Read more via Breast Augmentation Washington D.C. – Breast and Body Solutions – Plastic Surgery by Dr. Khalifeh.

Remigio FerraraMetLife Home Loans – Mortgage Consultant8521 Leesburg Pike, suite 200 Vienna, VA 22182Office: 703-287-3222 Cell: 703-622-6999

via Remigio Ferrara- Fairfax News.

Recently, more than $150,000 was stolen from a US business via unauthorized wire transfer as a result of an e-mail the business received that contained malware. The malware was embedded in an e-mail response to a job posting the business placed on an employment website and allowed the attacker to obtain the online banking credentials of the person who was authorized to conduct financial transactions within the company. The malicious actor changed the account settings to allow the sending of wire transfers, one to the Ukraine and two to domestic accounts. The malware was identified as a Bredolab variant, svrwsc.exe. This malware was connected to the ZeuS/Zbot Trojan, which is commonly used by cyber criminals to defraud US businesses.

The FBI recommends that potential employers remain vigilant in opening the e-mails of perspective employees. Running a virus scan prior to opening any e-mail attachments may provide an added layer of security against this type of attack. The FBI also recommends that businesses use separate computer systems to conduct financial transactions.

For more information on this type of fraud and prevention tips, please refer to previous Public Service Announcements by clicking the links below:

* http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/CorporateAccountTakeOver.pdf

* http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/WorkAtHome.pdf

* http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091103.aspx

Anyone who believes they have been a target this type of attack should immediately contact their financial institutions and local FBI office, and promptly report it to the IC3′s website at www.IC3.gov. The IC3′s complaint database links complaints together to refer them to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration. The IC3 also uses complaint information to identify emerging trends and patterns.

Remigio Ferrara  MetLife Home Loans – Mortgage Consultant8521 Leesburg Pike, suite 200 Vienna, VA 22182Office: 703-287-3222 Cell: 703-622-6999

MetLife loans feature:

• Fixed and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs)
• Up to $1.5 million for secon/vacation homes
• Interest-only* payment options for ARMs
• Financing for new construction
• Debt-to-income (DTI) ratios up to 40-45%

For more information on the MetLife Jumbo loan program contact Mortgage Consultant Remigio Ferrara at 703-622-6999 or email him directly at RFerrara1@MetLife.com for a free loan consultation.

* Monthly payments will increase after the initial interest-only payment period ends.  All loans subject to approval. Certain conditions and fees apply. Mortgage financing provided by MetLife Home Loans, a division pf MetLife Bank, N.A. Equal housing lender.

Mice and rats are pesky critters that can enter your home through small holes or gaps. Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a half quarter!

Worldwide, rats and mice are the cause of over 35 diseases! In the United States, rodents can spread diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, a virus that poses a particular risk for pregnant women. If rodents invade your home this fall or winter, here are a few steps to protect yourself and your family.

Read full story via As Winter Approaches Rodents Start to Move In – Winchester Va News.

Why keep food cold? Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “Danger Zone” — the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F. So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. Here are safe handling recommendations to prevent foodborne illness from “bag” lunches.

Begin with Safe Food

Perishable food, such as raw or cooked meat and poultry, must be kept cold or frozen at the store and at home. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home. In between, transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At the destination, it must be kept cold. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F).

Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept refrigerated. This includes luncheon meats and smoked ham which are cured or contain preservatives.

Keep Everything Clean

Wash your hands before you prepare or eat food. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item. A solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water may be used to sanitize surfaces and utensils. Keep family pets away from kitchen counters….

Read full story via Open Access Healthcare.

“Some people think it’s safe to give dogs large bones, like those from a ham or a roast,” says Carmela Stamper, D.V.M., a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration. “Bones are unsafe no matter what their size. Giving your dog a bone may make your pet a candidate for a trip to your veterinarian’s office later, possible emergency surgery, or even death.”

“Make sure you throw out bones from your own meals in a way that your dog can’t get to them,” adds Stamper, who suggests taking the trash out right away or putting the bones up high and out of your dog’s reach until you have a chance to dispose of them. “And pay attention to where your dog’s nose is when you walk him around the neighborhood—steer him away from any objects lying in the grass.”

Here are 10 reasons why it’s a bad idea to give your dog a bone:

1. Broken teeth. This may call for expensive veterinary dentistry.
2. Mouth or tongue injuries. These can be very bloody and messy and may require a trip to see your veterinarian.
3. Bone gets looped around your dog’s lower jaw. This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you, as it usually means a trip to see your veterinarian.
4. Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and will need to see your veterinarian.
5. Bone gets stuck in windpipe. This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing. Get your pet to your veterinarian immediately!
6. Bone gets stuck in stomach. It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone’s size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools to try to remove the stuck bone from the stomach.
7. Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage. It may be time for surgery.
8. Constipation due to bone fragments. Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they’re very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain and may require a visit to your veterinarian.
9. Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous. It’s time for a trip to see your veterinarian.
10. Peritonitis. This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can kill your dog.

“Talk with your veterinarian about alternatives to giving bones to your dog,” says Stamper. “There are many bone-like products made with materials that are safe for dogs to chew on.”

“Always supervise your dog with any chew product, especially one your dog hasn’t had before,” adds Stamper. “And always, if your dog ‘just isn’t acting right,’ call your veterinarian right away!”

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page4, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

via FDA

It makes sense to take caution with your prized possessions, and your home is probably your most valuable asset. So make sure you understand the rules and risks of mortgage refinancing, home equity lines of credit and foreclosures with these helpful publications and websites from the Federal Citizen Information Center, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

• Refinancing – The Making Home Affordable site explains how you can take part in the government’s new refinancing and loan modification programs.
• Loans and Credit – What You Should Know About Equity Lines of Credit covers variable interest rates and other things about your home equity line of credit that can change without notice.
• Safeguarding Against a Credit Freeze – 5 Tips for Dealing With a Home Equity Freeze can help you protect yourself and your assets in case your lender freezes or reduces your home equity line of credit.
• Upcoming Legislation – Learn about laws that will protect you from unfair fees and practices with New Consumer Protections for Credit Cards and Mortgages.
• Avoiding Foreclosure – 5 Tips for Protecting Your Home from Foreclosure discusses housing and credit counseling agencies, and other short and long-term solutions to help you keep your home.
• Scam Alert – Beware of Foreclosure Rescue and Loan Modification Scams can help you find reputable financial counselors to work with and help you avoid loan fraud.

While it may be shocking to some, the practice of sexting is not unusual among today’s youth. Many teens admit to using cell phones, computers, web cams, digital cameras and/or certain video game systems to take and distribute sexually explicit photographs of themselves or others.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children advises parents to offer a positive, empowering educational message when discussing sexting with their children. Parents are encouraged to become more involved in their children’s lives, be more aware of what they are doing and set limits.

The City of Fairfax Police Department offers the following suggestions:

• Set ground rules for use of wireless devices or wireless activity
• Know who your children are communicating with via the phone and online
• Learn how to use and understand the same technology devices that your children are using
• Talk to children about what to do if they receive explicit messages
• Know all of your children’s passwords and PIN numbers
• Frequently view your child’s account or accounts
• Discuss the consequences of their actions
• Advise your children not to write anything they wouldn’t say in public
• Reinforce the point that people are not always who they say they are when communicating online
• Look for unknown telephone numbers on your bill or your child’s cellular telephone
• Explain to your children instant messaging (IM) is only for chatting with school and family friends they know
• Make sure your children do not give out personal information
• “Google” your child’s name and see what comes up. This could make a good place to begin your conversation

Remember to show concern, listen compassionately and remain calm if your children share any distressing incidents they have encountered while online or while using their cell phone.

Visit a reliable resource, such as The Cyber Tipline (which is part of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ) or NetSmartz411, a helpdesk adn hotline for questions regarding Internet safety, computers and the Web, for questions such as:

• How many teens are actually engaging in “sexting?”
• How can I access my child’s text messages?
• What do online abbreviations/acronyms mean?
• What does it mean to “tag” a photo on Facebook?
• What is Omegle?
• Is monitoring software available for cell phones?
• How can I protect my child’s online reputation?
• How do I select the right monitoring software for my family?
• How can I protect my child when he or she uses a cell phone?

For information, call 703-385-7966.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Adobe security bulletin APSB09-19 and update to Adobe Flash Player 10.0.42.34 and Adobe AIR 1.5.3.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the Java SE 6 Update 17 release notes and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.

Apple has released Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 1 and Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 6 to address these vulnerabilities. Mac users are encouraged to review Apple articles HT3969 and HT3970 and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.

via US-CERT

US-CERT encourages users to take the following precautions to help mitigate the risks:

• Install antivirus software, and keep the signature files up to date.
• Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open unsolicited email messages.
• Use caution when visiting untrusted websites.
• Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on avoiding social engineering attacks.

via US-CERT Current Activity.

• If possible, avoid using lighted candles.
• If you must use candles, ensure that they are placed in sturdy holders.
• Keep candles away from children and pets.
• Be sure to extinguish candles after each use.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.

By following a few candle fire safety tips, everyone can enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.

Causes and Circumstances of Home Candle Fires

• On average, one home candle fire is reported every 34 minutes.
• More than half of all candle fires start when something that could burn, such as furniture, mattresses or bedding, curtains, or decorations is too close to the candle.
• In one-fifth (20%) of candle fires, the candles are unattended or abandoned
• Almost two-fifths of home candle fires begin in the bedroom.
• Falling asleep is a factor in 12% of home candle fires and 26% of the associated deaths.
• December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In December, 13% of home candle fires begin with decorations compared to 4% the rest of the year.
• One-half of home candle fire deaths occur between Midnight and 6 am.
• Young children and older adults have the highest death risk from candle fires.
• The risk of fatal candle fires appears higher when candles are used for light.

Sources: NFIRS, NFPA

Candle Safety Tips

Put candles in sturdy metal, glass, or ceramic holders.

Put candles in sturdy metal, glass, or ceramic holders.

• Avoid using lighted candles.
• If you do use candles, ensure they are in sturdy metal, glass or ceramic holders and placed where they cannot be easily knocked down.
• Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
• Set a good example by using matches, lighters, and fire carefully.
• Children should never be allowed to play with matches, lighters, or candles.
• Never put candles on a Christmas tree.
• Extinguish candles after use and before going to bed.
• And NEVER leave burning candles unattended!

Remember! Candle fires are PREVENTABLE!

In the event of a fire, remember time is the biggest enemy and every second counts!

Escape first, and then call for help. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it frequently with your family. Designate a meeting place outside. Make sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from every room.

Never stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke, and try to keep your mouth covered. Never return to a burning building for any reason: it may cost you your life.

Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire.

via USFA Focus on Fire Safety.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to take the following preventative measures to help mitigate the security risks:

• Install antivirus software, and keep the virus signatures up to date.
• Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open unsolicited email messages.
• Use caution when visiting untrusted websites.
• Use caution when entering personal information online.
• Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on social engineering attacks.

US-CERT will provide additional information as it becomes available.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Microsoft Security Advisory 977981 and implement the suggested workarounds listed in the advisory to help mitigate the risks.

via US-CERT Current Activity.

Alan M. Ralsky, 64, of West Bloomfield, Mich., and Scott Bradley, 48, also of West Bloomfield, were sentenced to 51 months and 40 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act, and also for committing wire fraud, engaging in money laundering and violating the CAN-SPAM Act. Ralsky and Bradley were also each sentenced to five years of supervised release following their respective prison terms, and were each ordered to forfeit $250,000 that the United States seized in December 2007.

How Wai John Hui, 51, a resident of Hong Kong and Canada, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act, and also for committing wire fraud and engaging in money laundering. Hui was sentenced to three years of supervised release following his prison term, and agreed to forfeit $500,000 to the United States.

John S. Bown, 45, of Fresno, Calif., was sentenced to 32 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and to violate the CAN-SPAM Act, for conspiring to commit computer fraud by creating a botnet, and also for violating the CAN-SPAM Act. A botnet is a network of computers that have been infected by malicious software. Bown was sentenced to three years of supervised release following his prison term, and agreed to forfeit $120,000 to the United States.

“Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message to spammers whose goal is to manipulate financial transactions and the stock market through illegal e-mail advertisements,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer. “People who use fraudulent e-mails to drive up stock prices and reap illicit profits will be prosecuted, and they will face significant prison time.”

“With today’s sentence of the self-proclaimed ‘Godfather of Spam,’ Alan Ralsky, and three others who played central roles in a complicated stock spam pump and dump scheme, the Court has made it clear that advancing fraud through abuse of the Internet will lead to several years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg for the Eastern District of Michigan. “I commend the FBI, the Postal Inspection Service, and the IRS Criminal Investigative Division for their determined and careful investigation in this case which lead to today’s result.”

“Through this conspiracy Ralsky and the others were able to manipulate the stock market and maximize their profit. They flooded our e-mail boxes with unwanted spam e-mail and attempted to use a botnet to hijack our computers assist them in the scheme. Cyber crime investigations are a top priority of the FBI and we will continue to aggressively investigate those individuals who use and hide behind computers to commit various crimes,” said Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge, FBI.

“In today’s competitive international business world, there will always be a select few who illegally manipulate the system for their own profit,” said Maurice Aouate, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will continue to diligently follow the money and assist in the seizure and forfeiture of any ill-gotten gains from their illegal business practices.”

“Today marks a victory for all who entrust their money to others within the U.S. economy,” said Joseph A. Pirone, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge. “Postal Inspectors have protected Americans from those who use the U.S. Mail for fraudulent purposes since the passage of the Mail Fraud Statute in 1872. The sentencing of Ralsky and Bradley demonstrates the Postal Inspection Service’s continuing commitment to protect the public.”

According to court documents, from January 2004 through September 2005, Ralsky, Bradley, Judy Devenow, Bown, William Neil, James Bragg, James Fite, Hui, Francis Tribble, and others allegedly engaged in a related set of conspiracies designed to use spam e-mails to manipulate thinly traded stocks and profit by trading in those stocks once their share prices increased after recipients of the spam e-mails traded in the stocks being promoted.

Ralsky served as the chief executive officer and primary deal maker for the spam e-mail operation. Bradley, Ralsky’s son-in-law, served as the chief financial officer and director of operations for the spam e-mail operation. Bown, who was chief executive officer of an Internet services company, GDC Layer One, served as the chief technology officer for the spam e-mail operation. Hui, who was the CEO of China World Trade, served as the lead dealmaker representing the companies whose stocks were being promoted via spam e-mail.

According to court documents, many of the spam e-mails promoted thinly traded “pink sheet” stocks for U.S. companies owned and controlled by individuals in Hong Kong and China. The spam e-mails contained materially false and misleading information or omissions and were created and sent using software programs that made it difficult to trace them back to the conspirators. According to the indictment, the conspirators used wire communications, the U.S. mail and common carriers to perpetrate their frauds. The conspirators also engaged in money laundering involving millions of dollars generated by their manipulative stock trading.

According to the indictment, the defendants used various illegal methods in order to maximize the amount of spam that evaded spam-blocking devices and tricked recipients into opening, and acting on, the advertisements in the spam. These included using falsified “headers” in the e-mail messages, using proxy computers to relay the spam, using falsely registered domain names to send the spam, and also making misrepresentations in the advertising content of some of the underlying e-mail messages.

The defendants were indicted in the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2007. Ralsky, Bradley, Bown, William Neil, Bragg, and Fite pleaded guilty in June 2009 while Hui pleaded guilty in December 2008. Tribble and Devenow pleaded guilty in October 2008. Tribble, Devenow, William Neil, Bragg and Fite are scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow by Judge Battani.

Anki Neil and Peter Severa are also named as defendants in the indictment returned in the Eastern District of Michigan and their cases are still pending. An indictment is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.

The charges arose after a three-year investigation, led by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-CI revealed a sophisticated and extensive spamming operation. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office has provided significant ongoing assistance in this case. The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Beck and Trial Attorneys Thomas Dukes and Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

via Federal Bureau of Investigation

The truth about cell phones and the DNC Registry is:

* Contrary to the e-mail, cell phone numbers are NOT being released to telemarketers, and you will NOT soon be getting telemarketing calls on your cell phone.

* There is NO deadline by which you must register your cell phone number on the Registry.

* Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

* The national associations representing telemarketers have stated that their members do not intend to start calling consumers’ cell phones.

* There is only ONE National DNC Registry. There is no separate registry for cell phones.

* The DNC Registry accepts registrations from both cell phones and land lines. You must call from the phone number that you want to register. If you register online, you must respond to a confirmation e-mail.

* While the telecommunications industry has been discussing the possibility of creating a wireless 411 directory, according to the FCC, even if a wireless 411 directory is established, most telemarketing calls to cell phones would still be illegal, regardless of whether the number is listed on the federal government’s Do Not Call Registry.

In addition, according to the industry:

* Your number would not be included in a wireless 411 directory unless you wanted it to be (i.e., you will have to “opt-in”); and

* The wireless 411 directory would not be available in a printed, electronic, or Internet list for telemarketers. In other words, a list of numbers on the wireless 411 directory would not be made available to telemarketers.

For More Information

To learn more about the National DNC Registry and the rules that enforce it, visit the FTC at www.ftc.gov or the FCC at www.fcc.gov. For more information about a planned “wireless 411” directory, visit http://www.qsent.com/company/pressreleases/411factfromfiction.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

via News Release Headline.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the bulletins and follow best-practice security policies to determine which updates should be applied.

via US-CERT Current Activity.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Apple article HT3937 and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.

via US-CERT Current Activity.

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Maclaren USA Recalls to Repair Strollers Following Fingertip Amputations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Maclaren Strollers

Units: About one million

Distributor: Maclaren USA, Inc., of South Norwalk, Conn.

Hazard: The stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 15 reports of children placing their finger in the stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States.

Description: This recall involves all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers. The word “Maclaren” is printed on the stroller. The affected models included Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

Sold at: Babies“R”Us, Target and other juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide from 1999 through November 2009 for between $100 and $360.

via Recalled Products | Maclaren Recalls Strollers Following Fingertip Amputations | Personal Injury Law News.