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Which? Files Supercomplaint Against Banks Over Transfer Fraud - Online Security

Odbart Noland 7 years ago updated 7 years ago 0

Banks may face formal inquiry into whether they can refuse to reimburse victims conned into transferring money into fraudsters’ accounts




UK banks should do more to protect customers tricked into transferring money to fraudsters, according to a consumer body that has lodged a “supercomplaint” with financial regulators. The move by Which? means banks could now face a formal investigation into whether they can continue refusing to reimburse victims.


The organisation submitted its first supercomplaint this year in the same week that official data revealed that fraud in the UK payments industry had soared by 53% as criminals develop increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal bank customers’ cash.


Which? said banks should “shoulder more responsibility” when someone is conned into transferring money to another person’s account, just as they reimburse customers who lose money due to scams involving debit and credit cards or fraudulent account activity.


Some customers have lost considerable sums. In March this year the Guardian featured the case of Sarah and David Fisher, who were conned out of £25,000 after a fraudster posed as their builder and emailed them a fake invoice that was virtually identical to the one they were expecting.


The explosion in online and mobile banking means UK consumers now make more than 70m bank transfers a month, compared with just over 100m in a whole year just a decade ago. Which? claims that “protections have not kept up”.


Using its legal powers, the organisation has submitted a supercomplaint to the Payment Systems Regulator, the watchdog for the UK’s £75tn payment systems industry, which must now respond within 90 days.


There are many financial frauds that directly target customers, such as phishing emails and phone- and text-based scams. However, among the biggest growth areas are impersonation and deception scams where fraudsters hack into someone’s email account and then pose as the builder, solicitor, landscape gardener or other tradesperson that the consumer has legitimately employed. Typically, the victim receives an invoice via email, which does not rouse suspicion because they were expecting it. It looks authentic and is usually for the correct amount – however, unbeknown to the consumer, the bank account number and sort code have been changed to those of the fraudster.


This is what happened to the Fishers, from north-west London. Last October they received a genuine invoice for building work that was being carried out, then what appeared to be a follow-up email from the same firm with a fresh invoice attached that included “our new banking details”. The couple duly paid the requested £25,000, and while it quickly emerged they had been scammed, by the time the bank that operated the account used to accept their money was alerted, the cash had been withdrawn.


Almost a year after the incident, they have yet to recover a penny of their money. Sarah Fisher, a record label manager, told the Guardian this week that the police had identified the fraudster as someone living in Denmark. As a result, the case was “not being progressed” and had effectively come to a halt.


She added: “We took it to the financial ombudsman, who said that Barclays [which operated the account] had not behaved improperly.” However, she said their MP, Tulip Siddiq, had said the case raised important issues and intended to pursue the matter in parliament.


Victims conned in this way currently have no legal right to get their money back from their bank, said Which?. Banks typically refuse to refund customers on the basis that they made the payment voluntarily. However, Which? said: “Consumers can only protect themselves so far. People cannot be expected to detect complex scams pressuring them to transfer money immediately, or lookalike bills from their solicitor or builder.”


The organisation said banks had invested in security systems to detect and prevent fraud where they were liable to reimburse the victim, but added: “There aren’t sufficient checks if someone is tricked into transferring money directly to another person’s account.”


Which? said it wanted the regulators to formally investigate the scale of bank transfer fraud and how much it was costing consumers, and propose new measures and greater liability for banks to ensure consumers are better protected.


The Payment Systems Regulator confirmed that it had received the supercomplaint and said it would examine the evidence Which? had supplied and gather its own, “to build a clearer picture of the issue and decide a course of action”.


Possible outcomes might include regulatory action, a review or a referral of the complaint to another body.

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Frank Owens Contractors: Groundworks on Construction Projects

Zain Alireza 7 years ago 0

Our fascination with dirt during our childhood now plays a big role in making a living. When in childhood, we always play and mold dirt outdoors. But now that we are already adults, dirt became one source of living. Frank Owens, sort of, specializes in this field.


For more than two decades, Frank Owens Contractors has gained considerable experience in the construction industry. Their company provides high standard utility services in Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Their crew with many years of experience in the field has developed technical competence needed in civil construction projects. Frank Owens believes that dedication and effective planning and execution is necessary to satisfy the technical and financial goals of project owners.


Construction works involve numerous specifications which should be done with certainty. Land preparation like groundworks is important to ensure that the surfacing is constructed with a solid foundation. Frank Owens Contractors in Tokyo, Japan has established a proven track record in groundworks and civil engineering projects providing superior heavy equipment to get the job done with accuracy and within the given time limit. Heavy equipment helps in accomplishing the heavy-duty task in the fastest way reducing the risk and need for manual labor. They believe that one of the biggest factors that take the business to the notch is the kind of equipments the company possesses.

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To Prospective Applicants

Yair Wood 7 years ago 0

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Established in 1957, our company has been in business for more than 50 years. Our business is to provide technologies and services for infrastructure construction in the phases of surveying, planning, design, maintenance, management and operation. In Japan, we are a leading technology holder, particularly in the fields of bridges, roads and transport. Recently, we have been working to expand our business domains. For instance, we now engage in overall management of state-run parks. Overseas, we engage in a wide variety of areas such as the development of master plans for the entire county, national project management for international airports, seaports and railways, tourism development, environmental and energy development, medical care, and education.


In marking our 50th anniversary, we drew up a business plan titled I-Plan. I-Plan stipulates that our mission is to offer comprehensive intellectual services to realize secure and abundant lives for people around the world. It also specifies the stance of seeking employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and social contribution as the highest priority values that we emphasize for fulfilling the mission. We consider the importance of employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and social contribution. We also believe that enthusiasm and purposefulness are defined as driving forces that make us that type of company.


We wish to develop a company that fulfills this corporate philosophy. The company we aspire to be has three dimensions. The first is to be a company that allows its employees to feel a sense of pride. We are proud of our services that are extremely important in increasing local security and reassurance and in building a foundation for vitality. We therefore wish to maximize our service domains and service coverage area. The second is to be a company where employees can enjoy a feeling of accomplishment through performing their duties. We therefore focus on human resource development to maximize the abilities of staff and the organization. And the third is to be a company where employees are energetic. We will therefore improve the environment and system for working.


External circumstances today are changing dramatically. Seeing this as an opportunity, we will be united to boldly confront the challenges we face. We hope that those with the following attributes will join us to actively take up these challenges. The first attribute is leadership. We want our staff to think and act proactively, not take a passive attitude. The second is teamwork. We want our staff to communicate effectively and work together with others. The third is persistence. We want our staff to be persistent in pursuing their challenges, until they reach their goal. We look forward to your pursuing employment with us.


Hidenori NOZAKI

President and Representative Director

Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd.

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Frank Owens Contractors: Groundworks Construction

Jayden Fell 7 years ago 0

During our childhood, many of us have this natural attraction in playing with sand and soil. As we grow old, our interest with this kind of activity becomes not just for fun but as a medium to earn a living.


Frank Owens Contractors loves to get their hands dirty by providing quality groundworks and other utility services across Northern and Southern Ireland. When you are involved in a high-hazard construction industry, having insufficient knowledge in this field is critical. Frank Owens makes sure that their contractors and engineers have the proper training to handle civil works projects in the most efficient manner.


For more than two decades in the industry, Frank Owens in Tokyo, Japan has gained expertise in various building and non-building projects such as groundworks and site preparations. When working on a construction project, groundworks is one of the most important phases that must be done before starting any other construction activity. The staff of Frank Owens will provide high-quality groundworks to ensure that whatever the construction atop of it, is built upon a solid foundation that will last.


Nowadays, heavy construction vehicles are a vital part of time and cost efficient construction. This enables construction companies to complete their task quickly and safely as it helps in reducing the manual labor and risk factors. Frank Owens is committed to providing you with high quality and credited heavy construction vehicles suited for various projects.


Frank Owens aims to prioritize the utilization of the right kind of machine to do the right job in every project. This helps Frank Owens provide assurance to its clients that their projects will be cost efficient with minimum equipment downtime. Proper utilization of equipments and resources as well as time and people management is maintained all throughout the project until its completion.

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Frank Owens Contractors: Dirt and your Safety

Jayden Fell 7 years ago 0

Looking for someone to do a dirty work?


No. It is not what you’re thinking. We are talking about real dirt here.


When we were kids, we used to play a lot outdoors with other kids in the neighborhood. Running and playing with the sand and soil either to create a castle or small slopes from which to roll up and down toy cars and trucks. We grow old but our interest with this kind of childhood activity remains -- as an excellent source of living.


Frank Owens Contractors now in Tokyo, Japan has been in the industry for more than twenty years providing groundworks, plant hire and other utility contracting services across Northern and Southern Ireland. Their dedicated engineers probably got their first training from building tiny structures using sand or soil with other scraps in the backyard on their childhood. But when it involves real groundwork or civil works projects, one needs the proper technical training and excellent planning and management skills to excel in the business. The thorough specifications and criteria of engineering and the construction industry mean that an organization must have the knowledge and the expertise to meet the technical and financial goals of project owners.


Groundworks are usually the first stage of any construction job. Frank Owens makes sure that they have the right kind of machinery required in every project. They carefully think what tasks needs to be performed, what tools or machinery is suitable for each stage in the process and how, when and where it will be used. They plan ahead to ensure that the correct equipment or machinery for the work is available. The team of Frank Owens knows both how to make the most use of the construction equipment and how to use that equipment to complete the job in the quickest and most cost effective way.


Safety means choosing the right equipment for the right job. Frank Owens strives to meet the utility services needs of their clients wit

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Haws Corporation Tempered Water Nevada USA, Singapore: Company History

Ray Fiber 7 years ago 0

Luther Haws was a self-employed master plumber and sheet metal contractor, as well as a sanitation inspector, for the city of Berkeley, California. In 1906, while on his rounds at a public school, Luther noticed children drinking from a shared tin cup. This unsanitary though typical arrangement inspired the inventor in him. Using available parts, Luther Haws assembled the world's first drinking faucet.


The Berkeley School Department loved the idea and installed the first models. In 1909 Luther formed the Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company, located in Berkeley, and obtained several patents. Thirsty Californians soon discovered Luther's label on his fountains: "Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company, Berkeley, California, Patent 1911." Luther Haws' innovative style still drives this third and fourth-generation family-owned company.


Haws Today


In 1996, Haws Corporation completed construction and moved into a new 210,000 square foot facility in Sparks, Nevada. Haws products are manufactured at this technologically advanced facility. From there, and from our other manufacturing sites in Burgdorf, Switzerland, which serves the European market; Singapore, which serves the Asian market; and Sao Paulo, Brazil which serves the South American market, our products are shipped worldwide.


All Haws drinking fountain and electric water cooler models are designed to be lead-free, environmentally safe and meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. In addition, Haws Corporation has a registered ISO 9001 Management System. Every product that leaves the Haws plant is of the highest quality and craftsmanship and is built for years of service.

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Wallace Associates: Tax Planning & Preparation Made Easy

Tia Reed 7 years ago 0


Taxes don't have to be a hassle. Wallace Associates in Moorestown, New Jersey, offers complete tax preparation and planning for individuals and businesses of all kinds. We also provide affordable accounting and bookkeeping services.


Planning


Minimize your tax liability by planning ahead. We help you incorporate tax planning into your overall business strategy so you can save money and reduce your current and future tax liabilities.


Preparation


Preparing a tax return requires a considerable time commitment and a wealth of specialized knowledge. Our tax experts handle every step for you. We use our extensive experience to ensure you're paying as little as possible. Our computerized research and preparation software allows us to accurately and efficiently prepare returns for various types of entities, including:


Individuals | Corporations | Partnerships | Trusts | Estates | LLCs & LLPs | Not-for-Profit Organizations


A Proactive Approach


A proactive approach to taxes saves you time and money. We always keep current with new tax laws and legislation with a view to identifying new opportunities to minimize your liabilities. Our services include:


Taxing Authority Representation | Divorce & Support Issues | Buying & Selling a Business | Estate, Trust, Inheritance, & Gift Services

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Wallace Associates: Achieving Efficiency in Tax Planning and Preparation

Gordon Pullum 8 years ago 0

Taxes are said to be inevitable in life. And so is the burden of planning, the fraud if you don’t know what you are doing and preparing tax documents. For a year or several months or even weeks, the tedious job of determining the tax, let alone paying the tax itself, can bring down a business or individual todesperation were it not for the presence of experts who can provide the necessary advice and service to make the job manageable.


Is there a simple and direct way to accomplish the task? Who are you going to call when the going gets tough?


Well, you can look around for the appropriate solution; however, allowing Wallace Associates review your business and the opportunity to show you its vast experience and capability might just convince you to wonder where you were all this time and not being scammed. Wallace Associates can handle all kinds of complete tax planning and preparation for every kind of personal or business endeavor.


Moreover, they provide accounting and bookkeeping services within your reach.

You can achieve savings in your tax obligations if you plan and prepare way ahead of time.

Wallace does this by helping you design a business strategy which will result in savings as well as reduced present and future tax payments. It requires an experienced tax expert to help you see areas where you can actually do this with unexpected results you would have never imagined possible.


The company’s highly-specialized expertise allows it to prepare tax documents for clients by spending ample time in preparation and meticulous scrutiny. The primary goal is to achieve minimal tax liabilities through the firm’s specialized research techniques and programs designed specifically for every kind of client, whether corporations, partnerships, individuals, including estates, trusts or non-profit organizations.


Efficiency simply means doing things well and achieving savings which will amount to increasing profit or savings for all concerned. Wallace Associates can really do this for you!

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Apple and SAP: Partnering to Shape the Future

Garland Graziano 8 years ago 0

Pro Axia Consultants Business Consulting Group in Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Japan sees the partnership between Apple and SAP resulting in lots of innovative developments and improved business value with the combined distinguished user experiences of Apple and the incomparable end-to-end business process and software of SAP.


Companies and developers now have the opportunity to make a difference in the digital world through this partnership, along with giving new opportunities and transforming the mobile work experience for customers. Pro Axia Consultants knows that great business applications await the world through Apple and SAP's partnership wherein it could also open potential for their joint customers.


Yes, most of us can't live without a smartphone or tablet nowadays, and can't end the day without using a mobile application. The current era people live in can be described to as an app-driven world.


To enable customers to fully leverage the data in their SAP enterprise systems, SAP is developing a lot of new and native iOS industry apps for core business processes to transform how customers run their business anywhere.


The kind of capability that drives a digital enterprise is the power to get mission critical information, reports, and data anytime and anywhere you need it, without being tied to your desktop. SAP is starting with industries including retail, asset intensive industries, professional services, and healthcare where the need for consumer applications is high and there is instant add value as they develop those applications.


In order to develop, extend and run a new class of native iOS apps powered by the HANA Cloud Platform (HCP), SAP provides their community of developers with advanced tools and training such as SAP HANA Cloud Platform SDK for iOS and a SAP Academy for iOS. Developers can get access to the power of HANA in the cloud.


HCP allows you to change an existing SAP application (or mobile SAP app) even though you’re not a developer wherein you also no longer need months of customization with lots of consultants. HCP is that fastest path to the best app and that path just got even better with this specific partnership.


Companies and developers can easily build their own native apps for iPhone and iPad through SAP HCP SDK for iOS and training for developers to native iOS apps powered by HCP while taking advantage of all the innovative iOS technologies.


SAP, together with Apple, will offer developers with a SAP Fiori for iOS design language based on SAP Fiori UX adapted for iOS. This will include reusable design components and building blocks to optimize the development of consistent and beautiful UI design across applications and throughout the lifecycle of each application to ensure that app adoption and user experience are easy to use, consistent and smooth.


SAP and Apple will jointly develop a SAP Academy for iOS to complement the SDK as well as to curate and educate their combined ecosystem, connecting millions of developers, customers, SI partners and ISV partners. It would be hugely beneficial for both SAP and Apple to share the knowledge of technical expertise and design skills for native iOS app development.


The partnership between SAP and Apple will also allow real work in real time. It'll be easier to consume and leverage your organization's most important data on their iPhone and iPad devices. SAP offers an enterprise computing platform through HANA that enables customers to constantly access their data every day to obtain significant and insightful data.


Nowadays most people can't live without a certain app on their phone and one example of which is Uber. If you'll look back a few years ago, this app is not even available but now plays a huge part in the lives of millions of people. The world people live in today is truly amazing because such apps already have a great impact and hold a huge importance.


The Apple/SAP partnership aims to achieve success by creating such applications that could be vital for their customers, which enables newer and faster ways to perform a task, access data and do their job.


Accessing accurate and real-time data is really a game changer. Mobile apps on iOS will make digital transformation even more prevalent across enterprises. Innovative transformation could really happen and life will become a lot easier with the combination of SAP's helpful data management and Apple's dependable user experience.


This partnership does excite Pro Axia Consultants with all the possibilities and benefits it could bring to the modern society.

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Things to Do in Essex by Group Holiday in Southbourne Dorset

Shemus Rushout 8 years ago 0

Essex is situated in East Anglia, close to England's capital city, London. Whatever your interest, there is lots of choice in Essex with archaeology, history, coastline with seaside resorts, delightful countryside for walking, cycling and horse riding, nine country parks, busy towns and pretty villages to explore.


Chelmsford, the County town of Essex, is one of the County's best shopping centres and an ideal base for exploring the County.


Chelmsford is famous as the home of Essex County Cricket Club and as the town where the Marconi Company set up the first radio company in the world, in the late1890's. You can learn about the town's history at Chelmsford Museum in Oaklands Park.


Colchester is the oldest town in Britain, with documented evidence of a settlement here as early as the fifth century BC. Colchester is traditionally known for its cloth weaving, flower growing and oysters.


You can visit the Norman castle and museum, and also the Dutch Quarter where Flemish refugees settled in the sixteenth century.


Nearby is beautiful Dedham Vale and Constable Country in the north east; and the yachting and wildlife havens of Mersea Island and the Colne


On the 'sunshine coast' you'll find the towns of Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, and Harwich.


Clacton-on-Sea is popular with families, with miles of golden sandy beaches and the fun packed pier.


Walton-on-the-Naze has a good beach and the second longest pier in Britain, with one of the world's oldest amusement parks. Inland the Naze Tower dominates the area, which is rich in flora and fauna.


Frinton-on-Sea is tranquil and unspoiled, with golden beaches and tree lined avenues. The town has many interesting shops and the church of St. Mary has fine panels of stained glass by William Morris and Burne Jones.


In Harwich you can discover sixteen sites of historic interest by following the 'Harwich Maritime Trail'. The interesting towns of Manningtree and Mistley, which lie at the gateway to Constable Country, are also worth visiting.


Maldon is famous for the production of Maldon salt. In Maldon you can visit The Hythe, where the Thames sailing barges are moored, and explore the steep winding streets with intriguing inns and shops.


Southend-on-Sea is the largest town in Essex, a vibrant resort with seven miles of sparkling seafront, and a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Don't miss Southend Pier - which is the world's longest pier. At nearby Leigh on Sea you can watch the local fishermen bring in the days catch.

In South Essex, Brentwood is a busy town with good shopping and leisure facilities. The town is surrounded by open countryside, which is part of the Metropolitan Green Belt, and the centre of town is only a short walk from pleasant woods and commons.


Essex Tourist Information is available at Waltham Abbey, where you can also visit the 16th Century timber framed buildings of the Epping Forest District Museum and Royal Gunpowder Mills steam-powered mill. The town is a gateway into the Lee Valley Country Park, with plenty of countryside and leisure activities.


Saffron Walden, once famous for its cultivation of saffron crocuses, is a delightful town in the north west of the County. Saffron Walden's beautiful church is the largest in Essex, dating from the prosperous years of the saffron industry in the late 15th century. The many timber framed buildings with fine plasterwork, and the intriguing alleyways around the market place contribute to the town's charm. There is a tourist information centre in Market Place.

Braintree is a bustling market town, good for shopping, restaurants, arts and entertainment. The surrounding rolling countryside offers good walking, cycling and golf.