With so many shoppers now making use of retailers that ship their purchased items to their homes, there are now criminals looking to take advantage of people by swindling them out of their hard earned money. Scammers are very clever and are skilled at tricking the most informed person, so it is important to know how to avoid scams when shipping a package.

1. With the huge growth of the internet, retailers are making use of drop shipping services. Because the retailer does not get to see the items being shipped, a few drop shipping companies may ship poor quality items directly to the retailer s customers. To make sure the drop shipper that you use is legitimate, you can order a few products from them to make sure they are as described and are of good quality. You will also be able to assess the shipping times. There are many quality drop shippers so the key is to find good wholesale supplier. A good drop shipping wholesale supplier should be trustworthy because they are an important part of a business.

2. Do an internet search of the shipper you are investigating to see if they are legitimate. Make sure there is a legitimate address and contact phone number. You can then contact the shipper directly. As well, there are scam busting sites where people report scammers so you can to see if there was any thing posted about the shipping company you are researching. Every legitimate company will have licenses and certifications to provide the services that they offer. You may want to call the better business bureau who can inform you of any issues they have on file for a company.

3. Do not ever give out financial or personal information. This can include your driver s license number, social security number, credit or debit card number, or bank account number. Do not click on links to your account because it may possibly be a Phishing email that will send you to a fraudulent site. Read the purchaser s email carefully and look for questionable words. Make a note of persistence to ship right away. Phrases and sentences should make sense. Do not open any type of attachments from unknown sources.

4. Do not ship anything until you have received the payment. If the payment is by e-check, wait until it clears before you ship the item.

5. If you are the victim of a scam, go to the shipping company that you used to send the package and tell them what happened. They may be able to intercept the package and return it before it arrives at its destination.

6. Report any scammers to the company where the transaction process took place such as eBay, PayPal, Craig s list etc. You should also report it to the police.

7. Be on the lookout for phony cashier checks and money orders. If a bank cashes it, you will be responsible for paying the bank when the fake is discovered.

Unfortunately there are predators out there looking to take advantage of people. Anyone can be a victim of a scam so it is important to take precautionary measures when shipping an item or paying for an item that is supposed to be shipped to you.

By now, most people have heard the term ‘crackberry’, referring to the addiction which comes along with owning a Blackberry. Now that other companies have joined the smartphone bandwagon, there is a new term for smartphone addicts. Smartphoniacs, a new turn of phrase for the next wave of global technological addiction. Video game addicts may have started the tech addiction trend, but today it is the great smartphone ‘pandemic’ of the new millennium. Anywhere and everywhere you are these days; someone is checking emails, texting, browsing, or tweeting.

Not since the invention of the television has the world changed their lifestyle habits as much as with the invention of the smartphone. It has been said that by 2012, 500 million people worldwide will be using a smartphone. From that 500 million people, 10% of users will become addicted in this new information age. Psychologists and trades people alike have tried to find the reason some may become addicted and others not. At this time, it seems to be described as – an anxiety driven social disconnection, or basically, the fear of missing something, anything, if you are not connected. All around the world, there are people who at this very moment are feeling the deep seeded need to connect. In a recent American poll, 42% of teens can text with their eyes closed. In fact, last year a 15 year old girl in the United States was given the prestigious honor of being the fastest texter in the country  they give awards for that now. She texted 500 times a day, and was awarded a $50,000 grand prize. Actual phone calls have dropped in recent years, apparently people of this new information age would rather text or email instead of talk.

Smartphones have become a social status symbol which makes it even harder to quit. There were approximately 139.3 million smartphones sold around the world last year. In the U.S. alone, people report using their smartphones more now than they did 3 months ago. With stats like these, there seems to be a worldwide ‘pandemic’ occurring. Experts at Rutgers University state that smartphone addiction is on the rise at an alarming rate. It is an addiction as hard to quit as drugs. Up to 49% of users asked, say they keep their phone next to their beds so they can listen for messages even while they sleep. If that is not addiction, what is? Whatever your ‘trigger’- phantom rings, having 5 or more email accounts, having to check your inbox incessantly, having over 30 different apps installed, having alarms telling when it’s time to do anything, or simply reading about your phone, on your phone  you may have an addiction.

If you find yourself falling into any of the above categories, there is help. It did not take long for the Dr. Phil is of the world to jump in and offer helpful advice to any smartphoniac. There are SA (smartphone addict) groups cropping up all over the world, as well as many other tech addiction groups, due to the growing need. You are not alone in your quest for connection freedom. As tech trends dictate, in time the price of owning and being connected by a smartphone will cost less. Thus, leading more people down that long dark road of addiction. Will you be next?