Most people know that Black Friday is the biggest in person retail day of the year, but not many know that the following Monday is the biggest online shopping day of the year and it's called Cyber Monday. On Tuesday this week, the Senate Commerce Committee sent a message to Web sites all over cyberspace that they are watching for scammers. Internet companies Affinion, Vertrue and Webloyalty were singled out for using aggressive sales tactics to deceive consumers who were buying items online. The story goes that these 3 companies had partnerships with several shopping sites and that just before a consumer would make a purchase, an offer to get $10 cash back would appear.

Consumers thought this offer was tied into their purchase but they were wrong. Instead, by clicking "yes", the consumer enters into an agreement with a membership club opperated by Affinion, Vertrue or Webloyalty and are charged monthly because the company now has their credit card information. The companies state they have placed safeguards and disclosure statements into their offers, but consumers need to be careful as scams will be prevalent online in the next 2 weeks.

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 The Texas Attorney General released a statement last Wednesday highlighting a scheme that is unfortunately targetting Spanish-speaking Americans. Complaints are detailing phone calls placed to these consumers by so-called employees of a non-profit agency saying they qualify for a free federal government English course. The consumers are asked for personal information and are later told they don't qualify after all and need to pay $500 for the course. Those who refuse to do so are told they have a verbal contract and are threatened with a lawsuit and told they will have a court date.

The thing to remember about cold calls offering free products is that nothing in this world is ever truly free. Find out what strings are attached and then make an informed decision for yourself. Get the contact number of the person calling you and tell them you will call them back when you have had a chance to think about it. Additionally, think about getting yourself on the national (www.donotcall.gov) and state (www.texasnocall.com)  do-not-call lists. If you receive a call from someone that is unwanted, the best thing to do is just hang up the phone.

In the latest installment of "Be Careful on Social Media Web sites," the Texas Attorney General resolved an enforcement action with Tagged Inc. which is the 3rd largest social networking site behind Facebook and Myspace. Tagged was required to pay approximately $250,000 in civil penalties and state investigative costs for allegedly misleading subscribers into providing their e-mail address books which Tagged used to send invitations in the user's name to all their contacts. Under the agreement, Tagged must implement new privacy features and explicitly inform users on how their personal information will be used.

The lesson to take from this story is to always read the fine print when you become a member of an online community. It may take awhile to go through, but knowing what information will be public and which stays secure is a big deal when it comes to your identity. This is especially true if you subscribe to a Web site which requires any sort of payment as the fine print can include details like automatic bank account debits or contracts that you may not be comfortable signing. So stay safe out there in cyberspace and if you aren't comfortable with a Web site asking you for personal information, it's probably a good idea to trust your gut and stay away.

Individuals across the country are looking for ways to help support the victims and families affected by last week’s tragedy at Fort Hood. Initially, supporters were encouraged to donate blood to help victims. As options for monetary donations in support of victims and their families become available, it is important to understand exactly where and how your funds will be used.

BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas reminds consumers that while there are many opportunities to provide support, there may be misleading or malicious solicitors seeking to take advantage of national headlines and generous individuals. BBB offers the following tips for give wise giving:

• Be cautious of appeals that are long on emotion, but short on describing what the charity will do.
• If you contribute, do not give cash. Make a check or money order out to the name of the charitable organization, not to the individual collecting the donation.
• Watch out for excessive pressure for on-the-spot donations or requests to send a “runner” to pick up your donation.
• Be wary of charities that are reluctant to answer reasonable questions about their operations, finances and programs. Ask how much of your gift will be used for the activity mentioned in the appeal and how much will go toward other programs and administrative and fundraising costs.

BBB’s Charity Resources Web site provides additional information and tips to help donors give wisely.

Officials at Fort Hood have announced the following opportunities for the public to donate to various agencies on the installation honoring the Soldiers and family members affected by the mass shooting on post last week:

Fort Hood Chaplain’s Fund

Checks can be mailed to:
Chaplain's Fund Office
Bldg 44, 761st Tank Battalion Avenue
Fort Hood, TX 76544-5000

Checks should be made payable to "CTOF" (Chapel's Tithes and Offerings Fund) with a note on the memo line stating "Nov. 5 Tragedy."

Fort Hood Fisher House

Fisher House
Bldg 36015
Fisher Lane
Ft Hood Texas 76544
Call (254) 286-7927 or (254)286-7929 for more information.

Local Chapter - American Red Cross

Killeen Red Cross
208 W. Ave. A,
Killeen, Texas 76541
Phone (254) 200-4400 or visit their website: www.waco.redcross.org here.

USO Fort Hood
USO Fort Hood
Building # 1871, 50th St.
Fort Hood, Texas, 76544
Phone: (254) 768-2771 or visit their website at www.uso.org

Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas is alerting the public about a new phishing attack resembling a BBB complaint e-mail confirmation. The malicious e-mails first came to the attention of BBB on Thursday, October 15th.

When consumers request BBB assistance in resolving a dispute with a business, they receive a confirmation e-mail or letter and subsequent follow-up e-mails from BBB on the status of their complaint. The malicious phishing e-mail attack is designed to mimic a confirmation e-mail from BBB and includes the full name of the recipient and the name of the company they supposedly filed a complaint about.

According to reports, individuals who have received this e-mail have not actually filed a dispute with BBB but are, instead, employed by the business the e-mail claims they have filed a complaint about.

BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas reminds consumers and businesses that they will receive a phone call from BBB staff regarding any complaint filed. Anyone who receives a complaint e-mail confirmation claiming to be from BBB, but has not actually filed a complaint with BBB, should not click on any links in the e-mail. Instead, either delete the message or forward it to: phishing@council.bbb.org.

BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas points out the differences in the phishing e-mail and the actual e-mail consumers would receive in response to a dispute filed online:

1) BBB complaint case numbers do not contain letters

2) The subject line of a BBB confirmation e-mail does not contain the consumer’s name or the company’s name

3) The link to a consumer’s complaint from our BBB will begin with “austin.app.bbb.” The phishing e-mail includes a link to “yilan.com” which is based in Taiwan.

4) The “from” address for BBB complaint confirmations is not “complaintsmajdivision@complaints.bbb.org.”

For more information on safe Internet habits and to check the reliability of a company, visit www.bbb.org.