Identity Theft By Stealing Your Tax Return Rebate
E-File Tax Identity Theft Fraud is Exploding: Here is How to Protect Yourself
As with anything, when the majority of a population uses something, it usually becomes the target of malicious or criminal activity. Just ask Microsoft Internet Explorer engineers.
Now that over 80% of tax returns are e-filed with the IRS, the thieves have found clever ways to claim your tax refunds through fraudulent identity theft, as I alluded to in Monday’s tax return guide.
E-filing had such a good thing going there for its users – quicker returns, easier to catch errors, no trip to the post office, and the peace of mind that your return reached its destination. And the IRS loves e-filing because they result in easier audit pulls, electronic data storage, and fraud detection.
Yahoo Finance
5 Places Where You Should Never Give Your Social Security Number
Every time you go to a new doctor or dentist and they give you a clipboard brimming with documents to fill out and sign, notice how they always ask for your Social Security number? Do you dutifully give it up? Did you ever wonder if they really need it?
I once asked a doctor why he wanted it. His response: “I don’t really know. I guess it’s because we’ve always asked for it.” (In actuality, most doctors ask in case your insurance doesn’t pay the entire invoice and/or to fill out a death certificate if you die. Offer a next of kin who knows the number instead, and your phone number for billing issues.)
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5 Ways to Boost Your Small Business Twitter Account
Managing your social media presence is tricky enough when you’re simultaneously keeping up with the challenges of starting your own small business or freelance operation.
These user-friendly tips will take the confusion out of Twitter, so you can make your tweets more attractive your followers.
1. Have (Real) Conversations
The Twitterverse (which, incidentally, is apparently the fifth most annoying word of 2012) offers lots of opportunities to make great connections. If you admire a fellow entrepreneur, designer or writer, don’t be afraid to give them a shout — and make sure it’s a worthwhile shout.
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What is a Blog Trackback?
Using Trackbacks to Market Your Blog and Increase Traffic to Your Blog
By Susan Gunelius, About.com Guide
A blog trackback is basically a tap on the shoulder to another blogger. Consider this scenario to further explain trackbacks:
Imagine you are reading your friend Bob’s blog about the New York Knicks. Bob published a great post about a recent game between the Knicks and the Orlando Magic called The Knicks Rule.
Now, imagine you write a blog about the Orlando Magic, and you decide to write a post that talks about Bob’s The Knicks Rule post. As a courtesy, you could send Bob an email to let him know you wrote about his post on your blog, or you could give him a call. Luckily, the blogosphere makes that courtesy call a lot easier and gives you an opportunity for some self promotion, too.
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The Social Media Hat
Secret Tips to Using Google+ Circles
In our Google+ Primer article, we briefly covered Google+ Circles and how they can be used to organize the people you want to be connected to. In today’s article, we’re going to go into more detail about these Circles. We will review what they can do, and how they can make your Google+ so much more organized and informative, and perhaps share a few secrets that only the most experienced Google+ users have found.
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New York Times
Choice of Plans Under Health Law Delayed for Small Firms
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: April 1, 2013
WASHINGTON — Unable to meet tight deadlines in the new health care law, the Obama administration is delaying parts of a program intended to provide affordable health insurance to small businesses and their employees — a major selling point for the health care legislation.
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Dan Norris