In Case of a Storm………

We may not like it, but it’s a time of the year we can’t avoid especially when living and working in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. It’s the yearly hurricane season, and it began on June 1st. Even though we all want to go through the season untouched, it is also important to be prepared for a disaster. The American Red Cross urges everyone to dust off their disaster supplies and BE PREPARED NOW.

The American Red Cross link below is an exellent resource to download and print providing you with the necessary information and checklist to get you and your family prepared for the next potential hurricane disaster.

http://www.hurricane.alabama.gov/HurricanePreparednessGuide.pdf

Hopefully, this preparedness reminder will prove to be unnecessary. All of us at Vinson Guard wish everyone a safe and stress free 2009 hurricane season.

FBI: Mortgage Fraud on the Rise

Mortgage fraud is increasing throughout the United States as distressed homeowners find little help from their banks, according to a new FBI report. Suspicious-activity reports referred to law enforcement increased 36 percent to 63,713 during fiscal 2008 from 46,717 the previous year. While the total dollar loss attributed to mortgage fraud is unknown, financial institutions reported losses of at least $1.4 billion, an increase of 83.4 percent from 2007, according to the report. Los Angeles led the pack, with 9,971 suspicious-activity reports last year. Miami followed with 5,155 reports. The downward trend in the housing market during 2008 provided a favorable climate for mortgage-fraud schemes to proliferate, the report notes. The FBI report says rising mortgage scams include fraudulent short sales, bankruptcy filings and reverse-mortgage schemes, refinancing, modifications and sometimes arson to collect insurance money. Some of the schemes hurt consumers and borrowers, while others hurt original lenders, according to the report.

Source: The Charlotte Business Journal

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GAO Finds Major Security Lapses at Federal Buildings

Investigators with the Government Accountability Office (GOA) were able to carry bomb-making materials past 10 security checkpoints at several federal buildings according to a GOA report. According to early reports investigators were able to construct and assemble the explosive devices in restrooms, put the devices in a briefcase and carry them throughout the buildings. The investigation showed that both guards and X-ray machines failed to detect anything suspicious coming into the buildings. At one site a guard failed to look at the X-ray screen while the bomb making devices passed through the machine, while at another location investigators found a guard asleep.

Source: The Los Angeles Times

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US Government Internet Traffic to be Screened

The National Security Agency (NSA) may soon be called upon to screen Internet traffic between the government and the private sector. The aim according to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would be to guard and protect government computer networks from outside attacks. The NSA would be asked to use their vast technical resources to screen for attacks after a civilian visited a dot.gov website or sent an e mail to government employees. The program, part of a $17 billion dollar security movement initiated by former President Bush could be vital in thwarting attacks by hackers on government and military websites. According to officials the NSA would be directed and guided by personnel at the Department of Homeland Security.

Source: The Associated Press

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QUOTE:
"Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?" - Frank Scully