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	<title>Sarelson Law Firm</title>
	<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com</link>
	<description>Helping clients with employment law, as well as securities and class actions</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:59:11 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Skepticism in Florida Over Foreclosure Deal</title>
        <pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:59:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[According to Bloomberg, Florida has the highest percentage of troubled mortgages in the country. The recent settlement reached between 49 states and five of the largest U.S. mortgage servicers will provide much needed relief to the state, but how much impact that relief will have on the overall housing market is still open to debate. The deal requires the banks to pay $20 billion in mortgage relief and $5 billion to state and federal governments. This could mean as much as $8.4 billion in benefits will go to Florida homeowners. Despite Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s assertion that the deal was a historic win, interviews around the state revealed anger among homeowners stuck in foreclosures that last longer than in any other state. “They say it’s a lot of money, but is it?” said Richard Thompson, a 51-year-old real-estate agent. “You wonder if this is just P.R. or if it’s...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/skepticism-in-florida-over-foreclosure-deal.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/skepticism-in-florida-over-foreclosure-deal.html</link>
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		<title>Another Controversial Change from Google</title>
        <pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:42:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[Google’s latest move to better integrate its services is coming under fire from the European Union and online privacy advocates. If you have used Google lately, you have likely seen the little banner popping up at the top of the page, announcing, “We’re changing our privacy policy and terms.” You have the option to “Learn More” or to “Dismiss.” It is likely that many people have already clicked “Dismiss,” but the consequences of these changes may come back to haunt us. Google explained the reason for its move as “our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.” Authorities in the European Union did not see the move as benign, immediately telling Google to put off its March 1 start date until they had a chance to review the change. The issue with Google, as with Facebook, is the massive amounts of personal data the company collects...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/another-controversial-change-from-google.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/another-controversial-change-from-google.html</link>
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		<title>Google Will Pay You</title>
        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:40:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[As Google faces criticism over changes to its privacy policy, the search giant has announced a new program in which it will pay users to allow tracking of the sites they visit. Through a project called Screenwise, interested users can install a browser extension that monitors every site they visit. Signing up will earn users a $5 Amazon gift card. They will then be eligible for another $5 card every three months that they stick with the program, up to a $25 maximum. The company says it is thinking about what further amounts it could add for people who last more than 12 months. “It’s our way of saying ‘Thank you’,” said a Google spokesperson. Google is attempting to take Screenwise even further. If the user will set up a data collector router and then install the Chrome extension on every computer he or she uses, Google will pay $100...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/google-will-pay-you.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/google-will-pay-you.html</link>
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		<title>A Single Privacy Policy for Google</title>
        <pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:36:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[Google has announced it will be combining the majority of its products under one privacy policy, allowing a “simpler, more intuitive” experience for its users. As an example, Google says that it will take into consideration the context of searches based on the user information and activities. If you are an import car enthusiast, Google will skew the results of a search for “Jaguar” towards cars instead of the large cat. With Google Docs or Gmail, auto correct might suggest spellings based on prior content you had created. According to a video created by Google, “It may even be able to tell you when you’ll be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and local weather conditions. All of which means we’re not just keeping your private stuff private. We’re making it more useful to you in your daily life too.” It is unclear how the new...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/a-single-privacy-policy-for-google.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/a-single-privacy-policy-for-google.html</link>
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		<title>Ponzi Scheme for $4 Million</title>
        <pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:56:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[An Oceanside, New York woman has been indicted for operating Ponzi schemes that defrauded investors of more than $4 million, according to the North Country Gazette. Prosecutors say Laurie Schneider, 37, began accepting money from individuals seeking a return on their investment in September 2006. One of her schemes involved a shell company incorporated as Janitorial Close-Out City Corp. Schneider allegedly informed potential investors that the company invested in industrial equipment and machinery manufactured by companies in China. According to prosecutors, Schneider personally guaranteed specified positive rates of return as high as 60 percent, saying she had a business contact who had strong relationships with companies in China. This would allow her to buy the industrial equipment and machinery at wholesale prices, which Janitorial Close-Out would resell in the United States at a 15 to 60 percent profit over a nine to 18-month period. Schneider never actually bought or sold...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/ponzi-scheme-for-4-million.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/ponzi-scheme-for-4-million.html</link>
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		<title>Who is Bernie Madoff?</title>
        <pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:54:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[Bernie Madoff is a name that will go down in the history books for fraud. Perpetrator of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, Madoff swindled thousands of investors out of billions of dollars. Madoff is now serving a 150-year sentence. Madoff had been a prominent member of the securities industry throughout his career. According to SEC.gov, he served as vice chairman of the NASD, a member of its board of governors and a chairman of its New York region. He was also a member of NASDAQ Stock Market’s board of governors and its executive committee and served as chairman of its trading commission. Madoff created a unique kind of Ponzi scheme. Instead of promising high short-term investment returns, he created phony investor account statements showing moderate, consistently positive returns, even during turbulent market conditions. In December 2008, the SEC charged Madoff and his firm with securities fraud for the multi-billion...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/who-is-bernie-madoff.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/who-is-bernie-madoff.html</link>
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		<title>How to Spot a Ponzi Scheme</title>
        <pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:53:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[When you begin investing your money it is important to know how to avoid fraud. One type of fraud you will need to steer clear of is the Ponzi scheme. According to SEC.gov, the website for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, many Ponzi schemes share common characteristics. The SEC says you should look for these warning signs: High investment returns with little or no risk. Every investment carries some degree of risk. Usually, the higher the return, the more risk. Be highly suspicious of any “guaranteed” investment opportunity. Overly consistent returns. Investments tend to go up and down over time, especially those seeking high returns. If an investment generates regular, positive returns regardless of market conditions, it could be suspect. Unregistered investments. Ponzi schemes typically involve investments that have not been registered with the SEC or with state regulators. Unlicensed sellers. Investment professionals and their firms are required by...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/how-to-spot-a-ponzi-scheme.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/how-to-spot-a-ponzi-scheme.html</link>
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		<title>Difference Between a Pyramid and a Ponzi Scheme</title>
        <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:52:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[What is the difference between a Ponzi scheme and a pyramid scheme? Both are related because they both require money from new participants in order to pay longer-standing members. But how are they different? Pyramid schemes claim you will earn high profits by making one payment and finding a set number of others to become distributors of a product. Usually the scheme does not involve a genuine product. It may not exist, or it may only be “sold” within the pyramid scheme. In order to receive payments, you must find new distributors. Often you will have no contact with the original promoter, depending on where you enter the scheme. Pyramid schemes collapse fairly quickly, because they require exponential growth at each level to maintain payments. Ponzi schemes offer participants high investment returns with little or no risk. As with pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes typically deal with a product that does...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/difference-between-a-pyramid-and-a-ponzi-scheme.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/difference-between-a-pyramid-and-a-ponzi-scheme.html</link>
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		<title>What is a Ponzi Scheme?</title>
        <pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:50:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[In the world of consumer protection, there is no fraud more well-known than the Ponzi scheme. Though many of us have heard the term, we may not know exactly what it means. What is a Ponzi scheme? The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines a Ponzi scheme as an investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors. According to the government website SEC.gov, Ponzi scheme organizers often solicit new investors by promising to invest funds in opportunities claimed to generate high returns with little or no risk. The organizers spend most of their time looking for new investors to generate the funds necessary to pay earlier investors and to pay their own expenses. Ponzi schemes almost always collapse because they generate little if any legitimate earnings. A constant flow of money from new investors is required to keep going....<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/what-is-a-ponzi-scheme.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/what-is-a-ponzi-scheme.html</link>
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		<title>Verizon Backs Off Plan for New Charge</title>
        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:11:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<description><![CDATA[Near the end of last year, Verizon made an announcement that it would begin charging customers a $2 “convenience” fee to make one time credit card payments online. Thanks to overwhelming public outcry, the cell phone company announced a reversal of its decision earlier this month. The expressed reason for the proposed charge was to encourage customers to sign up for automatic billing, but the company determined that there might be alternatives to its goal that would anger customers less. “We take great care to listen to our customers,’ Verizon Wireless Chief Executive Dan Mead said. “The best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time.” The retreat came after an online petition on change.org calling for Verizon to drop the fee quickly drew more than 100,000 signatures. The Federal Communications Commission...<br /> <a href="http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/verizon-backs-off-plan-for-new-charge.html">Read More &#187;</a>]]></description>
		<link>http://www.floridaconsumerlawyerblog.com/2012/02/verizon-backs-off-plan-for-new-charge.html</link>
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