Sunday, August 30, 2009

ATTENTION -WARNING

Some of you who use Locate Plus as one of your information brokers may have received an e-mail from “them” stating in the subject line “LocatePLUS 100 Free Lookups.”

This appears to be a SCAM!!!

If you click on the link in the e-mail what appears to be fraudulent home page appears(locateplus.org) The Registrant for this site is located in China and the site was created in March 2009 Also on the webserver is the site Locateplus.org.cn. This page displayed is IDENTICAL to the legitimate Locate Plus home page (Locateplus.com). I have been informed that after inserting your login and password the information is captured and you are redirected to Locateplus.com.

Beware!!!

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

A call from one of our clients requesting advice about the distribution of corporate gift cards prompted us to look into this topic.  There is a plethora of companies out there that sell customizable gift cards that can be individualized with photographs or logos as personal or corporate gifts.  Each company that we looked at came with a different set of regulations and fees, including everything from per-transaction fees, where the recipient of the gift card’s balance is charged each time the card is used, to dormancy fees (charged during periods of non-use) and expiration dates anywhere from six months to two years and up following the issue date of the card. Some companies will even refund the funds not used on the gift card back to the customer after taking out a commission.

Each state has varying legislation or mandatory disclosures relative to gift cards for consumer protection.  An excellent source of information for the regulations in each state can be seen at http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_financial_services/003889.html.  Some states prohibit the expiration of gift cards and prohibit fees altogether. 

One gift card sales company indicated to us that because the bank they use to fund their cards has a national charter, the state regulations do not apply.
Regardless of all of this, the most obvious and prudent thing one can do to protect themselves is to immediately read the terms and conditions on the back of any gift card they receive, and to note the expiration date, if any, as well as the terms of any auxiliary charges or dormancy fees.  If for any reason you feel that your card is not being honored when it should be, first contact the issuing agency, followed by state regulatory agencies or consumer complaint forums if necessary.

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Friday, August 07, 2009

Forensics can be defined as the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems.  Computer Forensics, then, is typically defined as the application of scientific knowledge of computers used to assist in solving legal problems.  So often in this field, Kessler International sees so-called Computer Forensics engineers practicing with little or no knowledge of the laws of discover or evidence or experience in investigations of any sort.

Conversely, Kessler often sees unqualified individuals parading as Computer Forensics engineers with little or no experience with the science of computers, having purchased a $49 software program in order to put themselves into the field.

We have taken over enough cases from incompetent, so-called Computer Forensics engineers to know that you need to be certain that the firm you choose for Computer Forensics services demonstrates experience in e-discovery, computer forensics, evidence retrieval and investigations. Review the list of services available from Kessler International to learn more.

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