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Show Volume XV Issue XII The Ogden Valley news Page 17 June 1, 2008 Credit Card Fraud—Skimming money out of your pocket (NAPSI)—Imagine going out to dinner at a local restaurant. Your server takes your credit card and returns to tell you that your card has been declined. Later, you discover the account has charges totaling more than $800 that you did not make. A recent case highlights the potential for credit card fraud when you don’t witness a transaction. San Francisco police arrested a waitress for unauthorized use of a credit card after having received several similar reports of credit card fraud at a Bay Area restaurant. All the victims remembered using their credit card at the same restaurant and identified the waitress as their server. The waitress told authorities she had sold the card numbers to a friend for $40. A total of $17,500 was charged on the cards to pay for electronics, clothing, cell phones and utility bills. Credit card fraud is on the rise and costs issuers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Credit card customers are often not held responsible for fraudulent charges, as long as they report the fraud in a timely manner. The convenience of using a credit card to pay for a meal at a restaurant, for example, belies the risk for credit card fraud, said Kathy Li, director, Consumer Action in San Francisco. T he restaurant industry is plagued with the highest incidence of credit card skimming, the unscrupulous practice of swiping a customer’s credit card through a device, similar in size to a beeper, to record the magnetic strip data for the creation of fraudulent credit cards. Consumers are urged to watch closely as store and restaurant employees handle their credit card to make sure they are not copying or “skimming” the credit card number. The information that is obtained can be used to order products and services online for several weeks until the unsuspecting victim is made aware via his or her monthly credit card statement, which can give the thieves plenty of time to run up bills. Thieves may sell your information. Often, the criminals skimming your information into the device are not the same criminals that are using that information to commit identity theft or other crimes of fraud. The card information can be encoded onto new white plastic counterfeit cards. The card can then be swiped at ATMs or at a merchant location. If fraud strikes, you should act right away by calling the card issuer to report the card as being lost or stolen. Follow up the phone call with a letter to your issuer, which should include the card number, and the date you reported it lost or stolen, because once the loss of the card is reported, the consumer is not responsible for unauthorized charges. “Even if a consumer is late in report- ing the loss, or was not aware of the unauthorized use until their next statement arrives, their liability is limited to $50 per card by federal law, although many issuers have $0 liability policies,” explained Li. “However, it must be reported in a timely manner to avoid losing protections under the law if there’s negligent failure to report the loss of the card.” “Identity theft is a cruel crime that can continue beyond someone losing their money or personal property; it’s a crime that can rob innocent men and women of their good credit, reputation and financial well-being without them ever knowing it has occurred,” said Mike Laubsted, senior vice president of Card Fraud Operations for WaMu (Washington Mutual) Bank. According to both Consumer Action and WaMu, there are a number of things consumers can do to protect themselves against credit card fraud and identity theft, including: • • • • • • When making a purchase, after the credit card is returned, make sure it’s your card. Always make sure you get your credit card receipt because it may include your credit card number. Never give your credit card number over the phone to someone you do not know. Never respond to an e-mail asking for your credit card number or personal banking information, no matter how official or legitimate it looks. Carefully review your monthly credit card statement and report any discrepancies right away. Notify the credit card company if you decide to make any unusually large purchase; otherwise, the account may be flagged for possible fraud. “Even though there has been a lot of consumer education information published, in our experience, many consumers are still very concerned but are not completely knowledgeable about credit card fraud and identity theft,” explained Laubsted. “Every consumer can take some very basic but effective actions to prevent identity theft from occurring in most instances.” Don’t carry credit cards you don’t use. Get Your Back . . . Back! By Chandra Barrong, High Altitude Fitness Most of us struggle with lower back pain at one point or another in our lives and, for many of us, lower back pain becomes a chronic condition we learn to live with. While pain and discomfort in the lower back are caused by a variety of factors, most people can reduce or eliminate the pain by making some simple changes in their lives. Some of the most common causes of lower back pain are poor posture, maintaining a position for a prolonged period of time, such as sitting at a desk or driving, improper exercise, and daily activities. Poor posture can be found in a vast majority of the population these days. Most of us spend much of our time driving, working at computers, and engaging in other activities that cause us to use our chest muscles a majority of the time and often neglecting the muscles in the middle and upper back. The result is that many of us have tight chest muscles that pull the shoulders into a forward rounding position. Our middle and upper back muscles, which don’t have a lot of opportunity to work, are left weak and unable to keep the shoulders drawn back. As a result the lower back has to work especially hard to keep the spine stabilized. As a result, we see a variety of problems that include either a weak lower back or an overstrained, fatigued lower back. Often, embarking on an exercise regime that strengthens the middle back and stretches and strengthens the lower back, while improving the range of motion of the lower back, will bring significant results. Maintaining the same position for a prolonged period of time, such as sitting at a desk or driving, can also aggravate the lower back. One reason for this is that the core muscles of the body are weak and when weak muscles cannot support the spine, we start compensating—often by slouching or slumping. The best prescription for weak core muscles is to strengthen them. As we strengthen the muscles of the lower back and abdomen (the core muscles), and as we create balance in the muscles so that the back muscles and abdominal muscles are equally strong, our core muscles are able to support the spine and we are able to minimize or even eliminate lower back pain. Improper exercise is also a common cause of lower back pain. If we fail to engage our abdominal muscles correctly during exercise we often strain our lower backs. Additionally most people focus on working the “visual” muscles, the muscles we see like the bi-ceps, quads, and hamstrings while completely overlooking those muscles that we may not see—like the back extensors and some of the abdominal muscles that may not make us “look good,” but keep our bodies working smoothly. What is the best approach for strengthening the lower back? There are a variety of methods that have proven effective. Strength training classes, yoga, Pilates, personal training or working with a physical therapist are all good choices. Working with a personal trainer is one of the best choices because you can work specifically on what you and your body needs. Great pieces of fitness equipment that help strengthen the core muscles are BOSU balls, Swiss balls, and functional training cable machines. These pieces of equipment engage the core muscles while allowing the individual to work other muscles of the body at the same time. Seeing improvement can take anywhere from a couple of days to six months or more. If poor form is the cause, making little changes in exercise can improve the situation quickly. If poor posture and weak muscles are the cause, it can take longer; it varies from person to person. Most people notice improvements in 6 to 12 weeks. Actually, improving posture takes longer for most people. If there is injury to the lower back that goes beyond some chronic back pain, it would be best to see a physician before engaging in exercise. Awareness is the first step. Start paying attention to your posture. Do your stand with your shoulders slumping forward, do you tend to tuck your hips under, stick out the buttocks and arch the back (especially common in mothers with babies). When sitting at the computer or driving do you relax the shoulders and sit upright or are your shoulders pulled up tight? Can you draw your shoulder blades towards each other? Try standing a little taller. Shoulders down and back, chest muscles and back muscles supporting the spine. Feel good, probably it feels tiring but it’s a great place to start. Note: For more information, call Chandra Barrong at 745-2653. WILLSON GREENHOUSE Many Annuals and Perennials. Soil Prep Fertimulch Poultry Mix, Top Soil Plus, Potting Soil, Bark We have all the vegetables you need for your gardens. Our plants are healthy and are acclimated for the Valley. Let us help you with your flower and garden needs! Open Monday-Saturday 10-6 p.m. 801 745-1013 ~ 5626 North Fork Rd Inspirational Thought “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want . . . .” Mention this ad to receive a FREE PLANT! “A SEASON FOR ALL” --Randy Pausch Summer Season Offerings through June 13th. 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