Consumer fraud caught as it happened

November 25, 2022 • By Dennis Beaver It isn’t often that I am a “witness” to a glaring example of consumer fraud, but thanks to “Frank” and his grandmother, “Thelma,” I was “virtually” standing next to her, listening to an optical salesperson violate several of their...

Conversation with a con artist

June 14, 2008 (Original publish date) • By Dennis Beaver “Want to know the easiest way of separating people from their money? Join a Church!” That was the way “Greg” began one of the more interesting discussions I have had in recent months with...

Coronavirus and college tuition

April 17, 2020 • By Dennis Beaver In March of this year, many colleges and universities all across America began switching to distance teaching with Skype, Zoom or other web-based, video-conferencing technologies. For some classes — depending upon a student’s major —...

Coronavirus and timeshares

April 24, 2020 • By Dennis Beaver  Over the past several weeks I have heard from several readers who have discovered that their parents purchased a timeshare and are now ill with the coronavirus. Some have died. “What happens to their timeshare?” is the question. “As...

Credit-card swiping scam

November 1, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver If your business uses a credit card reader — also called a credit card swiping machine — today’s story will prevent you from becoming one more victim in an on-going nationwide rip-off of small businesses across the...