|
|
|
|
| February 14, 2008 |
 |
|
local newsEmail this article to a friend
Colorado, Greeley lead nation in fraud reports
GREELEY -- Colorado led the nation last year in the rate of fraud complaints by consumers and was eighth in the country for complaints of identity theft, according to a report by the Federal Trade Commission.
The report also found Greeley and its surrounding area had the second-highest rate in the nation in consumer fraud complaints and was third in the nation in its rate of identity theft complaints. Other Colorado cities on the top 50 consumer fraud complaints list were Boulder (No. 12), Colorado Springs (No. 31) and Fort Collins-Loveland (No. 38).
In Colorado, the FTC report found the top fraud complaint category was for shop-at-home/catalog sales, accounting for 10 percent of the complaints. Internet services was the second most frequent complaint category, followed by foreign money offers, computer equipment and software and Internet auctions.
Identity theft complaints in Colorado were topped by employment-related fraud with 21 percent of the complaints, followed by credit card fraud, phone or utilities fraud, bank fraud and government documents or benefits fraud.
The report found that one of every 428 Colorado residents filed a fraud complaint in 2007, or a total of 11,364 complaints. Identity theft was the nation's most reported fraud last year, with a total of 258,427 cases. |
|
Denver ninth in foreclosure rates
DENVER -- Denver came in at No. 9 in the United States last year for foreclosure rates, Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac found.
A just-released 2007 report placed the Denver/Aurora metropolitan area within the top 10 in the nation, with just under 50,000 foreclosure filings during the year. That figure is up by about 28 percent over the previous year.
The Detroit metro area had the highest rate of foreclosures in the nation, followed by Stockton, Calif.; Las Vegas; Riverside/San Bernardino and Sacramento, Calif. Rounding out the top 10 were Cleveland; Bakersfield, Calif.; Miami; Denver and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"As expected, the number of properties entering some stage of foreclosure in 2007 was up in the vast majority of the nation's 100 largest metro areas, with 86 metros reporting increases from 2006," said James Saccacio, RealtyTrac's CEO. |
|
Report offers no recommendations on mining
FORT COLLINS -- A 20-page report compiled by the Larimer County Environmental Advisory Board and released this week offers no specific recommendations to county commissioners regarding a proposed uranium mining operation in nearby Weld County.
The EAB's report concludes that, "in the absence of sound scientific data, an acceptable risk assessment is not currently possible" but does caution officials about possible adverse effects of a uranium mining operation.
"Mining operations carry with them the potential for significant environmental impacts," the report concludes. "Water, soil and air contamination are all possible with the operations that may be conducted in Weld County. The probabilities associated with these impacts are not presently known. Without a risk assessment, detailed project descriptions or access to baseline data the EAB is unable to make recommendations regarding the ... project at this time."
The "Report on In-Situ Leach and Open-Pit Mining" was requested by county commissioners after county residents expressed concerns about a plan by Powertech USA to mine uranium on about 5,700 acres just east of the Larimer County line and about nine miles west of Nunn. Powertech USA has been conducting preliminary drilling and baseline information gathering at the site but has not yet applied for a mining permit from the state. The company has said it plans to begin submitting application documents in late 2008 and hopes to begin mining operations in 2010.
Commissioner Randy Eubanks said the report offers good information even without making specific recommendations. "My first thought was I would have liked to have seen an absolute thumbs-up or -down recommendation," he said. "But (the report) does make points about the risk of such an operation."
Powertech will face a lengthy review process before a mining permit is issued, including review and comment by Weld County officials. Eubanks said even though Larimer County will have no official input, it is still a very interested observer of the situation. "This uranium field doesn't stop at the county line and it could be part of our future," he said.
The EAB report focuses on the history of uranium mining in Colorado and examines both open-pit and in-situ mining methods. Powertech officials have stated they intend to use the in situ process, which involves injecting chemically treated water into drill holes to loosen and remove the uranium deposits, but the company has not completely ruled out the possibility of some open-pit mining.
The company has also vowed not to negatively impact water supplies and to clean up the site after the mining is complete.
Larimer County will hold a public meeting on Powertech's proposed project on Feb. 25. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the hearing room of the Larimer County Courthouse, 200 W. Oak St., in Fort Collins. The meeting will be televised and broadcast live on the county's web site. |
|
|
national news
Comcast resumes dividends as profit rises
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comcast Corp said on Thursday it would resume annual dividend payments and set a 2009 target to complete its $7 billion stock buyback program, addressing investors' demands to boost its beleaguered share price.
SEC seeks more financial transparency
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Securities and Exchange Commission aims to increase the transparency of Wall Street's disclosures and has more than 3 dozen investigations underway amid the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis, Chairman Christopher Cox said on Thursday.
Fed to act in
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday held the door open to more interest rate cuts to help the struggling economy, but told Congress the central bank expects growth to pick up later in the year.
|
|
|
|
©2010 Northern Colorado Business Report. All rights reserved.
This service is provided on NCBR's standard Terms & Conditions.
Read our Privacy Policy.
|
|
 |
Stocks
|
 |
|
