I want to nail one myth: it is not impossible to go to the police to report an incident. An individual is still entitled to go to the police, but the first port of call would normally be the financial institution.'

The Government is currently in the process of establishing a national fraud reporting centre, which will investigate any incidences of under-reported card crime.

Official statistics indicate that the majority of people still contact their bank about card crime rather than the police. There were 59,000 cases of bank fraud reported to police in 200607, but nearly 2.3m reported to Apacs during the same period.

Have you had your bank account or credit card defrauded? Did you contact your bank, your local police station or both and were you happy with their response? Please e-mail alan.o'sullivan@thisismoney.co.uk with your story.

Convenience store chains say D.M. proposal unfair

Officials representing some of Iowa's biggest convenience store chains say efforts to bring more public scrutiny to their construction projects are unfair and could jeopardize the industry's future in Des Moines.

City officials and resident groups are pushing for tighter design guidelines and more public input on site plans for convenience stores and gas stations.

Such action would help ensure that the appearance, traffic, noise and lighting associated with today's bigger convenience stores conform with neighborhood characteristics, proponents contend.

Your Comments : One name to change acts

It's the Fiji's a killing Indians and vice versa, because of race differnce. The only killing that is happening in Fiji is because of greed and stupidity.There is no Only Fijians and Only Indians allocated places here in Fiji.Even in South Africa is was bad back in those Indenture days.The Indian are often called coolies and thats worse. No coolies to be walking on the footpath,all coolies should walk on the road where car and animal goes.Coolies should not walk together with their boss or white man.Even a rich Indian tradesman should not walk along side his European lawyer.His white lawyer will walk on the footpath while the Rich Indian Merchant to walk on the road with the animals. We were never like that to the Indians.At least being called an Indian or Indo-Fijian in Fiji is better.

Clinton and Obama vow to reopen NAFTA

A CBS News/New York Times survey has him at 54 per cent nationally, compared to 38 per cent for Ms. Clinton, a complete reversal of the leads that Ms. Clinton enjoyed going into the first caucuses and primaries in January. A USA Today poll had Mr. Obama ahead of Ms. Clinton 51 per cent to 39 per cent. And in the latest unkind cut, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, who abandoned his own bid for the nomination after placing seventh in the Iowa caucuses, endorsed Mr. Obama Tuesday.

At a press conference, Mr. Dodd said Mr. Obama "has been poked and prodded, analyzed and criticized, called too green, too trusting and for all of that has already won" a plethora of states and millions of votes, including 11 straight unanswered victories since Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. What may matter most for Canadians, however, is that whoever the nominee might be, a Democratic victory in November will bring stark challenges to Canada and Mexico, as a trading relationship that has been accepted for a decade and a half is suddenly thrown into crisis.

South Africa and skills, Angloplat and output, Northam and electricity

Visit www.miningweekly.co.za and click on ‘Video Clips' to listen first-hand to Creamer Media Television's coverage of many of the comments of the mining companies at recent results presentations. Also sign up for Mining Weekly's free daily email that delivers a daily roundup of mining news to your desktop.

Swan blames inflation rise on previous govt

Indeed it now looks like the low unemployment rates in 2007 were in part a mirage - in the sense that they were never sustainable.

Don't blame governments for high inflation. Blame consumers for spending beyond their means and credit facilitators and money lenders for irresponsible lending to people whom they shouldn't be lending.

Send Obama a Valentine for shining light on interracial love

We've heard it repeatedly on the campaign trail: "Hope is what led me here today. With a father from Kenya, a mother from Kansas and a story that could only happen in the United States of America."

Interracial relationships are an increasingly ordinary part of American life, and it's long past time that all of us - politicians, pundits and our popular culture - woke up to the fact rather than living in a country of black-white-brown caricature.

Amid Fight for Control, IAC Reshuffles M&A Unit

Since we announced our intent to spin off our businesses in the fall, we're trying to streamline management because we'll be a smaller company," she said.

Wordstock kicks off with 'Women & Words'

The first event of this year's Wordstock Festival was a warm, welcoming way to start the event. "Women & Words" featured a panel of four women authors, who each read an excerpt from one of their books and then sat around chatting like a group of friends.

It was in the Wieden+Kennedy Atrium, which was the perfect setting for such an event. And at the end, we were even treated to a Taylor Mali poem -- gearing people up for his show on Sunday night.