Thanks to a con that has spread like wildfire in recent months, there’s new concern for anyone with a bank account and a telephone number. The new trickery is called "smishing." It’s a cousin of "phishing," an attempt to get personal information via e-mails or other electronic communication. "Smishing" relies on wireless phones for identity theft by using a communications protocol called SMS (short message service), which sends text messages. Read more…

Experts and law-enforcement officials who track Internet crime say scams have intensified in the past six months, as fraudsters take advantage of economic confusion and anxiety to target both consumers and businesses. Thieves are sending out phony emails and putting up fake Web sites pretending to be banks, mortgage-service providers or even government agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Cellphones and Internet-based phone services have also been used to seek out victims.

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The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled recently launched a landmark initiative to enhance quality work environments for more than 40,000 Americans employed through AbilityOne, a program that provides employment through the federal procurement process to people who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

Formally ratified by all members on January 8, 2009, the Policy on Best Practices for a Quality Work Environment was spearheaded by the Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Customer Satisfaction, chaired by Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Neil Romano. To develop it, Mr. Romano and Subcommittee members James Omvig and Kathleen James collaborated closely with the Committee’s Chairperson, Andrew Houghton, and its two central nonprofit agencies, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (for people with severe disabilities).

At the core of the policy initiative are three guiding principles reflective of AbilityOne’s vision, which is to enable all people who are blind or have other severe disabilities to achieve their maximum employment potential. These principles—which broadly state that AbilityOne workers should be provided competitive wages, a clear career path and ongoing training—will now serve as a framework for the development of best practice standards for the more than 600 nonprofit agencies across the nation that participate in the AbilityOne Program. As part of this process, NIB and NISH will begin to identify and create best practices, and assist their associated nonprofit agencies in development of Quality Work Environment Business Plans that reflect the principles and include a self-certification program based on them.

In voting to approve the recommendations set forth in the Policy on Best Practices for a Quality Work Environment, Committee members have embarked on a significant new course for the AbilityOne Program, one that further advances America’s promise of equal opportunity for all citizens, including those with disabilities.

For more information on the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled and AbilityOne Program, visit the AbilityOne Web site.

"During this time of financial turmoil and investor uncertainty, National Futures Association (NFA) reminds investors to be especially wary of investment offers that come from individuals who claim an affinity with a specific ethnic community, religious organization or social club. Just because someone belongs to your church or speaks your native language does not guarantee that the investment opportunity they are offering is legitimate. Read more…"