Making extra cash from the comfort of your own home sounds like a pretty great deal, but it can be hard to tell which companies are legitimate. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 2 million Americans fell victim to a work at home scheme last year. The are variations on these schemes, but they typically involve receiving packages, relabeling them and sending them out again. Even if you do receive money for postage and your time, these funds may be coming from stolen or counterfeit credit cards or checks.U.S. Postal Inspector Ken Jones offers us his best advice: only work for someone you know you can trust. You can easily do some background research on a company to find out if they are legitimate. Here are a few tips to avoid being roped into one of these scams Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Work At Home Schemes »

Whether keeping up with friends, sharing music, or doing research for a school project, teens are very familiar with the power of social networking, and they’re spending more and more of their time using these tools. The AMW Safety Center has frequently posted tips for how parents can help keep their kids safer when surfing the web.

But parents should also be aware that while online social networks are allowing kids to develop a broader group of friends and access to a wide array of information, these tools are also serving to influence teen behavior—for better or for worse. Peer pressure has always been a challenge that kids have had to deal with growing up, and doesn’t necessarily end at a certain age. According to NIH statistics, adults are also susceptible to peer influence. Continue reading Talking To Teens About Peer Pressure »

It seems like it would be great news if someone told you that you’d won a sweepstakes prize. But if you ever receive a check and the sender asks you to send them any money back, you are the target of fraud. According to the NCL, fake check schemes are the most commonly reported type of internet fraud. No matter how legit a check or money order looks, even if you are able to cash it, you will be responsible for any funds deposited and withdrawn. Unfortunately, by the time you realize it’s a scam, it’s usually too late. Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Recognizing A Fake Check »