SCAMSTERS INC.

Baleno, Honda city or Santro, or any car you own will be shell shocked to hear this.

If you fill up at petrol bunks run by Shell or even Reliance, you may notice your car giving 10-15% better mileage.

Why so, you may ask. I have concluded, it is ‘apparently’ because Shell does not cheat, when they say a litre, you get 1000 cc of petrol.

But this is not the case at many petrol bunks operated by PSUs. I have “heard” that these low mileage bunks ‘doctor’ their meters to give you anything in the range of .85 - .95 litre of petrol when you are told you are getting 1. Apparently, the modus operandi is like this. The ‘official’ who is supposed to give out the equivalent of “business certificate” to these bunks forces them to tamper with the meters, and then share the ‘loot’. If the person operating the bunk tries to sing tunes of honesty and ethics, this “officer” knows umpteen tricks to deny him the “business certificate”.

Essentially, most sarkaari petrol bunks cheat. So next time you want to fill up, do your bit to curb this ‘corruption’ by opting for Shell or Reliance.

Be aware of another trick they play at a few bunks in Bangalore, especially if you are riding or driving alone. Say you want to fill up for Rs 1000. The guy says zero. You nod. He then starts the meter. Now, as soon as the meter reaches the 700-800 mark, an “accomplice” tries to engage you in a conversation. You get engaged, and while you attention slips away, the meter magically races to 1000.

Lokayukta has started a 24X7 helpline and a website for redressal of public grievances. It will also enable them to participate in fighting corruption.

Inaugurating the facilities on Tuesday, Governor Rameshwar Thakur said the initiatives of the Lokayukta will go long way in making the anti-corruption wing more citizen-friendly.

Not only help for accident victims, the helpline will offer several other services. For example, if a police inspector refuses to register a complaint, the Lokayukta sleuths will help you get it registered.

Likewise, there is help for those facing difficulties in dealing with government offices across the state - be it police, health, transport, revenue or any other department.

On the other hand, the website (www.lokayukta.kar.nic.in) will help people share information about corrupt officials or any other complaint to the Lokayukta.

Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said the idea of the helpline struck him when a nine-month pregnant woman from North Karnataka called him at midnight seeking help to get admitted in a primary health centre.

“We have been receiving complaints about mal-administration in government offices for quite some time now. But the call from that woman got us thinking,” he added.

Helpline for accidents

1. On receiving the call, the staff will inform the caller about the nearest hospital, how to reach it, and if possible the contact number of that hospital.

2. The hospital staff will also be alerted and ready to treat the patients. In case of non-availability of doctors in that particular hospital, higher-ups will be informed.

3. The district Lokayukta offices will also be alerted, so that the victims can contact them in case there is any negligence on the part of hospital staff or if they deny treatment.

How website works

If anybody has specific information about corrupt officials, they can simply log on to the website and share the information with the Lokayukta. The complainant need not reveal his identity.

The website is accessible only to the Lokayukta and its Additional Director General of Police to maintain confidentiality.

An environmental group in Bangalore discovers that the project consortium given the contract for Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project, never existed in theory. Subramaniam Vincent reports from Bangalore

The contract for one of the largest transportation related infrastructure development schemes initiated in India in recent times, the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor, [BMIC], has been awarded by the Government of Karnataka, to a consortium that even in theory, never existed. What's more, this is a project that has been heralded as a "model" for India in the era of that benevolent tide that promises to lift all boats, Globalisation. The Economic Times, April 27, 2001, even carries a story on how this freeway project is going to bring the US look and feel to India, reporting that BMIC is based on a Maryland success story.

Read More

The Bangalore police claim to have unearthed a placement agency that cheated software professionals with a promise of getting them jobs in top software companies.

Proprietor, Grasp Technologies, Sunil Nimbalkar is just one among more than a hundred victims of a recruitment scam busted by the Bangalore police recently.

Vinceraj Solomon, who ran a placement agency, Silicon Infosys, allegedly duped him.

"He (Solomon) came to me saying he is working with Accenture and he is opening his own recruitment company. I called Accenture and verified on the phone. I gave him so many candidates for recruitments. They made their payment to him through me. In the end he was untraceable, and I ended up repaying their money. My loss is more than Rs 25 lakh," Nimbalkar says.

The police have found that Solomon duped mainly IT engineers, swindling close to Rs 1.5 crore in the process. He used to issue fake offer letters, and in return took commissions from each candidate.


Source:http://www.ibnlive.com/news/software-recruitment-scam-busted-in-bangalore/60551-3.html

The top guns have joined the Elite list of Scamsters in Bengalooru.
Guys take a wild guess.... well brace yourself...Its none other than VODAFONE.
The organisers of a wildlife film festival have announced a group of about twenty-odd winners of a quiz contest which is sponsored by VODAFONE.The winners are students from various colleges in Bangalore.
The winners had contacted the organisers and this is what they had to say "We have been in touch with the Senior Marketing Manager of Vodafone Bangalore. They are yet to pay our Sponsorship money, we have been getting calls from all the winners and from the college authorities, for their prizes . The Senior Marketing Manager have not responded to our queries and they are not co-operative with us in spite of repeated calls and umpteen visits since 5th October 2007 to the VODAFONE office. It seems that we have been cheated, we are helpless”. Few college students have decided to go to Vodafone in a group and will try to get back what is rightfully theirs.
Mr. Arun Sarin, It seems that you have a tough task in your hands. It’s not as easy as an Apple Pie. India is tough nut to crack. The College Students have expressed their displeasure with Vodafone and many students are putting up HATE BLOGS and expressing their displeasure on other Social-networking sites against Vodafone.

A Revamp of the present workforce seems to be a must. Mr. ARUN SARIN, are you listening….

I was made to write this post as I was approached by at least ten people last month alone for joining this “GoldQuest” or “Questnet” or “Referral Marketing” or whatever it is.

Heard about this “Gold quest” from a not so familiar friend three months before and first thing I did was to search in web about that company. I have listed out some points which stopped me from investing in this. I invested in a mutual fund rather.

1) Google search for “Questnet” throws an alarming number of sites that cautions against this company.

2) Modify the search with “Questnet Scam” and it fetches many more pages which cries foul against Questnet.

3) There are quite a large number of people who support “Questnet” in forums and blog posts but I am highly suspicious on the legitimacy of those people under different names as they sound so similar in their writings. I suspect that only a few people posts replies under different names in forums and blogs which attacks “Questnet”. It certainly raises suspicions.

4) The group’s MD and his associate have been issued a red alert notice by Interpol and have been arrested by Indonesian police.

5) It’s banned in some countries like Iran, Sri Lanka, Nepal etc… GoldQuest officials have been arrested in Chennai too in past. Search “Questnet” or “Goldquest” with “The Hindu” in Google for more details.

6) Moreover, I decided to dig details about their website and the result was shocking. They boast of that they use Internet as their business tool in this connected world and yet they have registered their domain as a discreet user!!!!

Goldquest/Questnet

P.S:-

1) Personally, Questnet don’t have a solid business model at all as it doesn’t rely on its products but on concentrating on the quick money people will get.

2) I’m very grateful to those friends who understood my stand and never compelled or even asked me to join this.

Disclaimer:- These are all my personal views and it’s not meant to disgrace any person or a company and also I don’t guarantee that all information I mentioned or read are factual neither it’s endorsed or supported by my employer or any organization.

Former Amway insider, Eric Scheibeler, has written a must read new book called "Merchants of Deception." This one time member of the Amway motivational cult has turned whistleblower and FBI witness and boy does he have some tales to tell.

In the book, Scheibeler exposes an Enron sized fraud with the Amway and Quixtar scam raking In billions of dollars annually, and the billionaire founding families being the largest soft money contributors to the GOP, with funds that have been generated from what may turn out to be one of the largest consumer fraud scandals in history, perpetrated by the world's largest multi-level marketing company (MLM).

Merchants of Deception exposes the company's deceptive marketing of phony business opportunities and other secret scams by Amway's top promoters to sell so-called success tools to unsuspecting recruits all over the world. It also contains first hand accounts of the Kingpin's fraudulent recruitment practices that have led to an endless stream of lawsuits.

NBCs Dateline smuggled hidden cameras into recruitment meetings in order to document the company's deceptive claims and promises, and to expose its multi-million dollar 'secret' business.

The expose verified the common allegation made in numerous consumer lawsuits, that the company is merely a front for a hidden pyramid business based on selling books, tapes, and registrations to seminars and rallies to new recruits, with nearly all participants losing money.

According to Dateline, the FBI and the IRS are conducting investigations into the scheme.

Amway's billionaire founders, Rich DeVos and Jay VanAndel, have been the largest soft money contributors to the GOP on and off for the past 20 years. Together, DeVos and VanAndel gave $4,000,000 to a 527, just 45 days prior to the last election.

Scheibeler's book reveals how GOP donations and corporate promotion have resulted in a trade off for political protection and tax reduction benefits for the MLM. His web site provides a goldmine of documentation to back up his claims, including audiotapes.

Scheibeler tells how some members of the GOP have been paid as much as $100,000 for a single promotional appearance at an Amway seminar. The list of high-paid Republican speakers who have appeared at rallies over the years, reads like a list of who's who in the GOP. It includes former Presidents George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and former Vice Presidents Bob Dole and Dan Quayle, along with other GOP heavyweights like Gingrich, Oliver North, Senator Rick Santorum and even the latest SE Regional Chairman for the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign, Ralph Reed.

Scheibeler reveals just how much Republican law makers have given back to Amway in return for the large speaking fees and contributions, which includes tax breaks and a blanket of immunity from investigations into the company's illegal business practices. In hindsight, it is more than evident that the money bought a whole lot of regulatory protection for the Amway and Quixtar scam.

Amway and Quixtar scam are both part of the Alticor family of companies. Amway Corporation was founded in 1959 by Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel In 1999 Quixtar, Amway and Quixtar scam are officially termed multilevel marketing businesses which in truth are no more then legal pyramid schemes .

The Amway and Quixtar Scam primarily deals with, Artistry Skin Care and Color Cosmetics, Nutrilite Vitamins and Food Supplements, the eSpring Water Purifying System, and the SA8 Laundry System products

Feeding off the American dream of getting rich quick and easy the basic formula for the Quixtar scam is simple.

First, there is the "Company", which has a product or array of products. Second, there are the independent distributors who (a) sell the Company product and (b) recruit new distributors who do the same, ad infinitum if possible.

The reason distributors don't just sell the Company product is that they receive "bonuses" for sales made by their recruits. Theoretically, the richest independent distributor would have dozens, hundreds, thousands, even millions of subordinate distributors who would be doing the actual selling, while the Big One did little or no selling of the Company product at all.

That is, the emphasis of MLM schemes and the Quixtar Scam. It is not selling the Company product but selling the Company itself.

It is possible to succeed as an independent distributor but more than likely you will end up alienating some family and friends. You will probably end up buying more stuff than you sell. And you will learn a lot about deceiving yourself and others.

Some of the more Interesting rules enforced by the Amway and Quixtar scam are below.

The Direct Distributor or the sponsoring distributor will buy back any unused marketable products from a distributor whose inventory is not moving or who wishes to leave the business. Amway enforces the buy­back rule.

To ensure that distributors do not attempt to secure the performance bonus solely on the basis of purchases, Amway requires that, to receive a performance bonus, distributors must resell at least 70% of the products they have purchased each month.

The “ten­customer rule” provides that distributors may not receive a performance bonus unless they prove a sale to each of ten different retail customers during each month.

Amway & Quixtar fast facts:

According to Quixtar scam's own disclosure document the average monthly gross income for an "active" IBO is $115 (or $1,380 annually).

In the Amway scam business, only 41% meet these criteria as being "active." This also means that 59% of all distributors are NOT active.A with a business where over half of all the people aren't doing anything to increase their business?

Out of ALL distributors, only 0.82% qualifies as a Direct-level distributor. This means that 99.18% of all distributors do not qualify as a Direct-level distributor.A company where 99.18% are unsuccessful.

If you are earning 70$ per month you are in the top 11% of earners at Amway & Quixtar scam.

QUESTNET
With the increasing queue of 'Quest-Net' victims and the volume of financial irregularities committed by the online network-marketing company rising, the City police have decided to hand over the case to the CoD.

Initial investigations into the fraud committed by Quest-Net India Limited has revealed the firm had duped people to the tune of several hundred crores across the country, said police sources.

Interestingly, the directors of this Chennai-based company, including MD Pushpam Appal Naidu, are now ‘out of the country’. Police have no information about their whereabouts.

The online network marketing company had spread its tentacles in various parts of Karnataka in just ten years.
The number of victims has increased from 800 to 2,500 in just a week in Bangalore alone.

“We have received 2,500 complaints and are expecting more complaints,” said a police officer.

Today, Bangalore is the fastest growing Asian city when it comes to commercial and residential space. But is the procedure of buying land here above board? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? What are the factors you should consider before investing in a plot? Buying land in Bangalore can generate profitable returns in the short and long term as well. Those who bought plots at throwaway prices a few years ago are earning huge returns today. However there is a constant concern about the illegal aspects of these deals. Most people are paying property taxes in the absence of a clear title. BDA’s role While private layouts are licensed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), plots outside the city get a sanction from the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA). The BDA is required to thoroughly check before sanctioning licenses to private layouts. According to its regulations 49% of the area should be formed sites, 15% reserved for parks and playgrounds, 10% for civic amenity sites and the rest for roads, drains and other infrastructure facilities. There have been cases of developers falsely claiming that their lands have BDA approval. Recently a developer converted a park and play area into a residential locality in Indiranagar, and disappeared after selling the property. Incidents of bogus land sale are increasing as well. A property in Whitefield was sold twice. It was an easy con as the land-grabbers produced General Power of Attorney papers (GPAs) executed by a person who had died 9 years ago. How do property owners get duped? Many land owners especially NRIs are falling prey to the land mafia. Since many who invest here are unable to visit the site, unscrupulous real estate agents take advantage and sell it illegally at a higher price. There are also instances where the fraudulent buyer or broker gets hold of copies of your documents and misuses them later. Some of them even change the value of the transaction. How to prevent such fraud There has been a demand for greater transparency in Indian real estate. The Delhi government has taken the initiative with the introduction of the Land Title Registration System to track property sales. This coding system enables online property verification and helps in preventing fraud. The BDA has issued show cause notices to all the unauthorized layouts as per the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act. It has also brought out a list of unauthorized layouts to caution prospective buyers. In its effort to prevent land scams near the Bangalore international airport site, the Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority has set up a website – biaapa.in. This website lists out approved layouts and proposed land use. Some key points to remember:

* Purchase the property only if the title is clear. Do not go by glossy advertisements. Look at the proven record of the developer.

* Check the mother deed and the sale deed.

* Try to get an approved layout plan. This will help in a hassle-free sale of your land in future. * Never sign any document without completely reading and understanding it.

* It is always important to have the copies of the original title deed.

* Make sure to visit your site occasionally to check on encroachments.

* In case your presence is not possible, employ a caretaker.

Acquiring property in India is always fraught with loopholes and possible illegalities. Despite the risks, NRIs consider it a worthwhile investment. Would you consider buying property in India? Why? If you have already done so, did you face any difficulties, or was it smooth sailing?

Burn-and-run seemed the only way out, and Dasarahalli CMC officials did exactly that: put proof of their `misappropriation' into the fire and deserted their workplace. Which is what greeted the Lok Ayukta raiding team led by N. Venkatachala at the Dasarahalli corporation office on Friday. Missing records, missing officials.
Notwithstanding the smokescreen, the sleuths discovered that around half the budgetary spending, running into crores of rupees, had been pocketed by the officials.
At Byatarayanapura CMC, nervous officials were busy covering their tracks and doctoring evidence. Commissioner Anke Gowda was missing when the raid was on.
The money siphoned off in the two civic bodies is Rs 50 crore.
At the deserted Dasarahalli office, some members of the `burning brigade' returned nonchalantly, pretending they had been out on official rounds. The Lok Ayukta grilled them on the fiery deed, but none blinked an eye. Neither did they assume responsibility for the act.
Scams are now popping up a dime a dozen and Friday's raids unearthed the same: inflated procurement rates, no proper tendering process, false bills for maintenance and repairs.
In Byatrayanpura, misappropriations ran the gamut: Money had been handed over to persons without proper scrutiny, while in some places, signatures were the same for all the persons who had received money; the tendering process had been conveniently ignored; 400 borewells were functioning and 60 had failed but no one knew why; 70 mm of road was said to be asphalted while only 20 mm had been done; some roads were tarred over and over again; sodium vapour lamps were twice as expensive in the account book as in the open market.
The staff's personal assets were a telling pointer. Many had given hand loans and owned properties beyond their declared sources of income. The Lok Ayukta will now find out how many lakhs each of the petty officers are worth.
The men behind the mess in Byatrayanpura are said to be former commissioner Govindaiah and president H. Gowda, who had been suspended. Present Commissioner M.A. Baig is still new here. Govindaiah's relative Murthy, a contractor, had taken up key works and is suspected to have amassed a fortune.
Byatrayanpura council president Srinivas Raju has admitted there could be misappropriation of Rs 10 crore.
In the wake of Wednesday's raids on KR Puram and Mahadevpura CMCs, where a record Rs 100 crore scam was unearthed, rumblings of Lok Ayukta swoops have made officials across the city jittery. Lok Ayukta staff had fanned out to two more CMCs around Bangalore as a preliminary excercise before the real raid. The CMCs of Bommanhalli, Pattangere and Yelahanka were reportedly tense with little work being carried out.
Rumours were thick at Yelahanka CMC of impending raids on Thursday and Friday, but there was no action. Preliminary questioning by officials indicated major misappropriation here too. Sources said the raids will continue at CMCs and TMCs too.

All criminal activities in India have mushroomed entirely due to the gross incompetence and patronization of/by our political leadership.
Terrorism is just a millionth or perhaps a billionth fraction of criminal activities going on in India patronized by our politicians and government. Money lending, extortion, protection, smuggling, bootlegging, contract killings, prostitution, betting, corruption, contract syndicates, employment rackets, benami businesses, adulteration of food, and petroleum such kinds of criminal syndicates employ more people than by corporate India. Then we have the great Multi National Companies (MNC'c) who come to our country in the guise of DEVELOPMENT claming to save our people from poverty,but scam poor people and earn for their country...
Police officers here are neither properly trained nor motivated. They indulge in Hafta Collection and such side business but the few dedicated and capable are not allowed to work and are invariable transferred when doing good jobs.
Even good judges are changed midway to delay and de-rail trial.
When Ambanis were caught in the act of “Re-routing” international calls as locals by installing 30 clandestine exchanges, even our Supreme Court was corrupted in not ordering arrests of Ambanis for Cheating and frauds and not directing Attorney General to spearhead the prosecution.
There is no political will in going after the criminals of all sizes. Most of the time politicians are found in the company of Telgi, Executive and Judiciary are routinely corrupted or rendered ineffective as in demolition case.
So it is not just a case of “Mumbai Blast” but every day loot and criminal activity worth thousands of crores.
The day we have capable and responsible leaders and there is a will to wipe out criminal activity all criminal activities shall cease to a large extent.

********************************************************************************





DISCLOSURE :

This policy is valid from 27 December 2007


This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact zombie4eva(at)gmail.


This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.


To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org