I just found www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com, a website dedicated to educating the public about Internet fraud. It was launched at the end of October by the FBI in conjunction with Monster.com. While the site focuses on Internet fraud, a lot of the content can be applied to phone, mail and in-person rip-offs as well. You can even take some quizzes to see what types of fraud you might be vulnerable to.

This month's Real Simple magazine includes a story called "Stop, Theif!" about "how to avoid leaking your personal information--and prevent identity theft before it starts." The article is reprinted on their website:
Simple Strategies to Avoid Identity Theft

and

More Ways to Stop Privacy Leaks

Here are some of the resources identified in the article:

• Donotcall.gov. The FTC's Do Not Call list


• Optoutprescreen.com. The Consumer Credit Reporting Industry's opt out list for prescreened credit offers


• Optout@axciom.com. Axciom collects and sells personal information from public government records


• optout@abacus-direct.com. Abacus Direct provides names and addresses for most major catalog retailers


• networkadvertising.org. Opt out list for online advertisers who collect information about your Internet use.

Boost Your Brain Power at Work: Six Tricks is an article published by AOL and Careerbuilder about how to make sure you're operating at your mental peak. Their tips are:

• Don't be a slave to technology. Your IQ drops approximately 10 points when you're distracted by technology like e-mail, phone calls and text messages.


• Get 8 hours of sleep. Half of all US workers say sleepiness interferes with their productivity, and 20 percent say it causes them to make mistakes.


• Get high on brain food. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene and the B vitamins all contribute to memory and cognitive functions.


• Work out. Studies have shown increased creativity, memory and multitasking ability after aerobic exercise.


• Do mental gymnastics. Using your brain stimulates blood flow and strengthens the synapses in your brain. It may also reduce age-related memory loss. Do puzzles, like this Sudoku puzzle to give your brain a workout.


• Think positive, loving thoughts. An accomplished neuroscientist found that spending 10 minutes a day focusing on positive emotions, like love and kindness, can make you smarter and happier

In response to a story earlier this month about a ring of smugglers arrested in New Jersey for circulating counterfeit bills (among other things), Slate has a short article about Supernotes. Supernotes are, apparently, really good counterfeit bills produced on the same type of presses that real U.S. dollars are printed on. The article suggests that Supernotes are mainly circulated overseas and represent just a fraction of counterfiet bills in circulation, so there's probably no need to panic. But just in case, you can buy theSuperscan Counterfeit Detector , which claims to be able to "consistently detect the supernote."

You can increase sales, accounts—whatever you like—by adding the Smile Factor to the activity.

In his book, Wisdom Inc., author Seth Godin reports that the sales director of a large New York corporation hired a theater director to teach the company’s sales people to smile. Sales went up 15% within 3 months of the lessons.

Did You Know:
..women smile 8 times more than men?
And here’s food for thought: Women live 8 years longer, on average, than men. Hmmm...

...people like and trust you more when you smile?
A smile is the universal sign of openness and acceptance. Plus we like people who like us. When you smile, you’re signaling your approval and acceptance of another person.

...you can HEAR a smile?
A listener doesn’t have to see you to know you’re smiling. It’s conveyed in the tone of your voice. Haven’t you ‘heard’ a smile during a phone conversation?

...smiling makes you happier?
The facial muscles you move to smile send messages to your brain and can improve your emotional state of mind. Plus those same smile muscles give you an instant face-lift.

Miles of Smiles
The president of a nationwide airline said it best:

"We can train people on whatever it is they need to do. But the one thing we cannot change in people is inherent attitudes. We look for people who have a sense of humor—people who don’t take themselves too seriously."