Shining a Spotlight on Dubious Charges Supposedly, right angles don’t exist in nature. Similarly, people seldom make purchases for even amounts. So, the grocery/gas/dry cleaning bill is almost never exactly $40; rather, it’s $39.72 or $40.17 or some such. “That’s Odd!” (Literally) Consumers can use that phenomenon to help thwart credit card fraudsters who —...Read More
Fraudulent Wiring Instructions “ANTI-FRAUD DISCLOSURE: Edina Realty and its agents will never provide you with wiring instructions via email without verifying the information in person or over the phone. EMAILS ATTEMPTING TO INDUCE FRAUDULENT WIRE TRANSFERS ARE COMMON AND MAY APPEAR TO COME FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE. If you receive an email directing you to transfer...Read More
Playing Defense as Well as Offense Anthony Finney: So I had a contract drawn up to buy you and your company lock, stock, and barrel. Ray Donovan: I’m not for sale [walks away]. Anthony Finney: Ahh . . we’re still negotiating. –“Ray Donovan”; “Come and Knock on Our Door” (episode 3, season 3). You can...Read More
Stock Market Non-Predictions, Over-Predictions, and Other Tricks of the Trade “Predictions are hard, especially about the future.” –Yogi Berra Apparently, there are two ways to be beat a polygraph (lie detector) test: 1) be a truly “cool cucumber,” who is absolutely non-reactive to every conceivable question; or 2) wildly overreact to every question, so that...Read More
