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Out of the ordinary novels available at library
The one thing that all the new novels below have in common is that they are out of the ordinary.

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Have you ever checked out of that ‘lovely, rural, romantic but god damn expensive retreat’ and filled your handbag with complimentary sachets of hot chocolate, little bars of soap, shower caps, spa slippers, and the odd Corby Trouser Press?

In the past six months, I’ve read several newspaper stories about college seniors losing out on job interviews — and even jobs — after prospective employers have look them up on the Internet.

And I thought was a good subject to bring up to law graduates sending out resumes for their first post law school jobs. Heck, this will apply even if you’ve been in practice for a while.

More and more, employers are looking to supplement resumes with mini background checks on the Internet. It costs them nothing and can tell enormous tales.

Take the college senior who applied for a good job and had two interviews. She thought she was on her way. She was wrong.

What stopped her was a rather raucous photo from spring break several years earlier that had been posted online. While the photo could be seen as youthful natural abandon, prospective employers viewed it as poor judgment and immaturity. Two qualities they definitely don’t want to hire.

There are many web sites in cyberspace catering to students: Facebook and My Space are just two of them.

According to a recent article in the Richmond Times Dispatch, sites like these attract young people who tend to swagger online. Personal pages can be filled with bravado about drugs, drinking and sex and photos can be uploaded and shared with the community.

But it isn’t just the My Space community you’re sharing the photos with. It’s future employers, too.

It’s “dig me” and “how cool am I?” from the sixties all over again.

Take this test: Google yourself. Go on – type your name into Google’s search engine and see what comes up. Put it in quotes so your name stays together and you don’t get separate hits for your first name and last name independently.

When I put my name in, 431 hits come back. Some of them aren’t me – some hits are for a Victoria Rosendahl in Europe. But most of the hits reference articles and books I’ve written as well as my web site. Cool.

What’s the Big Deal?

The big deal, really, is credibility. Let’s say you posted to My Space or Facebook when you were in high school or college and forgot all about it. And let’s say you embellished the truth. Explainable? Maybe not.

Let me spin a legal case analogy for you. You have your first case with minor soft tissue injuries. You take the deposition of the plaintiff and ask if she ever had any other accidents that caused similar injuries. She says no and proceeds to say how badly she’s injured from this accident. The complaint asks for more money than you know the accident is worth based on medical opinion.

Is she embellishing to collect more than she’s entitled to? In the process of discovery, you find out that she’d been tagged for shoplifting three years ago. So is this helpful in a PI case?

Extremely helpful. Stealing is considered a “truth” crime and you can now call her veracity into question. Do you listen to what she says in deposition and/or arbitration or trial if she stole merchandise? In other words, she failed to be truthful and pay for what she wanted from the store. So how can we be sure she’s telling the truth now?

I had case just like that as a young associate and it settled for a nominal amount instead of the approximately $25,000 in injuries and pain-and-suffering the plaintiff wanted.

How did I get the information about her background of shoplifting? Not from answers to interrogatories, that’s for sure. I put her name into the local database to find out if she had ever had any lawsuits filed against her and the suit came up. It never went to trial so she wasn’t convicted but it was still a useful tool.

Now, truly, if the personal injury case had gone to trial, she would need to have been convicted of shoplifting for me use against her in open court. But I was able to get the case settled by bringing the evidence up to opposing counsel who then had to worry about the truth of the information his client was giving him.

It’s All About Face

Most law firms worry about face … or how they looked prospective clients. Hiring a new attorney who bragged about things like drugs, sex or alcohol on a web site doesn’t look good. And that’s not all.

A published paper or article that’s contrary to the core beliefs of the firm or organization can be just as damaging.

Do yourself a favor. Google yourself. If there something you’d rather not have prospective employers see, remove it from the web site where it appears.

Your face is just as critical and could be the difference between a cool job offer and none all.

Permanent Residency provides your wife with most of the benefits of citizenship, with a few notable exceptions.

She has the right to work and pay taxes. Oh boy!

One difference is that she cannot vote in elections, which may be a big deal or not depending on your personal philosophy on the subject.

Another difference is that a permanent resident cannot work for the US Government. So if your desire is to have your wife working at the Post Office, she will need to become a naturalized citizen first.

By the way, your wife will be eligible to become a US citizen as a spouse of a US citizen in as little as three years from the time she became a Permanent Resident.

One main reason for her to become a US citizen is if she wants to petition to bring other members of her immediate family, such as her mother or father, or brothers or sisters, to America under a permanent visa. She must be a US citizen in order to do so.

She can petition to bring her immediate family here under a tourist or visitor’s visa under her permanent residency, but she cannot petition for permanent residency for them until she is a citizen.

Another difference between a permanent resident and a citizen is how you are handled in the event you are convicted of a crime.

A felony is defined as a crime where the punishment for the crime, if convicted, is a year or more in prison.

A citizen who is convicted of a felony may serve a sentence and may lose certain citizenship rights such as voting and the right to carry a firearm, but they do not lose their citizenship.

A permanent resident that is convicted of a felony has the same sentencing requirements as a citizen, but after serving their sentence, they may lose their right to be in the United States, and may be deported.

I know of a man who has a Russian spouse whose wife likes to shoplift. If you followed the recent Wynona Ryder shoplifting case, you are aware of the fact that she was convicted of a number of felonies.

If she had been a permanent resident rather than a citizen, Wynona may have been subject to deportation.

If this man’s Russian wife were to take more than $500.00 worth of goods from a store, she could be prosecuted for grand theft, which is a felony. If she gets caught, she may be on a plane back home before she knows it.

I am not excusing her behavior, but I’m only warning you of the consequences of certain behavior. Shoplifting, or possession of controlled substances, or any other crime that may seem innocuous to someone, may still be a felony, and may result in your wife’s deportation.

Consider yourself warned.

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Does the progressive insurance female creep you out?
Sure creeps me out! at first i liked the commercials, but immediately they are kinda creepy no, but the guy that runs it, Peter Lewis, does, he and George Soros are at the rear every radical left movement contained by this country. Hell yes. Especially the drawn in sharpie eyeliner. The…

Does the Progressive insurance woman freak you out, too?
She freaks me out! I dunno what it is about her… I think I’ve have bad dreams over her. What is your opinion? I see her on tv adjectives the time, now she is on the advertising box underneath my email alerts…everywhere I step there she is, even on picture…

Flo the Progressive Insurance Girl or William Shatner?
Flo, shees hawt. aghh neither! but if i had to.. william shatner capt kirk. Flo. Flo Shatner’s makeup is still too alarming to me Spock. neither ! <yep i said it > unless you meant most annoying next id say flo

Flo the progressive insurance girl….?
am i crazy or is it ok to think she is hot?!! my wife thinks im crazy! dude your not crazy.. she is hot… she have that retro pin up look and awesome commercial personality. i just saw a commercial and wondered if here were pictures of her… dude. maybe we are crazy.. lol You’re not…

Geico or Progressive Car Insurance?
Which company is better? Go to www.progressive.com and seize a quote. Then click on the button for “get quotes from other companies”. Usually Geico will be cheaper. I had Progressive for awhile. They are great beside customer service (you actually get to cooperate to a person) and usually have good prices….

Guys merely… Would you hit the progressive insurance girl?
Hit it and won’t quit it. uhh..no, she’s old i would thump that. lol. She looks like a obedient assfuck. Source(s): That’s all I’m saying…. If I could use a steel bat. Oh linger, you’re talking about sex..Yeah, afterwards no. >.> lmfao yes Flo is soooooo…

Has anyone be contained by an happenstance when the human being at mistake be next to the horrible Progressive insurance?
Hell yes. This insurance company is one of the worst insurance companys out in that. Thy dont invesgat nothing, thy just speak oh well we wont pay. This company sucks big time, RUN ,DONT WALK AWAYFROM THIS JERKS \ Source(s):…

Has anyone else have a problem beside Progressive Insurance?
So I got into a car chance. First they tell me that I have to thieve my car to a particular body shop, which I know they can’t do because it’s private. So when I choose the body shop I want to use, they give me a hard time in…

How can I trademark a behind time transfer of funds on my progressive insurance?
The insurance is under my dads name but he have been out of the state for about 6 months, so i be making the payments. Now i missed it a couple weeks ago and i wont let me pay online! Are they even going to permit me…

How did progressive Insurance switch your hit and run valise?
Or do you know someone who was involved in a hit and run fluke and had progressive insurance? Do you think that police or the insurance company would try to find the shake that bump into my car? What are the chances they would arrest someone with the…

How difficult is it for a unknown independent insurance agent to receive an appointment frm Progressive Insurance?
I’m in the process of starting a new independent insurance agency and realize I can be in motion through a broker at the cost of a portion of my commissions, I was told on this board in days gone by that Progressive might be…

How do i email a progressive insurance member of staff?
what is the ’standard’ example. john.smith(a)progessive.com john_smith(a)progressive.com smith_john(a)progressive.com or is it net You best bet is to call them and ask for their email address. Or name anyone else at Progressive and ask them if there is a standard format. Also, is it…

How does Progressive insurance digit out torment and suffering?
Many people 2, 3 , or even 4 times medical. But Really does any have experience next to Progressive how do thet come to a figure? Do you know if they use a sofware program like Colosal? Nope, that 2, 3, 4 rule, is Not True. Progressive information, based on state…

How does progressive, surrounded by Cincinnati, handle the insurance claim (on hit and run incident surrounded by a privaparking lo?
Will my premium go up if the other car isn’t identified? I do enjoy a comprehensive coverage on my car. Instead of getting peoples guesses.Call them. Comprehensive coverage would not cover this. That coverage is for things…

How long does it embezzle to grasp proof of Insurance from Progressive Direct?
I’m planning on buying my first car in the subsequent few weeks and have been browsing potential insurers. Progressive Direct seem to be the cheapest, but I’ll need proof of insurance in command to switch the title when I buy the used car. I just am wondering if…

How much does an insurance agent at progressive clear?
My wife and I want a job there becuase we hear it pays good. We live in Manhattan. We want a errand near there. OK, do you want to be an insurance agent and flog insurance, as an appointed agent,…

How much does progressive charge to put in a 3rd personage who is 19 years behind the times to their insurance policy?
Maybe nothing, depending on the other drivers that are already listed on the policy. No one here could possibly provide you an answer. Do you mean how much will it cost parents to add their 19-year-old to their…

How much will my Progressive saloon insurance increase if I attach a 93 Camaro for my 16 year older?
Any idea where I can find this info? Any estimates? Progressive has a network site and a telephone number. Duh. 1. You can go on Progressives website and do the quote yourself on your own policy. 2. Call Progressive…

How rugged is it to drop motorcycle insurance and pick up another insurer. Dropping progressive, getting geico.?
i originally got a quote from geico that was high than progressive, however i recently spoke with geico again and they can immediately beat progressive for me since i am a home owner. in any satchel i have only have insurance with progressive for…

How will a “Failure to conform a posted traffic sign” affect my Progressive insurance surrounded by Pennsylvania?
Are there points associated with that betrayal? Will my insurance go up? This is my first speeding ticket. Other than this, I have a verbs driving record. Go to school, get rid of the points No. It’s a no-points ticket, and the officer…

I call for driving directions for the progressive insurance claim service center located contained by Indianapolis, Indiana?
use google earth Source(s): www.googleearth.com use the google site Source(s): www.googleearth.com why don’t you call them, they usually come to you 1-8OO-888-7764 dont know none sorry try msn maps or maps.com in recent times a tip later go to yellowpages.com…

I call progressive insurance and asked for a written policy, the agent told me here is no written policy?
AM I GETTING SHAFTED? he told me that [as a progressive branch manager] he cannot give me progressive’s policy because it’s considered progressive’s private property. and that there is no written policy on the subject of my case. *he told me…

I cant find a insurance co. call progressive county nuteral out of mabank texas anywhere?
i was in a motor wreck and the man who hit me would not give me any of his car insu. info the officer who took the report told me the companys cross and his policy number . i cant find progressive county nuteral…

I enjoy progressive insurance?
i was in a stroke of luck, i dont want to use one of their referrels to fix my car becasue my deductible is 500 are tehy going to right teh check to me or to the people i choose. I own never been in a wreck so this is adjectives new to me. It is…

I get contained by a coup¨¦ chance it be their blemish..Progressive is in attendance insurance..they want me to SETTLE?
i told them i couldn’t settle cause the chiropracter said i have significant blight to my neck and lower back and i will hold at least 30 days of therapy.They said they take-home pay for car..insurance bills..then agony and suffering…what do you…

I hold a discount for my saloon insurance does progressive embezzle it or and how does it work…its from drivers ed?
You need to call your insurance and find out how to report the class to them. The class doesnt merely get reported. I am an agent for Progressive and they do not offer a discount for drivers ed….

I own info just about a fraudulent claim against Progressive Insurance Co. Who should I contact?
The person is claiming neck and put money on injuries but continues to secretly do physical work and has told me that some of her injuries be from a previous accident. Who should I contact? The insurance fraud department of Progressive. Progressive Source(s):…

I own question going on for Progressive insurance.?
My room mates added me on there 6 month insurance policy and when they added me they told me I have to pay over lap fees from not have insurance since april. I already paid my bank the over nouns fees of not having insurance but my roomies are my friends so I…

If Don’t Hate and I be contained by a bitter dispute over The Progressive Insurance Girl?
Who’s side would you be on Poll: Cardinal’s or Steelers i think she’s hot. x) Ummm… yours, I don’t think Flo is DH’s type; but pack a lunch cuz DH is no sissy, she will pinch you down man!! Just like the…

If I report a claim for a latest windshield will my insurance premuim budge up? I hold progressive direct.?
NO! Winshields topple under “comprehensive” coverage! If you have windshield coverage it will be free unless you enjoy a deductible.Call your insurance they will instruct you as what you can do No. Glass related damage is covered by your…

More Progressive Insurance quesions please visit : InsuranceQuotesFAQ.com

In a small market place in Thailand, a jewelry shop has become popular in the area. However this popularity has caused a number of theft incidents and armed robberies to occur in the past two years. The managers of the shop have finally decided to install a set of security cameras for their protection as well as the protection of the customers and products. Their investment turned out to be a very smart step to take as we will see from the incident below.

On an ordinary business day, and after the installation of the security cameras system, the surveillance video shows three young men who calmly entered the store. It appears that they have a piece of jewelry that they want to exchange for a better design. They approach the jewelry counter but one can clearly see that their attention lies elsewhere. They suspiciously look around casing the store. The transaction is completed without incident. Before the men leave the store they continue to chat in a low voice while looking at every corner of the store, especially the jewelry displays behind clerks. The men finally exit the store quietly, only to return a few minutes later, but this time they were all wearing masks and two of them were armed with AK 47s.

One can clearly see from the video that the only difference between the previous three men and the later is the masks and the guns; they never even bothered to change their clothes. In order to quickly grab the attention of everybody in the store and make them surrender without resistance they fire wildly near the direction of the customers, the terrified workers ducked for cover. The bullets missed one of the attendants by inches as she quickly ducked her head under the jewelry cases. As the two armed bandits continued to guard the entrance and unleash a rain of terror on the customer and attendants, the other unarmed thief grabbed the gold the gold from every location that he could get his hands on.

One can also realize form the surveillance video that the two armed accomplices eased the job of their third friend by shooting the glass jewelry cases so that the third thief can quickly grab the gold without having to break the glass first. Surprisingly this life-time seaming ordeal took only 45 seconds to occur. The gun wielding gangsters escaped the store with jewelry valued at close to eighty thousand US dollars but at least no one is injured in this vicious surprise attack. Furthermore, due to the stupidity of these bandits the police was quickly able to identify them from the earlier recorded surveillance video when they first came into the store unmasked. They were later captured and the jewelry was safely returned to the store. The security cameras proved to deserve every penny that was spent on them. And this is the case with all security cameras; they continue to pay for their price over and over again by preventing attacks and corrupting the evil schemes of criminals for years on.

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cyber crime was up in 2008, and if the first few months of 2009 is anything to go by, this trend is not only continuing, it is accelerating.
As the country slides into recession, early indicators for 2009—February to March 2009—shows an additional 50% increase in reported Internet fraud complaints.
“These numbers are shocking, but given that the vast majority of incidents go unreported, the threat of identification theft is actually much more serious than even these figures would lead us to believe,” says Justin Yurek, President of ID Watchdog, Inc. Common wisdom says that only one cyber crime in seven—or about fifteen percent—is actually reported.
Internet fraud includes everything from bogus sales on auction sites such as eBay and classified sites like craigslist.com, to smaller scale version of the Ponzi scheme perpetrated by disgraced New York financier Bernard Madoff.
As an example, a scam recently surfaced via e-mails that masquerade as originating from the FBI and other federal agencies seeking the recipient’s bank account information in order to “help with illegal wire transfer investigations.” Sweet.
The Recession Impact
Many observers put the continued surge in cyber crime down to the recession, and for several reasons.
As reported by the TechArena Forum , McAfee for one, in their annual McAfee Virtual Criminology Report—which examines emerging global cyber security trends, with input from leading academics, criminal lawyers, law enforcement authorities and security experts across the world—identified the following challenges:
The Cyber Credit Crunch — The cyber criminal is now trying to cash in on consumer anxiety to profit from old-fashioned “get rich quick” scams.
Meaning, that there are now people who voluntarily sign up to add malicious code to their websites, lured by the promise of easy money. At the same time, desperate job seekers are being recruited as “money mules” to launder cybercriminal gains under the guise of “international sales representatives” or “shipping managers.”
In addition, with the economic downturn driving more people to the web to seek the best deals, opportunities for cybercriminals to attack are on the rise as people are more easily drawn in.
Governments are distracted — As governments grow more and more preoccupied with the economic downturn, their fight against cyber crime slides down their agenda, inviting more and more audacious individuals onto the cyber crime field.
The Cybercop Shortage — It is a known fact that police forces on the cyber crime front line often lack the specialist skills required to effectively fight these criminals.
Furthermore, the lack of dedicated and ongoing training, sufficient remuneration, or even a clear career path, is causing cyber crime specialists to be lured into the more lucrative private sector or even into underground economies.
Criminality Concealed — Eastern Europe, Russia and China have become key safe havens for cybercriminals while Brazil has become one of the fastest growing scapegoat countries for cybercrime. Traffic is often re-routed (and often via Brazil) as a decoy causing considerable misdirection in the origin of attacks.
Information Silo — While law enforcement is bound to physical national boundaries, cybercriminals are free to cooperate across borders.
Law enforcement communication between countries remains inconsistent and limited. Local issues and priorities take precedence over global efforts and international laws are being implemented with regional variations that impede the ability to negotiate jurisdiction and extradition between countries.
This is an environment that plays right into the hands of the cyber criminal, much to the frustration of cyber police.
Microsoft’s Take
As reported by RedOrbit Microsoft shares McAfee’s view that the global recession could prove to be a starting point for an influx of more cyber criminals seeking to use their computer skills to earn extra money.
“Today these (cyber) attacks are no longer about vandalism, they are about cash,” says Roger Halbheer, Microsoft’s chief security advisor for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Cyber crime has gone from cool to cash. And this will definitely grow in the future,” he told AFP (Agence France-Presse) during a recent international conference on terrorism and cyber security in Spain. “At the moment we are still at the cool side. But I’m expecting it to move to the cash side.”
He then went on to add that it is, “one of the things that scare me about the economic downturn because I expect cyber crime to grow.”
Also, the current economic crisis is causing a large number of layoffs, many of them from tech firms, meaning that more and more computer experts will have a lot of time on their hands, but no money. Tempting.
Fixing any and all security issues in software, does not solve the problem for, “Unfortunately the bad guys don’t give up and go away. Instead they increasingly focus on crimes of deception that prey on human vulnerabilities rather than software vulnerabilities.”
A Law Enforcement Perspective
Lt. Rocky Costa, who until recently headed up the Southern California High Technology Task Force agrees. “In fact, law enforcement has always seen a rise in all sorts of theft crimes when the economy goes south. The crooks look to fraud as the best way to separate folks from their money. People are most vulnerable when money is tight and they are looking to save their homes, savings, retirements, and often, their families.
“They become easy prey to the con-artist who has no sense of right and wrong, but knows how to capitalize on human weaknesses. You see the con artist makes a living studying people and their behaviors. They know their success rate will increase as the economy tumbles and/or the recession climbs. Since a vast number of folks use technology daily, it is only natural to expect technology to be another weakness and another method for exploitation.
“Historically, the number of street robberies goes up, along with shoplifting, and burglaries as the money becomes scarcer. Although we have not yet seen these increases at the lab, we fully expect them. However, with the current economy, even government must begin to cut back. When they do, technology based crimes slide down the priority list in favor of these more visible types of theft.
“People need to stay vigilant in the face is despair, holding onto their values and good judgment will be the only way they will be able to fully protect what they have left, until we all see around the corner.”
A Call to Action During the opening keynote at RSA Conference 2009 Art Coviello, President of RSA, The Security Division of EMC, cautioned that the global cyber-threat continues to escalate and online fraudsters are more organized, collaborative and effective than ever. He addressed major forces such as the economy and emerging technologies that are driving the information security industry to evolve and adapt—and how these forces provide an opportunity for “inventive collaboration” to effectively restructure the information infrastructure.
“To combat the cybercriminals requires far more purposeful collaboration on the part of the industry and a strong security ecosystem built around a common development process focused on risk,” said Coviello. “Today’s security technologies are applied as independent applications cluttering the information landscape and leaving perilous gaps of risk.”
Coviello cited three major forces driving the information security industry to evolve and adapt, including:
• the challenge posed by the criminal threat;
• the demand upon enterprises and governments to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity to restore value to the faltering economy; and
• the opportunity to rethink the approach to security based upon emerging technologies and trends such as virtualization, cloud computing and social networking.
According to Coviello, “We must embrace a common development process that allows us to create a more secure infrastructure today. Then with an eye on the future we can ensure that the new technical infrastructure is designed around that process, rather than forcing a process around a collection of technologies.
“We must develop a stronger and healthier ecosystem than the fraudsters and ensure the fluid and frictionless exchange of information on which our global economy depends. It’s not about changing the game; it’s about winning the game,” said Coviello.
Educating the Individual
However, it does not matter of safe our hardware and software becomes, if the individual citizen, desperate for money—and reaching for digital straws, as it were—believes that perhaps this Nigerian Prince really does exist and really does want to spit his $2 Million 50/50 if only he were to help him.
And by the same token, scouring the Internet for the best deal, and finding some that are (in fact) too good to be true, he may pounce on them, not only losing his money in the process, but also his credit card number and other private information.
The same holds true for many “work-at-home” opportunities that only require a small $300 payment for the material you will need to make “thousands a week from your kitchen.” You’ve seen them. Well, as often as not, you will not even receive the material, and by the time you’ve wised up, your card has been charged, your money gone.
The time to wise up is now.
Internet Commerce Made Safe
As we all know, at least during some of our more rational moments—the “too good to be true” deal is often precisely that. But that is not to say that there are no good deals out there. In fact, the Internet is probably the marketplace that to a large extent will pull the economy out of its slump, precisely because it is replete with good deals and true opportunities.
But how to tell the good from the bad?
According to the IC3, the best way to guard against Internet facilitated scams is to stay informed. Keeping informed of the latest scams on the Internet may enable Internet users to recognize and report these scams instead of losing money or their identity information in one of them. To learn about the latest scams, they recommend periodically checking the IC3, FBI, and the FTC websites for the latest updates.
Additionally, the IC3 and its partners have launched a public website, “www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com,” which briefs the consumer about various consumer alerts, tips, and fraud trends. Pay it a visit. Make it a habit.
Also, when it comes to online auctions, and the potential of non-delivery of goods that you’ve paid for, the IC3 makes these specific recommendations:
• Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source. As with auction fraud, check the reputation of the seller whenever possible, including the Better Business Bureau.
• Try to obtain a physical address rather than merely a post office box and a phone number. Also, call the seller to see if the number is correct and working.
• Send them an e-mail to see if they have an active e-mail address. Be cautious of sellers who use free e-mail services where a credit card was not required to open the account.
• Investigate other websites regarding this person/company. Do not judge a person/company by their fancy website; thoroughly check the person/company out.
• Be cautious when responding to special offers (especially through unsolicited e-mail).
• Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country. Remember the laws of different countries might pose issues if a problem arises with your transaction.
• Inquire about returns and warranties on all items.
• The safest way to purchase items via the Internet is by credit card because you can often dispute the charges if something is wrong. Also, consider utilizing an escrow or alternate payment service after conducting thorough research on the escrow service.
• Make sure the website is secure when you electronically send your credit card numbers.
Bona Fide vs. Fraudulent Online Escrow Companies
If you have found a good online deal and are now ready to purchase, it would serve you very well to take IC3’s recommendation and engage an online escrow service.
The problem is that while there are several bona fide online escrow sites, they are nowhere near as many as there are fraudulent ones.
So, how can you be sure that the escrow company you’re considering using is in fact what it says it is?
You must research it. First, do a WHOIS search on the domain. This will show you how long the site has been up, where it is being hosted, how many times the site has been taken down. These are clues. If it smells fishy at all to you, go elsewhere.
Then Google the name of the escrow company to see what gives. This will lead you to forums and other articles. Study them well.
Then, when you have found a site that appears legitimate, travel the extra mile and take one of several additional steps:
• Firstly, while fraudulent sites can buy the necessary certificate to make it a secure site, they seldom do;
• Secondly, you can check at escrow-fraud.com to see if the site you have decided on is listed as a fraudulent site by them; they also maintain a list of bona fide sites;
• Thirdly, you can call the site’s customer service department to make sure they are based in the United States. If you have any doubts about that, ask them to call you back, and check the caller ID—if it is an international call, beware. Also, if the site does not have a customer service department, again, beware;
• Once you know that you’re talking to a U.S. based service department, ask any questions you can think of to ensure they are legitimate, such as which bank are they using for their escrow accounts, and who is their main contact at that bank (whom you can then call to verify that this online escrow company does in deed have an escrow account there);
• If the answer is a well-known American bank, and if the customer service rep can supply contact information at the bank, you are 99% there. Then, if you want to reach 100%, make that final call to the bank to rule out any vestige of doubt.
Now you have found an online escrow company you can trust; register with them and enjoy your purchase.
Escrow.com
To make your life a little easier, there is an online escrow company with the credentials to put your mind at ease.
Licensed by the state of California—as well as by the States of Idaho and Arizona, who require separate licenses—Escrow.com is the only on-line escrow company credentialed to serve every state in the Union, and who indeed does so 24/7.
While Escrow.com will handle transactions of any size, it may not make financial sense to turn to them for low cost items since their transaction fee is $25, and their commission is $63 per $1,000 value of the transaction if payment is by credit card and $32.50 per $1,000 for wire transfers.
But, if you value your sleep, Escrow.com would be indispensible for any transaction of $250 on up.
While Escrow.com is gaining increasing recognition as the Internet escrow company to turn to for peace of e-commerce mind, their staff, on a daily basis, also hunt and diligently work to shut down fraudulent impostors, which are encountered daily.
And they spring up like mushrooms, these impostors: there are days that Escrow.com staff discovers as many as ten new such sites.
The good news is that as these sites are tracked down, authorities are alerted and the sites are soon off the air.
Bay Weighs In
To quote the biggest online auction site of them all, eBay: “Pay safely – beware of fake escrow services when you consider using them to pay for your eBay item.
“For eBay transactions, you should use eBay’s only approved Escrow Company: www.escrow.com.”
Escrow.com Customers Weigh In
Zan Christensen operates a small craft mall and recently completed the sale of a domain name using Escrow.com.
“This transfer was the most convenient and easy to accomplish sale I could have imagined and hoped for, and the most pleasant surprise of how the process moved so smoothly and quickly! Other companies would do well to follow your business model—service, integrity, excellent help access and communication, and most importantly—safe!”
When asked how he came by Escrow.com, Zan says, “I went online and did some research on third party escrows, and I kept seeing over and over and over again: Escrow.com. It kept coming up in multiple discussions, and of course it is recommended by eBay and a whole bunch of domain name companies, selling companies.
“To make a long story short, after researching half a dozen other third party escrow companies and going through their websites page by page and reading thousands of paragraphs about how they operate—everybody is a little bit different—I settled with Escrow.com because I felt it was the safest and I saw that they are very structured, very organized and everything was step by step and validated and verified before the next step is processed, and it worked out great.
“And I definitely picked the right company: The ease of the interface between me and the site in setting up an account; the ease of creating a new transaction, setting out your parameters for the deal, and getting the other party to agree to them: it was so convenient.
“And fast. I received the go-ahead to transfer the name at 7:30 in the morning I had money in the 2:30 that afternoon.”
Elliot Silver buys and sells domain names, and specializes in developing GeoDomans. “Escrow.com is trusted by non-domain professional and domain professionals alike, they are easy to use, and it’s quick to do a transaction through them.”
When asked what he would recommend you do to establish Escrow.com’s credentials, Elliot said, “For one, they should know that Escrow.com is one of the very few online escrow companies that are approved to do business in California. Then I’d suggest that they Google Escrow.com—such as “Escrow.com Review” or “Escrow.com eBay”—and read the articles. That will dispel any fears.
“Also, they’ve been around for a long time, and they own the category. It is the industry-defining domain name. That’s who they are, and that is what they do. They are recommended by the biggest companies who do not handle escrow themselves. They all recommend Escrow.com as a third party.”
Escrow.com—A Soon-To-Be Household Name
As Escrow.com gains further and further recognition on its way to become a household name, it gets harder and harder for impostors to defraud the public for the excellent reason that they are not Escrow.com—the only name you know you can trust.
Here’s to good and safe Internet deals.
Ulf Wolf, based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, writes about cybercrime for Escrow.com.

Classic Old Skool tune. One of my favourite records, and one of my holy records. Njoy it!