Corrected Edition "The Trusted Scout": BBB Military Monthly Consumer News and Alerts.

June 2013 l Volume III l Issue 6

IN THIS MONTH'S EDITION:

Army Hopes to Give Soldiers 48 Months at Each Post

Financial Planning in Your Twenties and Thirties

10 Tips to Avoid Identity Theft during Summer Travel

Scam Texts Trick Consumers into Sharing Banking Info

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

U.S. Navy Lt. Natalie R. Correll provides care to an injured Afghan soldier on Combat Outpost Shukvani in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 8, 2013. Correll, a registered nurse, is assigned to surgical platoon, Combat Logistics Regiment 2. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia

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SCAM ALERTS!

10 Tips to Avoid Identity Theft during Summer Travel

Are you traveling this summer? While traveling can be a relaxing getaway, it can also be an identity theft nightmare. According to Traveling Greener and Equifax, here are 10 tips you should consider to avoid identity theft during your summer travels.

Scam Texts Trick Consumers into Sharing Banking Info

Watch out for text messages that pose as bank alerts asking you to confirm account information. The scam texts, known as smishing, are a relatively new way to steal personal information.

Dubious Developers Cash In On Candy Crush

As expected, shady developers are now taking advantage of Candy Crush, one of the hottest gaming apps in both social networks and Android.

WHO WE SERVE

A soldier assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Old Guard," holds a wreath during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., June 14, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade

MILITARY CONSUMER

ISSUES & INITIATIVES

Army Hopes to Give Soldiers 48 Months at Each Post

Massive budget cuts the Army has been forced to make have hurt soldiers, but here is one budget impact they might like: The average enlisted stateside assignment will be lengthened from 30 months to as long as 48 months.

Financial Planning in Your Twenties and Thirties

Financial planning is different at different stages of life. If you are nearing retirement, you are most likely focused on planning for a comfortable retirement. People far from retirement age often want to plan for multiple situations: immediate goals, like a car or vacation; foreseeable future events like children's educations and home ownership; and later goals, like retirement. To ensure that you reach all your goals, it's important to start early and follow a financial plan.

Scam Meter

We've all heard the timeless warning "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." It's great advice, but the trick is figuring out when "good" becomes "too good." And if you have a good salesperson-or worse, a dishonest one-it gets really hard.

While there's no clear way to know, in just four questions our Scam Meter will help you tell if an investment you are thinking about might be a scam.

Changes to MyPay Password Requirements

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is changing the requirements for password strength for MyPay accounts. Because it is a big change, they are phasing in the MyPay password changes over the next few months. Be prepared so that you won't be locked out of your MyPay account.
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Techsmart Settles with Governor's Office of Consumer Protection, Agrees to Cease Doing Business in Georgia

ATLANTA, GA - John Sours, Administrator of the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection ("GOCP"), has announced that Smart Industries, LLC d/b/a "Techsmart" and its principal, Guru Dharam Khalsa, have entered into a settlement with GOCP based on allegations that the company failed to disclose hidden finance charges in violation of the Truth-in-Lending laws, thereby not revealing to consumers the true cost of its products. Techsmart, whose offices are headquartered in San Diego, California, resells products, such as electronics, primarily to military personnel via kiosks located near U.S. military bases and via the Internet.

SCAM ALERTS Continued...

Are You Looking for A "green card"? Don't Let Scammers Get One for You!

Recently the FTC announced that the winners of the 2014 Diversity Visa Lottery can be seen online at the official website: dvlottery.state.gov.

Each year for a month during the fall, many students and workers from other countries apply to the Diversity Visa Lottery in order to have a chance at receiving a "green card" or the status of being a lawful permanent resident in the United States.

A Tale of Heartbreak: Who Can You Trust?

Sometimes, the last person you would expect is the first person to rob you blind. A woman reported that her grandfather had passed away nearly 3 months ago and that not one month since his death, she had received a bill from his credit card company. Of course, her grandfather was not even present to make any purchases so it left her wondering. She disputed the charge with the credit card company and was getting nowhere.

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