroom, Joe. =)
3. Gift Certificates: iTunes, Target, Ann Taylor Loft, Nordstroms, Macys, Bath and Body Works, Joann's Fabrics, a day at the Spa (JOE I LOVE YOU)... ummmmm....
4. Xbox 360 Game: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
5. A new laptop that doesn't suck
6. A vacation somewhere with Joe.
Hrm. I'm not very good coming up with stuff when I really don't need anything. I'll try to think of stuff. Love you, everyone. =)
Posted by Kelli Little at 06:14 PM