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Show Page 8 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXII Issue V February 15, 2014 Don’t Fall for Valentine’s Day Scams Consumers More Optimistic About make sure it’s legitimate; don’t click on any By Jason Alderman links—they could be malware. the Trajectory of the Economy On Valentine’s Day, Beware of emails and social media ads people’s emotions run all over the map—some are head-over-heels and want to shower their loved one with gifts, while others are despondent because currently they have no one special in their life. Whatever your love status, one thing everyone needs to guard against at this time of year is scams. Valentine’s Day brings out the best—and worst—in human behavior. Our impulse is to be generous and search for the ideal gift. Internet thieves know this and coolly set traps for unsuspecting shoppers. And, not surprisingly, dating websites experience greater activity, along with a corresponding increase in relationship scammers. Here are some of the more common Valentine’s Day scams to avoid: Electronic greeting cards are popular yearround, especially near holidays. Scammers count on you not paying attention when you receive an email with an innocuous subject line like, “Someone you know just sent you an e-card.” Unless you’re certain someone sent you an e-card, never click on links or follow instructions to download software to open the message. Chances are you’ll load a virus or malware onto your computer, dooming you to receive endless spam or even endangering your personal and financial information. Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for florists. Since many people now order flowers online, these purchases are a common target for fraud. A few tips when choosing a florist: • Make sure the physical location, contact information, and fees for the florist who’s actually fulfilling your order are fully disclosed. • Pay by credit card so if there’s a problem you can dispute it with your card issuer. • If you receive an email saying there’s a problem with your order, call the florist to touting great deals on other Valentine’s themed gifts like chocolates, jewelry, or lingerie. Unless you’ve previously done business with a company that legitimately has your email address, be skeptical. Watch out for minor typos in the web address—www.macys.comm instead of www. macys.com, for example. It’s no coincidence that dating websites are busier during the winter holidays and leading up to Valentine’s Day. Lonely people’s defenses are lowered, making them vulnerable to online romance scams. Before they know it, victims are conned into sharing personal or financial information, or lending money—money they’ll never see again. I’m not saying don’t pursue love online at legitimate dating sites. Just watch out for these warning signs: • They want to move your conversations off the dating site immediately and use personal email or instant messaging—the better to avoid policing by the site’s Webmaster. • Their online profile sounds too good to be true. That’s because they’ve probably shaped it to reflect your stated preferences. Or, conversely, their profile may be suspiciously sketchy on details or their photos don’t seem genuine. • They profess love very quickly, even before you’ve spoken or met. • They claim to be a U.S. citizen working overseas—often in the military. • They make plans to visit, but are suddenly prevented by a traumatic family or business event—one which your money can overcome. Bottom line: Don’t let your emotions get the better of your common sense when it comes to matters of the heart. For more tips on spotting and reporting online scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website (www.ftc.gov). Note: Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: <www.twitter.com/ PracticalMoney> The Zions Bank Consumer Attitude Index (CAI) was relatively unchanged, increasing 0.1 points to 96.2, from December to January, keeping the CAI at its highest level since its inception in January 2011. For comparison, this month’s national Consumer Confidence Index® (CCI) increased 3.2 points to 80.7. Although the Zions Bank CAI remained flat, substantial change in the two indices that compose the CAI indicate consumers are feeling more optimistic about the future. The Zions Bank Present Situation Index—an assessment of confidence in current business and employment conditions—decreased 6.6 points to 88.7, while the Zions Bank Expectations Index— an estimate of consumer confidence in the economy six months from now—increased 4.6 points from December to January and now sits at 101.2. When the Expectations Index moves substantially higher than the Present Situation Index, consumers are planning to spend more in the coming months and likewise expect the economy to improve. The 12.4-point difference between the two indices is the largest difference since June 2013. For each of the past three years, the Present Situation Index has moved lower and the Expectations Index has moved higher or been unchanged following the holiday spending season. This is likely because consumer spending is highest in the holiday season, causing some consumers spending fatigue and making them hesitant to say current economic conditions are extremely positive. Concurrently, consumers are less apt to make major purchases following the holiday spending season: the percentage of Utahns likely to make a major purchase such as a stove or refrigerator in the next six months declined from 26 percent in December to 23 percent in January. In the coming months, consumers in Utah most expect to 1see improvement in the labor market and with regard to personal earnings. Thirty-four percent of Utahns expect more jobs to be available six months from now, up nearly 10 percentage points month-over-month, and 31 percent expect their household income to be higher six months from now than it currently is, up from 26 percent in December. In addition, more Utahns are expecting improvement in their 401(k)s. Thirty-eight percent, up from 35 percent in December, believe $1,000 invested in their 401k is likely to be worth more than $1,000 in one year. Gasoline prices have started to creep higher over the past few weeks, and this likely prevented the CAI from moving higher this month as gasoline prices and consumer attitudes tend to be inversely related. The percentage of Utahns expecting gasoline prices to move higher over the next year remained above 70 percent in January, and the percentage of Utahns expecting gasoline prices to drop decreased from eight percent in December to six percent in January. Those who expect gasoline prices to move higher believe prices will rise about $0.44 per gallon. “Consumer attitudes remained high this month following a strong holiday spending season,” said Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank. “While the Present Situation Index showed us that some consumers became slightly less optimistic about the current economic situation, the Expectations Index shows that consumers still have confidence in the trajectory of our economy.” Zions Bank provides the CAI as a free resource to the communities of Utah. The monthly CAI summary reports are released at a monthly press conference, coinciding with The Conference Board’s national CCI release date. The reports are available online at www. zionsbank.com/cai. Analysis and data collection for the CAI are done by The Cicero Group, a premier market research firm based in Salt Lake City. The February CAI will be released during a press conference at a local business at 10:30 a.m. on February 25, 2014. Note: In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending and has ranked as the No.1 lender of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans in Utah for the past 20 consecutive years. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the communities of Utah for 140 years. Additional information is available at <www.zionsbank.com> FNRA VOLUNTEER cont. from page 1 Force Base Rod and Gun Club, Ben Lomond High School JROTC, Golden Spike Gun Club, Davis County 4H, Springville Jr. Rifle Club, Clearfield High School JROTC, Cache Valley Public Shooting Range, Detachment Marine Corp League, and Trapper Trails Council Boy Scout of America—to name but a few of the organizations that benefit from Friends of NRA fundraising efforts. Denise and the Ogden Committee are involved in fundraising throughout the year but the most important event is the Annual Banquet. This year that banquet will be held May 3 at the Timbermine Restaurant. Additional information may be obtained from any member of the Ogden Committee or from their FaceBook page at Ogden Friends of NRA. Semper Fi, God bless the United States of America and those who fight to keep us free. FLY FISHING cont. from page 5 ment to the program. “This is great opportunity to educate the community in addition to viewing the beautiful art of fly fishing on the big screen,” Anderson said. “This film event is not just for fishing fans, but for anyone who enjoys nature, a great story and wants to be part of contributing to the sustainability of our City.” The event will also hold a drawing to win a Winston fly rod and Ross reel, valued at over $1000. Get tickets early at Peery’s Egyptian Theater Box Office or at <www.the F3T.com> Discount tickets are available at Angler’s Den and Roosters Brewing Co. If your group would like to participate in the Adopt-A-River Program, contact Ogden City’s Program Coordinator Stacey Olsen at 801-629-8214 or StaceyOlsen@ ogdencity.com for details. Inspirational Thoughts “Look to this day, for it is life. The very life of life. In its brief course lay all the realities and verities of existence, the bliss of growth, the splendor of action - the glory of power. For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. --Sanskrit proverb “The more you give, the more you get. The more you laugh, the less you fret. The more you do unselfishly, the more you live abundantly. The more of everything you share, the more you’ll always have to spare. The more you love, the more you’ll find that life is good, and friends are kind.” --Helen Steiner Rice The Ogden Valley News is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna at 745-2688 or Jeannie at 745-2879 if you have material you would like to share. |