MAGNOLIA

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WOODVILLE REPUBLICAN

WOODVILLE. MS

CirculatIOn = J~

WEEKLY
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Mississippi Better Business

BJ~reau Offers Helpful Tips
BBB Offers Advice for Tips t.o help prevent he- particularly relating to search web gites. These pcr~
SafeOn1ineShopping ingvictimized by UIl8crupu~ smalVrnedium husinesses) sonfi are uften hi!"{id to
Inus online retailers. Rcam~ municipal !,Y'Ovemmenls, and "process payment!:;" OJ'
During the hol-idaYA hal'- mpI~ and hackers: school districts. However, (4transfcI' funds," 'J'boy a1'('
hunters will umJoubt· • Protect.. your oompuU>J'. consumers have also been told Lhey will receiv(' win"
be flocking to t.he (nier- Be BUl't~ to install updates tal'getod tnmsfe:n:J into their bHqk llC·
purchuRc gifts. The fh!' flpam fillers. anti-virus In a typical scenario, the countA. Shmtly utter fUllds
BeLLer ..BusineH8 Bureau software and ant1-spyware t,argeted entity receives a aTO received, they am dirGr.t~
(BBB) Serving Mif:rsissippi software. Make certain that "spear phishing" }<~mai1 cd to immE'diatt..'ly forward
cautions consumers tbut, yow' firewall is ~-uro. which either contains an in- f~qt of the mollt.·y UVCl'HCI1l'l
once again, scmnmers will • U~e truE:!tworthy web re~d attachment or dire(.1:8 via wire transfer St'tViCl'H
be present in the online sites that are secure. the recipient to an infected RUCl\ M Western Dnion and
Rhopping arena. Scammera • ] 'rotect. your perRonal Web site. Once the recipient Moru~yg:ram,
often uSe low prices La entice infonnation. Check web site opens the attachment or vis- Customers wlw W:lC' on"
bhoppcts and then ultimaoo· privacy policies to under- its the Web site, malware is lino hanking .serviccs al'C ad­
ly do not delivt~r the items stand what personal infcr~ installed on their computer. vjsed to contact their nnna··
purchased. mation is requested flnd 'I'he mulware contains a key cinl institution to el)HUl'C
how it will be used. The ab- logger which will harvest they are employing all the
8ence of a privacy policy the recipient's business or appropriate BCCUrity and
should be a red flag. corporllte bank account lag- fraud prevention
• Trust your gut. If it in information. Shortly
sounds too good to be true, it thereafter, the perpetrator "Protecting
probably is. either crentes another user er against rnalicioul:l soIl
• Beware of phishing. ""count with the stolen log­ ware is an onf.,yOjng activity,"
Legitimate businesses do in information or directly "aid Bill
nut send email messages to initiates fund transfers by Pr"sident/C~;() 0[' th" Mis·
lure you into revealing fi~ masquerading as the legiti~ ,i.sippi BBR "All computer
nancial infonnaUon. mate user. Thei:le transfers SYBtems need to he reguhu'ly
• Confirm your online have OCL'1lITed as both tradi~ patched, nm up-uHlaLc anti·
purchases are lll!lde on a Se- lional wire and AGE tran.. virus .software and htlvc a
cure web site. rers. personallircwall installed."
• Pay with a credit card. Further reporting has If you' have cxpt~rienced
'['his will allow you certain shown that the transfers are unauthorized i'undH trans­
dispute rights as well as the directed to the bank ac­ fers from your bank ae
",,eto liability" proU:Jction of- counts of wjIJjng or nnwjt­ counts, or if you have heen
rered by many card compa- ling individuals. Most of recruited via a worlt~at
nies. these individua1s have been home opportuniiy to receive
• Keep documentation of recruited via work-at-home iransfers and fOTWMl'd mOrl­
urders. Save oopies of order advertisement8 or have been ey oven-mas, please noti(y
confirmations and related contacted after placing re­ the lC3 by liling u complaint
email meosages. sumes on well-known job at www.TC;3.gov.
• Know your rit%ht't Fcd~ I
eral law n-:\.lulro,'{ Rhi.)I11L'l!t­
of online pun::bascH hy the
promised dal<! or, if no deliv­
ery time is Rp<lciJied, within
30 days of the order place­
ment. There is no general
three-day cancellation right;
however; consumers do have
the right to reject merch!l1l'
dise if it is deif2{,1;ive or was
misrepresented at the time
of sale,
Bill Moak, Pres;­
dmtICEO of the Misaissippi
BBB, cautjona, "Many cOn~
Burners have come to fecI
oornfort.able shopping online
as purt 01' iheir everydny
lives And Bimply don't con­
sjdcr the increased threat. of
identity theft or unHcrupu~
lous ret.ilers during the hol­
iilliy seaRon."
Tbe BBB has been serv­
jng Mississippi since 1964
by fos~ an ethical mar­
kctjlllRl'i'1t\f"M!'Hlt1mCrt'l nnd
businesses. Contad th{) BRB
to receive a Reliabiliiy Re­
port on businesses online at
www.ms.bbb.org ur by coll­
ing 800-9B7-8280.

Beware Of Fraudulent

ACH Transfers And

Work At Home Scam.

')1", Better BUlIin"". Bu­

reau (IlIlBl Serving MiRsi.­
sippi offers the following in­
formation from the FBI re~
gartiing the compromise of
online banking credentials ­