Scam Alert....don't be fooled!

IYC Scam Alert: IRS phone scam....
An elderly woman from Midwest City contacted us about a bogus phone call she received from a caller with a thick foreign accent.
The man--who resides in Seattle, Washington, claims to work for the Federal Government in the the Grants Department (um, such a department does not exist...thanks for playing). The con wants you to believe you've qualified for a $6,000 tax refund, but as always there's a mighty BIG catch. In order to receive your refund, first you must send the caller a security deposit, which is code word for money order! Huge red flag...anytime someone demands you wire them money...run the other way!
As you might suspect...the IRS says it is no way associated with this scheme or anyone else who tries to use its name to scam the public.
Remember...the IRS will never call or email you about a refund. If you receive a similar suspicious phone call, pay attention to the red flags like a foreign accent or if the con artist demands you wire them cash.
For more information on Federal Grants like who qualifies, head to www.grants.gov
and to learn more about scams involving the IRS, hit up their website at www.irs.gov

State programs help the hard of hearing...and then some!

Did you know Oklahoma's Department of Rehabilitation Services (www.drs.gov) offers several free services for the blind, speech, and hearing impaired...check 'em out below.
*Senior citizens Hearing Aid Program (must meet qualifications)
1. Be at least 60 years of age.
2. Be a resident of the State of Oklahoma
3. Be on a limited income
4. Have a 35db hearing loss in your better ear
To apply for the program you must complete an application form...you can download it at www.osd.k12.ok.us
The program is funded by a surcharge tax that shows up on your phone bill each month. Here's the thing...yes, the state is still taking applications, but there's no money right now. The program is out of funds until July when the new fiscal year begins. There is a waiting list however, so the quicker you get in your application the better.

*Oklahoma School for the Deaf Children's Hearing Aid Program
This program provides two hearing aids per qualifying child. Application should be made through the Oklahoma School for the Deaf telecommunication Program. Parents must also provide proof of family income and a signed statement that their child. For additional information, or for an application, contact the Student Assessment Center at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf at (580)622-8812 or 1-866-309-1717.

*Equipment Distribution Program
The state offers assisted devices include teletypewriters, videophones, alarm clocks, baby monitors, caption telephones, among other things.
And for those who might not qualify for state aid, remember to be thorough when selecting a hearing aid dealer or seller.
Make sure you're dealing with a professional such as an audiologist.

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

Hotmail email scam

If you receive the bogus email below...delete it!

Dear Account User

This Email is from Hotmail Customer Care and we are sending it to every Hotmail Email User Accounts Owner for safety. we are having congestions due to the anonymous registration of Hotmail accounts so we are shutting down some Hotmail accounts and your account was among those to be deleted. We are sending you this email to so that you can verify and let us know if you still want to use this account. If you are still interested please confirm your account by filling the space below.Your User name, password, date of birth and your country information would be needed to verify your account. Due to the congestion in all Hotmail users and removal of all unused Hotmail Accounts, Hotmail would be shutting down all unused Accounts, You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Information below after clicking the reply button, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.
* Username: ..............................
* Password: ................................
* Date of Birth: ............................
* Country Or Territory: ................
After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconveniences. Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his/her account after two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.

Sincerely,The Windows Live Hotmail

What to look out for if you receive a bogus email...
--poor grammar or typos.
--phrases like "this is urgent"..."act now"...or “this is no joke”.
--any requests for your personal information including user name, password, DOB, etc.

Customers of a southside furniture store are fired up!

They're down right ticked off with the owner of The Furniture and Rug Outlet (4000
S. I-35 Service Road)...and for good reason! Apparently, the owner...Jimmy King...shut down the place without notifying any of his customers first. He did finally post a notice on the front door....here's that notice in its entirety:
"Due to a unforeseen emergency we had to temporarily close for business. We will reopen this Wednesday 1/6/2010. Sorry for any problems and inconvenience this has caused you. We will be contacting all of our customers after reopening to discuss and make arrangements personally."
Sincerely-Furniture and Rug Outlet.

Well, that doesn't really explain why King did what he did without warning. Our investigation lead us to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Turns out--King no longer has his ales tax permit...therefore he couldn't open tomorrow even if he wanted to. The state couldn't/wouldn't comment on the matter any further. So far, we haven't been able to reach King...although we've tried a number of times. The notice he posted on the door says he plans to reopen his store Wednesday (that's tomorrow if you're reading this on 1/5/2010)...we'll see about that. We plan to stop by either way.
I'm Scott Hines...In Your Corner!