The FBI says con artists are pretending to be IRS agents. They're calling unsuspecting people asking for personal information like social security numbers, saying once they provide those numbers a refund check can be sent out.
Authorities say it's an easy trap, but one that is also easy to avoid. Never give out your personal information over the phone.
Foreclosures Soaring
A new report shows the number of foreclosures soared in 2007 to 405-thousand homes. That's up 51-percent from 2006.The biggest U.S. mortgage lender, Countrywide, just announced a third of its subprime mortgage loans are in default.
Meantime, the FBI says it is investigating 14 companies for possible fraud or insider trading violations in connection with loans made to risky borrowers.
The FBI has not identified the companies under investigation. (READ MORE)
EBay Changing Fees
EBay is changing the way people who pedal their goods on the website are charged. It will cost 25-percent less to list an item for auction and up to 50-percent less to offer something for a fixed price.Photo fees will also disappear, but to balance the reduction, eBay does plan to increase other fees, including its commission on certain items that sell.
The new fee structure goes into effect on February 20th. (READ MORE)
Rising Auto Prices?
The Chief Financial Officer of General Motors said that U.S. automobile prices could rise significantly in the near future because of industry restructuring, rising raw materials and regulatory costs. So if you're planning to buy car, you might want to do it sooner rather than later.
