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Fraud Watch
Cases of fraud and deception
Do any of these look familiar?
Advice:
Check your bank accounts daily and your credit card accounts every three days.
I have a client who found out there were checks being charged to his business account that he did not write. He contacted me immediately and I had the bank reverse those checks. Having caught it on time, there was no loss. If we waited, the loss would have been substantial.
This was a case of someone who printed checks with his name and bank account number. That person deposited the checks in another account. Whether the account was in their own name or someone else’s, I don’t know.
I contacted the other bank, but they would not speak with me about the issue. As they suffered no loss, my client’s bank simply reversed the checks back to the other bank and closed the case.
Another check was received with someone else’s name on the check but it was written to Sear’s. That was also reversed. We had to close the account and open another one.
Make of this one what you want:
My birthday is coming up on Saturday...
so I might buy you a plane ticket as a
present to me.
What? Plane ticket? Huh?
You see, I know if you come to Texas June 3-5th,
I can affect the rest of your life in a powerful way.
You will be transformed, excited, and emotionally
shifted in ways you can't imagine.
I know what happens to people who attend the
three day seminar. So, I'm bribing you. Because
it makes me feel good to make you feel good.
Your presence is my present in Texas. How's that?
Now, Saturday, I'll be in New York City teaching
handwriting analysis and celebrating my youth.
Come visit if you are near the Big Apple or send your
friends. http://myhandwriting.com/seminars
That also means that Saturday is the last day to get cheap
prices on items we put "on d i s c o u n t" each month.
http://myhandwriting.com/endofmonth.html
That includes the Certification Home Study
Course, which is going back up to the normal
price of $999 on May 1st. So, you can still
save a bundle, and you can force me to pay
for your plane ticket to the 3-Day Handwriting
Conference in the process. You just have
to download the customer invitation at this
webpage.
Now, if we have your snail mail address on file...
you might get a hand addressed invitation at your
house in a few days. But, don't bet on it. The
US mail can be unpredictable and we didn't even
mail it to anyone outside the USA
Read it only in this color-filled pdf file, complete
with cool photos of recent seminars.
http://myhandwriting.com/seminars/planeticket.html
Oh, the seminar only holds 60 people and we
have sent out 5,000 invitations. Don't be surprised
if it fills up by next week. Don't delay.
Sincerely,
BART BAGGETT
http://handwritinguniversity.com
April 25, 2005
Email : emos_adibe21@yahoo.fr.
Dear,
Good thing to write you. I have a proposal for you-this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will.
I am Emos Adibe, 21years old and the only son of my late parents Mr.and Mrs.Adibe. My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet-(a cocoa merchant)who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days. It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad year 12th.Febuary 2002.Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travelled with him at that time. But God knows the truth! My mother died when I was just 4 years old,and since then my father took me so special.
Before his death on Febuary 12 2002 he called the secretary who accompanied him to the hospital and told him that he has the sum of eight million,seven hundred thousand United State Dollars.(USD$8.700,000) left in fixed deposit account in one of the leading banks in Africa. He further told him that he deposited the money in his name,and finally issued a written instruction to his lawyer whom he said is in possession of all the necessary but legal documents to this fund and the bank. I am just 21 years old and a university undergraduate and really don't know what to do.
Now I want an account overseas where I can transfer this funds. This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast.The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life.I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards.Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded. Now permit me to ask these few questions:- 1. Can you honestly help me as your son? 2. Can I completely trust you? 3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the money is in your account? Please,Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.
As soon as you received this mail reply me on my private mailbox ( emos_adibe21@yahoo.fr) for more information.
Thank you so much.
My sincere regards,
Emos Adibe
Letter from JP Morgan--------I am not a customer of JP Morgan
Original Message-----
From: "JP Morgan Bank Security Department"
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 01:52:18
To:info@alextalksbusiness.com
Subject: Fraud Prevention Measures
Dear JPMorgan Bank Customer,
This email is to inform you, that we had to block your JPMorgan Bank account access because we have been notified that your account may have been compromised by outside parties.
Our terms and conditions you agreed to state that your account must always be under your control or those you designate at all times. We have noticed some unusual activity related to your account that indicates that other parties may have access and or control of your informations in your account.
These parties have in the past been involved with money laundering, illegal drugs, terrorism and various Federal Title 18 violations.
Please follow this link to complete your security verification and unlock your VISA® check card :
https://auth4.jpmorgan.com/servlet/getAccessLogin?URI=https://tssportal.jpmorgan.com/pp/pp/WSQ/servlet/starthomepage&APPID=WSDR02
Please be aware that until we can verify your identity no further access to your account will be allowed and we will have no other liability for your account or any transactions that may have occurred as a result of your failure to reactivate your account as instructed above.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter .
Sincerely,
JPMorgan Bank Accounts Department.
Note: Requests for information will be initiated by our JPMorgan Bank Business Development Group, this process cannot be externally expedited through Customer Support
TSUNAMIS DISASTER EMERGENCY
Dear Sir/Madam,
With sympathy and heavy laden hearts, we hereby appeal to your sense of generosity to assist by donating any amount you can afford towards The "TSUNAMIS DISASTER HELP FUNDS", which is aimed at assisting the victims of the Asians Tsunamis which took place on Sunday the 26TH December, 2004 .
We are a non- governmental charity organisation with offices and members across 5 continents namely Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Our goal is to assist poor, innocent survivals of both man-made and natural disasters. Our officials and members are scattered in places in needs of human and material relief as seen in cases of Sudan ( Darfur ) and Haiti etc.
We would appreciate it, if you can send us an email ( Via donatingfund@europe.com ) For further enquiries on how to make donations towards the Tsunamis Disaster Help Funds ( T D H F )
Note there are no names included - not the names of the solicitors nor the name of their worldwide relief organization. Wouldn't you think that a relief organization operating on five continents would have a name well known enought to incude in its appeals? And would an outfit that big be trolling for donations by mass emails?
Five Popular Holiday Shopping Scams
1. Naming a star
What better gift could you give someone then the symbol of the first Christmas -- a star? Various companies claim they can sell you a star -- for a fee. This year one company is charging $54. These companies will send you a certificate with the name and location of "your star" and promise that your star's name will be in a star registry.
Here's the problem: Stars are named by the International Astronomical Union -- and they aren't selling. Names for stars (and most are given numbers) are assigned according to the internationally accepted rules of the IAU. Anyone else who claims to be able to name stars has no more legal standing than your neighbor's Rottweiler. When they say your star is going into a "registry," they mean whatever registry they made up -- not the official catalog that is kept by the IAU and used by all astronomers.
According to the IAU's Web site, "such 'names' have no formal or official validity whatever. Like true love and many other of the best things in human life, the beauty of the night sky is not for sale, but is free for all to enjoy."
If you want to give someone a star, save yourself some money: Go to the closest planetarium, pick a star you think is pretty and ask the astronomer for the coordinates. Then go home and make your own certificate on your own computer.
2. Fake charities
Is that sound holiday carolers at your door? No. It's kids selling magazines to support a local scam artist -- oops, they meant to say charity.
Many charities will come knocking, calling or mailing you pleas for donations because during the holidays people remember that part of being human is helping out those less fortunate. Unfortunately, many of those so-called charities are fakes. According to the Federal Trade Commission, many of the calls you get this year will be from scam artists. The FTC has a checklist of warning signs to help you steer clear of charity scams.
Your best bet is to not make any quick decisions, ask for information in writing and research the charity before cutting any checks.
3. Spam solicitations
Never buy anything from an unsolicited e-mail. No matter how good a deal you think you are getting, it is not worth it to risk losing your money or giving any of your information to a possible scam artist. By responding to these e-mails, you are begging to receive so much spam as to make your inbox unusable, because by responding to their e-mail, you let the spammers know that you have a working e-mail address. You are also proclaiming yourself easily fooled and a great target for any number of Internet scams -- such as identity theft.
It is unfortunate that spam scams have become so prevalent that they are virtually indistinguishable from legitimate advertisers -- and there are some legitimate advertisers out there. But as this is the currently reality, don't take the risk.
4. eBay scams
"Let the buyer beware" takes on a severe meaning when applied to online auctions. Accept the fact that you are dealing with a nameless, faceless salesperson that could disappear at any time. Bid wisely and only pay for items using your credit card so you can cancel payment if you don't receive your merchandise -- or if you receive that tea set you were bidding on only to discover that it is dollhouse-sized.
5. The high-pressure sale
Perhaps the most annoying scam is the legal one: the high-pressure sale. It can happen anywhere -- the mall, the car lot, over the phone and even in the salon. You've been through it before: "No, really, you have to have this mousse so your hair will sit correctly. I'll just add it onto your bill," or "We only have two of these carrot juicers left. After they are gone, I won't have any more," and "This is a special price just for you so take it or leave it because I am just about to close up shop."
Rest assured there are lots of carrot juicers in the world and if one person is willing to give you a "good deal" on it, someone else will too. Go home, research the product on the Internet and figure out what a good price is or you will be doomed to pay too much.
Beware of this type:
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Subj: |
URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL |
|
Date: |
7/10/2003 3:07:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time |
|
From: |
drali778ahmed@hotmail.com |
|
Sent from the Internet (Details) |
FROM THE DESK OF DR ALI AHMED.
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK-ADB
OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Friend,
I am the manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department
of African Developent bank(ADB).I am writing following the impressive
information about you through one of my friends who runs a consultancy
firm in your country. He assured me of your capability and reliability to
champion this businees opportunity.
In my departmentn i discovered an abandoned sum of $10.2m US dollars (Ten
million two hundred thausand US dollars). In an account that belongs to one
of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in november
1999 in a plane crash. Since we got information about his death, we have
been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we
cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation
to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines but unfortunately we
learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with
him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore
upon this discovery that I and other officials in my department now decided
to make this businness proposal to you and release the money to you as the
next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent
disbursement since nobody is coming for it and we dont want this money to go
into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill. The Banking law and guideline here
stipulates that if such money remained unclamed after four years, the money
will be transfered into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of
foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the
customer was a foreigner and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a
foreigner. We agree that 30% of this money will be for you as foreign
partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, 10% will be set
aside for expenses incured during the business and 60% would be for ;me and
my colleagues. There after I and my colleagues will visit your country for
disbursement accoding to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate trnansfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to
the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank
name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for
easy and effective communication and location where in the money will be
remitted . Upon
receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text
of the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom
of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer .
You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.
Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Yours faithfully
DR ALI AHMED Bill and exchange manager
African Development bank ADB.
_________________________________________________________________
MSN Search, le moteur de recherche qui pense comme vous !
http://search.msn.fr/worldwide.asp
Case study
Pacific Bell Yellow Pages vs. The Doctor
A doctor client of mine was sued for unpaid Yellow Pages ads. Before you laugh and tell him to pay the $50.00, it was for approx. $22,000.00!
My client did not tell me about the lawsuit until 10 days before the trial. That was more than a year after the suit was filed. He told me he would need to file bankruptcy. I loathe filing bankruptcy.
I contacted the opposing lawyer. He sent me the copies of the contracts. I quickly saw that the first two were signed by my client. The middle four were not his signature and the last two were signed by his part time receptionist.
I also noted that all but the first two were placed in areas far away from his office and of no value to him. He draws patients from his area and would not waste money placing ads outside of it.
I checked his books and reaffirmed the ads had been charged to his phone bill. And, if you don’t pay the phone bill, you know what happens. Thus, the ads must have been paid.
Time was short and to hire an attorney would have required approx. $10,000.00 retainer. So, we went to court together.
I hired a handwriting expert who recognized and wrote a report attesting to the differences in the signatures on the four middle contracts. In court he stumbled on his own report and seemed to impeach it. I feared we were sunk.
As I am not an attorney, I was not allowed to speak except to answer questions.
Their bookkeeping system was as complicated as possible. I could not establish a payment pattern. And, I was not allowed to question them.
The lawyer argued that the receptionist was empowered to sign contracts on behalf of the company. Can you imagine being held responsible for commitments made by a receptionist? The judge seemed to agree with their lawyer. It looked bleak.
Near the end, I was allowed to speak about one issue. I recalled another client’s advice from 20+ years ago. He said when you talk, keep talking until the judge forces you to stop. In his experience, even if the judge overrules your words, the judge still heard them. So I started talking and voiced my opinion until the judge loudly stopped me.
At the end, the judge held his decision and sarcastically thanked me for being so quiet. I told him I would use this case as a case study in my class.
Two weeks later, the judgement was received in the mail. Without any comment or explanation, an amount of approx. $1,400.00 was ordered, plus interest. That was a far cry from the almost $22,000.00 originally demanded. My client was relieved. I could not understand how the judge arrived at this amount.
Lawyers who go to court against someone representing themselves consider it to be a gift of an easy victory. This time it was not to be. The amount of time the lawyer spent was far in excess of the amount awarded. The lawyer must have been teased and ridiculed in his office. He spent so much time on a case he must have known was wrong. In the opinion of a lawyer friend of mine, "He must have been certain that going to court against someone without representation was a piece of cake".
One odd part. At the lawyer’s request I faxed a copy of the handwriting expert’s report. That was the day before trial. He said by phone that his client would seriously consider the issue of forgery. He had been quite communicative up until that time. After receiving the report, he suddenly did not return or accept my phone calls to offer settlement. Then the next day in court, the handwriting expert seemed very nervous about his report and willingly impeached it. It makes me wonder.......
http://www.bordergatewayprotocol.net/~jon/humor/web_animations/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf
Elvis is Alive...Read On!
More...
Bank Fishing
Date: 10/05/2004 06:54:54 -0300
From: Customer Support support@citibank.com
NOTE: I am not a Citibank customer
To: Info
Subject: Dear customer your details have been compromised
Dear Customer:
Recently there have been a large number of cyber attacks pointing our database servers. In order to safeguard your account, we require you to sign on immediately.
This personal check is requested of you as a precautionary measure and to ensure yourselves that everything is normal with your balance and personal information.
This process is mandatory, and if you did not sign on within the nearest time your account may be subject to temporary suspension.
Please make sure you have your Citibank(R) debit card number and your User ID and Password at hand.
Please use our secure counter server to indicate that you have signed on, please click the link bellow:
http://211.158.34.250/citifi/
!! Note that we have no particular indications that your details have been compromised in any way.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and thank you for using Citibank(R)
Regards,
Citibank(R) Card Department
(C)2004 Citibank. Citibank, N.A., Citibank, F.S.B.,
Citibank (West), FSB. Member FDIC.Citibank and Arc
Design is a registered service mark of Citicorp.
And they keep coming!!
Date: 10/07/2004 06:01:26 -0300
From: Customer Support <support@citibank.com>
To: Info <info@alextalksbusiness.com>
Subject: NOTE! Citibank account suspend in process
Dear Customer:
Recently there have been a large number of cyber attacks pointing our database servers. In order to safeguard your account, we require you to sign on immediately.
This personal check is requested of you as a precautionary measure and to ensure yourselves that everything is normal with your balance and personal information.
This process is mandatory, and if you did not sign on within the nearest time your account may be subject to temporary suspension.
Please make sure you have your Citibank(R) debit card number and your User ID and Password at hand.
Please use our secure counter server to indicate that you have signed on, please click the link bellow:
http://211.158.34.250/citifi/
!! Note that we have no particular indications that your details have been compromised in any way.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and thank you for using Citibank(R)
Regards,
Citibank(R) Card Department
(C)2004 Citibank. Citibank, N.A., Citibank, F.S.B.,
Citibank (West), FSB. Member FDIC.Citibank and Arc
Design is a registered service mark of Citicorp.
BANK FRAUD
Press Release October 15, 2004
FDIC Warns About Fraudulent Request for Information
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received complaints from consumers who have received an e-mail that appears to have been sent by the FDIC. The fraudulent e-mail requests that recipients update account information due to inactive accounts, frauds and spoof reports, and that failure to do so will result in closure of the recipient''s bank account.
The link contained within the e-mail, http://www.fdic.gov/register/cgi-bin/fdic_intsafe/register.jsp, serves as a gateway to the fraudulent website. The fraudulent website, which is designed to look like a page from the FDIC''s authentic Web site, asks respondents to provide sensitive information, such as bank or credit card account numbers, as well as personal identification and Social Security numbers.
This fraudulent e-mail, which may contain a virus, was not sent by the FDIC. Financial institutions and consumers are warned NOT to access the link or submit personal information. Further, the FDIC strongly recommends that individuals safeguard personal information and refrain from responding to any unsolicited request for personal information.
The FDIC can be contacted toll free at 877-275-3342, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., ET. The FDIC''s Web site is http://www.fdic.gov/.
Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 1933 to restore public confidence in the nation''s banking system. The FDIC insures deposits at the nation''s 9,079 banks and savings associations and it promotes the safety and soundness of these institutions by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to which they are exposed. The FDIC receives no federal tax dollars - insured financial institutions fund its operations.
FDIC press releases and other information are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web at http://www.fdic.gov/ and may also be obtained through the FDIC''s Public Information Center (877-275-3342 or 202-416-6940).
This One Is From South Africa
(though the address ".nl" is suspect)
Date: 10/26/2004 01:26:13 +0200
From: <patmakalele1@ilse.nl>
To: <patmakalele1@ilse.nl>
Subject: NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
FROM THE DESK OF:ENGR. PATRICK MAKALELE
(Director,Project Implementation)
Email: ministryofmining@techemail.com
I am , ENGR. PATRICK MAKALELE Director of Project,
South Africa Ministry of Mining & Natural Resources. I
am making this contact with you based on the
committee's need for an individual/company who is
willing to assist us with a solution to a money
transfer.
First and foremost, I apologized using this medium to
reach you for a deal of this magnitude, but this is
due to the prompt access reposed on this medium. In
unfolding this proposal, I want to count on you, as a
respected and honest person to handle this transaction
with sincerity and trust. I have decided to seek a
confidential co-operation with you in the execution of
the deal described Hereunder for the benefit of all
parties and hope you will keep it as a top secret
because of the nature of this transaction.
Within the Ministry of Mining and Natural resources
where I work as Director of Project Implemention and
with the cooperation of four other top officials, we
have in our possession as overdue payment bills
totaling Fourteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars which we want to transfer abroad
with the assistance and cooperation of a foreign
company/individual to receive the said fund on our
behalf or a reliable foreign non-company account to
receive such funds.
Moreso, we are handicapped in this circumstances, as
the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does
not allow us to operate offshore account hence your
importance in the whole transaction.
This amount Fourteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars represents the balance of the
total contract value executed on behalf of my
Department by a foreign contracting firm, which we the
officials over-invoiced deliberately.Though the actual
contract cost have been paid to the original
contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of the
said amount which we have in principles gotten
approval to remit by Key tested Telegraphic Transfer
(K.T.T) to any foreign bank account you will provide
by filing in an application through the Ministry of
Justice here in South Africa for the transfer of
rights and privileges of the former contractor to you.
I have the authority of my partners involved to
propose that should you be willing to assist us in the
transaction, your share of the sum will be Twenty
percent of Fourteen million, Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars, Seventy percent for us and Five
percent for taxation and miscellaneous expenses while
the remaining Five percent will go to charity
organizations. The business itself is one hundred
percent safe, on your part provided you treat it with
utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of
specialization is not a hindrance to the successful
execution of this transaction. I have reposed my
confidence in you and hope that you will not
disappoint me.
Endeavor to contact me immediately through my alternative
e-mail:ministryofmining@techemail.com to confirm whether or not
you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it
will enable me scout for another foreign partner to
carry out this deal.
I want to assure you that my partners and myself are
in a position to make the payment of this claim
possible provided you can give us a very strong
Assurance and guarantee that our share will be
secured. And please, remember to treat this matter
very confidential, because we will not comprehend with
any form of exposure as we are still in active
Government Service .Once again, remember that time is
of great essence in this transaction.
I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.
Yours faithfully,
ENGR. PATRICK MAKALELE.
Director,Project Implementation
Ministry of mines & Natural Resources,
SOUTH AFRICA.
MORE
11/27/2004 19:49:51 -0700
From: tunde_abayomi10@tiscali.it
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL
ATTENTION:
Thank you for taking the time to read this mail. My name is Mrs. MARTHA
KOROMA; from Diamond rich country district of Bombali in Northern Province of Sierra Leone. I am the widow of the Late Mr. PAUL KOROMA, the managing director of Sierra Leone diamond mining co-operation. I am currently living in a refugee center in London, UK.
My family and I have been unfortunate to find ourselves caught up in a very difficult situation in London. I know you will be surprised to receive this message, but it is of utmost importance to me and my family. I got your contact through my research on the internet for a trust worthy person. Anyway, I am about to entrust my destiny and the destiny of my whole dependants on your shoulder if you can help us, it will also be of immense benefit to you too.
This transaction demands utmost trust, honesty, integrity and most importantly, secrecy. It is only through the above that my family and I will be assured of our security.
This regrettable situation led to the killing of my husband and only daughter and the displacement of my family.
During the brutal civil war in my country Sierra Leone, my late husband
of blessed memory was brutally murdered by the rebels led by Mr. Foday Sankoh, he was murdered with my only daughter (Nina). But my two sons (Greg & Daniel) and I managed to escape to UK, through the help of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
But before my late husband's death, he drew my attention to a box containing about twelve million US dollars ($12 Million) which he smuggled out at the start of the war to a security company in Spain, Europe. (The security company does not know the real contents of the box. He registered it in the name of my son Greg Koroma as family art and monuments) He also gave me the certificate of deposit and receipt issued to him by the security company, which I still have in my possession.
The problem I have is that as a refugee, the immigration law does not allow us to open or hold operate bank account in London and I do not want to seek the assistance of just anybody for fear of being duped or defraud of our only livelihood, I have sold almost all my jewelries to keep body and soul together, hence the British Government is not really taking care of us.
What is required of you is to give us your full name and contact address
so that I can secure a Power of Attorney in your favor that would enable
you contact the security company as the beneficiary of the box. You can
then transfer the funds to your bank account after the box must have been released to you. In order to make it worth your while, we will give you a part of the money. We have also mapped out 5% of the principal sum for any expenses that you may incurre during the transaction process including traveling expenses, we intend to invest the remaining part of the money on your advice in any viable business ventures in your country, you may even act as our financial adviser if you are so disposed.
If you want to help, you can contact my son Greg Koroma who recently got a job in one of the local firms in London on this email address (gregkoroma_555@yahoo.co.in).
I am looking forward to your immediate response, as I believe that destiny has brought us together.
Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Martha Koroma
"Watch" out for this one
Keep "Watching"
|
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8 Top Auto Maintenance Myths
By Terry Jackson
December 17, 2004
Want to save hundreds of dollars a year on automobile maintenance?
Then stop over-maintaining your vehicle.
Sales pitches by fast-and-furious oil change shops and service centers touting all sorts of fluid flushes and lube jobs have Americans wasting wads of cash on unnecessary service items -- particularly on vehicles built in the last 10 years.
Often bewildered by the mass of electronics, wires and hoses that adorn a modern engine, many drivers simply put themselves at the mercy of service facilities that may only be interested in running up your bill.
Of course there's the flip side to all of this: Some drivers never gets cars serviced and then wonder why the engine seizes after the oil has turned to sludge.
But it's more likely that you're one of those drivers who follow the maintenance advice your dad gave you 30 years ago when you got your first car.
Thanks to computer-controlled ignitions, improvements in filter technology, upgraded suspension designs and other mechanical improvements developed by the manufacturers, today's vehicles require far less maintenance than the cars our parents drove.
Doubt that premise?
Check your owner's manual and see what it says about when to change oil or do other maintenance. The 2005 Honda Civic, for example, calls for oil changes every 10,000 miles. The average recommended oil change interval industry-wide tends to be 7,500 miles.
General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and other manufacturers have added an oil life indicator on the instrument cluster that tells you when the oil needs changing. The car's computer keeps track of starts and stops, as well as other factors, and calculates the oil's useful interval. Depending on how you drive, GM says it's possible to see 10,000 miles or more between oil changes.
These guidelines are coming from companies that have a vested interest in keeping your car running trouble-free: If you're happy with the car or truck, you're more likely to buy another one. And a well-maintained car means the manufacturer has to pay out less in warranty claims.
Even Motor Age magazine -- the publication for the automotive service industry (the people who want your service and repair business) -- put it succinctly: "Following the factory schedule should keep nearly any car or truck healthy past the warranty period."
Consider that the average household has two vehicles and drives each 15,000 miles a year. Following the advice of the local change-a-lot fast lube outlet -- to change oil and filter every 3,000 miles -- the average family would pay for 10 oil and filter changes every year. At, say, $30 a pop, that's $300.
That same family could cut its oil change bill by $180 by following the manufacturer's advice to change oil every 7,500 miles.
There are some exceptions that might require more frequent oil changes: Driving in an abnormally dusty climate or taking a lot of short, stop-and-go trips. But the oil change interval for such conditions is again spelled out in the owner's manual. No need to do it more frequently.
A word of caution about owner's manuals: Some dealers, in an effort to boost profits, give buyers a "supplemental" owner's manual or service guide that calls for more frequent servicing. Don't be fooled into thinking you have to follow these recommendations -- it's just the dealer's way of competing with the fast-lube places for your money.
Beyond oil changes, the basic servicing of a vehicle is becoming less demanding, particularly within the first 60,000 miles of ownership.
Spark plugs don't have to be changed for at least 100,000 miles, and most new cars don't require any chassis lubrication. With coolant systems that are entirely recirculating and with coolant manufacturers making strides in their products' chemical components, the seasonal radiator flush is becoming a thing of the past.
Yet anyone who goes to a service facility is likely to get pitched "routine" maintenance services from fuel injector cleaning to coolant flushes to air-conditioner refrigerant replacement.
Just say no -- or at the very least compare what they're trying to sell with what your owner's manual recommends -- and you can avoid hundreds of dollars in unnecessary maintenance costs a year.
Here are eight of the most common auto maintenance myths:
Greasy kids' stuff. Unless your owner's manual calls for it, don't change every 3,000 miles. Also, don't waste money on more expensive synthetic oil unless your car requires it. Use only the grade and quality oil specified in your owner's manual.
Un-classy chassis. If someone says your chassis needs lubing, check it out before doing anything. Most cars built in the last 10 years don't require lubrication. And if the mechanic says he can put in a fitting so the chassis can be lubed (pumped full of grease), don't fall for it. Adding grease where none is required could lead to problems.
Looney tune-ups. Computer-controlled engines have made the standard tune-up a thing of the past. It used to be a tune-up called for new spark plugs and ignition parts like distributor cap, points and rotor. Aside from spark plugs, cars don't have points and rotors and many don't have traditional distributor caps.
Filter fantasy. There are a plethora of filters -- oil, air, fuel, transmission -- on modern vehicles, and they all need replacing at some time or another. But not at every oil-change interval. Air filters often can be blown clean with compressed air and then replaced at every other oil change. Check the owner's manual for recommended replacement intervals for all filters.
Transmission-friction fiction. Flushing the automatic transmission system also is often recommended by service centers as a routine maintenance item. But most manufacturers say it's not needed until at least 60,000 miles -- if then. If your transmission has a filter, check the owner's manual for when it should be replaced.
Hot flushes. It used to be conventional wisdom that you drained your radiator twice a year at spring and fall. But most cars now have closed systems that don't lose coolant over time, and modern coolant fluids -- antifreeze in our parents' jargon -- can last two years and more before losing effectiveness.
Injection deception. Sometimes cleaning fuel injectors means adding a bottle of fluid to the gas tank; other times it's a mechanical procedure involving a sort of pressure cleaning and chemical wash costing $50 and up. Either way, don't do it unless called for by the manufacturer. Few of them do. Gasoline is required to have a certain detergent component that will keep injectors and combustion chambers clean. If your vehicle is running rough, there are likely other causes and injector cleaning isn't likely to help over the long-term.
Warranty validity. Some dealers will tell you that you have to get the recommended service items done at their shop to keep your warranty in force. They may even tell you that you have to follow their supplemental service list. Not true. You can get service done anywhere; you can even do it yourself. Just keep records and receipts, should any questions arise over a warranty claim. What is true, however, is that doing no maintenance -- oil changes and filters at recommended intervals -- can void a warranty.
THANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO SENT ME SUCH IMPORTANT EMAIL HOAXES IN 2004!
Because of all of you I stopped drinking Coca-Cola after I found out
from you that it's good for removing toilet stains.
I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected
with a disease.
I smell awful, but thank goodness I stopped using deodorant because you
said it causes cancer.
I don't leave my car in any parking lot even though I sometimes have to
walk about seven blocks, because you said that someone might drug me
with a perfume sample and then try to rob me.
I also stopped answering the phone because you said that they will ask
me to dial a stupid number and then I would get a high phone bill with
calls to Uganda, Singapore, Tokyo and maybe the Mars Rover.
I stopped eating chicken and hamburgers because you told me that they
are nothing more than horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers
that are bred in a lab so that places like McDonald's can sell their Big
Macs.
I also stopped drinking anything out of a can - you said that I will get
sick from the rat feces and urine.
When I go to parties, I now don't mix with anybody - you said that
someone will take my kidneys and leave me napping in a bathtub full of ice.
However, the police are also after me at present because you said not to
pull over as they could be fake policemen trying to kidnap me.
I also went bankrupt from bounced checks that I wrote in anticipation of
the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL were supposed to send me when I
participated in their special e-mail program.
It's weird though that my new free cell phone never arrived, and neither
did the passes for my paid vacation to Disneyland.
But I am positive that all this is because of the chain I broke or
forgot to follow and I got a curse.
Here's to a better informed 2006!
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