OG&E Weatherization Program...

If you've received a lien notice from Ugly Duckling Construction...OG&E wants to hear from you. Contact their customer service...that # is 405.272.9741...

From OG&E's website...
If your home is severely energy inefficient, our Residential Weatherization program can help improve your comfort and reduce energy costs. Some typical improvements include the following:
Insulation; attic, floor, and wall
Window Sealing
Weather-stripping
Maintenance of HVAC
Hot water tank check-up
Thermostat settings
Lighting efficiency
Sealing the exterior siding
To find out about participating, contact Debbie McIntire at 405.553.3597...
http://www.oge.com/Pages/Home.aspx

I'm Scott Hines...In Your Corner!

Disabled elderly man gets a big lift!

We had an Edmond man contact us about his disabled neighbor's broken down electric scooter.
No one had been willing to help 70 year-old Wilbur Pinkston repair it...that is until we called up Lanny Henderson and the rest of the good folks at The Electric Scooter Store. We had Wilbur, who turns 70 next month, follow us to the scooter shop located on May, just north of NW 63rd Street...where Lanny had a snazzy electric scooter waiting for Wilbur to test drive. As you can imagine, Wilbur was beside himself...so humble and gracious...he kept saying "no one's ever done anything like this for me." Man oh man, these stories make this job so worth it. Because of Lanny and The Electric Scooter Store, Wilbur finally has his mobility back. He can garden again...do yard work...clean his garage...most importantly, he can get out of his wife's way;)

A big thank you to The Electric Scooter Store. They work with medicare on a routine basis to get their customers the most reliable medical equipment.
http://www.electricscooterstore.com/index.htm

The Electric Scooter Store
6601 N May Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Phone: (405) 858-0000
Toll Free: (800) 865-0046
Fax: (405) 858-0001
email: ess@electricscooterstore.com

Here's another option for those having trouble coming up with cash for medical equipment? Contact NeuroResources. They're a fantastic non profit that provides mostly used medical equipment to those on a low income and in need of handicap assistance. http://neuroresourcesoutreach.org/
I'm Scott Hines...In Your Corner!

Debt collector scam...beware!!

A woman posing as a debt collector is after your hard earned cash and she'll stop at nothing to get her hands on it. The mysterious caller claims to be working for a collection agency out of Atlanta, Georgia...Nelson, Hurst, and Associates. While the number she calls from appears to originate out of Atlanta, it's likely she's spoofing the number and is operating someplace else.

The con tries to convince you your wanted for check fraud and demands you pay the outstanding debt in full using an atm card, or else face prosecution and the possibility of jail! The woman hopes to scare you into giving her your money and personal information. Don't be scared and don't you dare hand over your personal information:) This woman is a FRAUD! Both myself and In Your Corner photojournalist Marc Dillard spoke to to the woman on a number of occasions...not once did she admit who she works for (FYI...debt collectors are required by federal law to announce who they represent).

If you receive a similar phone call, ask detailed questions like what specific debt the person is trying to collect on and on whose behalf. A legitimate collection agency will put something in writing....and make sure to pull your credit report. Debt effecting your credit must be reported to one of the 3 big credit agencies. Remember, you're entitled to 3 free credit reports each year (annualcreditreport.com). Finally, to report a suspicious phone call, contact the Federal Trade Commission. http://www.ftc.gov/

For tips on how to sniff out this scam and similar ones like it...check out this website.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4454596_avoid-collection-agency-scams.html

Help give our troops a hug!

Items Needed by Santa for the Troops Christmas Care Packages
The Hugs Project, Crossroads Mall Suite 1048, (405) 651-8359
Email: TheHugsProject_OKC(at)cox.net
They plan to ship 3500 packages to troops starting tonight (Dec. 9) on through Saturday (Dec.12th). The demand for packages/supplies is so great...volunteers are now packing more boxes with supplies. Not only do they need supplies, but they need money to pay for postage. Each package costs about $12 to send abroad. Please do your part to help make this a Merry Christmas for our brave men and women.

Also, Facebook and Chase are running a contest and the top 100 charities (based on voting) will each receive $25,000. The vote ends this Thursday so please vote now! Http://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving/charities/266200
Type in Hugs Project as your chairty of choice.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS (items needed for care packages below)
New release DVDs and CDs
Portable CD players
Computer flash drives
Computer games
Electronic dart board and darts
Small hand held games
Batteries AA and AAA
Prepaid Phone Cards
SpaWar phone cards are needed for Afghanistan
Small/mini binoculars
Cameras (digital or disposable)
Watches (pocket watches hold up well in sand)
Small homemade gifts
Little comforts of home gifts
Christmas trees (VERY SMALL)
Christmas ornaments (small, homemade are great)

CLOTHING
SOCKS!!!
Black wool hats
Black wool fingerless gloves
Black wool neck warmers
Plain Black Sunglasses

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Flashlights and LED lights
Blank Greeting cards to send home
Stationary
Pencils and Pens (black ink)
Baggies of all sizes
Soccer balls (to make friends with the kids)
School Supplies

HEALTH CARE AND TOILETRIES
Vitamins
Vitamin C drops
Motrin and other pain relievers
Cough drops
Eye Drops
Antiperspirant
Toenail clippers
Foot and Body Powder
Dental Floss
Q-tips
Females need Nair
Mach 3 type razors
*Moisturizing Lotion
*Shampoo & Conditioner
*Motel sizes are GREAT!!

SNACKS
Chicken Vienna Sausages
Tuna and Salmon Packets
Sardines in Mustard or Hot Sauce
Beef Jerky
Trident Gum, Sour Candy, Hard Candy
Nuts (all kinds), Sunflower Seeds
Pretzels
Dried Fruit
Cereal/Power/Granola Bars
Little Debbies Snack Cakes
Nutella (Jarred chocolate, find it with Peanut Butter)
Peanut Butter
Instant soup/hot chocolate packets
Flavored coffee and flavored creamers (highly prized)
Individual sugar and sugar substitute packets
Homemade fudge, cookies, snack mix, etc.

I'm Scott Hines...In Your Corner

Text message scam...

A text message scam is popping up on cell phone across the metro. The message is from an unknown sender. It reads...Card Service Alert: Your card has been deactivated. Please contact us at 405-227-0941 to reactivate your card. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS TEXT MESSAGE...DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY! DO NOT CALL THE LOCAL NUMBER (405-227-0941)...AND AT NO POINT SHOULD YOU ENTER IN YOUR 16 DIGIT ATM CARD OR CREDIT CARD NUMBER. GOT IT??? GOOD!!! I talked to one woman who told me her friend fell for the scam and put in her 16 digit bank card number. I'm not sure if criminals were able to wipe her out, but they swiped a bunch of money from her account.
I've included tips below from the website...(http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/email-scams.aspx)
Ways to avoid spam scams...
--Protect your personal information.
--Share credit card or other personal information only when you're buying from a company you
know and trust.
--Know who you're dealing with.
--Don't do business with any company that won't provide its name, street address, and
telephone number.
--Take your time.
--Resist any urge to "act now" despite the offer and the terms.
--Once you turn over your money, you may never get it back.
--Read the small print.
--Get all promises in writing and review them carefully before you make a payment or sign a
contract.
--Never pay for a "free" gift.
--Disregard any offer that asks you to pay for a gift or prize.
--If it's free or a gift, you shouldn't have to pay for it.
--Free means free.
I'm Scott Hines...In Your Corner!

IYC Update: Shady Contractor

Watch out for Al Soulek and AAA Renovations!
The NewsChannel 4 (In HD;) family has become quite familiar with Soulek. We've done at least a half a dozen stories on the guy. Last year, he plead guilty to 6 counts of home repair fraud and received a 5 year deferred sentence and 90 days in jail. A judge also ordered him to pay $53,000 in restitution to his "known" victims. Soulek served his time (a bit less than the 90 days). Since he's been out of jail, Soulek has managed to pay about $20,000 to the families he stole from. Our hope was that he learned his lesson, but it seems he's back to his old ways. Just in the past 4 months, we've received 4 or 5 complaints against the contractor...new customers with similar rip off stories. The Attorney General is investigating and can ask a judge to revoke Soulek's probation since he's still serving a deferred sentence.
If you've had recent dealings with Soulek, make sure to file a complaint with the AG...you can access their consumer complaint form at www.oag.ok.gov

Tips from the AG for avoiding home repair fraud...
-Ask people you trust for referrals.
-Whenever possible, deal with local firms with roots in the community.
-Check out the repairman with the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Unit and the Better Business Bureau.
-Ask for customer references.
-Get written estimates from several firms.
-Don’t do business without a written contract.
-Get all guarantees, warranties and promises in writing.
-Agree on start and completion dates and have them written into the contract.

You think you're insured...but really you're not!!

The State Insurance Department has asked us to help them get the word out about a fraudulent company operating out of Tennessee. Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland's office recently issued a cease and desist order against American Trade Association (ATA), and its various affiliated companies. Holland's office says ATA has been selling fake health insurance plans to its customers including more than 100 Oklahomans. We spoke to one guy who recently lost his business and health insurance, only to learn months later his new health coverage was bogus. Now he needs a pacemaker, but doesn't have the money or insurance to cover it...he's waiting on approval for the state's high risk pool insurance coverage. Keep your fingers crossed he gets it! Others are in dire need of medical treatment like chemotherapy...it's just a bad situation any way you look at it. When I was inteviewing one of the victims this afternoon...I caught myself focusing on his eyes...I could see his pain. I couldn't necessarily feel it though because I can't relate to his situation. Sure I've covered many heartwrenching stories...but to walk in his shoes--no, I can't begin to know or understand the hurt he's experiencing right now. You can be assured, he will be in my prayers.

If you've done business or had any dealings with this company out of Tennessee, the Oklahoma Insurance Department wants to hear from you. Holland is encouraging all consumers to call and confirm that any company or insurance agent offering insurance or insurance-like products is properly licensed to do business in Oklahoma. They can do this by calling the Oklahoma Insurance Department consumer hotline at (800) 522-0071 or by visiting the website at www.oid.ok.gov.

The Cease and Desist Order issued by Holland's office is against American Trade Association and these other affiliated companies and names...Real Benefits Association, Smart Data Solutions, Serve America Assurance, LTD., Beema-Pakistan Company LTD., OBED Kirkpatrick, Bart Posey, Richard Bachman, William M. WorthyII, Kathleen Cauthen, David L. Clark, Colin Youell, Healthcare America, Pinnacle Health Solutions, Pinnacle Health Solutions, LLC, EHealthGreen, Executive Healthcare, My ATA Benefits, First American Healthcare, Superior Health Care, Omni Healthcare, Proven Choice, Mini Health Care, James Parish, Nicholas A. Wall, Billy Henson, Cleotha Montgomery, Michael Schultz

I'm Scott Hines...In Your Corner!