Ben Affleck film encourages real-life robberies

Two armed bandits in nun costumes robbed a financial institution Sunday, jumping a teller countertop and making off with an undisclosed amount of money. The thievery was surprisingly similar to last year’s critically applauded Ben Affleck film, “The Town.”

Firing shots not shown in escape

Probably the most recent “The Town”-style burglary took place at the TCF financial institution in Palos Heights, Ill. Rubber masks and nuns’ habits were worn by the two robbers who were male and female. Handguns were on both of them. They stuffed a duffel bag with cash while at the bank and before leaving. They left in a Chevrolet with tinted windows. Nobody got hurt since no shots were fired.

Very close to Ben Affleck’s movie

The film “The Town,” directed and co-written by Ben Affleck, tells the story of a male who comes from a Boston neighborhood known for turning out a high number of geared up robbers, generation after generation. The man, played by Affleck, follows in their footsteps but is conflicted over it. In the movie, the burglary uses nun masks and habits also. This is just like Illinois’ burglary. Although no confirmation exists, it is apparent that the thieves may have been influenced by the movie.

As a film, ‘The Town,’ has influenced far too several robberies

This is not the first burglary that imitates the Affleck film. There were three men wearing Halloween masks in Bank of The United States in Delray Beach, Fla., robbing the financial institution on January 4, including 29 year old Lee Lubin, 27 year old Eddie Solomon, and 28 year old Kay Daughin. As thieves stole $67,000 in cash, the bank customers had to lie on their backs. They fled in a waiting Cadillac, followed by law enforcement and news helicopters. Local Television stations followed and covered them really well. It didn’t take long to catch them. The three men were quickly caught.

Court records show that Lubin said that he got the idea for the robbery after watching the movie “The Town.”

Citations

Pop Eater

popeater.com/2011/06/02/ben-affleck-the-town-chicago-bank-robbery/

Mail OnlineM

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1344758/Three-men-dress-Halloween-masks-rob-bank-Florida-inspired-Ben-Affleck-film-The-Town.html

WPBF

wpbf.com/news/26381238/detail.html

‘The Town’ trailer

youtube.com/watch?v=QQ7wcayQQLQ

Cons promising debt reduction and consolidation still around

Debt reduction and consolidation businesses seem to have spread like wildfire in the past couple of years. Not all of these corporations are exactly honest, though most are perfectly fine. Not all of these debt relief businesses seem to have gotten the memo.

Not paying attention to Federal Trade Commission rules

The Federal Trade Commission started some new rules up over half a year ago to stop fake debt settlement and debt settlement businesses from stealing from individuals. KNDU is a Washington state NBC affiliate. According to KNDU, debt servicing businesses are not allowed to misrepresent themselves, have to make information accessible at first and aren’t allowed to ask for advance fees. Exactly how much money an individual can save and what the fees are in the service have to be explained upfront. However, many corporations aren’t following the law.

Getting a company in trouble

Laws for debt services were not being followed by Freedom Debt Relief. This is what the states of New York and Washington discovered in a sting, WalletPop explains. The California firm was found to have misled consumers in those states. In both cases, the company settled. It settled for $2 million in payments in customers. The business previously settled comparable cases with four other states and is currently part of a class action lawsuit. The Wall Street Journal states the Federal Trade Commission won two large settlements against companies that were illegally “robocalling” customers with messages on their phones. The two businesses promised reduced debt for a hefty fee when robocalling individuals. These businesses were Dynamic Financial Group and Advanced Management Services NW. The corporations both would send a card telling customers that they simply have to pay their bills on time. Advanced Management Services did offer a refund if it didn’t ! work though.

Nothing in life is free or simple

The old maxim that “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is” holds true when it comes to debt settlement businesses. The Federal Trade Commission and Federal Deposit Insurance Company agree on one thing. They both suggest anything that says you can pay “pennies on the dollar” to get something removed from your credit is a scam you should avoid. Also, it is illegal for any debt settlement or debt reduction company to ask for any money whatsoever until after the debt is reduced or somehow changed. Customers can get a debt reduction plan from nonprofit debt counselors too. According to the FDIC, don’t go straight for the for-profit debt reduction services. Try the not-for-profit credit counseling first. You are able to get help from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. This will be where financial advisors in your area could be found.

Information from

Walletpop

walletpop.com/2011/03/08/freedom-debt-relief-agrees-to-pay-back-consumers-after-accusatio/

KNDUO/p>

kndo.com/story/14696586/how-new-federal-debt-relief-rules-protect-consumers

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110526-711657.html

FDIC

fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnfall10/debtoverload.html

FTC

ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/moneymatters/dealing-with-debt-relief-services.shtml

NFCC

nfcc.org/

2013 vehicles will call for brand new stickers

The United States Department of Energy last week revealed its brand new label style. The new labeling will be required for all 2013 cars and light trucks. The brand new marking process will for the very first time rate overall environmental effect as well as approximated yearly fuel expenses.

What you should know about the Energy Independence and Security Act

The labels stem from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which needed labels for energy usage. Customer information was in the agreement between the EPA and DOT in 2010. It is there too.

Similar to earlier conceptual drafts

The labels are pretty close to the Environmental Protection Agency conceptual draft labels that came out. They display the type of fuel for each car, the miles-per-gallon (MPG) ratings, and amounts of consumption and emission ratings.

Letter grades get nixed

In earlier drafts, there was a ton of debate on whether or not letter grades should be incorporated. The grades were intended to rate car efficiency from D to A PLUS, with an average medium of B-. It will estimate fuel costs instead. This will be for five years. Also, they will rate harmful emissions on a scale of 1 to 10.

Hybrid and electric vehicles

Labels will be put on plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles with the distance they can travel on a full charge with the car.

Have a look at the QR rating

In order to help out smartphone users, the labels will have a QR code too. This is also needed. The code can be used to calculate estimates on gasoline costs depending on the driver’s personal habits also as tailored to his or her locality. QR calculators will even be accessible online.

Washington thinks it is a ‘win-win’ for everyone

“These new window stickers are a win-win,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “They’ll help consumers make informed choices to save at the pump.”

Making history with the program

The brand new stickers replace a five-year-old style which needed much more basic information about approximated gas mileage. It is the largest overhaul ever of the 35-year-old sticker program.

Not the end

Brand new gas mileage standards will be released for commercial buses and trucks in July by the Environmental Protection Agency. There will be brand new gas mileage standards for passenger cars next fall too.

The automobiles could possibly be seen very soon even though they will not be required until 2013 sales.

Citations

Edmonton Journal

edmontonjournal.com/cars/labels+better+reflect+fuel+costs/4865881/story.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/05/26/business/energy-environment/26label.html

Automotive

blogs.automotive.com/6730328/miscellaneous/new-fuel-economy-window-sticker-update-details/index.html

Suit accuses rent-to-own business of spying on consumers

A Wyoming couple is suing the Atlanta-based rent-to-own company Aaron’s over confidentiality problems. The couple claims that a computer they rented last year was used to spy on them in their home. The lawsuit has brought back some on-going debates about privacy and ethics in the cyber-age.

Taking a photograph from the computer

A Dell computer was to be repossessed by the Casper, Wyo., store manager on Dec. 22 of last year at the home of 2 year old Brian Byrd and 24 year old Chrystal which is what brought the violations to light. The rent-to-own payment hadn’t been made, the manager thought. The manager was given a receipt. This was after the manager showed a photograph of Byrd from his home computer taken from the webcam.

The lawsuit has a comment from the manager. He said he was “not supposed to disclose that Aaron’s had the photograph.”

There is spyware on the computer already

The suit further asserts the rented computer was loaded with spyware designed to track keystrokes, make screenshots and take webcam images.

“It feels like we were pretty much invaded, like somebody else was in our house,” claims Byrd. “Crystal gets online before she gets a shower and checks her grades. Who knows? They could print that stuff off there and take it home.”

Several use ‘Kill switch’

A “Kill switch” is legal with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to help out the industry, according to Ohio State professor Petere Swire. Sometimes a device needs to be shut off for an emergency. This is when a kill switch may be used. ”But this action sounds like it’s stretching the self-defense exception pretty far,” Swire made clear.

Suit talks about spyware designer

Designerware LLC is located in Pennsylvania and was where the spyware used was manufactured. Designerware has also been named in the lawsuit. Aaron’s was not a customer according to technical support Chief Tim Kelly.

How Aaron’s responds

There are over 1,140 company-owned Aaron’s stores and several franchised as well as the company is a nationwide corporation. The company claims that the Byrds rented their computer from one of the independent franchisees and that none of the business stores use Designerware goods.

Cyber surveillance raises ethics problems

Cyber surveillance has become increasingly common in the computer age. Computer tracking and video cameras are common in modern offices. Highways and public places almost always have cameras. We could be monitored with a GPS device that can typically be found in every cellphone. And with this loss of privacy comes several questions of ethics.

”We’re already concerned that Americans are tracked, followed and spied on as never before,” ACLU’s Jay Stanley said.

The lawmaker reaction to it all

The Don’t Track Me Online Act, comparable to the national do-not-call list, was introduced earlier this year by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif. If the user chooses, companies wouldn’t be able to trade stored user information with the legislation.

Articles cited

Bloomberg

bit.ly/jimOOk

News Tribune

newstribune.com/news/2011/may/04/suit-against-pc-renter-aarons-raises-privacy-quest/

PC Pitstop

techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2011/05/24/i-can-see-you-in-your-home/

No shots from Guerena before demise

Towards the beginning of this month, the demise of a 26 year old Marine Corps veteran happened at the hands of law enforcement. Jose Guerena of Arizona was shot with bullets dead by a SWAT raid in front of his wife and children. The law enforcement were not terminated upon, but sent a ton of bullets in Guerena, a veteran of 2 tours in Iraq. The conduct of the law enforcement officers in question is a point of argument in the incident.v

Many shots by the SWAT officers

On May 5, SWAT officers of the Pima County Sheriff’s office arrived at the house of Jose Guerena to serve out a search warrant. When the officers entered the house, according to CNN, they found him holding an AR-15 rifle and they opened fire. CNN states he was shot 22 times while ABS states he was really shot about 60 times, which makes it controversial. Not one shot was fired by Guerena. In fact, his rifle’s safety was still on when it happened. Vanessa Guerena, his wife, called paramedics, but the law enforcement prevented them from entering the home until after he had perished.

Arrest not needed

The suspicion that Guerena was part of a drug smuggling and robbery ring got the police a warrant to go to his house. Supposedly, he had assault weapons and paramilitary clothing on while doing some home invasions. Guns, body armor and a “piece of law enforcement-style clothing” were found in the home, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Mike Storie, the attorney for the SWAT officers, according to KGUN Tucson, has been quoted as saying that Guerena had nothing in his home that would have been cause to arrest him. The Pima County Sheriff, Clarence Dupnik, has been critical of the press for asking questions about the shooting and whether it was legal. Dupnik said that Guerena terminated at officers, but later admitted the truth that he hadn’t, right after the shooting.

Paramedics detained for 60 minutes

Jose Guerena’s shooting occurred with paramedics arriving fairly easily. They received there within two minutes of shots. However, the officers at the scene prevented emergency medical personnel from entering the house and observing Guerena for more than an hour, long after he was dead. One picture was put up in the house that is a hint. It was a picture of the “patron saint” of narcotic runners Jesus Malverde. Wikipedia states that Malverde may not really be real. He is still considered a hero to some just like Jesse James and Billy the Kid were known in the Wild West. It still isn’t known whether there were any drugs in the house, and nothing illegal was found in the initial search. Guerena had two kids, who were ages 6 and 4, and worked for the Asarco copper mine.

Articles cited

CNN

cnn.com/2011/CRIME/05/27/arizona.marine.death/index.html?hpt=T2

Arizona Daily Star

azstarnet.com/news/local/article_47d3b9b2-8345-11e0-a48d-001cc4c03286.html

KGUN Tuscon

kgun9.com/story/14682200/guerena-family-attorney-responds-to-swat-lawyer

ABC

abcnews.go.com/US/tucson-swat-team-defends-shooting-iraq-marine-veteran/story?id=13640112

Suit over overdraft fees settled by Bank of America for $410 million in payment

Bank of America has arrived at a settlement in a huge case that consists of most big retail financial institutions in the U.S. B of A has agreed to a payout of $410 million to make the suit disappear. Extreme overdraft policies are the subject of a massive class action, involving about one million people and more than two dozen banks, including B of A.

Fees on accounts lead to lawsuits

Some of the largest United States and Canadian financial institutions are the target of huge class action lawsuits due to the account fees and overdraft fees that have made consumers angry. Bloomberg states that there have been suits against Citigroup, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase. There is one giant class action suit against Bank of America with almost a million people involved. A $410 million settlement was approved for Bank of America. More than two dozen banks from the United States. Canada and Europe are being sued for overdraft fees, according to Reuters, and the cases were all consolidated into one massive class action. There is one name for the case. It is In Re: Checking Account Overdraft Litigation.

The problem with overdraft fees seen by customers

In order to create multiple overdraft fees rather than just one or two, Bank of America has been accused of processing largest to smallest transactions so that accounts will go into overdraft over and over rather than in the order they came in. Banks will allow a transaction to go through with overdraft fees but add a charge to the account for the consumer just like short term credit. Generally between $25 and $35 is typically charged. That’s an average area for fees. Some customers cannot possibly afford overdraft fees. That is why consumer supports do not like them. Banks can no longer enroll consumers into an overdraft protection program automatically; customers have to elect to enroll.

Mobile use at Bank of America with a pilot program

The LA Times reports there is a pilot program at Bank of America starting. After a transaction has been declined, the consumer will get a text. This text will ask if the consumer wants to get an overdraft charge on the transaction and allow it to go through. The customer can then stay away from the $35 overdraft charge if they are able to deposit the funds before 8 p.m. that evening. Only that transaction would have the option. The New York Times states that when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau begins operations, overdraft fees will become essential to review. The CFPB is involved in an ongoing Congressional tug-of-war over the director position and what powers the bureau should have.

Information from

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-23/bank-of-america-410-million-overdraft-fee-accord-wins-tentative-approval.html

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/business-us-bankofamerica-overdraft-sett-idUKTRE74M63K20110523?type=companyNews

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/05/bofa-overdraft-text-message.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/05/19/opinion/19thu3.html