BEWARE: Free $1000 Walmart Gift Card Scam

“Smishing” is the latest  scam. Instead of getting an e-mail, you get a text message. The word is a combination of “SMS,” for short message service, also known as text messaging, and “phishing.” In the text message you’re instructed to call a toll-free number, which is answered by a bogus interactive voice-response system that tries to fool you into providing your account number and password. Whatever you do, do not do this!

A few days ago Walmart released this statement onto their website for their customers saying, “In the last few days there has been a sudden increase in scam text messages referring people to a site where they can “claim a Walmart Gift Card” by entering certain private personal information.”
They also said, “These attacks that take place through SMS Text message technologies to personal mobile phones are scams and are in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Walmart. Similar to the way scam web sites send “Phishing” emails, scam artists have been sending text messages offering free Walmart gift cards to consumers in exchange for entering information on a mobile website. The most popular website being used recently is called “walmartgift.mobi”. This site is not owned, operated by, or affiliated with Walmart. Any site can be used for this scam and users are often asked for private personal information including credit card numbers or social security numbers. Providing this type of information is very likely to lead to identity theft or credit card fraud.”... Read the full story

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Rude Awakening

Guest post of the week by Deangelo Spencer

I went to see my accountant this year, and I was in for kind of a rude awakening. First of all, I hadn’t been claiming a proper number of allowances at work, so I owed a good bit of money on my taxes. Secondly, he started asking all kinds of questions about my savings and retirement plans and…well, I had to tell him I didn’t really have either. He looked at me very seriously and informed that I was in a pretty terrible financial situation. The good news is, I’m young enough that I can still change that. He helped me a little with a plan to save money, and he had all kinds of tips for me. He told me never to buy brand name on any product, and to shop (reputable!) discount websites for things like vitamins and my dog’s flea medicine. Little things, definitely, but they all add up! He also told me to check out this website and make sure I was getting the best rates for my natural gas and electricity! As it turns out, we can choose our own providers in Texas. It took me no time at all, and I’m seeing a savings every month. A savings that I’m not depositing directly in my new savings account.

Wine

Do you drink wine? If so you may want to look into wine.com where you can find a large variety of various wines. From low cost to high end wines, Wine.com has something for everyone! If you're like me then you're probably on a budget. Well the good news for us is that they have over 90 different wines UNDER $20! How cool is that?! They also have wine club memberships you can join as well!

Not a wine drinker or have friends that drink wine? You can send them a gift certificate to the site for their own enjoyment!

As a special added bonus, spend $49 or more on their products and pay only a penny for shipping! Yes that is $0.01 for your entire purchase of $49 or more to be shipped! Sounds like a great bargain! So what are you waiting for? Head on over to wine.com to see what they have for you in your budget!


Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

6 Easy & Delicious Comfort Foods

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts A delicious meal that'll leave everyone stuffed! Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hour, 30 mins

Southern Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Chops It doesn't get more down-home than Southern BBQ! Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 15 mins

Rum Baby Back Ribs Nothin' sticks to your ribs like these babies! Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 2 hours, 15 mins

Chicken Stroganoff Just as comfy as its beef strogy cousin! Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 25 mins

Shepherd's Pie A smashingly good meal from across the pond. Serves: 5 Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 25 mins

Meatloaf This meal's not light on anything—especially taste! Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hour, 25 mins

3 Tips for Finding True Love Any Time of the Year

By: Shay Dawkins
 
So many people go searching for their true love in nightclubs, singles clubs, through online dating sites and among friends of friends. The truth is, finding true love starts right in your own home – or, more accurately, in your own heart.Before you can find true love in a relationship, you must find it within yourself.Here are three simple ways to attain true love for you, yourself, and your life as a whole. You’ll be amazed at how quickly romantic love will follow.

• Be thankful for everything (including your mistakes). Learn to be thankful for the good things in your life. That will help you appreciate all the small things and give you a happier, positive outlook (which, by the way, is very attractive.) Be thankful for your mistakes, too. Everything in your life, both the triumphs and the stumbles, shape us as people. Mistakes are valuable learning experiences and, when viewed as such and appreciated, regrets and bitterness of yesterday will fade away. Peace and love will enter in to your life immediately!
• Forgive others so that you can forgive yourself. Forgiving is as much for you as  it is for the person who did you wrong. For starters, when you can forgive others, you can forgive yourself. Some of us are harder on ourselves than anyone else would ever be. We need to be as forgiving of our own faults and misdeeds as we are other people’s. Holding onto anger and resentment, whether it’s directed at someone else or ourselves, robs us of opportunities for joy. Truly forgive whoever’s hurt you – you don’t have to like them! – and fully experience happiness.
• Find enjoyment and satisfaction in every day. Strive to find the happiness in your average, workaday life. For most of us, a typical Friday will be a much happier day than a typical Monday, but live each average Monday to its fullest as you would live each fun Friday to the fullest!  If you strive to live in love each day, then you will have no regrets. There are many more average days than holidays and vacations – don’t waste them! Find satisfaction in your work, enjoy the process of doing a good job and learning new skills, and every day will be an abundance of joy.

In my book, The Good News: How Revealing Delusions In Christianity Will Bring Peace To All (www.thegoodnewsbook.com), I lay out the numerous biblical instructions to love, forgive and be grateful. If we each apply these simple teachings to our own lives, no matter what our religion, we’ll create a happier world.

To both the people with a special someone and those without – be thankful. Love and happiness come from within, not from another person. We all have something to celebrate, not only at Valentine’s Day but all year long.

About Shay Dawkins

Shay Dawkins is a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, businessman who grew up in Baptist and Pentecostal churches. His observances about how Christianity can be divisive despite being based on one book led to his analysis of the Bible. Check out his YouTube video, “Why It Should Be About Love, Not Religion.”

One True LoveTrue Love