Beware the new phone scam

We heard from our friends at MyWireless.org on about a new twist to an old scam involving your mobile.

Here's how it goes:  The caller rings your number and lets it ring once or twice before disconnecting so that the number stays on your call log. Sometimes they might leave a voicemail. The number shows up as a missed call and is typically a normal three-digit area code that would appear to be a U.S. number, but it’s actually an international number.

• 809 is the Dominican Republic
• 876 is Jamaica
• 284 is the British Virgin Islands, etc

When you return the call, however, you’re automatically routed to an international adult entertainment or chat line where you can quickly rack up expensive charges. While major wireless companies work to block suspicious numbers on their networks, and most have consumer education systems in place to identify and combat these threats, these scams originate outside the reach of U.S. regulators and wireless providers.

Tips to Keep You Safe:

• Always check the area code before returning a missed call to ANY unknown caller.

• Be skeptical about area codes you don’t recognize.

• Be aware that there are numerous three-digit area codes (mostly in the non-U.S. Caribbean Islands) that connect callers to an international phone number.

• Don’t respond to text messages or calls from unknown sources. Delete them immediately.

• If you don’t regularly make international calls, ask your wireless carrier to block international calling.

Avoid Smishing Scams

Also on the rise is  similar texting scam called  ‘Smishing’ – a combination of ‘Short Message Service’ text messaging and email ‘Phishing’. It involves your responding to what appears to be a legitimate text message you received, even though it’s from a number you most likely don’t recognize.

Doing this can place yourself at greater risk for identity or information theft at the hands of crafty cyber thieves. This simple bait-and-hook fraud allows crooks to use auto-dialing or roll-texting computer programs to text you on your wireless device. The message encourages you to click a link or call the number back (the bait). It may be designed to make you think it's from your bank or credit card provider.

However, when you visit the website (the hook), you’ve unwittingly given the criminals access to your device, and they can attach dangerous spyware, malware, viruses, or spam to your device that gives them control of it and instant access to your personal (possibly financial) data.


What to do about it?

If you believe you’ve unwittingly been a victim of a scam like this, contact your carrier immediately. You should also file a complaint with the FCC and/or FTC, and report the activity to the NFIC and BBB to help save other consumers from becoming wireless call/text scam victims.

Back to School Basics: A is for App

There's a new app store on the block, and helping college students find jobs and internships is part of its reason for being. Check out these great places to find work or an employee.

Internship Seeker (FREE for Apple iPhone) – Internship Seeker provides mobile access to thousands of available internship listings, with new ones updated and posted every day. Internship Seeker is powered by internships.com, the web's largest internship database.

USA Intern (FREE for Apple iPhone) – Find internships for free using the USAIntern App. Search and save thousands of internships throughout the USA. Login to view contact details. Upload your resume through the USAIntern.com website and apply for internships directly through the App.

Job Finder (FREE for Android) - Find your dream job. Browse hundreds, thousands and millions of jobs in the US, Canada, Australia, China, Korea, Japan, Brazil, India, the EU, and all around the world.  Save job postings, send jobs to your friends and add the job search shortcut to your home screen!

JobFinder (FREE For Android) - This app is a job finder that improves your job searches and helps you find a job fast.  Just search with a keyword phrase, enter in a zip code OR city and state, search in titles only for the best results, and submit your search to find job posts and online job listings that meet your criteria!

Appitalism.com combines a social community with an online store, enabling consumers to discover, discuss and download digital media from a catalog of over ten million premium apps, songs, books, games and videos compatible with a broad range of digital devices including smartphones, tablets, PCs and eBook readers. Simply put, there is no better way to discover and download apps and digital content than on Appitalism.com

Is everybody asking this question? Should you outsorce your payroll?

Michael Singleton on the Innovation and Market Research Manager, UALR Lead Center, reports that the IRS is now offering tips on outsourcing payroll.  It seems small business owners often have great demands for their time and attention, and more often than not, can benefit from outsourcing their payroll.

That's exactly was certified accountant Josh Appling of Sequoia Payroll Solutions in Fayetteville, Ark. was writing about in his column this month in NWAB2B.com. Click here to read Josh's column now.

You might was to note, too, the IRS has several helpful items for a business owner considering outsourcing payroll duties.

Contractors need be aware of new law in Arkansas

According to Gwen Green, Communication Coordinator, UALR Lead Center, a new law in Arkansas requires home improvement contractors to be licensed.


Under a new state law, contractors doing home improvement or remodeling in Arkansas must have a license for jobs over $2,000, starting in 2012. According to the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, effective Jan. 1, 2012, "Act 1208 of 2011 requires almost anyone doing work at a residence, when the project is $2,000 or more, labor and material, to have a license from the Contractors Licensing Board." The measure applies to almost all construction trades.

A "grandfathering" period began July 27 and will run through Dec. 31, 2011. During the grandfathering period, contractors can obtain a license without a test by submitting proof of construction experience. Click here for the grandfathering application. Starting Jan. 1, a license will be required, and contractors will have to complete a test to get a license. The penalty for performing work at a residence without a license can be up to $400 per day. There are exemptions to the law; for example, subcontractors working for properly licensed contractors are exempt.

For more information, contact the Contractors Licensing Board  in  North Little Rock at (501) 372-4661.

NWAB2B in the news

Can't help but share the  publicity. We're usually the ones doling it out, so it feels good to see it come back. Thanks, Mark Carter, for taking up our song!


NWA Startup Growing Business-to-Business
By Mark Carter
8/4/2011 11:08:52 AM

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One Bentonville startup is providing a valuable resource for businesses across Northwest Arkansas.
NWAB2B.com started as a franchised print magazine in 2009 and has evolved into a one-stop online business-to-business resource.
"We call it the knowledge shop because our goal is to give business owners and their teams a place to come for locally relevant information, articles and tips that can help them boost their brand and their bottom line," said Janie Clark, founder, owner and operator.

Read on >

Smart Moves: Local barter organization lands a healthy solution for small business health care reform

According to barter broker, Rich Creyer, with Fayetteville-based Local Trade Partners (www.localtradepartners.com), his organization is a first in the nation to open dollar for dollar trade with a hospital.  With the recent addition of Physicians' Specialty Hospital in Fayetteville, Ark., Creyer said his community-based local currency program has broken ground on what could be a major impact on the health care crisis for small business owners and entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas. 

Creyer believes this could be a model for communities nationwide.

"It's not uncommon for a local barter organization to have a few doctors, dentists, and chiropractors among their member businesses," Creyer said. "There are a few hospitals around the country who will let people pay off debt for services rendered when cash and insurance are not options. That kind of barter is usually much like community service -- working hours in trade for the debt doing clerical, janitorial or kitchen work."

What Local Trade Partners (LTP) has done is create a dollar for dollar credit line where any one of the 400-plus trade members can walk in for immediate or scheduled care and services.

"As far as I know that hasn't happened anywhere else yet," Creyer said. "I can't find any other local currency group in the nation that has successfully launched such a program." 

What makes this development such a powerhouse play is that many small business owners struggle to sponsor their own health care plans. In fact, some say one of the biggest issues among small business owners is their lack of affordable health care coverage options. Often they go uninsured or under insured and hope for the best. 

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, health care premiums have risen some 131 percent since 1999. The Kaiser Family Foundation states that in 2009, the cost of covering a family of four rose to almost $13,400 per year. Kaiser is a non-profit leader in health policy that focuses on major health care issues in the US.

"I believe there are hundreds of thousands of small and solo-preneur businesses in America that find it impossible to cover that premium," said Creyer. "That's certainly what motivated us to seek these health care options."

The Physicians' Specialty Hospital (http://www.pshfay.com/) is revered as the official healthcare provider of the Arkansas Razorbacks, the sports arm of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The facility offers in-patient care along with specialties in advanced spine surgery, urology, podiatry, general surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, gynecological surgery, weight loss surgery, pain management and plastic reconstructive surgery.

Walter Beadle is the business development officer at Physicians' Specialty Hospital (PSH), and the person who had to sell the idea to decision makers in his organization. "The concept was difficult to convey," Beadle admits, "but once there was understanding, inertia took over."

The idea that PSH would have immediate and exclusive exposure to more than 400 local business owners was a draw, he said. In a competitive market with less than 350,000 people and around 6,000 small businesses, the move could have a significant marketing impact.

"The synergy will allow Local Trade Partners and their families to receive hospital services they otherwise might be delaying due to their own financial issues."

On the flip side, "The virtual currency allows the hospital to obtain goods and services more efficiently than the traditional purchase order/invoice system." Items such as internal signage, catering events and meetings, and vehicle maintenance are on the top of the list, he said.

The Local Trade Partner organization was developed by Rolf Wilkin, a long-time Northwest Arkansas resident and pizza entrepreneur, with 13 Eureka Pizza locations throughout the area. He tells the story of wanting to trade pizza for tires for his delivery vans early on. "My tire dealer said he just couldn't use that many pizzas!"

Now an organized, sophisticated membership bank of local, family-owned businesses, members earn trade credits they can spend at any of the 400-plus member businesses. By partnering with a national trade center, they open the doors worldwide. LTP is a member of International Reciprocal Trade Association (http://www.irta.com) and follows its Code of Ethics for Professional Trade Exchanges.

"I believe we're offering our participating businesses something few other barter organizations can," Wilkin said.  Members can do business on trade with private practice physicians, optometrists, dentist, oral surgeons, orthodontists, plastic surgeons, audiologists, podiatrists, psycho-therapists, chiropractic, acupuncture, even hospital care and emergency services-- all accepting Local Trade Dollars as payment.

"It's the LTP PPO, so to speak," he said. 

"Not only is this a tremendous advancement for businesses in our group, it's a novel, eye-opening solution to the health care cost problem," Creyer said.

Using excess inventory that would normally be discounted below acquisition costs, LTP enrolled businesses can sell retail to retail to other participating businesses.