We're All Very Bad at 'Shopping' People - But Some People Need to be 'Shopped' to be Stopped

There are very few things upon which the Irish, the Welsh, the Scots and the English can all agree, but the ban on 'shopping' anybody for anything less than the abuse of small children or multiple homicide is taken very, very seriously by most of us. Perhaps too seriously, sometimes, and in some cases.

An estimated 165,000 households in the UK are using unlicensed moneylenders - most of them in Scotland, the north of England and the Midlands - who offer cash loans without paperwork, may take benefit money or bank cards as security, and often threaten or use violence to get money.

The Office of Fair Trading has joined a campaign to warn people of the dangers of loan sharks who use violence to enforce exhorbitant interest on debts. As part of the Stop Loan Sharks campaign the OFT and the Trading Standards Illegal Money Lending Teams have released a video urging people to report loan sharks and will be distributing posters throughout Scotland, Wales and England.

Additionally, the Stop Loan Sharks campaign website (and we've provided the link above) allows people to learn more about loan sharks, report loan sharks in confidence by telephone, e-mail or text/sms, and talks about different and safer ways to borrow money.

So far, the Stop Loan Sharks project has helped more than 11,000 people, written off more than £31 million of illegal debt, seized £1 million in cash, and successfully prosecuted a number of people, one of whom will be serving an indefinite sentence for the protection of the public - and that last little nugget of information says it all, really, doesn't it?

I don't like the idea of 'shopping' anybody - actually it's a repulsive idea - but loan sharks need to be stopped. They prey on people. They cause enormous misery and pain and exacerbate poverty.

So it's either 'shop' to stop, or turn a blind eye. Either way, you're going to have to come to terms with your conscience and live with it. I know what I'd choose to do.

Emily - http://www.therapypartnership.com

How interesting is 0% interest for 14 (or more) months?

I was looking for something else entirely when I fell across a Virgin credit card advertisement. It was all about transferring an existing balance from another card and it was offering 0% interest for 14 months. There was a 2.98% transfer fee (minimum £3.00) and a balance transfer limit of 95%.

I immediately became very curious about 0% interest rates at that point, because it struck me - actually not for the first time! - how very useful this loophole in the credit system could be to a determined and disciplined debtor.

I went to 'Credit Cards on Google' where one can compare credit cards with a 0% introductory balance transfer and their purchase rates. Purchase rates are much the same for all of them - but only Virgin was offering 0% for 12 months on purchases, as well as 0% interest for 14 months.

APRs differed widely - but determined and disciplined debtors would not be interested in APRs, because they would not be interested in making any purchases or incurring any interest at all.

Taking advantage of 0% offers like this - always supposing you are accepted, of course! - is a very good way of getting rid of credit card debt. IF!

• You don't use the new card, but simply use the time available to pay off as much of the outstanding balance as you can.
• You shift the remaining balance to a new 0% lender directly prior to the end of the interest free period - and then don't use that card either, but simply continue to pay off the then outstanding balance.
• You go on moving the diminishing balance to fresh 0% per cent lenders, until no balance remains.

One can actually go on transferring diminishing balances to interest-free lenders - paying, of course, diminishing transfer fees for the privilege - almost world without end, because 'interest free for a given period' credit cards are not new phenomena, and are not likely to disappear any time soon.

The good news is that by working this system one can end up with a valid credit card and excellent credit record at the end of the day. IF - and only IF - one never uses any of the the cards until one has a nil balance.

Playing this system is worth a thought - if you have the good sense and fortitude to cut up and render the lovely, tempting, new cards useless the instant they fall through your letter box...

Geoff - http://www.metlissbarfield.com/

Tell The Truth and Shame The Devil

A few days ago I wrote a very long post about fraudulent recruitment, and published an e-mail I'd received from M. Jean-Pierre Zunino, who had been a victim of it.

I think it cost Jean-Pierre quite a lot to come out on Monster France, LinkedIn, Twitter - and this blog - to tell the world that he'd been taken for a fool by unscrupulous people, and I admire and applaud his willingness to do that in an effort to warn other people of a potential danger.

He's been rewarded, in a roundabout sort of way. His honesty has pulled a lot of other victims out of the closet.

If you've been a victim of this kind of fraud, it's difficult to advertise it - but it would be kindly and generous to do so. Other victims feel less foolish, and more able to relate their own experiences fully, if one person is prepared to speak out - and many witnesses can build an evidential mountain that might lead to a conviction and the end of at least one fraud.

Falling for a scam isn't anything to be ashamed of - but keeping quiet about it might be.

Geoff - http://www.metlissbarfield.com/

Fraudulent Recruitment - Important, Please Read!

A couple of days ago I received a notification from a Monster France Group Member. I have copied it here in full, and I suggest that you read it very carefully despite its length - not least because the Group Member in question applied for a job that he saw advertised on LinkedIn, which he felt sure was a trustworthy source:

+++ CAUTION +++
FRAUDULENT RECRUITMENT METHODS.
About 20 days ago I noticed an announcement, SIGNED TOTAL U.K., on LINKEDIN.informing they were looking for profiles for a new project in England.I sent my application and one week later,they requested to fill up the attached " TOTAL forms."requesting to detail my profesionnal experiences.They asked me to phone to "TOTAL U.K."as soon as I shall send the documents.I dialed the number which was indicated and the person advised they will revert very soon.Then,I received a mail confirming my recruitment.They attached the job description which, of course, corresponded with my experience, with the terms of my contracts etc.They advised me that before starting my new job I shall have to go to U.S.A. for a training.They asked to contact their travel agency, located in England,for an interview scheduled in their office.I had the travel agency name, its phone number and the name of the person in charge. I acted accordingly and got a reply asking some documents to issue my travel formalities such as my passport copy, a copy of the mail I received "from TOTAL UK".Then, they requested me to send them 489 pounds for the travel expenses.Being very much surprised,I decided to check on internet if this travel agency really existed. I got the confirmation but noticed the phone number was different. I dialed in vain this new number but had no reply.Then,I went to GOOGLE and had the good surprise to find this person who really works for TOTAL.Being confident,I deducted the travel agency number certainly changed.Decided to phone to "TOTAL U.K." I got the same person who advised that this was the normal TOTAL policy and that in any case I shall be refund on monday.They requested to be paid through "WESTERN UNION".The beneficiary of the money was the travel agency name and address mentioned on the " TOTAL U.K." mail.So,sent the money to England.They acknowledged the receipt of the money and reverted with the reference number to communicate to British Airways to get my flight details.I contacted the Marseille B.A. desk which advised me I was scheduled to leave from Paris airport.Thinking they made a mistake as I live at about 40/50 kms from Marseille airport only, I phoned them to amend my ticket.The day after they sent a very long mail advising they relayed "the news safety rules established by English Authorities.This mail explained that due to recent problems they met with terrorism, every time somebody will want to come to England, they will investigate to check this person does not belong to a terrorism group and for this investigation, the person will have to pay GBP 2.990 which will be refund on the coming date, subject the person is not a terrorist !I phoned them and they said there was no other way to proceed.Refusing to pay, the person promised to quickly revert with his " boss's decision".Half an hour later he called me back to give me a good news : " I shall only have to pay 40 per cent of the requested money!"As I maintained my position the person told me he will contact TOTAL to try to find a solution and promised to revert on the evening.From my side, I phone to the Sheraton Hotel in London and they confirmed they had a reservation for me !Then I decided to contact again "TOTAL".I tried several times but nobody replied.Then I decided to try my chance through another TOTAL U.K. office number and they advised they did not know the man who signed the "TOTAL U.K." mails.I finally decided to call TOTAL Paris office which advised recruitments are only made from Paris and confirmed I have not been recruited.They finally informed me that several times a year, there are victims of such procedures, with TOTAL, with SHELL and with other groups.Suggest you to relay to as much people as possible this information to avoid such things and maybe arrest this person who takes advantages from people who are maybe already in a critical situation.
Kind regards/Jean-Pierre Zunino

You will see that M. Zunino asked that I relay his information to as many people as possible - and I am doing my best to do so. In the meantime, I am asking you to do likewise.

Sadly, a lot of unscrupulous people are using social and business networks - including Twitter - for their own ends. Be careful.

Geoff - http://www.metlissbarfield.com/

Don't be Parochial - Particularly if You're Over 45

I do a lot of wandering about on the internet - and in the process of wandering about, I join this or that social network or group because it happens to be relevant to what I do, or simply because I'm interested in what it has to offer or say.

Some time ago, I joined something called Secrets of the Job Hunt - and so things fall into my inbox from them along with a lot of other stuff from a lot of other sources. I see that there are a lot of jobs going for people who have specific skills, for example - in credit management or in the wine trade - but I was particularly interested in something I got from Secrets of the Job Hunt the other day, because it was a Podcast entitled 'Over 45 Job Search Advice'.

It was very relevant to me at the time because I had just received a message from someone on LinkedIn who is over 45 and who is about to be made redundant. He was using LinkedIn and Naymz - and, for all I know, other social and business networks - to try to get other employment. But he wasn't really using the internet to it's full potential.

He wasn't wandering about. He wasn't joining this or that network or group. In fact, he was too narrowly focused.

And so he wasn't getting the information that I get every day from networks and groups.

Wander about! Join things! And don't be concerned that some of those organisations are not on your side of 'the pond', or are not (apparently!) specifically relevant to you. It's all grist to the mill. You need the information - and you never know where it might lead.

Geoff - http://www.metlissbarfield.com/