Credit Card

A new law governing credit cards went into effect Monday. The changes are meant to protect consumers. But credit card companies are also tightening up their policies. A transcript of a chat with Consumer Credit Counseling appears below. Call-a-Credit-Counselor February 25, 2010

HARRISON, Ark. - There's a new way to pay overdue state property taxes in Arkansas. Use a credit card or a debit card.  Officials in Little Rock says until now only delinquent taxpayers with long term payment plans could use plastic.  Log on to the Arkansas' land commission office website  for more details on starting the pay-off process.  

Whether it's because of unemployment, a foreclosure or mounting holiday debt, many of you are looking to the new year to improve your credit score.  More and more banks are pushing prepaid credit and debit cards as a way to meet that goal, but they're not right for everyone. A prepaid credit card is much like a regular credit card, only the credit limit is lower than a regular card and users must first make a security deposit to use it.  A prepaid debit card deducts funds from the amount of money deposited into the account associated with the card.

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. -- City police say they’ve learned criminals can swipe information on a credit card account without ever touching or even seeing the card.  The police chief call it electronic pickpocketing. By getting within two or three feet of a purse or wallet, thieves can use a credit card reading device to steal personal bank information.  It’s a device that any thief can buy on the Internet. Credit card companies tout the new payWave or pay pass systems as the latest and greatest way to get in and out quickly.

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. -- North Arkansas Electric Cooperative says someone is pulling a scam on its customers.   NAEC says some of its customers have been receiving telephone calls from a person purporting to be a representative of NAEC.  The caller says their electric bills are overdue and must be paid immediately by credit card over the phone in order to avoid interruption in electric service. These calls are not coming from North Arkansas Electric Cooperative.  They are being made by people who want to obtain credit card or other personal information.  The Baxter County Sheriff's Department urges people to avoid becoming victims of fraudulent scams by refusing to provide credit card or any personal identifying information to unverified and unconfirmed sources.  Persons needing to obtain their NAEC account information with respect to payments or other purposes can call North Arkansas Electric Cooperative in Mountain Home at  (870)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A man from Flemington received a 10-year prison sentence on Tuesday for forging checks stolen from numerous mailboxes in 2009, and using a stolen credit card from a burglary.  Prosecutors call Theodore Harpool, 42, "a career criminal" with more than 20 felony convictions since 1986 in at least five counties. Springfield police say a witness saw Harpool opening mailboxes in a residential neighborhood on Dec. 23, 2009.  Police arrested him, searched his truck and found stolen checks.  Ten days before that, on Dec. 13, 2009, police found Harpool dazed and partially asleep in his truck in a business' parking lot.  In his wallet, police found stolen checks from mailboxes throughout town.  They also found he used a stolen credit card at a store on Dec. 9, 2009.

OSCEOLA, Mo. -- The son of a former fire chief is accused of using a credit card belonging to the Sac-Osage Fire Protection District for his personal use.   Michael Mullaney Jr, 27, was charged on Tuesday with stealing a little more than $2,300. Mullaney used to be a Sac-Osage volunteer firefighter until he moved from Osceola to Pleasant Hill last June.  His father was the longtime Sac-Osage fire chief until he resigned this year.  An investigator for the Missouri State Highway Patrol writes in the probable cause statement that Mullaney had access to the Sac-Osage fire chief's desk, which had “an unsecured fuel card issued to SOFPD for the sole purpose of providing fuel to prescribed vehicles and firefighting related activity.”   The investigator believes Mullaney took that card with him when he moved.  Over the next six months, the card was used at several convenience stores in the Kansas City area, including in Harrison and Grandview, but no Sac-Osage fire engines were in that area at those times.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- City police are searching for two robbers for a crime spree on Tuesday night. It started around 10 p.m. Tuesday when officers say the men attacked a woman and took her purse at the Walmart SuperCenter on North Kansas Expressway, just south of Interstate 44.  Police say the men then tried to use that woman's credit card about two hours later at the Walmart store on South Campbell Avenue, roughly five miles away. Police spotted the robbers driving away and started a short chase that ended with a crash near the 3100 block of South Ferguson Avenue, just south of Battlefield Road at Fort Avenue.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The human remains found in a trash container behind a home this summer belonged to Kelly Frech, a 27-year-old woman from Florida.  Springfield police issued a news release on Wednesday night confirming what news agencies had reported since the previous Friday. “The identity was developed through a biological profile analysis and an analysis of the skeletal remains by a forensic anthropologist,” the news release says.  Up to the news release, the Springfield Police Department refused to release any information about Frech's death.  Police now say they won't release any more information, including whether investigators think Frech was murdered, how long she had been dead before her remains were found, and whether they think Adam Bergseth, who rented the home where the remains were found, killed Frech.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Terry Phelps pleaded guilty in multiple counties to charges of financial exploitation of the elderly, stealing by deceit, and unlawful merchandising practices for his role in asphalt-paving scams.   Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Knight, Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Terry Daley Schwartze, and Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney John Beger participated in the prosecutions with the Attorney General's Office. Phelps was sentenced to 10 years in prison on seven counts of financial exploitation of the elderly, 10 years on one count of stealing by deceit, and seven years on four counts of unlawful merchandising practices.  The sentences will be served concurrently.

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. -- North Arkansas Electric Cooperative says someone is pulling a scam on its customers.   NAEC says some of its customers have been receiving telephone calls from a person purporting to be a representative of NAEC.  The caller says their electric bills are overdue and must be paid immediately by credit card over the phone in order to avoid interruption in electric service. These calls are not coming from North Arkansas Electric Cooperative.  They are being made by people who want to obtain credit card or other personal information.  The Baxter County Sheriff's Department urges people to avoid becoming victims of fraudulent scams by refusing to provide credit card or any personal identifying information to unverified and unconfirmed sources.  Persons needing to obtain their NAEC account information with respect to payments or other purposes can call North Arkansas Electric Cooperative in Mountain Home at  (870)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Terry Phelps pleaded guilty in multiple counties to charges of financial exploitation of the elderly, stealing by deceit, and unlawful merchandising practices for his role in asphalt-paving scams.   Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Knight, Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Terry Daley Schwartze, and Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney John Beger participated in the prosecutions with the Attorney General's Office. Phelps was sentenced to 10 years in prison on seven counts of financial exploitation of the elderly, 10 years on one count of stealing by deceit, and seven years on four counts of unlawful merchandising practices.  The sentences will be served concurrently.

OSCEOLA, Mo. -- The son of a former fire chief is accused of using a credit card belonging to the Sac-Osage Fire Protection District for his personal use.   Michael Mullaney Jr, 27, was charged on Tuesday with stealing a little more than $2,300. Mullaney used to be a Sac-Osage volunteer firefighter until he moved from Osceola to Pleasant Hill last June.  His father was the longtime Sac-Osage fire chief until he resigned this year.  An investigator for the Missouri State Highway Patrol writes in the probable cause statement that Mullaney had access to the Sac-Osage fire chief's desk, which had “an unsecured fuel card issued to SOFPD for the sole purpose of providing fuel to prescribed vehicles and firefighting related activity.”   The investigator believes Mullaney took that card with him when he moved.  Over the next six months, the card was used at several convenience stores in the Kansas City area, including in Harrison and Grandview, but no Sac-Osage fire engines were in that area at those times.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Crime Stoppers and the Springfield Police Department ask for help in identifying the person in these photographs.  Police are investigating a robbery near the downtown area on Friday, Oct. 5, 2012.   The victim was reportedly robbed by three unknown black males. The victim's stolen credit card was later used.  The subject pictured is a person of interest and the investigation is still on-going at this time. If you were in the area of this incident and saw any suspicious people or vehicles at these times, or if you know the suspects, please call Crime Stoppers.

In today's BBB Brief, baseball season is upon us and it's time to play ball -- and you don't want to end up on the losing side when you buy those tickets. With baseball season in full swing, be sure your tickets are the real deal. - Research the seller or broker. Look them up on BBB.org and see if they're a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. - Check the refund policy. Only buy from a reseller who gives clear details about the transaction. - And before you hit "buy" online, double check your total for extra fees.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Springfield family has opened a unique new Italian restaurant downtown. Sorella's Table offers a six course gourmet meal on the first and third weekends of every month. It's by reservation only. The restaurant is located on Campbell, just north of Walnut. Doug and Mary Guccione opened the business in late January.  The couple says they were inspired after eating at a Philadelphia restaurant for a friend's 40th birthday and wanted to bring a similar concept to the Queen City.     Dinner is served at 6:30 for all guests.  No ordering necessary.

According the National Retail Federation, the average shopper will spend nearly $750 on gifts, décor and holiday cards. And it's easy to overspend with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday all within the same four-day stretch. - Make a budget BEFORE you hit the stores, and stick to it. Clearpoint Credit Solutions offers an online "Holiday Planning Calculator. " It can help you set a realistic budget for entertaining, travel and gift giving. - Compare sales prices in advance so you know if you're really getting a good deal.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- Identity theft affects 11 million people a year, at a cost of 54 billion dollars. If you don't want to be a statistic, you need to protect yourself. A good way to do that is by shredding sensitive documents.  The big question: is what should you shred and how often? Business website Main Street has some answers. Old Tax Returns -- You should save your tax returns just in case you get audited. However,  you don't have to hold onto those returns forever.

In today's BBB Brief -- don't let a bad tutor waste your child's time or your money. The Better Business Bureau has received hundreds of complaints nationwide in the last year. Most people weren't satisfied with the results or had a billing problem. Here's a quick lesson for parents: - Do your research.  Does the person or company have a complaint history? - Get referrals.  Ask for referrals from your child's teacher, other parents and friends. - Check the tutor's credentials and make sure he or she is qualified in the right subject area for your child's needs.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The human remains found in a trash container behind a home this summer belonged to Kelly Frech, a 27-year-old woman from Florida.  Springfield police issued a news release on Wednesday night confirming what news agencies had reported since the previous Friday. “The identity was developed through a biological profile analysis and an analysis of the skeletal remains by a forensic anthropologist,” the news release says.  Up to the news release, the Springfield Police Department refused to release any information about Frech's death.  Police now say they won't release any more information, including whether investigators think Frech was murdered, how long she had been dead before her remains were found, and whether they think Adam Bergseth, who rented the home where the remains were found, killed Frech.