It seems there’s a flourishing trade in fake liquor, especially bourbons and vodkas.   Counterfeits are turning up in all types of places, including hotels, retail stores and even airport duty-free shops.   Some of this fake booze can be downright dangerous, containing methanol, instead of ethanol, and other harmful chemicals that can result in […]

If you’re a photo enthusiast and like to travel with a lot of gear, watch out for thieves who feel equally enthusiastic about it.   They generally operate as a group of up to five or six people who rush up to you and seem to want to show you something.   They hold a […]

GoBear also reports on the increasing use of skimmers at some hotels.   You hand over your credit card to pay a bill and, in addition to running it through the hotel card reader, the employee also passes it through a small pocket device, which reads and stores all your card information.   This may […]

This one was reported by the consumer finance site GoBear.com.   You’re settling in to your vacation hotel. Why not order room service and get into relaxation mode right now? A hotel employee delivers your order and asks you to sign a confirmation slip. But then he announces that this hotel doesn’t allow you to […]

If it happens in the US it won’t take long for it to come to Canada. The U.S. Social Security Administration won’t be phoning you to tell you about a computer glitch that’s mixed up your Social Security number and that they need you to confirm the number.  It’s a scam so just hang up.