Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with the Audible Media Group on a new state-of-the-art traffic application designed to provide residents with voice-activated, user-controlled, on-demand, audio traffic reports and PBSO breaking news and alerts, Chief Technology Officer Deniz Kumral reminded the public on Monday.
Called the PBSO Audio Traffic App, Bradshaw was skeptical when he first learned about the concept for a traffic report cell phone app designed to cut down on distracted driving.
“The expertise that was brought to this app was — we believe to be — state of the art,” explained Bradshaw at a recent press conference unveiling the new technology. “The biggest piece of the puzzle that had to be in place was we didn’t want to have something that caused more distracted driving than we already had a problem with.”
Every year over 3000 people die nationwide because they were distracted while driving. Through this joint effort, PBSO partnered with the Audible Media Group to launch an audio traffic app to deliver live traffic reports so drivers will not have to scroll maps commonly used by other traffic applications.
With distracted driving in mind, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wanted an audible device so motorists would keep their eyes on the road rather than on their smartphones.
The PBSO Audio Traffic App features live traffic reports providing traffic information on Palm Beach County roads, including alternate route suggestions. The application also has the capability to send push notifications with breaking news from the Sheriff’s Office, including reports on missing persons, crimes in progress or hazardous conditions.
The app will work in all areas of Palm Beach County by triangulating the location of drivers through their phone’s global positioning system.
“I’m very excited about this – it’s a great partnership – and guess what, the price is the best that it could absolutely be, it’s free,” concluded Bradshaw.
The PBSO Audio Traffic App is available in the Apple App Store and at Google Play for Android devices. It is operated through voice commands so a driver can get updates about traffic and alternate routes without having to look at their smartphone.
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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.
The FTC is seeking a court order to permanently bar T-Mobile from “cramming,” or charging cellphone customers for spam text messages that they did not request or have an interest in receiving.
In a process known as “third-party billing,” carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon typically place charges on a consumer’s bill for services provided by another company. In return, the phone company receives a substantial percentage of the amount charged.
When the charges are placed on the bill without the consumer’s authorization, it is known as “cramming.”
T-Mobile — which brands itself as a low-cost alternative to top rivals AT&T and Verizon — received between 35 and 40 percent of the amount it charged customers for the bogus texts subscriptions, thus generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, the FTC alleged.
“It’s wrong for a company like T-Mobile to profit from scams against its customers when there were clear warning signs the charges it was imposing were fraudulent,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez indicated in a prepared statement. “The FTC’s goal is to ensure that T-Mobile repays all its customers for these crammed charges.”
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also launching an investigation into T-Mobile’s billing practices and has the power to level fines against the company if it determines that wrongdoing has occurred.
According to the complaint filed by the FTC, T-Mobile allegedly charged customers for spam texts — “such as flirting tips, horoscope information or celebrity gossip” — at a typical cost of $9.99 per month. T-Mobile also ignored signs that the text messages were unwanted — such as a large number of customers seeking refunds — and made it difficult to discover and remove the charges.
“Rather than going after T-Mobile, the FTC should focus on the third-party companies that are sending the text messages,” argued T-Mobile CEO John Legere.
“As a single mother, I can hardly afford to pay additional and fraudulent fees,” T-Mobile customer Bina Fink Kohl of Weston told Examiner. “As a T-Mobile customer, I expect them to be fair and honest in their dealings. From the litigation, it appears that T-Mobile has been scamming me all along.”
According to T-Mobile, they have already made commitments to stop billing for unwanted spam text messages and issue refunds for unwanted text messages.
“T-Mobile is fighting harder than any of the carriers to change the way the wireless industry operates and we are disappointed that the FTC has chosen to file this action against the most pro-consumer company in the industry rather than the real bad actors,” stated Legere.
According to Jessica Rich of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, the agency and T-Mobile have not been able to reach a settlement on the charges, resulting in the litigation filed Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission.
“In court we will determine just how much” T-Mobile needs to refund its consumers, but “our evidence to date is that hundreds and millions of dollars are at stake,” Rich said. “Our first priority is to get the money back to consumers.”
Rich called the charges against T-Mobile — the agency’s first cramming charges against a telecom company — “a new front in [the federal agency’s] longstanding campaign” against wireless cramming.
The T-Mobile case “sends a strong message to other mobile phone companies,” Rich concluded. “We will continue to bring additional cases to deter this conduct.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission complaint, many of the allegations focus on T-Mobile billing practices, which “made it difficult for consumers to detect that they were being charged, much less by whom.”
Customers would have to scan through several screens online and up to 50 pages of a physical bill to find obscure and fraudulent accounting for the third-party charges, the FTC said.
Among the allegations were that prepaid customers – who do not receive monthly bills – would have the third-party charges deducted automatically. Once customers discovered the charges and their source, T-Mobile would refuse to fully refund the charges, sometimes directing the customers to contact the third-parties.
“I’m alarmed that T-Mobile is accused of fraudulent billing practices,” Remington Longstreth told Examiner. “I never check my bill completely. With that said, I don’t expect to be cheated either.”
The federal investigation and complaint against T-Mobile comes at no worse time as the company is reportedly in talks to be bought by Sprint. This highly-anticipated deal would combine the country’s third- and fourth-largest wireless companies.
Legere concluded by calling the lawsuit against T-Mobile “sensationalized legal action” that is “unfounded and without merit.”
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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced late Friday that Michael Ali Bryant, Sr., and his wife, Latina Rashawn Bryant, both of Lauderdale Lakes, were sentenced for their participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Michael Bryant, 41, was sentenced to 144 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Latina Bryant, 43, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Having previously pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, Michael Bryant also pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices.
Latina Bryant previously pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of using an unauthorized access device.
Co-defendant Marquis Onigirin Moye, 24, of Pompano Beach, was sentenced on March 28, 2014 to 54 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Moye previously pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Co-defendants Tiffany Shenae Cooper, 33, of Deerfield Beach, and Angela Dione Rosier, 41, of Coral Springs, were sentenced on February 28, 2014. Cooper was sentenced to 57 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rosier was sentenced to 49 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered both defendants to pay $129,390.06 in restitution to the IRS and the medical services provider whose database had been breached.
Cooper previously pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft. Rosier previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
According to court records, a confidential source initially approached Michael Bryant and inquired about purchasing narcotics. Bryant told the operative that he did not have any narcotics but that he did have personal identity information that he was willing to sell. A controlled purchase of approximately 230 names was made.
Bryant instructed the operative on how to commit tax fraud and provided specific instructions on what information to enter into the web pages of the internet-based tax services to obtain a tax refund.
An examination of the records revealed that they were from a medical services provider.
Rosier was an employee of the medical services provider. Cooper spoke to Rosier to obtain user names and passwords for current employees of the medical services provider. Cooper admitted to illegally logging on to the medical services provider’s computer network and downloading personal information for the purpose of committing various types of fraud. She was assisted in her activities by Rosier and co-defendant Moye.
Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia R. Wood.
As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates – a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity – announces the opening of a new office in Davie, Florida.
Having outgrown their former location, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates recently moved to 6099 Stirling Road, Suite 210, Davie, FL 33314.
Formerly with Credit Restoration Consultants, Bill Lewis has been widely sought by many in the restoration of their personal credit worthiness. As such, a new credit repair component was formed.
In tough economic times, your good name and reputation are more important than ever. Creditors have tightened their guidelines effectively barring millions of Americans from obtaining credit. Even those with excellent credit are experiencing reduced credit limits and closed equity lines. Mortgage lenders, auto finance companies, credit card issuers and banks have all raised the bar.
The terms credit repair, credit restoration or credit rehabilitation are somewhat synonymous. Those with bad credit histories cannot afford to ignore the potential benefits of credit repair. In today’s economy, a strong FICO score is more important than ever.
Approximately 78% of credit profiles in the United States contain some sort of error or omission materially affecting credit worthiness. Absent self-help and the “do-it-yourself” approach, a consumer may hire a credit repair company in the restoration of their good name and reputation within the community.
Long gone are the days of obtaining credit, goods, benefits, services and/or employment with a 620 score. In most instances, a consumer will be denied if they maintain a credit score lower than 740. Even those with high credit scores have experienced closed credit card accounts and equity lines. When an account has not been closed, credit limits have been reduced to the current balance due.
Borrowers with low credit scores can expect to be denied or to pay significantly higher interest rates than those with excellent credit.
Operating within William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates is a boutique credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness as well as identity theft. Assisting consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile is their first priority.
Everything they do at William E. Lewis Jr & Associates is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile.
Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates will assist consumers in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addition to creditors, collection agencies, third-party record providers and state/federal/private regulatory authorities.
Unlike most credit repair clinics that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates has devised a credit restoration strategy utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a consumers state of residence.
Keep in mind that anything William E. Lewis Jr & Associates can do – you can do yourself. That means that you do not have to hire William E. Lewis Jr & Associates – or any other credit repair company – to review, investigate and/or dispute alleged discrepancies on your credit report.
Where William E. Lewis Jr & Associates may have an edge over the average consumer is that we possess the education, knowledge and a source proven method that consistently yields results.
William E. Lewis Jr & Associates has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients and can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory accounts, personal identifiers, arrests, etc. While the credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months, most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.
Credit repair, credit restoration and/or credit rehabilitation is as legal as pleading “not guilty” in a court of law. With that said, one must understand that as a credit service organization William E. Lewis Jr & Associates is not a law firm and that none of their employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida.
As such, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding. In the event that legal representation is required, William E. Lewis Jr & Associates may provide an appropriate attorney referral for consultation.
Ordering Free Credit Reports:
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, as modified by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report under a narrow set of circumstances. If you have been denied credit, goods, benefits, services, insurance, and/or employment, the credit reporting agencies of Equifax, Experian and Trans Union are statutorily mandated to provide a copy free of charge.
Equifax can be contacted at (800) 685-1111 or www.Equifax.com; Experian can be contacted at (888) 397-3742 or www.Experian.com; and Trans Union can be contacted at (800) 916-8800 orwww.TransUnion.com. Be sure to prompt that you were denied credit when requested to do so.
Absent these exceptions, consumers are entitled to one free “annual credit report” per year. Credit scores are not included with any of the “free credit reports” provided by the national credit reporting agencies.
For your free annual credit report, contact the central source at 877-FACT-ACT (877-322-8228) or www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Follow the voice prompts and obtain your credit report for review.
When self-help or the “do-it-yourself” approach is not feasible and you decide to hire a company to restore your credit, be sure to check them out. While the majority of credit repair clinics are scams, a few good ones do exist. Consumers can check out a credit service organization through their state Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commissionat www.ftc.gov or through the Better Business Bureau atwww.BBB.org.
For more information, please contact William E. Lewis Jr & Associates at (954) 337-1530 or visit them on the Internet at www.williamlewis.us.
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As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.
Eight defendants have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to unjustly enrich themselves by stealing personal identifying information and using the information to make unauthorized wire transfers from victim bank accounts and obtaining unauthorized credit or debit cards, according to BankInfoSecurity.com on Monday.
Collectively named in a twenty-two count federal indictment were Chouman Emily Syrilien, 25, of Lauderdale Lakes, Arrington Basil Segu, 28, of Miami, Carlos Antonio Alexander, 24, of Orlando, Angel Arcos, 23, of Pompano Beach, Shantegra La’Shae Godfrey, 23, of Deerfield Beach, and Monique Smith, 31, of Pompano Beach.
Two unnamed defendants remain at large.
Each of the defendant’s was charged with one count of conspiracy and several defendants were charged individually with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Syrilien was employed by Interactive Response Technologies, lnc. (IRT) of Margate. IRT provides staffing for call centers to handle direct sales and customer inquiries for AT&T. Syrilien unlawfully provided a co-conspirator with the personal identifying information from multiple AT&T customer files. Segu also unlawfully provided personal identifying information of numerous individuals to the co-conspirator.
Alexander, Godfrey, and Smith were added as “authorized users” on victims’ credit or debit card accounts or bank accounts. This was done in order to access the accounts of victims whose personal identifying information had been stolen.
Once a conspirator’s name was added as an “authorized user,” the bank and/or credit card company was directed to mail additional debit or credit cards bearing the names of these newly added “authorized users” to their addresses or addresses under their control. This was done without the true account holder’s knowledge or consent.
The defendants used these credit and debit cards to make purchases or obtain money. Alexander, Smith and Godfrey each made both retail purchases as well as cash advances in excess of $24,000, $12,000 and $8,200, respectively.
Defendant Arcos allowed his personal information to be used to open a bank account to further the fraudulent activity.
AT&T customers who may have been impacted should immediately protect themselves from potential identity theft.
Periodically review your credit report
By keeping close tabs on your credit report, you can detect signs of identity theft early. If you find an account not opened by you and have identified it as fraudulent, enter a dispute directly with the creditor as well as with the credit reporting agencies of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Place a 90-day initial fraud alert on your credit report
Contact the credit reporting agencies and request a 90-day initial fraud alert on your credit report. Not only will this trigger a free credit report but will advise potential creditors to investigate any application prior to issuing credit, goods, benefits and/or services.
Equifax can be contacted at 800-525-6285, Experian at 888-397-3742 and Trans Union at 800-916-8800. Be sure to renew the alert every three months.
Freeze your credit report
Identity thieves are frozen in their tracks without access to your credit report as potential creditors will not have access to your credit history. In most states, you are entitled to temporarily “freeze” access to your credit profile without cost if you are over 65 years of age or are a verified victim of identity theft. All others may be required to pay a small fee.
Without access to your credit report, a responsible lender will not issue credit.
Stop unsolicited credit card offers
Opting out at www.optoutprescreen.com or 888-5OPT-OUT will stop most unsolicited pre-approved applications and reduce the incidence of identity theft. Opting out refers to the process of removing your name and address from lists supplied by the Equifax, Experian, Trans Union and Innovis credit reporting agencies to be used for firm (preapproved/ prescreened) offers of credit or insurance.
If convicted, each of the defendants face a maximum of thirty years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, a maximum of ten years in prison for the access device fraud charge, and a mandatory term of two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft charge, at least one of which must be served consecutive to any other term in prison.
An indictment is only an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
As a nationally recognized credit repair and identity theft expert, Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.
Gone as if he never existed are the teaching and wisdom of Pastor Bob Coy, the now former senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. In an announcement made late Monday, church web pastor Dan Hickling attempts to explain why the media content was removed.
Where Did the Media Go?
Posted by Dan Hickling on Mon, Apr 7, 2014
Many have shared their thoughts about Pastor Bob’s messages and the media content that has been removed in light of his recent resignation.
The heart of the ministry of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has always been and always will be that of making disciples and doing whatever we can to nourish God’s flock with the truth of His Word. Pastor Bob’s messages are so full of truth and challenge and opportunity to grow. Life for so many of us, including myself, would be entirely different if we didn’t come in contact with this ministry.
So why was the media content removed? Unfortunately, not everyone, during circumstances like these comes to the website with a heart to learn more about the Bible. We’ve discerned the need to guard against those who would inappropriately misuse this content when time and space is needed for the Coy family to properly heal.
Unfortunately, we have already witnessed the malicious use of Pastor Bob’s images and vicious rumors on-line that can only run contrary to our hope for restoration. With that in mind, we have taken the precaution to suspend access to his teaching content for now.
Please be patient with us as we seek God’s wisdom and guidance on how to best restore the content that we know He has used and can continue to use to make disciples. Also, please pray for our church leadership to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice with great clarity and certainty in this decision making process.
Again, thank you for expressing how much Pastor Bob’s teaching ministry means to you, and I hope this helps to affirm that we are not out to simply take it all away, but to be the best stewards of it with all affected parties in mind.
With that being said, we are just as committed to providing the live stream of the weekly Wednesday night and Weekend services. I pray that the Lord ministers to you in and through those windows of ministry as we heal through this time.
Thanks again and may the Lord continue to draw you close and make you more and more like Him.
In Christ,
Pastor Dan Hickling
Web Pastor
Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale
Pastor Bob Coy abruptly resigned, ending his 30-year leadership at one of the largest churches in the country on Sunday, according to Examiner.
Citing a “moral failing,” the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale resigned amid reports of multiple affairs and allegations that he cheated on his wife, Diane Coy.
Pastor Bob Coy was also said to have an intense passion for pornography.
The megachurch did not elaborate on what Pastor Coy’s moral failings were, though.
Not present at the Sunday announcement in which his resignation was announced, church elders read a statement from Coy and answered parishioners’ questions.
“On April 3, 2014, Bob Coy resigned as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, effective immediately, after confessing to a moral failing in his life which disqualifies him from continuing his leadership role at the church he has led since its founding in 1985,” the statement read.
Pastor Bob Coy and his wife Diane had led a Florida ministry that grew to include satellite locations in Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, West Boca, Plantation, Hollywood, and the Florida Keys.
“The way I see it, Bob Coy is a very selfish man, who indulged in his own personal desires, and when he got caught he abandoned his church,” Brian Craig, producer of The Steve Kane Showon AM 1470 WWNNtold Examiner. The congregation deserves to be addressed directly and in person by Bob Coy. They need closure and will not get it until he comes forward and apologizes directly to them.”
In an announcement made late Sunday afternoon, Pastor Bob Coy abruptly resigned, ending his 30-year leadership at one of the largest churches in the country, according to the Christian Post.
Citing a “moral failing,” the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale resigned amid reports of multiple affairs and allegations that he cheated on his wife, Diane Coy.
Michael Newnham wrote in his blog that they have confirmation Coy admitted to at least two affairs in the past year alone and has had a long standing “problem with pornography.”
The megachurch did not elaborate on what Coy’s moral failings were.
Not present at the Sunday announcement in which his resignation was announced, church elders read a statement from Coy and answered parishioners’ questions.
“On April 3, 2014, Bob Coy resigned as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, effective immediately, after confessing to a moral failing in his life which disqualifies him from continuing his leadership role at the church he has led since its founding in 1985,” the statement read.
Pastor Bob Coy and his wife Diane led a Florida ministry that grew to include satellite locations in Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, West Boca, Plantation, Hollywood, and the Keys, according to the SunSentinel.
“The way I see it, Bob Coy is a very selfish man, who indulged in his own personal desires, and when he got caught he abandoned his church,” Brian Craig, producer of The Steve Kane Show on AM 1470 WWNN told Examiner. The congregation deserves to be addressed directly and in person by Bob Coy. They need closure and will not get it until he comes forward and apologizes directly to them.”
According to Cavalry Chapel, their congregation consists of approximately 20,000 members.
“Every sinner’s got a future, every saint’s got a past. Bob is a good man who made big mistakes like the rest of us, and he’ll pay the consequence like the rest of us,” Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney John Contini, author of several real-life crime dramas including Danger Road and Feeling the Heat, told Examiner. “It’s more important to focus on what Jesus Christ said about this: “Judge not lest you be judged. By the same measure you judge others, you too shall be judged. Remove the log from your own eye before you look at the speck in your brother’s eye.”
The media ministry of the Active Word that distributes Pastor Bob’s Bible teachings through radio, television and digital media has also been suspended. According to Cavalry Chapel, Coy will be focusing full attention on his personal relationship with God and his family.
The governing board of the church is providing counselors and ministers who reportedly will assist Coy and guide him through the process of full repentance, cleansing and restoration.
Following the announcement, the congregation had a prayer and worship service.
A number of members expressed disappointment, encouragement, and hope on Cavalry Chapel’s Facebook page.
“Why are you taking down his preachings which have saved tens of thousands,” wrote Laura Wright in a Facebook comment. “You are acting as he never existed and his preachings weren’t worthy. I understand he needs to step down but I don’t think this is a good example at all. Closing the comments? He was the founder of the church here and while he has sinned- deserves respect for what he contributed to this church in my opinion. I ask that you pray on this matter.”
“Pastor Bob has helped so many of us find peace in Jesus Christ,” wroteRegina Anderson. “Our Lord is a God of restoration and He will step in and raise up Pastor Bob and his family.”
Also a board member for the Calvary Chapel Association, Coy has already been removed from its leadership page.
Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting firm specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.
In what has become a yearly tradition, the latest video referenced many of the year’s top U.S. stories and scandals – including revelations about the National Security Agency surveillance operations, the birth of North West and a royal baby, Harlem Shaking, the legalization of gay marriage and the controversial Miley Cyrus‘ “twerking” dance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
On the pop culture side, JibJab noted the arrivals of the Royal Baby and Kimye’s North West, the twerking nightmare that was Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance, Sharknado and the “What does the Fox say?” phenomenon.
As in previous years, JibJab paid homage to notable figures lost in 2013, including former South African President Nelson Mandela, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and “Sopranos” actor James Gandolfini.
Other JibJab favorite’s – such as “Big Box Mart” – allegedly poke fun at Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer.
While JibJab is primarily known for its satirical political and pop culture videos, one can also make e-cards for family and friends, video spoofs of classic movies and star in a music video for classics like “The Monster Mash” or “Gagnam Style.”
JibJab also owns Storybots, a website designed specifically for kids and families.
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Bill Lewis is principal of William E. Lewis Jr. & Associates, a solutions based professional consulting specializing in the discriminating individual, business or governmental entity.
Beware of an e-mail claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on behalf of the FBI requesting that you “kindly get back to us for further directives.” It is a scam, according to a report in the Miami Herald on Wednesday.
“It didn’t appear very convincing to me when I opened it,” former WSVN-TV reporter Derek Hayward told Examiner. “An award of almost 11 million dollars would come in quite handy now that I’m retired,” he stated with a chuckle.
The fake e-mail claims as follows:
SECRET SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
WASHINGTON, DC 20528, USA.
Good day,
This is the Department of Homeland Security we have vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face as well as internet Fraud. This requires the dedication of more than 230,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, from cyber security analyst to chemical facility inspector. Our duties are wide-ranging, but our goal is clear — keeping America safe.
We are happy to inform you that your funds valued at US$10,700,000.00 (Ten million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) have been approved by the Treasury Department of the United States.
Kindly get back to us for further directives.
Note: Do not reply to any e-mail that comes from the FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. The FBI director does not e-mail people; He will rather send an agent to your door step in person. Do not fall a victim of scam again, a word is enough for the wise.
Thank you and have a good day.
Signed: Julia Pierson
Director, United States Secret Service
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528, USA
The signatory of the e-mail – Julia Pierson – is the real director of the U.S. Secret Service. She is an Orlando native, former Orlando police officer, and spent several years in the Secret Service’s Miami office back in the 1980’s. She became the agency’s first female director in late March.
As in other variations of this scam, this is not a legitimate communication from law enforcement, but rather an attempt to obtain personal banking information from an unsuspecting victim. If you have received this e-mail or something similar to it, do not follow the instructions. It is suggested that you forward the communication to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.IC3.gov.
Fading faster than his rise in the polls for New York City mayor, former congressman Anthony Weiner has plummeted to fourth place in the Democratic primary field, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released late Tuesday.
With over 20 declared candidates for mayor, more than have of those surveyed – 53 percent – suggest Weiner should drop out of the race.
Weiner – who first rose to national stardom in 2011 in his now infamous crotch shot – has vowed to stand tall and continue his campaign despite sexting young women while married. Bringing parody to the race while violating the fundamental vows of marriage and abusing the public trust, Weiner remains hard in his commitment to become mayor of America’s largest city.
Crossing party lines – Democrat, Republican and Independent alike – gender, ethnicity and religion, voters have been unforgiving as allegations of continued bad behavior plague a shrinking Weiner base.
“With six weeks to go, anything can happen, but it looks like former Congressman Anthony Weiner may have sexted himself right out of the race for New York City mayor,” stated Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “And with Weiner in free-fall, it begins to look like a three-way race again.”
While obstinance and delusion continue to rein supreme for Weiner, he refused to fade from glory and vowed to continue despite his lewd messages to women.
“Quitting isn’t the way we roll in New York City,” Weiner stated in a minute-long video posted on his campaign website late Tuesday. “Someone wants to come out with something embarrassing about you in your private life; you’ve got to talk about that for a little while.”
“If politicians like Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer can reinvent themselves despite allegations of lewd photos, messages and using the services of a prostitute, anyone can,” Rico Petrocelli, former chairman of the Broward Republican Party in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, told Examiner. “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”
William E. Lewis Jr. - Bill Lewis - Vero Beach, Florida 