Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

Online scams are everywhere these days:

• You get an e-mail saying you just won $30 million in the Nigerian lottery


• A person who takes your credit card to pay for something steals the information


• Your phone gets hacked when you download an application that's actually a virus

Maybe the Nigerian lottery is easy to spot, but the others may not be. Consumers can end up being taken for thousands of dollars if they aren't careful.

Money recovery from companies is a difficult process and the delay can cause you financial problems. Cybercriminals are out there in full force. They are taking advantage of the increasing dependence on the Internet as an easy way to make millions. Not only do consumers get penalized, but companies are being hit hard too -- to the tune of billions of dollars each year.

The popularity in online crime has manifested itself in more people considering bankruptcy in Atlanta and looking for an honest and experienced Atlanta bankruptcy lawyer in whom they can trust.

A recent Daily Finance article looks at how to avoid becoming the victim of financial fraud. The story looks at the plight of an 84-year-old woman who was called by a man claiming to be her grandson.

He said he was with friends in Canada and hit a telephone pole with his car and needed $5,000. The woman said his voice sounded like it could be her grandson. And she lost contact with him after he served in Iraq, so she didn't have his phone number. He told the woman she could wire money from a Wal-Mart to him. Of course he needed it right away. She obliged. When she got a second call, saying the crash caused damage to a business, she got suspicious and realized it was a fraud.

It's also costly for businesses. For instance, in 2009, MoneyGram International Inc. agreed to pay $18 million to settle claims by the federal government that it had been used by fraudulent telemarketers to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

Here are some tips to help ensure you don't get ripped off:

• Do your homework: Don't just fork over the money


• Make sure you are working with a real lawyer, not someone who says he or she is


• Protect your personal information by limiting how much you give out, especially your date of birth and Social Security number


• If you are victimized, file a complaint

To be honest, bankruptcy won't work for everyone. There are situations in which it isn't advisable. But for many people who have seen their credit scores plummet, or lost their job or life savings, bankruptcy in Atlanta could be the way to go.

When people are stuck in debt, there's simply no wiggle room. Filing for bankruptcy in the Atlanta area could be the answer. Getting all that debt off a person's plate allows him or her to break free and look ahead to a brighter to the future.

Continue reading "Cost of Cybercrime Fraud Could Lead to Bankruptcy in Atlanta " »

The good news is that the recession has given many people an excuse to go back to school. The bad news? Some of us are paying dearly for it thanks to a recent spate of financial aid scams, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Maybe we have more time on our hands thanks to unemployment. Maybe we're realizing that we need a certain degree to be competitive in our job market. Whatever the reason, a record number of Americans are enrolling in college. But how do we pay for it? With average tuition soaring over $12,000, it's no surprise that most students need some sort of financial help for school. And scammers are taking advantage, according to WalletPop.

Continue reading "Atlanta College Students Falling For Financial Aid Scams" »

If you thought the Grinch was a mean one, wait until you hear about Christmas card financial scam artists.

You know those e-cards you get from family, friends and co-workers? The ones that feature pretty winter scenes, Christmas trees you can decorate with a point-and-click of your mouse or creepy dancing elves you can personalize with your own face? Well, now they might feature something else - spyware that can infect your computer and steal your identity, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "Atlanta Computer Users Fall For Holiday Greeting Card Scam" »

If you're barely able to afford paying the mortgage and putting gas in your car, surely you're not going to splurge on stuff you don't even need, right?

Or will you? Americans might be cutting back in most areas, but they're spending more than ever on infomercial products - things like ab machines, spray tan bottles and the infamous Snuggies. So why are we spending our dwindling dollars on "As Seen on TV" merchandise that may not even work? It's all in the sales pitch, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "More Atlanta Shoppers Buying Into Infomercials In Spite of Debt" »

You thought pumpkin pie was tasty - how about a slice of a $164 million pie the IRS is hoping to serve up this season?

No, it's not a scam, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. It's just the government's effort to get late tax refunds to the more than 100,000 Americans that haven't yet received money due to incorrect mailing addresses. If you're looking for help paying the bills and lowering debt - and you haven't yet received your refund - this could be your early Christmas present.

Continue reading "Why Atlanta Taxpayers Might Still Be Eligible For a Late Tax Refund" »

Negotiating the world of debt relief just got a little easier. As of last week, debt settlement companies can no longer charge upfront fees.

So does that mean you can't go wrong with hiring someone to settle your debt? Not exactly, say Atlanta attorneys. Companies are still allowed to charge for services rendered - and unfortunately, those services don't always do anything to actually fix your finances.

Continue reading "How New Debt Settlement Rules Could Affect Atlanta Consumers" »

In today's tough economic times, it seems everyone is on the lookout for a golden opportunity - but surprisingly, selling your gold may not be one.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for making money off stuff you don't need or want - for instance, by hocking clothes, electronics and such on eBay and Craigslist. It reduces clutter, helps pay the bills, and puts your unwanted things in the hands of someone who appreciates them. In short, everyone wins. But when it comes to selling gold jewelry - made extra appealing by today's high gold prices - there's a good chance you'll lose, according to a recent investigative report by TODAY.

Continue reading "Why Selling Gold for Cash Might Not Be a Good Deal" »

How far would you go to lower your credit card rate? For the sake of your wallet, hopefully not as far as some credit card holders.

It seems that a growing number of consumers are forking over hundreds of dollars to telemarketers in an attempt to lower their interest rates, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. The companies, which usually go by names like "credit member services" or "credit card services," promise to work with credit card issuers to drop rates to too-good-to-be-true levels, often less than 5 percent. So what's the problem? It's a scam meant to target desperate consumers already struggling with credit card bills and mortgage payments.

Continue reading "Credit Card Scam Targets Atlanta Consumers Already Dealing With Debt" »

As if it's not bad enough that we may fall victim to yet another recession, we also have to worry about falling victim to double-dip scams.

With the economy looking poised to take another nosedive, more folks than ever are dealing with recession-related difficulties - things like getting laid off, losing our homes to foreclosure and struggling to pay the bills. And scam artists are taking full advantage, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Fraudsters know many of us will do anything to earn a steady paycheck or save our home, including giving them our hard-earned dollars.

Fortunately, there's a way to tell the scams from the real deal.

Continue reading "Ways Atlanta Consumers Can Avoid Double-Dip Recession Scams" »

With half a billion people using Facebook, it almost seems like a crime not to join the social networking site. But in fact, that might be the best way to avoid crime.

Most of us don't think twice about posting our names, photos, birthdays - even the week we're going to be gone on vacation - to our Facebook page. After all, what's a little sharing between friends, right? But we forget that millions of other people can see that info, too, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. And with looser privacy settings, more folks than ever can access our personal information - putting our finances at risk.

Continue reading "Protecting Privacy Can Help Atlanta Facebook Users Avoid Financial Scams" »

The price of gas is always going up - but lately, it's getting especially high for some debit card users.

That's because more and more folks who use debit to pay at the pump are becoming victims of identity theft, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Criminals can now attach a device called a skimmer to gas pumps. When you enter your card and PIN, a tiny camera in the skimmer reads the information - and gives scammers all they need to take money right out of your bank account. When you're already low on cash and struggling to manage your debt, having some thief steal your hard-earned dollars is like rubbing salt in the wound.

Despite its risks, debit can be a more responsible alternative to credit. The key is to be careful when and where you use it.

Continue reading "How Atlanta Debit Users Can Avoid Identity Theft at the Gas Station" »

When you think of a debt relief company, you usually think of a company that, you know, relieves debt. But believe it or not, you might be wrong.

We've all heard the claims by debt relief firms, be it on the radio, TV or our computer. They can negotiate with creditors on your behalf, lowering -- or eliminating -- the amount you owe. And they can do it all for a low monthly rate. And virtually overnight. For the many folks $10,000 or more in debt, it sounds like a miracle.

Unfortunately, it is like a miracle - in that it very rarely happens.

Continue reading "Bankruptcy Can Do What Atlanta Debt Relief Companies Can't" »

From an early age, we're taught not to trust strangers. Maybe that's why it's so easy for us to spot fraudulent e-mails coming from people or places we don't recognize.

The problem is, some scammers are outsmarting us by disguising their e-mails - and stealing our personal information in the process, according to Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. Sure, we know not to click on that message from a millionaire in a foreign country or someone trying to sell us weight loss pills - especially when the e-mails are full of typos. But what about that legitimate-looking e-mail that appears to be from our own bank or credit card company?

Continue reading "Phishing Email Scams Try to Lure Atlanta Bank Customers into Giving Up Personal Information" »

How frequently do you check your credit card statement?

If you're like most folks, you simply read your balance and write a check. After all, why would you want to think about all that money that goes down the drain each month, right? But if you don't check up on your charges, your loss could literally be somebody else's gain.

The Federal Trade Commission recently busted a group of scammers that stole millions of dollars from millions of credit card users for over four years. How did they get away with stealing so much for so long? Easy. They took small amounts from each victim - a quarter here, 75 cents there - which they figured no one would notice. Sure enough, very few people reported the charges. But all those pennies add up. If too much debt has you struggling to pay the bills as it is, you shouldn't have to deal with someone getting a free ride off of your hard-earned dollars.

Continue reading "Why Atlanta Credit Card Holders Should Read Their Credit Statement Every Month" »

Taking out a loan to pay off debt doesn't really make sense - after all, a loan means more debt.

But that's exactly what millions of Americans do each year when they sign up for debt consolidation loans. From the alluring promises made in debt consolidation ads, it's hard not to be curious. Combine all your debts - mortgage, car loan and credit cards - into one easy low-rate payment, they say. Save thousands a year! Wipe out credit card debts!

It sounds too good to be true - and at DebtStoppers, we know that means it probably is!

Continue reading "Debt Consolidation Loans Can Leave Atlanta Residents With More Debt" »