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While overall fraud figures are down, CIFAS warns identity fraud is still prevalent and many cases go undetected. So what are the fraudsters up to now?

The CIFAS analysis of fraud trends during 2010 reveals a 7% reduction in the overall level of fraud, when compared with the previous year. However, further key findings reveal a more worrying reality and CIFAS Head of Communications, Kate Beddington-Brown, warns there may be worse to come: "While any decrease in the level of confirmed fraud is good news, how much other fraud is being attempted remains far from clear.

"Fraud levels rose during the recession and - as the UK continues to edge its way out of it - fraud appears to have gone down. It is far too early, however, to know the true extent of fraud as further economic challenges are yet to emerge and are sure to have an impact."

Identity fraud
Figures reveal that identity fraud shows no sign of falling with over 102,500 reported cases identified in 2010, while a 4.73% rise in the number of victims of impersonation to over 89,000, demonstrates that fraudsters are increasingly targeting real people rather than using 'fake' identities. The rise may seem relatively small, yet it follows a 32% hike in 2009 and identity frauds comprised nearly 50% of all frauds recorded by CIFAS Members last year.

Facility takeover, also known as account takeover, fraud fell by 5.5% from 2009 yet CIFAS highlights that this masks the phenomenal increase of 250% since 2007. Beddington-Brown explains: "Whether it is organised criminals obtaining people's account numbers through online criminal forums, or unauthorised use of someone's bank card over the telephone, account takeover fraud is clearly not a passing trend. These figures show that account takeover is most definitely now a favoured method of obtaining funds fraudulently."

Serious questions
The overall fall in fraud also raises some serious questions about how much fraud is not being spotted, which could stem from stricter lending criteria and fraudulent applications being rejected before fraud checks take place. There are also concerns that organised criminal gangs, known for exploiting new opportunities, could be working on new techniques to catch consumers out.

Peter Hurst, CIFAS Chief Executive, comments: "Fraudsters adapt their methods in response to changes in the economy, and technology - finding and exploiting any area of weakness that they can. As a result, these 2010 fraud figures must not be viewed in isolation. Any reduction in levels of fraud is good - but how much more remains concealed, only to be revealed during further changes in our economic climate, can only be estimated.

It is also feared that the reduction could be short-lived, and as spending cuts, tax increases and unemployment levels all take their toll a second wave of fraud could soon be unleashed.

If truth be told, not all people realize that selecting a moving company may be as stressful as the process of moving itself. So, to be sure you are selecting a really expert and dependable firm you need to know how to pick and what questions to ask. This article will help you to select the best one from a really great variety of options that are obtainable these days in every state to choose from.

So, let’s focus on the vital questions you should ask while doing your research for moving companies.

Question1 1.
You should ask about charges and estimates.

Needless to say that it is essential to discover all details regarding the rates of the movers which visit your place. Actually, the majority of firms provide a distance rate plus a charge based on per pound.

A valuable hint for you to know about is staying away from movers that offer a rate based on cubic feet. If you are planning to move fairly long distances, local moving companies will offer you an estimate, which is based on weight. As relating to the short distances, the firms provide a charge on an hourly basis.

Before you make a final decision and pick a mover, ensure you are provided with the charges in writing and that they have a copy of the same with them.

Question1 2.
You should ask about registration number of the moving company.

As a matter of fact each mover in US must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Simply speaking, every company of this kind must have its registration number, which is also known as a US Department of Transportation (USDOT) number. That is the reason why it is necessary for you to ask for their registration number of the company you consider to deal with.

Q 3.
You should ask about additional fees.

The last but definitely not least question you need to ask is whether there are some extra charges involved. You should also know that the majority of local movers charge additional in such cases:

- if the destination is not easily reachable,
- if they have to carry the load by hand over some distance,
- if some items are awkward.

If you are currently looking for a Seattle mover, you should find out about Continental. A family-owned Seattle moving company has been providing cost effective professional local moving services for over 55 years. A+ rated by the BBB!

Hi there! I just wanted to address some of the questions I saw in the comments on this morning’s DHA post. Some of you were not sure if the body  can absorb DHA from walnuts, flaxseed, and seaweed – so I wanted to share this information that PCRM’s Dr. Susan Levin sent to me, which should clear up your questions:
“There was a great study that just came out showing that people who consume no animal products (vegans!) convert an incredible amount of omega-3 fats to EPA and DHA. This was especially the case among women.
Here's the summary and citation:
Women on Vegan Diets Have More Long-Chain Omega-3s, Compared with Fish-Eaters
Women following vegan diets have significantly more omega-3 “good fats” in their blood, compared with fish-eaters, meat-eaters, and ovo-lacto vegetarians, according to a new report from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study. Levels in vegan men were not quite as high as in vegan women. Despite zero intake of long-chain omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and substantially lower intake of their plant-derived precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), vegan participants converted robust amounts of shorter-chain fatty acids into these long-chain fatty acids. The study included 14,422 men and women aged 39 to 78.
Welch AA, Shakya-Shrestha S, Lentjes MAH, Wareham NJ, Khaw KT. Dietary intake and status of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and the precursor-product ratio of a-linolenic acid to long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92:1040-1051.”
As I said in the earlier post, if you dont feel you get enough, you can always take a supplement. But I feel that if you are superhero, or a very close to superhero vegan who eats the foods I mentioned, you should be fine. Let me know if you have other questions!