Saturday, December 24, 2005

Google Electronic Funds Tranfer System Comes out of Beta

Adsense has come out of beta with their Electronic Funds Transfer payment system. It is still only available to those in the lucky 16 countries but at least some of you out there are going to have a nice seamless payment system from now on. Enjoy.

posted by Tata @ 12/24/2005 02:39:00 PM   0 comments  

Friday, December 23, 2005

Western Union reaches 250,000 milestone

First Data Corp.'s flagship subsidiary, Western Union Financial Services, announced Wednesday that it's reached a milestone and a 2005 goal by establishing a global agent network that exceeds 250,000 locations.

The offices of Western Union's subsidiary, Orlandi Valuta, are included in the tally. Together, the two money-transfer companies have offices in more than 200 countries and territories.

First Data's Payments Services division includes Western Union and contributes nearly 40 percent of the company's revenues. This year, Western Union added Norway and Palau to its list of countries.

Western Union completed 97 million consumer money-transfer transactions in 2004.

posted by Tata @ 12/23/2005 11:38:00 AM   0 comments  

Western Union Trolley Dash promotion.

WESTERN Union and its agents will reward customers who send or receive money through the Western Union Trolley Dash promotion.

Hazel Twesigye, Nile Bank’s brand manager for Western Union, said the sh36m promotion, which started on December 19, would end on January 14.

“Every time a person sends or receives money through any Western Union agent, he/she will receive an empty coupon, fill it in and it will be entered into the weekly draws. Winners will be allowed one minute to fill shopping trolleys from Uchumi Supermarket in Kampala,” Twesigye said during a press conference in Kampala on Tuesday.

posted by Tata @ 12/23/2005 11:35:00 AM   0 comments  

Local accused in Western Union theft

By TIM MCGLONE, The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK — Federal authorities are rounding up suspects in a sophisticated fraud involving the theft of

$1.5 million from Western Union, officials said Thursday.

In a 57-count indictment, the FBI alleges that a local cheese steak shop owner led the operation by conducting more than 1,600 fraudulent wire money transfers at Western Union offices from Virginia Beach to California and Canada over the past two years.

Alvin Ross Johns of Hampton and eight other suspects are scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court on Jan. 11. Three suspects were arrested locally this week and another was picked up in California. Johns was arrested in September and jailed without bond. He has not yet entered a plea.

Authorities said the scheme was a family affair. Johns’ wife, brother-in-law and father-in-law also are charged in the indictment. His son faces similar charges in New York, though not directly related to this case.

Johns is accused of using the proceeds to buy fancy cars, but most of the cash remains unaccounted for. Attorneys in the Federal Public Defender’s Office, which represents Johns, declined to comment Thursday.

The FBI said the suspects attempted to steal even more money from Western Union. FBI Special Agent Jason Watson testified at Johns’ Oct. 7 bond hearing that agents tracked another 800 fraudulent wire transfers that would have netted more than $500,000 , but those transactions failed.

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment beyond what was said in court or in court records.

Western Union officials did not respond to questions Thursday.

The indictment, handed up Dec. 15, said Johns and the other suspects used a series of schemes to defraud Western Union, a company that manages 225,000 money transfer offices worldwide, most located in stores, airports and banks.

In most cases, the indictment said, Johns would call a Western Union office and pretend to be a company employee. He would tell the agent that a money transfer order had incorrect information on it, such as a wrong spelling or a wrong amount, and ask that a new order be entered with the correct information, the indictment says. There never was, however, a transfer order to begin with, the papers say.

In other instances, Johns would call a Western Union toll-free number and complete an initial wire transfer order by providing a phony name and address and cash amount, the indictment says. In return, he would get a personal identification number needed to complete the process, the papers say.

He would then call another agent, again impersonating a Western Union employee, and claim that the transfer order was “frozen” in the system and convince the agent to complete a new money order, the papers allege. An accomplice would then arrive on the receiving end and retrieve the cash.

Johns and his codefendants conducted these transactions throughout Hampton Roads and in 42 other states and Canada, the indictment says.

Western Union security officials began noticing a pattern of fraudulent money transfer orders in Virginia and New York in early 2004, almost a year after the crimes began, the FBI said. They called the FBI that July, and phone records were traced to Johns’ home, court papers say.

FBI agents began surveillance of Johns, picking through his garbage and tracing his phone calls, the records state.

The FBI learned that Johns purchased with cash a $40,000 Chrysler sedan in March, a $20,000 used SUV in July 2004 and a $20,000 used Lincoln Navigator in June 2004, the records say. The FBI seized the vehicles.

Johns and his wife, codefendant Suncheray Johns, are listed in court records as the co-owners of Altaz Philly Cheesesteak in Hampton.

posted by Tata @ 12/23/2005 11:30:00 AM   0 comments  

Transfer money Online - Lucky Money launches online transfer service

SAN FRANCISCO, California--Lucky Money is now available online at www.tvstreet.com, providing fast, secure and reliable money transfer services to the Filipino-American community from any computer in the US with an Internet connection.

Customers can use both debit and credit cards (Visa/MasterCard) to send money online, eliminating any potential risks involved with carrying cash.

"And with the holiday season fast approaching, we are pleased to now accommodate our busy customers by allowing them to conveniently send gifts of money to their loved ones," Rommel R. Medina, president of Lucky Money, said in a press statement.

The company's 15-year history of success is best attributed to customer confidence that their beneficiaries will receive their door-to-door, bank-to-bank, and US dollar deliveries to the Philippines in 24 hours or less.

In addition to its online services, Lucky Money offers competitive exchange rates and service fees at over 80 locations in ten states. Visit www.LuckyMoney.com for exact locations and to learn more about sending money online. (Press Release)

posted by Tata @ 12/23/2005 11:21:00 AM   0 comments