#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE CRAFTS PINECONE HOLIDAY DECOR

Terry Ambrose is the author of more than twenty mysteries. His series include the Beachtown Detective Agency, the McKenna Trouble in Paradise Mysteries, the License to Lie thrillers, and the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries. Terry just released Dead Men Need No Reservations, the seventh Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website. 

Planning Ahead for Fall

Yes, it’s the beginning of August, but fall isn’t that far away. For those who like to keep ahead of the seasons, it’s a good time to plan those fall decorating projects. We created this pinecone decoration for Christmas, but it could also be modified to fit the entire fall season.

 

Until a knee injury sidelined me, I walked about three miles each morning. In. the fall, I always saw lots of pinecones that had fallen onto the sidewalks or into the street. At some point, I began to gather the better specimens. After all, I reasoned, if I didn’t snatch them out of the streets, they were destined to be pulverized by passing cars and would eventually wind up in the storm drain in whole or in pieces.

 

By the time November rolled around, I had about two dozen gorgeous pinecones but didn’t know what to do with them. Fortunately, when I showed the collection to my wife, she told me she’d seen a project on Hallmark for a Christmas pinecone decoration. A week before she was scheduled for a total knee replacement, we tackled this easy DIY decorating project, so she’d have something new to look at during December.

 

If you’re inclined to gather your own pinecones, this is a great time to start planning your collection strategy. Where can you go to find pinecones? How many will you need? And, best of all, how much fun can you have while you’re out collecting?

 

Equipment needed: 

Oven

Baking sheet and parchment paper

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Paintbrush

Mason jar

 

Supplies needed:

Pinecones (I suggest collecting extras just to be safe)

One jar of Mod Podge

Disposable gloves

Fake snow

Faux berries, pom poms, small jingle bells, or other seasonal attachments

Wooden round (or another type of base to mount the decorations)

 

Step 1: Any pinecones collected from outside will likely have pests and should be baked at 200 degrees for about an hour. Check them every 10-15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. You’ll notice that, as they bake, the pinecones will ‘bloom’ and open up. This will help make them easier to decorate.

 

Step 2: If using fake berries, snip the berries from their stems. Break or snip the stems into smaller pieces. Set both aside.

 

Step 3: Paint the tips of the pinecones with Mod Podge to give them a ’snowed on’ appearance.

 

Step 4: Using the hot glue gun, carefully attach the adornments to the pinecones.

 

Step 5: Hot glue the pinecones to the base.

 

Step 6: Apply fake snow to the base around the pinecones.

 

Step 7: While the snow is still wet, place the stems from the berries onto the fake snow.

 

That’s it! You’re done. Let your creation dry for a day, then move it to its decoration location. If you’d rather create a generic fall decoration, replace the snow with fake leaves and scatter them over the base. There are plenty of possibilities for this type of decoration; all you need to do is visit a local craft store and let your imagination take flight!

 

Dead Men Need No Reservations

A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, Book 7

 

A party of six guests checks into the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast, but one checks out early. Dead. 

 

The Chief of Police asks Seaside Cove B&B owner Rick Atwood to help solve the murder of Snappy Welles, a man Rick viewed as a born troublemaker. Rick quickly discovers that Snappy’s friends were far from friends. And all had a reason to kill him.

 

While Rick investigates with the police, his daughter Alex launches a shadow investigation. At thirteen going on thirty, Alex is gung ho to find the killer first. Rick wishes Alex would keep her nose out of police business, but her meddling is getting results. When everyone’s secrets and lies unravel, Rick must choose between bringing a killer to justice and saving his family.

 

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COZY AUTUMN BOOK PARTY WITH GIVEAWAYS

Some of you may be aware that my author Lois Winston is one of the bloggers at Booklover's Bench. The Benchers are holding a party with lots of giveaways this evening over on Facebook, and although Lois isn't on Facebook, she's vicariously taking part in the festivities by offering two copies of A Stitch to Die For, the fifth Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. Why that book? Given the theme of the party, the cover says it all. The fun begins at 7pm EST. Stop by tonight for a chance to win one of the books about me or any of the other books by the Booklover's Bench authors.

#COOKING WITH CLORIS - GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD AND A NEW COZY MYSTERY FROM AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE

A onetime bill collector and skip tracer who sometimes stole cars (legally!), Terry Ambrose is now the award-winning author of twenty mysteries. His three series include the License to Lie Thrillers, the McKenna Trouble in Paradise Mysteries, and the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website. Meanwhile, continue reading for a chance to win a $35 Amazon gift card in celebration of Terry’s Book Birthday.   

It had been a few months since I’d made a loaf of my Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, so when we ended up with a couple of overripe bananas, I volunteered to mash those suckers and make a loaf of bread. 

 

Before we get to the debacle, you need a little background. So, here goes. Our old loaf pans were nonstick and not that old, but already flaking (we also used them for meatloaf). So, I decided that since everything else in the kitchen was now stainless steel, I wanted stainless steel loaf pans. We bought them and they were gorgeous! While they looked a little small, they handled a meatloaf with no problem and the batter for the banana bread recipe fit in perfectly. Now, about that debacle.

 

I made banana bread while we were also doing some other cooking. (You know where this is going, right?) I was busy when the loaf finished its time in the oven. My wife took the loaf out of the oven and asked me what I thought. (In my defense, I was in the middle of chopping something else at the time). However, I stopped, poked the bread with a tester, and pronounced it done.

 

After the bread had cooled for ten minutes and was ready to be removed from the pan, I loosened the edges and flipped the loaf over onto a rack. It popped right out without even the chocolate chips sticking. Pat on back, job well done—until I turned it over to finish cooling.

 

Have you ever seen a loaf of banana bread split open like the earth’s crust in an eco-thriller movie? Let me tell you, it gets ugly. Batter oozing. Chocolate chips melting. Oh, and then there was my ego having its own meltdown on the countertop. I salvaged the bread by getting it into a pan and baking the crap out of it. (Okay, not actually, but it sure felt like it at the time!) The banana bread was delicious, it just looked…well, like a toppled skyscraper in that eco-thriller. Lessons learned—don’t rush the baking process and NEVER multitask while baking!

 

One thing I can guarantee you is that Marquetta, Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast’s cook (and soon-to-be wife of owner Rick Atwood) would never have this kind of baking disaster. She’s way too organized and a much better multitasker. But how about you? Have you got a baking disaster story you’d like to share? Leave a comment and let me know. And while you’re at it, click here to enter my Book Birthday Contest. The winner receives a $35 Amazon gift card. Use the bonus code #KraftyKillers and you’ll get three bonus entries!

 

Lies, Spies, and the Baker’s Surprise

A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, Book 6

 

The wedding of Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood and Marquetta Weiss is only days away and the B&B is abuzz with excitement. But the mood changes when Rick’s daughter Alex does a little snooping. She overhears Henry Nicholas on his cellphone with his wife, and it’s not Tara, the woman who checked in as Mrs. Nicholas.

 

When Alex outs Henry at breakfast, Tara explodes. She demands Henry leave immediately. He checks into the town’s motel. But the next morning, Henry is found dead in his room. Rick and Police Chief Adam Cunningham investigate the death, focusing on Tara, who was seen outside the room at the time of the murder.

 

Alex is convinced Tara is innocent and starts investigating. The trail leads her to a rocky bluff over the ocean and a deadly showdown with a sociopath. There, the truth, and Alex’s life, hang in the balance.

 

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MEGA-COZY MYSTERY BOOK GIVEAWAY

In February 2013, a group of cozy mystery authors got together to form Booklover’s Bench as a way of supporting each other with cross-promotion. Over time, membership changed as both writing lives and personal lives changed, but the group is still going strong. Today, it consists of authors Terry Ambrose, Nancy J. Cohen, Debra H. Goldstein, Cheryl Hollon, Diane A.S. Stuckart, Maggie Toussaint, and Lois Winston. 

The Booklover’s Bench “Let’s Talk” features a blog every Thursday by one of our authors. The fourth Monday of each month features either “Authors on the Bench” or “Characters on the Bench,” where we all respond to one question.

 

We promote each other through our blogs, websites, newsletters, contests, and social media posts. Our goal is to increase the readership of all our members. We do this by offering interesting content, contests, and book giveaways.

 

Each month we hold a Rafflecopter book giveaway where the winner can choose one of seven books offered that month. However, every February in celebration of the anniversary of our founding, the lucky winner receives all seven books offered for the month. 

 

Want a chance to win? Click on over to Booklover’s Bench to enter between now and February 18^th and while you’re there, check out the beautiful new redesign of the website.

AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE WEAVES A MODERN DAY MYSTERY FROM A REAL-LIFE ROYAL HAWAIIAN THEFT

King Kalākaua's Crown

Terry Ambrose has written more than a dozen books, several of which have been award finalists. In 2014, his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. His series include the Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mysteries, the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, and the License to Lie thriller series. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website.  

Five years ago, we visited ‘Iolani Palace in Honolulu. ‘Iolani is the only royal palace in the United States. Once the home of Hawaii’s monarchy, it’s now a museum and teaching center. The story of how this came to be struck a chord within me, and for years I wondered how I could weave the story of Hawaii’s last reigning monarch into a current-day mystery. It wasn’t until I came across a 2011 story from Honolulu Magazine titled Malice in the Palace: The Hawaii Crown Jewel Robbery that I knew I’d found my solution, a true and twisted tale of greed that created the perfect setup for Mystery of the Eight Islands.

 

It’s January 17, 1893, and trouble is brewing

Foreign businessmen, mostly Americans, are about to overthrow the Hawaiian government to further their business interests. But that’s only the beginning of the story. In the days following their coup d’état, a man named George Ryan and a few trusted friends commit a crime—not just any crime, but the theft of Hawaiʻi’s crown jewels.

 

George Ryan was only eighteen when he ran away from his hometown in Indiana. Ryan’s real name was Preston Horner. Few knew him by that name, however, because he used multiple aliases until he died. Ryan was no stranger to the streets, having held odd jobs between his stints at a penitentiary in Oregon and a prison on O’ahu.

 

Ryan’s notoriety began after he was arrested in Honolulu for carrying a concealed weapon and ordered to leave the islands. Rather than doing that, Ryan stayed on O’ahu. As a foreigner, Ryan was supportive of the coup that removed Queen Liliuokalani from power and joined the reorganized Hawaii Guard. One weekend, while stationed at ‘Iolani Palace, Ryan and a few accomplices went to the basement, found the crown of King Kalākaua, pried all of the gems from the crown, and stole them. 

 

The thieves used an elaborate network of opium dealers and hack drivers (equivalent of today’s taxi drivers) to fence the gems. The detective assigned to the case, William Larsen, spent months following leads and eventually arrested most of the participants. But here’s where things get twisted—most of the thieves were never tried for their roles.

 

Even Ryan’s charges were reduced to second-degree larceny. A jury found him guilty after deliberating for eight minutes. Rather than handing down a stiff sentence, the judge sentenced him to only three years in prison and a fine of $5,000. While in prison, Ryan received a letter from his sister thanking him for the six-carat diamond he sent her. With the cooperation of the Indiana police, the diamond was recovered, and promptly disappeared after it was returned to Hawaii. 

 

Sadly, most of the stolen gems are lost forever. Today, it would cost millions to restore the crown to its original condition. In a final twist of fate, George Ryan did eventually see justice. After he joined the American Army, he was stationed in the Philippines, where he was discovered digging up buried treasure by locals. Their justice was not so lenient. Ryan’s body was found floating on a raft down a river. He’d been tied to the raft and his hands had been cut off. 

 

The theft of Hawaii’s Crown Jewels provided me with a starting point for Mystery of the Eight Islands. The missing element was a fictional necklace I inserted into the real robbery. The necklace became the glue that brought the story together, tying current-day events with the real events of the 1890s that in many ways seem stranger than fiction.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and look forward to hearing what you think about it.

 

Mystery of the Eight Islands

A Trouble in Paradise Mystery, Book 11

 

Apartment manager and amateur sleuth McKenna wants a break from solving murders. Too bad his best friend, wannabe PI Chance Logan, doesn’t feel the same. Chance has found a case he thinks McKenna’s going to love—the death of prominent attorney Julian Carr, and the theft of a 125-year-old necklace that’s worth a quarter of a million dollars. Before long, McKenna’s feeling pressured from all sides—find the necklace, solve the murder. Sure. Why not just add save the world?

 

McKenna’s sure something fishy is going on when he and Chance meet with Julian’s granddaughter about the case. She’s created her own murder board with five suspects. The list includes an unstable, art-collecting veterinarian, a convicted felon, a disbarred attorney, a suspected art thief, and Julian’s new business partner. 

As the investigation ramps up, McKenna and Chance see their leads drying out faster than laundry in the tropical sun. The really bad news is they’re not sure they can even find the Eight Islands or solve the murder. For once, McKenna’s worried they just might fail. 

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE'S TWEEN AMATEUR SLEUTH ALEX ATWOOD

Today we sit down for a chat with tween amateur sleuth Alexandra (Alex) Atwood from author Terry Ambrose’s Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

My life was a total disaster before my author came along. He was like, I have this idea for a mystery series, but you and your dad have to move across the country. And I was like, seriously? All my friends are here. I’m in fifth grade and moving is gonna totally ruin my life. But after we got to Seaside Cove I realized he totally did me and my dad a huge favor ‘cause that’s how Daddy met Marquetta and I got to take on my first case.

 

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself? 

Everybody says I’m super precocious, and I think that’s an awesome trait to have.

 

What do you like least about yourself?

Seriously? I don’t know you very well, but my author says you’re really nice, so I guess it’s okay. What I like least is that some of the little things scare me—like spiders. Ewww. I hate spiders with their little spindly legs.

 

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

He totally had to be having a messed up day ‘cause he tried to kill me and Marquetta by having us drive off a cliff on a mountain road. It was super scary and I thought for sure we were gonna die, but Marquetta’s an awesome driver so we survived. Don’t tell my author, but I still haven’t forgiven him for that.

 

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Lady, I’m like eleven. When I try to argue with him, he grounds me and sends me to my room! It’s so totally unfair. 

 

What is your greatest fear?

Wow, lady. You ask some super personal questions. My real mom wanted to be a big actress on Broadway more than she wanted to be my mom. That’s why my dad divorced her and moved us to Seaside Cove. So my biggest fear was that I’d grow up without a mom. 

 

What makes you happy?

Having Marquetta in my life is what makes me the happiest. She’s the B&B’s cook, but now she’s also gonna marry my dad. The first time we met was like this super cool connection. She’d talked to my dad on the phone before we moved here and painted my room teal and purple ‘cause they’re my favorite colors. She’s always watching out for me and treats me the way I always wished my real mom would.

 

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

That’s easy! I’d rewrite the first years of my life so that Marquetta would have been my mom. My dad’s so much happier with her than he ever was before he met her.

 

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

None of the other characters has ever been mean to me before like Adela Barone. She showed up in Treasure Most Deadly and I kinda liked her, but then she started lying and I realized she wasn’t trying to be my friend at all. I totally don’t like people like that.

 

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

I’d love to trade places with Mayor Carter ‘cause she’s an adult and she owns an ice cream shop! I could eat ice cream all day long and never get grounded. It would also be a lot of fun to run the town. That would be pretty awesome!

 

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find his website/blog?

My author won’t tell me his age, but I kinda think he’s really old ‘cause he’s been writing for a super long time. Learn more about him and all his books at his website. 

 

What's next for you?

Right now, my author’s giving everybody in Seaside Cove a vacation while he works on the next Trouble in Paradise Mystery. I’m gonna totally enjoy my summer break and get ready for my dad and Marquetta’s wedding. 

 

Treasure Most Deadly

A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery, Book 5

 

Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood is again called on to assist his friend, Chief of Police Adam Cunningham, with a murder investigation. The case seems straightforward enough. Clive Crabbe, who has a quick temper and a strong jealous streak, was found hunched over the victim after the man made advances toward Clive’s ex-wife. 

 

A murder investigation is the last thing Rick wants right now. The B&B is booked solid. The town is inundated with tourists and news reporters chasing stories about treasure thieves. And Rick’s wedding to Marquetta Weiss is just weeks away. As if that wasn’t enough, Rick’s eleven-year-old daughter Alex is not only itching to help the cops solve another murder, but she’s forming an unhealthy friendship with a B&B guest.

 

As the murder investigation progresses, Rick realizes Alex’s new friend could be at the center of everything. The worst part is that Alex may be the one person capable of cracking the case.

 

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A #CHRISTMAS TRADITION FROM MYSTERY AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE

Once upon a time, in a life he’d rather forget, Terry Ambrose tracked down deadbeats for a living. He also hired big guys with tow trucks to steal cars—but only when negotiations failed. Those years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons such as—always keep your car in the garage. He now spends his time writing mysteries, including the Trouble in Paradise McKenna Mysteries, the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, and the License to Lie thriller series. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website. 

A Christmas Tradition

When I was a child, we had a family tradition of putting out a nativity set each year at Christmas. The set had been in our family for as long as I can remember. I have no idea where my parents bought it, but each year we diligently unpacked each piece, arranged the figurines, then repacked everything after the holidays.

My mother and father moved to Santa Barbara in the 70s. They lived in the same two-bedroom apartment for more than thirty years. But when my father passed away in 2006, my mother knew the strokes she had suffered would make in impossible for her to live alone. And that meant we needed to move her. During the move we discovered how much stuff two people could accumulate over the course of thirty years.

With the move approaching, we tackled the job of packing each item my mother intended to keep. It was a daunting job. Every item in the apartment, from clothing to art supplies to kitchen appliances had to be reviewed and categorized. We created multiple piles for donations, which I loaded into my car and took to a charity. There was another pile for throwaways—and believe me, there were plenty. And finally, the smallest pile of all included the items to be moved.

The move from a two-bedroom apartment with about 1,200 square feet to a 400-square-foot studio was quite a shock for my mom, but she was an independent woman. She needed no assistance for walking, so walk she did, all over the streets of Santa Barbara. Although she had a great deal of space outside, she felt cramped in her little studio. But she had her possessions, including some of the family Christmas decorations, stored in boxes in her closet.

It wasn’t until she passed in 2011, that we discovered the manger was still there. The figurines that went with the set, however, had apparently been lost during the move-in. After storing the manger in our garage for a couple of years, my wife and I decided we should find figurines to go with it. That turned out to be much harder than we’d expected!

We searched for appropriately sized figurines and eventually found some that were only slightly larger than the originals. This Christmas, we’ll continue the tradition of setting up the manger and figurines just as we did when I was young. I wish we hadn’t lost the original figurines, but we still have the manger, and can still relish the joy of a family tradition.

The Killer Christmas Sweater Club

All ten-year-old Alexandra Atwood wants for Christmas is to get her dad and the B&B’s cook Marquetta under the mistletoe. After all, how can they get married if they don’t kiss first?

When murder strikes in Seaside Cove, bed-and-breakfast owner Rick Atwood is asked to help find the killer. But this will not be an easy case to crack. Not only did the killer contaminate the crime scene, but there are suspects all over town. And they all received the same Christmas sweater from the victim.

Alex hears rumors about the murder and decides that since she’s on Christmas break, she has time for a little multitasking. She launches her own investigation even as she continues her efforts to get her dad and Marquetta together.

Just when Rick thinks he’s identified all the suspects, he discovers a new one—his estranged wife. With the days until Christmas ticking down, Rick feels pressured from all sides. He needs to solve the case. He needs to send his wife back to New York. But the one thing he doesn’t need is for his daughter to be one step ahead of him and the cops.

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MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE ON IDENTITY THEFT AND SCAM ARTISTS

Terry Abrose is a skip tracer who writes mysteries and thrillers. His latest funny Hawaiian mystery, Kauai Temptations, received a 5-star review from venerated mystery author Carolyn Hart. To learn more about Terry and his books and find featured content with real scam tips, author interviews, and book reviews on his website. Scam artists love to zero in on clueless shoppers during the holiday season. Today Terry joins with a list of the seven most popular scams. Being aware of them will help you protect yourself.

I’m a former identity theft victim. My identity was stolen back in the days when people still ordered checks. We ordered checks from our bank, then went on vacation knowing our checks would be delivered well after we returned home. The checks were delivered early, a temporary employee at the Post Office stole our box of checks from our held mail, and my identity was toast.

That scenario is the trigger for my new McKenna Mystery, Kauai Temptations. That incident, combined with my own background as a skip tracer, led me to write all these years later about scams and cons—both in real life and in fiction.

With 7 days left until Christmas, there are still plenty of opportunities for the scammers, so let’s look at seven of those that have been making the rounds this holiday season.

1) Holiday e-cards are very popular this year. Did you know these cards can conceal viruses and malware? If you receive an email with an attachment or link to a card, be careful. If you have any question about who sent the card, delete it.

2) Giving the gift of plastic can be a great solution for those who are hard to buy for. Gift cards, however, can become worthless if a smart scammer gets the authorization code on the card. Once you activate the card, they start buying online. Your gift becomes worthless and whoever gave it to you is out the money.

3) Looking for love this holiday season? Be cautious when making new friends on social media. If someone becomes really friendly quickly and your name’s not Adam Levine or Scarlett Johansson, think twice about that friend.

4) It’s the season of giving—and scammers know it. Charities receive the bulk of their donations in the 90 days before January 1. That’s why scammers use fake charities to collect “donations.” Check out charities on the Better Business Bureau website at bbb.org.

5) Is your credit card debt piling up because you went overboard? The FBI estimates that 90% of the work-at-home opportunities are scams. If you’re thinking of working at home and have dreams of making that advertised $10k a month, rethink the dream. You’ll be lucky if you don’t get taken for that much.

6) We saw one of the new Hallmark Christmas movies the other night, Christmas with Tucker. The dog in the movie was so darned cute he almost made me want one of my own. If you find yourself thinking about a new pet, be careful when buying online. You could get a pooch with problems or nothing at all.

7) Santa scammers. Say what? In my book, this is about as low as it goes. This one  takes money from an unsuspecting parent and disappoints a child. Here’s how the scam works: Since the 1950s, legitimate businesses have handwritten letters from Santa to children. Very cool idea. Enterprising scammers, however, felt left out. They now have fake websites to collect personal information they might use to steal your identity.

I’ve got 7 days left until Christmas and a couple of scam posts to do on my website, so if you’ve got a good one—or even an experience with one of these—I’d love to hear it.

Kauai Temptations

Lush tropical setting…enchanting beaches…dark secrets

When Wilson McKenna’s bank tells him he’s written $4,000 in bad checks on an island he’s never been to, he’s one unhappy haole. Things get worse when he’s nearly arrested for impersonating himself, the woman who trashed his credit turns up dead, and he realizes he’s up to his ‘umi’umi in hot lava.

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MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--GUEST AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE

There are all sorts of cyberspace scams that prey on people, separating them from their money. Mystery author Terry Ambrose stops by today with some tips for online safety. Terry started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark when “negotiations” failed. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website. -- AP 

Three tips to stay safe online

I recently received an email from a friend, who is a very nice man, does lots of community service and other good things, and who also sent out a slew of spam. He didn’t do it intentionally, but was the victim of someone hacking his AOL account. A couple of days before that, I received another spam email from another friend who’d had his email account hacked. This unfortunate and all too frequent issue points out just how difficult it can be for people to avoid becoming the victim of a scam. Here are three quick tips to help keep your financial information safe.

Work at home scams

Some of our relatives recently retired to California from their place in Florida. Once they got here, they decided that it would be nice to be able to work from home to stay active and make a little extra cash. The interesting thing is that many of those “work at home” offers are no more than scams. Robert Brauer of The Internet Truth Project (www.theinternettruthproject.com), an organization that helps new internet entrepreneurs avoid scams and focus on honest ways of growing their businesses warns that, “Most are complete scams -- in fact, government studies show that 54 of 55 are scams.”

Keep your financial information confidential

Let’s return for a moment to that AOL email I mentioned at the top of this post. The email told me that my friend had gone to the Philippines and had been mugged. He was in need of cash. This scam is one of the oldest around, but continues to be used by scammers because these guys are good at practicing the old adage, “don’t fix what ain’t broken.” If you receive this type of email and want to check with your friend, be sure not to simply reply to the email, but create a new one or, better yet, call him and him to change the password on his email account.

Spoofed websites

Perhaps one of the most dangerous threats is the “spoofed” website. A spoofed website is a fake site that has been set up to look exactly like the real thing. These sites typically have domain names that are similar to the ones they’re imitating. For instance, AARP issued an alert to it’s members before the holidays about a site using the address “www.tiffany.co.mn” instead of the legitimate “www.tiffany.com”. The thing that makes these sites so dangerous is their appearance, which is virtually identical to the original. It’s unwise to ever click a link in an email, but if you do, make sure the address matches what you expect and isn’t some dangerous derivative.

If you’d like more tips on how to stay one step ahead of the con, check out my Crime and  Courts column on Examiner.com or the tips I provide on my website.

License to Lie:

Never trust a soul—even your own.

Two experts in the art of communications. Both are driven by their goals—and they’re on opposite sides of the law. But, when her father is kidnapped, they join forces—and learn that with $5,000,000 and their lives on the line, it’s hard to trust each other—or themselves.

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