Category Archives: Trend Watch

Not just identity theft: 4 reasons landlords require SSNs

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Amy Barnes

There’s a boogieman in town, and it’s called “identity theft.” Landlords will cite identity theft when asking for your SSN, but there are actually a few other reasons. Eviction – SSNs are used for a federally-required search of a military … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Courts, Housing, Lay on the Law, Litigation, OpEd / Misc., Politics, Trend Watch | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In-app ads: the new shareware?

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Amy Barnes

Just a brief missive as I sit here waking up, noticing that a Solitaire app now has ads… The battle for monetization is on; first software developers tried to sell licenses, then they tried ShareWare / DonationWare, and now it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, News, OpEd / Misc., Programming, Software, Tech News, Technology, Trend Watch | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What is the Notification Dept, Risk Matrix, and Merchant Services?

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Amy Barnes

Did you receive a call from “the Notification Dept” of “Merchant Services” advising of a “risk matrix” change? It is NOT your merchant services company calling! The caller will give over a code of letters and/or numbers, and advise that … Continue reading →

Posted in Amy's Answers, Business, Financials, News, Trend Watch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scam Alert: PowerBall does not have a Facebook lottery.

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Amy Barnes

ATLANTA – December 7, 2015 — Claims of a fictitious Facebook lottery are cropping up once again, replete with the usual bad grammar, punctuation errors, and broken English. This time, users from Marietta and other areas of Cobb and Fulton County … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlanta, Business, Businesses, Cobb County, Commentary, Crime & Punishment, Crime Beat, Finance, Government, How to Save Money, Images, Justice, Locations, Marietta GA, News, ScreenShots, Smyrna GA, Tech News, The Etc Box, Trend Watch | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heath v. City of Desert Hot Springs, et al. (Complaint)

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Amy Barnes

Andrea Heath was a police officer employed by the City of Desert Hot Springs, CA.  Heath became a whistleblower regarding incidents of police brutality committed by fellow officers.  She left her position as a police officer and eventually committed suicide … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism / Advocacy, Civil & Human Rights, Courts, CourtWatch, Crime Beat, Government, Law Enforcement, Litigation, News, Politics, Resources, Trend Watch, USA News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment