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| A service provided to the Accredited Businesses of the BBB serving Southeast Louisiana. |
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BBB Bulletin Archives
Past issues are available in our archives:
BBB Bulletin Archives |
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Dear BBB Accredited Business,
This month's newsletter is packed with information and wonderful opportunities for BBB Accredited Businesses.
As the 2014 Winter Olympics are well underway read our first article to avoid getting scammed when trying to support and enjoy the games!
It's Valentine's Day! Many consumers use online dating to try and find that special someone. The BBB & Western Union bring you tips to enjoy online dating safely!
The "one ring" phone scam has been going around our area as well as around the Nation. Try to avoid becoming a victim of this scam by reading our tips on how to handle these calls.
The BBB & the Zephyrs partner once again to bring you some advertising opportunities in 2014. Check out how these can benefit your Business.
The BBB introduces our newest feature to Accredited Businesses - the enhanced listing in our online directory. Our final article brings you some valuable information on how to enhance your businesses online listing with the BBB.
Heather Peters
BBB serving Southeast Louisiana
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Phishing is the Newest Olympic Event
The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, may prove dangerous for those seeking to support their countries' medal hopefuls. Better Business Bureau reminds consumers that while athletes compete for medals, scammers compete for personal information and credit card numbers.
The Olympics bring together the best athletes from around the world in the name of human competition, but such a large event, on the world stage, draws the attention of opportunistic people who will try to leverage the popularity for personal gain.
BBB offers tips for supporting and enjoying the games safely from home:
- Hang up on Olympic employees. "Official" representatives will not call to ask for donations or offer special merchandise; never give out credit card information or Social Security numbers to unsolicited callers.
- Beware of counterfeit merchandise. The primary source for official merchandise is sochi2014.com/en; avoid sites that offer too-good-to-be-true deals as they may simply be gathering data for identity theft purposes.
- Be cautious of bogus emails. Large phishing campaigns utilizing official names and logos are showing up in thousands of inboxes; never click on links or download attachments from unexpected emails.
- Don't fall for fake news articles and press releases. With 100 countries represented in 15 different sports over two weeks, breaking news and updates will occur continuously; be skeptical of sensational headlines or announcements that encourage readers to visit foreign websites.
- Skip over sketchy mobile apps. Malicious mobile applications are on the rise and a quick search returns several "Olympics" apps; only choose official applications and make sure that privacy settings are strict.
BBB is proud to support the Olympic athletes in their quests for gold, proud to support consumers in their quests for reliable businesses, and proud to support businesses in their quests to uphold honesty and integrity in the marketplace.
For more information on the American Olympic Team, visit teamusa.org; for more information on the latest phishing scams, visit bbb.org.
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Western Union and Better Business Bureau Promote Online Safety This Valentine's Day
When dating online, never send a money transfer to someone you have not met in person. That's the advice that Western Union and Better Business Bureau are offering consumers in hopes of preventing some Valentine's Day heartbreak.
Many people find true love via online dating sites, but there are red flags to watch for that may indicate you're dealing with a scammer. Beware of anyone who:
- Asks to talk or chat on an outside email or messaging service, as this allows fraudsters to carry out scams without the dating site having a record of the encounter
- Claims to be from this country but is currently travelling, living or working abroad
- Asks you for money or credit card information
- Sends you emails containing questionable links to third-party websites
Romance scams take many forms, but they usually start out with fraudsters quickly expressing feelings of affection. They may strike immediately, or they may lead their victim on for some time in order to build trust. No matter how much your relationship might seem like the real thing, you should be suspicious if someone you only know online asks you for money or personal information like credit card numbers.
"We share BBB's mission to advance marketplace trust, and work hard to earn the trust that people place in our brand," said Shelley Bernhardt, Western Union Director of Consumer Protection. "We are committed to reaching consumers with tools to protect themselves from falling victim to scams. Western Union provides a trusted and reliable way for people to send money to family members and friends but should not be used to send money to someone you have not met in person."
What else can consumers do? Visit BBB Scam Stopper, a site launched by Western Union and BBB to help consumers reduce their chances of becoming a victim of a scam.
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Don't Let One-ring Phone Scams Impact Your Life!
Lately, all across America innocent people are being scammed by a new trend
 Called "one ring scams'. Your Better Business Bureau wants you to be aware of this new con while also providing you with valuable tips on how to protect yourself."One ring scams" happen when swindlers buy or steal lists of US-based cell phone numbers and input the numbers into a computer that engages in mass dialing. Suddenly, your cell phone will ring quickly, probably just once, long enough to generate a missed call on your phone's screen. These crooks then cross their fingers that you are curious enough to call the number back to see who it was (You can't be blamed for calling back. what if it is an emergency - right?), and if you do call back, the scammers charge your phone bill like a 900 number would such as $20 for the call, and an additional charge of (around) $9 dollars for every minute you spend on the line with them. At the minimum you could be charged almost $30 for just calling a number only to learn it is of no interest or use for you. Not good.
This is a very effective scam as it doesn't really raise an immediate red flag, until you get your phone bill that is. Victims have told several BBBs across the country that the calls appear to come from Caribbean nations including Grenada, Antigua, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica or the British Virgin Islands. Area codes for the calls include 268, 274, 473, 809 and 876. However, some calls may be domestically based too.
Your BBB wants to arm you with these tips to avoid one-ring scams:
- When in doubt, don't pick up or call back - GOOGLE It. If you don't recognize an out-of-state telephone number on your caller ID, ignore it. Once the caller hangs up, you can always put the number into a Google search to see if it is actually someone you need to call back.
- Write it down! We advise you to write down the phone number and notify your cell phone carriers immediately if you believe you have been victims of the scam. By documenting the fraud, you may have a better chance of getting the charges removed.
- Keep a close eye on your monthly statements. Anyone can become a victim of bill cramming AKA one-ring phone scams. Closely monitoring your bill is the best way to determine whether or not you've been a victim. The sooner you spot any unusual charges, the sooner you can call your carrier and have them removed from the billing cycle.
- Add restrictions to your account. Contact your service provider to see if you can restrict third-party billing on your account. This is a sure way of protecting yourself.
- Inform, Inform, Inform. It's important to let friends and family members know if you are scammed. Use Facebook, Twitter, and mass emails (only to people you know) to let people know this happened and that you don't want anyone you know to have it happen to them.
- Call US! If you are a victim, call your BBB so we can also help spread the word. The more that is known about crooks and their scams, the less likely it is they will repeat their crimes in our backyard.
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ZEPHYRS & BBB 2014 PARTERNERSHIP PACKAGE
 For the 2014 season, the Zephyrs and the BBB have teamed up to offer members some fantastic "members only" opportunities. Every Saturday Night we will recognize the BBB and their sponsor members. Don't miss this opportunity to partner with the New Orleans Zephyrs, reach new potential customers and be a part of a fun partnership!!!
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BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESS DIRECTORY
ENHANCED LISTINGS
 Our BBB Accredited Business Directory is where consumers go when they know what they're looking for, but are in the pre-purchase decision-making process of deciding who. We encourage you to stand out from your competition with our Enhanced Listings. All Accredited Businesses are listed, of course, but our newest program offers Accredited Businesses the ability to differentiate themselves and stand out from their competitors.
Whether you chose to stand out with a Bold Listing in the alphabetical listings, display your company's logo with a Logo Listing, or include a coupon with a Coupon Listing, there are enhancements for every need and budget. Our Platinum Listing and Premium Listing, offer businesses the opportunity to have an enhanced sponsored placement above the alphabetical listings, as well as a duplicate enhanced listing in the organic alphabetical listings.
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Benefits of BBB Accreditation
The BBB is a non profit organization that is funded solely through BBB Accreditation Fees. We value Accredited Businesses greatly for supporting the efforts of the BBB.
There are many valuable benefits to BBB Accreditation. The following are some of them!
- Listing in an our AB Web Directory
- A free listing on the BBB website that is your company's BBB Business Review.
- The ability to display BBB Accredited Business Seal on business material and to use in marketing & advertisement.
- The ability to login to the AB Only Section of our website & customize your BBB Business Review.
- Co-op Advertising with TV, radio, print, online, and other media.
These are just some of the many benefits of BBB Accreditation! If you have questions regarding your accreditation call our office and we will be happy to assist you!
Do you know someone who is not taking advantage of BBB Accreditation? Pass this information along to them and help them become a BBB Accredited Business!
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Welcome to New BBB Accredited Businesses- January 2013
The Better Business Bureau is proud to announce the following new BBB Accredited Businesses during January 2013. This means that these companies have agreed to uphold the BBB Standards of Trust, including advertising honestly, honoring promises, and being responsive to marketplace issues.
Click here to view the BBB Standards for Trust.
Faure' Properties, LLC
A First Name Basis Home Care, LLC
AAR Electronics, Inc
Accardo & Lambert Plumbing & Heating, Inc
All Seasons Heating A/C Electrical LLC
Body Health & Wellness
Elite Parking Services
EZ Tax & Financial, LLC
Fontenot Insulation, LLC
Grassy Couture, LLC
Hond American Painting LLC
Huda Construction LLC
Kingsmill's Auto Service, Inc
Leon Lowe & Sons, Inc.
Louisiana Cleaning Systems, Inc
Magee & Sons Master Plumbing,Contracting, LLC
Naturear Hearing
Ole Man's Spice Seasonings
Summit Homes, LLC
Sunlight Contractors, LLC
The Caldwell-Hezekiah Learning Center, LLC
U S A Fire & Burglar Alarm
V F I Construction
Westbank Lawnmower, LLC
Windsor Court Hotel
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We Salute You
These companies are loyal and supportive BBB Accredited Businesses. They are representative of the many sizes and types of businesses that uphold the BBB Standards of Trust. Each has been randomly selected and the starting year of their BBB Accreditation is noted below.
Each BBB Accredited Business has committed to the BBB Standards for Trust. 
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phone: (504) 522-9363 fax: (504) 524-9110 e-mail: info@neworleans.bbb.org
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