Mr. Watchdog

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Fueling fear? Don't think so

"Are you trying to scare your readers or (do) you have facts that state why gas will go to 4 dollars a gallon." -- a USC employee

"Seems like every single time the gas prices go up close to $3.00, the panic patrol sets in and declares that $4.00 is next. But then again, the news has nothing better to do than to create a situation when there really is not one there." -- a legal professional

These are a couple of e-mails I received in light of my story today on the possibility of record gas prices.

After covering gas prices for more than five years, the logic of the forecasts is sound. It's simply based on how prices have risen in previous springs.

Consider that a year ago gas in Columbia averaged around $2.10 a gallon. It reached $3.02 near Memorial Day weekend. Prices rose about 60 cents a gallon during the same period in 2006.

This spring might be different -- $3-plus gas might put a real crimp in driving.

Look, I hope for everyone's sake gas prices go no higher.

But it's my job to warn people that there's a reasonable chance things could get worse. 

Pumped up! Ready to go?

For those following at home and the office: Columbia's average gas price has passed $3 a gallon.

We're paying $3.01 -- up four cents over the day before and the highest average since Memorial Day last year, according to AAA data.

But if prices seen around Columbia today are any indication, the average will keep rising this weekend.

Many in-town stations were charging around $3.05. Some were up to $3.10.

And motorists should expect to pay much more at the pump as spring approaches.

A year ago, we were paying close to a $1 less per gallon.

Think about how else you could spend that extra $10, $15, $20 you need for a fill-up today.

Welcome back $3 gas...hello $3.50?

If you missed it last night, you probably saw it this morning.

Regular gas around the Columbia region is generally above $3 a gallon, again.

Thanks to $100 per barrel oil, the Midlands' average gas price has risen 14 cents since Friday.

That's faster than the national hike of a dime in that same time, according to AAA data.

The last time it took three Washingtons to get gas in the Midlands was around Memorial Day.

The record here remains $3.23 in the days after Hurricane Katrina cutoff the Carolinas'  gas supplies in fall 2005.

But that record could fall soon.

February, usually, is a pretty cheap time of the year for fill-ups.

So if we're paying $3 now, what will we be shelling out around Easter in late March and during rest of the annual spring run-up of prices when more drivers take to the road again?

You don't want to know.

Gas price guru Tom Kloza says $3.50 is not out of the picture.

And that's the good news.

Kloza's expecting a much muted spring rally than what we've seen this decade.

And if we have an average rally?

Gas could easily reach -- now take a deep breath -- $4.50.

More Columbians getting swindled

Columbia is getting hit by more scammers.

Or perhaps just more folks are just complaining about them.

Either way, complaints about fraud from Columbia grew 17 percent last year, according to data released this month.

More than 1,770 gripes were filed with public and private authorities that send data to the Federal Trade Commission.

Sounds like time to give some refreshers on avoiding scams. You’ll find many here.

Identity theft, the largest fraud, rose by 10 percent mainly from spikes in stolen government and employment-related documents. That growth is double the national norm from last year.

Remember to check your credit reports at least once a year. Get them for free here.

Other fraud  — everything from home shopping to sweepstakes scams — rose 21 percent, helped by a near doubling in the number of complaints in foreign-money offers.

You might know them better as those e-mails from a stranger who claims, usually in broken English, to need your help to recover millions of dollars from a dead (take your pick) relative, banker, plane-crash victim, president, monarch.   

But not all these pitches come at the behest of a lawyer for some dead millionaire.

I got one last week for an undisclosed “investment proposition” from Fred Wani, who’s on the “senior staff with a reputable Financial Investment Company here in UK.”

Fred tries to assure me this is legit: “Let me reiterate that I am very aware of the porosity of the Web which a lot of people have abused and used as means for scams etc. So I would completely understand your plight were you to consider this in the same category...”

I replied. Let’s see what happens.

But if you get an e-mail like this, hit delete.

Dirty deeds done not cheap

Many folks around the Midlands are getting pitches to receive official copies of their deeds for $59.50 from an Illinois company, National Deed Service.

Having a copy of your deed, good.

Paying $59.50 for something you can get for around $5 from the courthouse, not good.

Look, you probably have a copy of your deed from when you bought your house or property.

What National Deed is doing is legal -- as long as they deliver a deed for your $60.

But the company does have a unsatisfactory record with the Better Business Bureau for failing to respond to two complaints.

Question and investigate any unsolicited offer you get.

Yikes & Yippee: Why Wachovia didn't stop fraudsters

Consumer news that will have you groaning or grinning.

YIKES: Wachovia's dubious choices

For years. consumer advocates have complained that banks we’re willing to eat millions in losses from identity theft rather than prevent the crooks from stealing money from victims’ checking accounts and credit cards.

Well, a lawsuit against Wachovia appears to back up those claims.

In internal e-mails being used in the suit, officials at South Carolina’s largest bank warned that fraudulent telemarketers were using Wachovia accounts to snatch money from unsuspecting consumers.

(One of the e-mails quoted in The New York Times inspired the name of this feature by starting, "YIKES!!!!")

But the bank did not severe ties from the telemarketers, in part, because of the fees generated when people complained about the bogus checks. and demanded refunds, the e-mails reveal.
The bank said it corrected the problems.

That’s too late for the consumers who spent hours to get their money back  yet will never get a sense of security back.

Mini YIKES: Dr. Robert Jarvik, the oarsman

The use of a stunt double rowing in a TV spot featuring the artificial heart pioneer turned prescription pitchman is being examined by a Congressional committee that wants to see if the ads are misleading.

YIPPEE: Peaceful dinners

It looks like you won’t have to renew your phone numbers on the national Do Not Call anti-telemarketing registry.

When the registry started in June 2003, the law required re-registering numbers after five years. So it was possible the sales calls could start again this summer unless you took some action.

Now, Congress has sent bills to the White House making the list, with its 150 million-plus numbers, permanent.

Still being on the registry does not stop all unwanted sales calls.

As many South Carolinians learned with the presidential primaries, unsolicited calls for political candidates are allowed. So are calls from charities, pollsters and anyone you have done business with recently.

But you can stop those folks from ringing you again. Simply ask any them to place you on their individual “no call” lists.

Mini YIPPEE: Cell phone directory says "goodbye"

You probably got one of those e-mails claiming there's a directory that would flood your cell phone with sales calls unless you joined the no-call directory. While they were untrue, there was a cell phone directory where you could choose to add your number. But the big carriers balked and the directory -- as well as the chances it would land in marketers' hands -- is no more.

Don't get excited about lower gas prices

Well, there appears to be some good news from the economic downturn -- gas prices should drop.

In the Midlands, they've already come off averages of near $3 a few weeks ago to fall to $2.88, according to AAA data. (Update: I've spotted some prices in Columbia in the $2.70s as of Friday. The metro average was $2.86.)

And prices should continue sliding as crude futures, which wholesalers and station owners use as a gauge, have fallen early this week along with the stock market. (Update: Oil prices did rise later in the week.)

Still, drivers have little to cheer.

Many South Carolinians were paying less than $2 a gallon for gas a year ago. The average Midlands gallon costs 89 cents more than last year, or an extra $13.35 to fill-up a 15-gallon tank.

Think this isn't a big issue? The Bush Administration is now even admitting that higher gas prices are starting to hurt the economy.

You can thank jittery traders who have boosted oil prices past $100 a barrel of fears of everything from Middle East conflicts (take your pick -- Iran, Iraq, Israel) to rising world demand (again take your pick -- China, India, Russia).

Gas price guru Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service said pump averages could drop by a dime or two soon.

That would put gas prices in the high $2.60s in these parts -- or a third higher than a year ago. Yipee.

Using your smarts

I'm convinced being a savvy shopper -- whether it's for a suit coat or a coat of paint -- comes from research.

It can be as simple as quickly asking a few friends and relatives for advice and as involved as hours of scouring the Web for information and opinion.

Armed with knowledge, you can ask the right questions and narrow the choices - turning a daunting task into a manageable one.

For five years at my former job as a consumer columnist, I asked experts and heard from readers about how they avoided costly mistakes. I look forward to sharing what I have gathered as well as sharing new tips and information to help you make smarter buying decisions and avoid scams.

Here are my basics:

Check it out

Buying something from an unfamiliar store, looking for someone to fix your home or car, considering an investment? Check with the consumer-watchdog agencies. In this region, these include the Better Business Bureau, the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs and the S.C. Attorney General's office. I'll get into specifics about these agencies in later posts. At the least, Google a business to see what you find.

Take a deep breath

You're told an offer is for a "limited time" or you're under the gun because of family or work pressures. Stop. Think.  A few hours or even days strip away the tension and can allow you to make a clear choice. And if something is available for a "limited time," it's likely to be around later.

Walk away

If someone is selling a $500 item on eBay for $150; is willing to make a home repair for $5,000 less than the other bids you received; is insisting a discount offer ends when you hang up; or is saying you can having a loan or credit card for a upfront fee -- you should just say "no" to what looks like a great deal.

Don't get greedy

You get mailings from foreign lotteries promising thousands in exchange for small administrative fee or a buyer sends you a check for twice the sale amount and offers a small reward for cashing it and returning the remainder. Or if you're offered a chance to work at home for hundreds a week with little effort or investments that promise returns. No matter -- don't let dollar signs cloud your judgment.

Be suspicious

An e-mail from you bank. A phone call from your doctor's office or credit card issuer. A guy at your door claiming to be from the power company. They all come out of the blue and all seek some personal information. Stop, say nothing and check if it's legit. Call your bank's customer service number from the officials Web site or the phone book. Call you doctor's office or card company. Ask for ID from anyone at your door and get a number to call to verify that workers are in your neighborhood.

Guard your Social Security number

After a theft, you can get new credit cards and checking accounts. But you cannot get a new your Social Security number -- used to apply for credit cards, bank accounts, mortgages, car loans, driver's licenses, etc. Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Don't have the number printed on your checks. Ask doctor's offices and other businesses not to use the number as a main identifier. Whenever you're asked for the number, ask whether it's necessary to provide it, and, if it's required, how the number will be used.

Complain, gripe, shout

The only way to stop a business that doesn't fulfill its promises or breaks the law is tell someone. The cops. The state. The BBB. Me. Agencies typically won't take action unless they have numerous complaints about a business. You might be the first to be scammed by this person or the 50th. No one will know unless you take that extra step and complain. Don't be ashamed. You will be helping others.