Monthly Archives: March 2013

General Safety Issues

TEN TELLTALE SIGNS YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED (GUEST POST)

 
 

Bullying is a problem of epidemic proportions, and can affect every aspect of a child’s life. While visibility around the issue has been raised as the most severe cases make national news, there is still a prevailing idea that bullying is part of childhood and is only a sign of “kids being kids.” Parents of children who are frequently the butt of bullies’ jokes know that the problem is much more severe than mere child’s play. If you’re concerned that your child may be the target of schoolyard or cyber-bullying, here are some signs to be on the lookout for. 

  1. Withdrawal from Activities – Has your child lost interest in extracurricular activities he once enjoyed? This could be a sign of your child being bullied. If he once loved his after-school clubs or teams and now actively avoids them, there could be harassment taking place that makes him reluctant to attend.
  2. Eating and Sleeping Habit Changes – Noticeable changes in your child’s eating or sleeping patterns can indicate that she’s under some sort of stress, which could be the result of being targeted by bullies. She could have a lessened appetite because of the thoughts running through her mind of her tormentor. If she’s eating more at home than usual, it could mean that her lunch is being stolen. Her sleeping habits could have changed because she now has nightmares about the person picking on her. There are a variety of potential causes for these changes, so they should be investigated.
  3. Irritability – Being picked on can put anyone in a bad mood, so try to look for the root of increased irritability or a shortened temper after school. Bullies wear on a child’s self-esteem, and a child with low self-esteem can lash out from that added tension.
  4. Avoiding School – The occasional faked stomach ache is a common ploy to get out of school for a few hours of sleep or to miss a test she’s not prepared for, but regular attempts to get out of going to school may be a sign of a child who’s actively avoiding her tormentors.
  5. Decrease in Grades – It’s difficult to concentrate on school work and getting good grades when that mean kid in class keeps kicking your chair or making fun of you. Your child’s grades might be suffering, not due to indifference to school, but due to a bully constantly nagging.
  6. Fidgeting – If your child used to sit still very well and for long periods of time but now seems to fidget, it could be because of a bully. A physical bully may spur the “flight” half of the “fight or flight” instinct, causing them to be hyper-aware of their surroundings and always ready to bolt.
  7. Unwilling to Discuss School – A child who avoids answering questions about his day or answers evasively could be hiding the fact that someone was picking on him. The part of the school day that has the longest impression on your child right now may be the fact that someone doesn’t like him and he’s being made fun of. It’s tough to remember the exciting parts of the day when your child’s thoughts are consumed by the torment of a classmate.
  8. Acting Out – Increased aggression and violent outbursts can be an indicator of bullying, as kids who spend their days being harassed seek an outlet for their frustrations. Any sudden personality change should be cause for concern, but a turn in a more aggressive direction should be addressed immediately.
  9. Being Mean to Younger Siblings – Is your child starting to pick on your other children? If so, she might have a bully she’s dealing with when you aren’t there. It’s natural to want to unload your burden onto someone else in the same way it was unloaded onto you. Your child could just need to get her anger out of her but doesn’t know how to, so she resorts to doing the same thing to her younger siblings that is being done to her.
  10. Unexplained Bruises or Injuries – Physical bullies do still exist. If your child comes home with bruises or injuries that are not linked to the regular rambunctiousness of a child, it’s time to get concerned. Yes, it’s possible that he fell down on the playground, but it’s also possible that he was pushed down by a bully and is scared to tell you about it.

The shame and embarrassment that can accompany being bullied is often enough to keep kids quiet about their troubles, especially if they’re afraid that they’ll be subjected to retribution for tattling. Be patient with your child and let him know that you’re on his side, and that you’ll find a solution to the problem together.

This article is shared with us by Teresa Belcher, of Nannyagency.net

General Safety Issues

SAFETY FACTORS OF MARKETING FOR NEW BUSINESS (GUEST POST)

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Safety factors of marketing for new business

Safety factors play an important role especially when you are planning to head for a new business marketing plan. Approaching new customers by still being a novice or even a seasoned entrepreneur could be challenging. Consumers often rely over online stores (even the brick and mortar stores), which are well established in the market and they love to buy brands that are well known to them. This is because they simply do not want to put them into any kind of risk of getting a wrong product. Also, while doing a new business online, the consumers are justified to get deflected owing to several safety and security reasons. Hence it is very much important to know and understand these factors before heading to marketing for your new business. Let’s check these safety factors, which you need to take care while going for a new business venture.

Consider key safety measures over your business portal

If you look at the consumers of this modern age, you will find them with good amount of awareness. They are now becoming more and more aware especially when it comes to online shopping. They understand the online security issues better than before thanks to the huge information available over the web. The consistent barrage of scams and spam have made the modern day consumers have made them more secured about their information. This simply means that while heading for your new business, you are supposed to set up a clear cut internet security policy, which should be vividly reflected in any of your online marketing drives.

Any online business portal (e-commerce, loan and application websites) which obtains several indentifying details or bank/financial information of the consumers should be secured. You are supposed to carry the SSL certificate backed by the latest technology. The consumers are well aware of this factor and hence often look out any e-commerce site before shopping. So your marketing efforts would be a big waste if you are selling out products online without SSL certificate. Also, make sure you rely over the latest encryption technology for your website and allow your consumers to know this. It will boost confidence in your consumers and they will come with this security factor that they find over your business portal.

Lastly, you also should ensure a fact that you would protect all their contact details along with other sensitive data of your consumers. These details for any online business website is a very vital thing both for the new and old business owners, which has to be kept intact and avoided sharing or selling with other people. All these details, you need to put over your site for your consumers.

Setting up your publishing policies

Another important safety factor, which you need to consider in your new business online marketing, is setting up your publishing policies. It is always recommended to have clear cut safety and security policies for your online business website. You could easily find template for such policies over the web, which could help you in modifying the changes you find as per your requirements. As you build up your own policies, you are supposed to consider elements, which are vital to the sites users or consumers that has to be highlighted before them as your key policies.

Once you do this, make sure your marketing team sit together and review all your policies and identify the number of important policies, which are supposed to be highlighted before your consumers. This will certainly impact the way the policies are posted over your business portal or ecommerce site. And the most important policies could be made in bold letters over your website to get an instant notice by the website visitors. You could even think of pointing out your safety and security polices over other areas of your site. One of the important goals of your online marketing efforts is to establish the element of trust over your site. If your marketing efforts are able to give your consumers a good amount of comfort regarding their safety and security, you end up establishing the trust and they would become more comfortable while using your website.

Full fill your promises

The other important safety factor is to full fill all your promises you made for the safety and security. You should make sure that your business site is full proof and abreast with the latest security systems to carry out the business transactions from confirming things from website hosting company and your developer. You should avoid selling, leasing or lending your email marketing data with anyone if you have promised your consumers for not doing the same. If you fail to fulfill your promises you end up ruining the trust and confidence of your customers on your brand, which take long to build up. Customers consider the security issue very seriously, hence it’s imperative for you as well to pursue in the similar fashion.

Final word

As you put all your efforts in your online marketing for your new business, make sure you follow these safety factors without any hitch. These three things would help you in establishing your loyalty and trust in the market and thus making your marketing efforts more effective.

About The Author: Margaret is a writer/blogger. She loves writing travelling and reading books. She contributes to Carribean Cruise Line Scam

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

MODERN HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS – A HOMEOWNERS’ NEW BEST FRIEND? (GUEST POST)

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 Long gone are the days when homeowners simply purchase a “burglar alarm”. With current technology, home security systems are now the product of choice as they offer a full range of protection against much more than just home break-ins.

Fire and Smoke– From cooking mishaps to unattended candles, there are many potential fire sources in your home. Between 2006 and 2010 alone, The National Fire Protection Agency reported that one in every 310 homes experienced a fire. While standard smoke alarms offer some protection, you never know when a battery can die and leave you unprotected. When looking for a home security system, look for one that offers fire and smoke detection which can make your home much safer against the threat of fire and smoke damage.

Carbon Monoxide– Often referred to as the “silent killer”, carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can cause severe health problems and death when humans are exposed to it in high quantities. It is often emitted by home furnaces and other appliances. Many modern home security systems contain carbon monoxide detectors that can alert homeowners immediately if the gas is found present in the air.

Water Damage– The National Flood Insurance Program’s website tells that even just 3 inches of flood water in a 2,000 square foot home can cause close to $39,000 in damage. A comprehensive home security system may include water sensors that detect when water (from a flood or burst pipe) has entered the home. As any flood victim knows from experience, the longer flood water is in a home the greater the threat of dangerous mold to grow. Tending to the issue immediately can often save homeowners thousands of dollars in additional damage.

Medical Emergencies– Slip and fall injuries are some of the most common household injuries to be sustained, but they are certainly not the only ones. If you are a senior citizen or if you have a senior citizen living in your home, it is often a good idea to have a security alarm that includes a medical emergency response system. Typically this equates to the homeowners just having to push one button on their security system panel to alert the police and an ambulance that a response is needed at your address.

Power Outages– When you are home you are likely to know about a power outage right away. However, if you are away from home (especially for an extended period of time) you may not realize that the power to your home has been lost. Since the power in your home is needed to operate your refrigerator and freezer, as well as security lighting, it is important to never lose power even while you are not at home. Many newer home security systems can run on battery back-up in the event of a power loss and notify the homeowner immediately upon loss of power.

This article was contributed by C. Wiley of the SecurityChoice.com Blog.

Other types of home security include having flashlights handy in case of blackouts, as well as first aid kits, in case of minor accidents.  pb

 

 

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Safety

SIGNS OF A GAS LEAK (GUEST POST)

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Sent to us by Ryan Edun
People often worry about the dangers of having a natural gas furnace. While natural gas is affordable and burns clean, it can still produce deadly carbon monoxide if there is something wrong with the system. Carbon monoxide detectors will protect you from the danger, but it’s still wise to know what the warning signs are of a gas leak

Watch for the Odor
Natural gas has a unique odor. Often described as being comparable to rotten eggs, you can easily smell a gas leak. If you ever walk into your home and smell gas, you should call the gas company immediately for service. If you are unable to reach the gas company, then call the fire department because they can also help.

The Gentle Breeze
Gas leaking out of a line will have some pressure behind it. Look around the exterior of your home around the gas lines. Plants that are gently blowing like they are in a breeze could be directly under a leak.

Bubbling Puddles
If the ground is wet around buried gas lines, then the escaping gas can cause the moisture to bubble. Have your lines marked so you know the general direction lines move in underground. If you ever see puddles or ground moisture bubbling around the area of your buried gas lines, then you should call the gas company immediately.

Fading Plants
Gas will eventually dry out and kill off plants that are near an outdoor leak. Look for landscaping that suddenly struggles and dies with no visible cause. The culprit could be a gas leak steadily poisoning the plant.

Physical symptoms
It’s also important to know what physical symptoms you might suffer from if exposed to a gas leak. Understanding the warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning will help keep you and your family safe. Watch for these warning signs, and call for service immediately if you start seeing them.

Exhaustion and fatigue are a warning sign of serious poisoning. If you and the rest of your household find yourselves too tired to keep your eyes open in the middle of the day, you should get out of the house immediately and take in some fresh air.

Other serious warning problems include involuntary muscle twitching, difficult writing and assembling thoughts, spots in your vision and trouble hearing. There may be a high pitched noise sounding in your ears and a sensitivity to light. Chronic headaches are another warning sign you should heed.

While some gas leaks are serious and will cause a sudden onset of symptoms, other leaks are very minor. Low enough that you cannot detect them by simple odor, the symptoms can also set in slowly. If you notice new allergies, food sensitivities or just chronic unexplained headaches, then the problem could be lurking in the furnace. A cracked heat exchanger, defective parts or leaky connections could allow small levels of carbon monoxide to seep into the home. Over the long term, these small amounts are just as dangerous as the higher fatal levels.

You can avoid the drama of a gas leak by investing in regular maintenance. When your system is well cared for, you won’t have to worry as much about it leaking. With regular tune-ups, defective parts can be replaced before your system poses a threat to your family. You won’t have to worry about breakdowns, and you will hopefully avoid the danger of gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning.

General Safety Issues

HOW TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL POISONING AT HOME (GUEST POST)

Poison control centers report that more than half of the incidents they handle each year involve children under the age of six. The majority of these poisoning injuries result from the inadvertent ingestion of common household substances. Learning to reduce the likelihood of a poisoning incident in your home is an essential part of safe parenting and childcare provision, simply because even the most closely-watched children can find a way to get into dangerous things during the split second an adult’s back is turned.
Keep an Eye on Medications

The prescription medications that safeguard your health and the over-the-counter pills that ease minor aches and pains can be a blessing to ailing adults, but present a very serious danger to young children. Making sure that all of your household medications are stored in a place children cannot reach and are inside child-resistant containers is imperative. It’s also very important to make sure that you keep an eye on visitors’ belongings. When Grandma stows her pills in a daily dosage container with a simple flip-top and tosses it in her purse for easy access on the go, there’s very little keeping an inquisitive child from ingesting those medications. This especially holds true for toddlers and preschoolers that may have learned to associate “Grandma’s Purse” with “candies and sweets.” Make sure that visitors have a safe place to store their bags while they spend time in your home.

Clean Up Your Household Cleaner Shelf

Keeping all of your household cleaners in the cabinet under the sink is both wildly common and quite convenient. Even if you spring for the cabinet locks touted by baby-proofing experts as infallible, it’s important to keep in mind that no baby-proofing product is immune to failure. Installing cabinet locks is a great idea that can keep children from accessing a variety of unsafe objects, but moving the chemical cleaners to a high cabinet is the most effective way of keeping them out of kids’ reach.

Check the Paint

Buying older houses in rebounding neighborhoods is a popular trend for lots of reasons. Older houses have character, the price point can be more manageable than a shiny, new McMansion and they’re generally packed with charming features. Before moving into your new-to-you home, however, you’ll want to make sure that none of the paint inside it contains lead before you start scraping. Using a lead testing kit is your safest bet, especially if you suspect that the existing paint is a relic from a society that wasn’t so aware of the danger of lead.

Food Poisoning is Still Poisoning

Just because food is intended to be ingested doesn’t mean that it can’t be poisonous. Making sure that you are well informed regarding safe food handling practices and that all foods you feed your child are kept at the proper temperature and prepared in such a manner so harmful bacteria is eliminated is essential to his health. It’s also important to make sure that your child isn’t able to access the contents of the garbage can. Adults might think that the off-putting smell of a garbage can is enough to repel anyone, but the curiosity of an inquisitive child knows no bounds.

Monitor Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors

When you change your clocks and the batteries in your smoke detector at the beginning and end of daylight savings, make sure that you also change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector and test it to ensure full functionality. Carbon monoxide is tasteless, odorless and colorless, so the only way to truly protect your family from accidental poisoning is to make sure that your first line of defense, your detectors, are working.

Kitchens, bathrooms and garages are the most common sites of accidental household poisonings. Paying special attention to these areas of your home and making sure that any potentially dangerous substances are stored far out of kids’ reach can help you prevent a poisoning emergency in your home. It’s also imperative that you store all chemical products in their original containers, as they contain important information that your physician or poison control specialist will need to ensure that your child gets the proper treatment in the event of an inadvertent poisoning emergency. Parents and childcare providers should also know how to spot the signs of poison ingestion, which consist of burns or redness around the mouth and lips, a chemical smell on kids’ breath, vomiting, dizziness, sleepiness, confusion and other strange behavior, including difficulty breathing, seizures and unconsciousness.

 
Sent to us by Lynda Albertson of  NannyBabysitters
 
Thanks, Lynda, and a reminder that every home should keep a first aid safety kit on hand.
 

 
General Safety Issues

BLOG4SAFETY THIRD WEEK IN A ROW! TOP 25 SAFETY ARTICLES, WEEK OF MARCH 8TH (GUEST POST)

 Top 25 Safety Articles of the Week: March 8

Posted by Erin Raub in Weekly Roundups

fire rope ladderSomething this simple can save your family’s lives.

It’s the little things in life, right? And while the phrase usually refers to life’s simple pleasures, “little things” can really be a lot of things. Like an inexpensive, compact fire ladder that saves a man’s life as he flees from a burning building.

Yes, it is the little things in life – little things that allow us to continue enjoying life. Safety measures are so important, not as a way to incite paranoia or fear but as prevention. We’ve all heard the maxim, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So this week, we’re focusing on not just the latest safety news but also on the latest ways to prevent data fraud, childhood illness, and more. Be safe!

Home Safety

  1. Lauren of Safety Source, the blog for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), shares with us a new tip sheet on outdoor electrical safety.
  2. If I haven’t yet convinced you of the importance of a fire safety plan, then you have to read this week’s story from John of the Culture of Safety on how a fire ladder saved a man’s life.

Family & Child Safety

  1. The Kids With Food Allergies Foundation shares evidence that certain airborne chemicals have been linked to immunoglobulin E (IgE) and asthma.
  2. The Huff Post and Moms Rising question the presence of questionably effective, possibly dangerous chemical flame retardants in kids’ products, like nap mats and pajamas.
  3. If you worry about your young driver acting irresponsibly in the car, KidSafe this week featured a new invention that stops teens from texting while driving. (I wish I could install in on every adult I ever pass while driving!)
  4. Tim from uKnowKids does it again, this time offering up some valuable info that is also heartwarming: check out his roundup of current anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying movements around the U.S. 
  5. Alison the SafetyMom hits the nail on the head with this week’s post, titled with the self-explanatory With Parenting Styles, One Size Does Not Fit All. You got that right!
  6. Free Range Mom Lenore always brings us the latest on all things preventing kids from being kids, and this week she has some uplifting news: a public call to ditch the “misguided security blanket” afforded by helicopter parenting policies, and focus on the real problem: red tape and lawsuits.
  7. Pets are important members of the family, but we don’t always apply the same precautions to our furry friends as we do to our kids. Jim Tedford, Director of Animal Welfare Initiatives and Alliances, gives us all the details on pet-proofing to prevent poisoning.
  8. And speaking of your four-legged family members, Natalie Lester, a PetSafe Brand Communications Specialist, shows us how one door + one containment system can = independence for your pup.

Mobile & Cyber Safety

  1. Last Watchdog Byron reminds us that being on a smartphone or tablet does not make us invulnerable to data stealing, especially with the latest scams that have you clicking on links you never intended.
  2. Brian of Krebs on Security warns that suspicious activity this week prompted a password reset for all Evernote users, while Oracle’s Java also issued its third critical security update in a month.
  3. If you’ve ever been interested in the online dating scene, don’t miss this article from Safe Kids (they care about parents’ safety, too!) on online dating safety tips.
  4. Tim, of uKnowKids, clues us in to the latest sex trafficking scheme – using Facebook to find victims – and how you can protect your kids.
  5. If you’ve ever lost or had your smartphone stolen, Scott from A Silver Lining reminds us that these little touch-screens are actually mini-computers – and need to be treated as serious security risks.
  6. David of We Live Security has some excellent points on how hundreds of thousands of Facebook likes can be deceptive (and completely wrong). The article reminds me of what my mom always asked: If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?
  7. Lisa, of Sophos Naked Security, peels apart the onion layers (it’ll certainly make you cry) of the latest debit-card fraud – scammers pretending to protect your from scammers.

Senior Safety

  1. Ryan of Inside Elder Care reminds us to really dig into the policies of our parents’ or other loved ones’ assisted living or nursing care communities. What will happen in an emergency? Will community staff perform CPR?
  2. Susan at Help! Aging Parents gives us some pointers on helping our parents make the best decisions for their health, like whether they should get life-changing surgeries.
  3. The Aging Wisely blog develops a debate about the work-family balance, and how it applies to work-at-homers and eldercare.
  4. Safety Mom Alison features a really cool infographic on the “communication lifeline” – the relationship between caregiver and seniors. Alison is also hosting a Twitter party on March 13 to discuss signs your aging parents need help.

Work Safety

  1. In the U.S., construction mishaps account for 17 percent of all work-related accidents. Carl at Blog4Safety provides 5 tips for a safer construction workplace.
  2. Blog4Safety gives us another good one on how to identify the dangers of asbestos.
  3. And speaking of creating a safer workplace, Kevin from the Safety at Work Blog discusses the lack of a “safety culture” for employers and employees.
  4. If you’re in the U.S., your time is going to change this weekend. Roy at The Society for Human Resource Management reminds us all to be careful that sleep deprivation doesn’t lead to workplace accidents next week.

Thanks, Erin, for including us in your top twenty-five list of safety articles.  You offer a whole range of reading for our supporters, and we are honored to be part of it.  Pat

General Safety Issues

A GENTLE REMINDER: THAT’S ALL IT TAKES!

For those of you that live in the time zone affected by Daylight Saving Time, be sure to set your clocks one hour ahead before you go to bed tonight.  We “Spring Forward”.  There’s been many pros and cons about this time change, the main reason was to conserve energy.  Since it began, there are split decisions, we don’t save the electricity for lights, due to the fact that it is darker in the mornings, rather than earlier evening darkness in the Central Standard Time.  Drivers going to work must watch for children on their way to their school bus stop.  It should only take a few days to adjust, so please drive carefully and enjoy the new, longer lasting sunshine each day.

Also, we are reminded to change our batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.  This is an ideal time to perform that function that could save your life.  Have a good week ahead!  Wednesday, March 20th, is the first day of Spring.

General Safety Issues

NORTHERN DRIVING FOLLIES: WHAT TO AVOID WHEN DRIVING IN THE SNOW (GUEST POST)

Navigating a snow storm is a difficult and treacherous task. This is especially true for residents in the northern part of the United States and along the Canadian border. Winter always brings a significant amount of snow in this region where lake-effect snow from the Great Lakes can converge with rain systems moving up the east coast. This sets the stage for a classic nor’easter, which is a regular event on the eastern seaboard. Everyone should have an emergency pack in the vehicle, but there are some general rules on what situations to avoid when driving in dangerous weather conditions.

Evaluate Road Conditions
Temperatures normally stay near or below the freezing point in snow events, so any precipitation may also occur while previous snow fall is still on the ground. This is particularly true at higher elevations. The combination of weather events results in significant stretches of time where all individual forms of transportation are done on snow-covered roadways. Many cars have difficulty here, but cars sports utility vehicles can usually be effective in reasonable conditions due to their ability to switch into 4×4. Regular drivers must develop a knack for driving in hazardous conditions, with the primary focus being awareness and significantly reduced speeds.
Avoiding the Ice
Ice is practically impossible to navigate safely. Patches of ice can be just as damaging as solid ice because it can instigate a sliding situation, which endangers everyone in your pathway since neither you nor they have vehicular control. Depending on the situation though, tire chains can be effective. Motorists should always remember that chains are only for emergency conditions in deep snow and ice. Studded tires might also help, but they are still a short term alternative. It is just best to avoid ice altogether though, because other drivers may not be as considerate or observant of dangerous conditions. 

Do Not Drive Any Motor Vehicle Impaired
Driving any motored vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a chargeable offense and can land an impaired driver in huge trouble. This obviously also includes operating cars purposely built for navigating snow. Alcohol use is very problematic for irresponsible users. Not only is it illegal as any DUI lawyer in Massachusetts or Vermont will tell you, but the capacity for bad judgement is intensified and reactions to hazardous conditions are greatly reduced. Being able to react quickly in a skidding or sliding situation is hard enough for sober drivers. It’s the best policy never to drive drunk, but especially not when there is snow or ice on the roads. Even a short trip to the store can result in several more to the courthouse. Accidents happen far more often during inclement conditions, so the opportunity for very serious accidents increases.

Many drivers do not realize that any blood alcohol content level can constitute a charge for driving under the influence. This is a bad practice in good weather, but it’s especially dangerous in bad weather. Minimal amounts of alcohol can result in a reckless driving charge, even if the operator is not impaired enough for a DUI conviction. The fact that someone was driving impaired in inclement weather can be a material fact in any case and might impact punishment. Accidents happen, regardless of impairment, and automatic negligence is common in cases involving impaired drivers.

Saam Banai is a freelance writer and editor, and he has spent years navigating the snowy roads of the north and avoiding drunk drivers. Jack Diamond is an experienced DUI lawyer in Massachusetts who has over a decade of experience representing drunk drivers in and around Boston. As an accomplished and passionate attorney, he will deal with your case involving intoxication, accident, and field sobriety with expertise and compassion.
General Safety Issues

FIFTEEN INTERNET SCAMS: HOW TO AVOID THEM (GUEST POST)

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The Internet is a powerful resource that connects you to the rest of the world and helps you access knowledge in the blink of any eye. It can also, however, put you in the precarious position of sussing out legitimate offers versus complete cons. These 15 Internet scams are quite popular, but you can avoid falling victim to them by learning to recognize their common red flags.

  1. The Nigerian Scam – Also known as a 419 scam, Nigerian scams offer targets a portion of the email sender’s inheritance in exchange for help claiming the money from a foreign government. Early versions of this email usually cited Nigeria as the country where the money was supposedly held, but updated versions may claim a variety of African nations.
  2. Lottery Scams – The first red flag that a lottery win notification is fraudulent is the fact that you haven’t been playing the lottery, but email notifications can be convincing and the promise of a big reward enticing. If you haven’t played any lotteries or entered any contests, you should regard any email claims that you’ve won one as dubious.
  3. Convincing Fakes of Official Entities – An email that appears to be from a reputable payment processing service or your bank explaining that your account has been compromised is a popular phishing scam, largely because it tends to work. Don’t click on any redirecting links within an email and never give out your account number or password. When in doubt, contact your bank directly.
  4. Item for Sale Scams – Selling an item on an auction site or online classified site can open the floodgates for messages and emails, some of which have fraudulent aims. Anyone asking if they can overpay you for an item in exchange for a wire transfer or cashier’s check seems fishy because it is; in most cases, the check or payment method will prove to be fraudulent, leaving you bereft of your goods and holding the bag on a bad debt.
  5. Employment Scams – In a particularly despicable turn, employment scams are becoming more and more popular as an increasing number of Americans find themselves without a job. Employment ads and websites created by these hucksters may seem legitimate, but they’re actually sophisticated ways of collecting your personal information for floods of spam email or even identity theft.
  6. Disaster Relief Scams – Preying upon the inherent desire to help your fellow man, messages soliciting donations for a natural disaster in some tiny, obscure, developing nation is a lucrative business for scammers.
  7. Travel Scams – Sometimes you’re forced to sit through a presentation about timeshares, but sometimes your information is collected for marketing mail and identity theft. Be wary of any email claiming that you’ve won a free vacation.
  8. Get-Rich-Quick Scams – The idea of building an empire by stuffing envelopes or selling a nutritional supplement isn’t a new one, but the scope and reach of the Internet has created a flood of get-rich-quick scams preying on people’s hopes of hitting it rich.
  9. Sweetheart Scams – A person who pretends to be someone they’re not in an online relationship is called a “catfish.” Catfish may simply be seeking attention and validation, but most are playing a part in order to get as much money as possible out of an unsuspecting mark before mysteriously dying or staging a dramatic breakup scene.
  10. Prime Bank Note Scams – Con artists offering “bank guarantees” that they can purchase at a bargain and sell for top dollar take a fortune from their unsuspecting victims. To make their claims seem even more attractive, these scammers claim that their “guarantees” are issued by “prime banks,” hence the name.
  11. Letter of Credit Scams – The only legitimate letters of credit are issued by banks directly to a recipient for international trade agreement and payment guarantees. Anyone offering a “letter of credit” investment opportunity will probably try to sell you the Golden Gate Bridge if you show an interest.
  12. Goods Not as Listed Scams – Relatively mild in the scheme of things, goods-not-as-purchased schemes generally happen on unregulated classified ads sites or auction sites that openly condone trade in pirated goods. After remitting payment, you will almost always receive some sort of package. In most cases, the goods are completely different than they were described and you have no recourse for regaining your money.
  13. Rogue Anti-Virus Software Scams – The idea that your computer has been infected by a virus is a scary one; after all, what if you lose all of your precious pictures, videos and important documents? Scammers know that most people will fall victim to these cons out of fear of losing their files, so they create convincing anti-virus alerts that require you to pay an activation fee to remove a virus that doesn’t even exist.
  14. Survey Scams – The best case scenario for those who fall victim to a survey scam is that they waste their time and get a few spam emails. More elaborate scams will take your personal information for marketing and identity theft purposes, even though you think you’re just participating in legitimate market research.
  15. Something for Nothing Scams – You’ve probably heard the old adage about things that are too good to be true, and it definitely holds water on the Internet. Anyone offering you fame, fortune and riches simply for being you is almost certainly trying to scam you somehow.

Shared with us by Hannah Howard of longhornleads.com

General Safety Issues

FINDING THE RIGHT WORK BOOTS (GUEST POST)

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For those working in a field like construction, proper footwear is not only recommended, but it’s a requirement to ensure comfort and protection. The key, however, is to get shoes that suit both your needs and the needs of your particular job. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at what you should keep in mind when selecting work boots.

Know Your Needs
Different jobs require different types of boots. Some will require slip resistant soles, while others will demand steel-toes. While getting an all-around boot protects you in a variety of work situations, knowing what the job you’re doing absolutely requires ensures that you have a boot that will protect you in your specific situation.

Get Professionally Sized
While it’s pretty obvious when the boot you have is too small, it may be less obvious if the boot is too big. Bill Gardner, owner of Red Wing Shoes, offering http://www.redwingrichmond.com, says that “many of us are walking around in the wrong size, leading to unnecessary discomfort.”

Bill recommends being sized at your boot store to make sure you get the size you actually need. You may think you’re a size, but in a particular boot you may be a 12.5 or 13 with socks and inserts. It’s worth the time to make sure the boots fit correctly and comfortably since you’ll be spending a lot of time in them.

Invest in Quality
Ask anybody and they’ll tell you the same thing – quality work boots are expensive. There is, however, a reason for the price. Quality construction and materials cost more, and investing in a boot that will protect your feet, ankles, and knees is worth it in the long run. Quality boots will have soles that won’t fall apart, construction that won’t pull apart, and will use materials that while needing regular upkeep, will be durable for years to come.

Don’t Forget the Accessories
Extra laces, boot socks, and perhaps most importantly, insoles, are all things to consider as part of your boot purchase. These items help contribute to the comfort and durability of the boots. Your sales specialist should be able to help you choose the accessories you’ll need for your specific feet and boots.

Sent to us by George R. Perry

For any of your other safety needs, check out Texas America Safety Company  for all types of personal protective equipment, from hardhats, gloves, to first aid products!