| Scam targets Regions customers
About 120 people called the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama throughout the day Tuesday to complain about an automated call asking them to validate their bank accounts. Michele McDaniel, president and CEO of the bureau, said people who received the calls were asked to dial a Nevada phone number and confirm information about their Regions Bank accounts. Their caller IDs displayed the words "This is a scam" instead of a phone number, prompting them to hang up and call the bureau. "We really don't quite understand why that's coming up," McDaniel said. "We have tried to call the numbers and have not been able to get through." The automated message also lists two Web sites, www.regionsrenew.com and www.regionscare.com, that customers can use to update their information.
Pajama-Wearing Woman Causes Bank To Call Police
Cotati police said an attempt by two men to bilk $2,000 from an 84-year-old woman failed Monday afternoon when the woman tried to withdraw the money from her account at the Exchange Bank. The woman was dressed in pajamas and bank officials called police around 5 p.m. because of their customer's unusual behavior, Sgt. Steven Bourns said. .
Business Diary
Brown Gibbons Lang & Co., the Cleveland-based investment banking firm, has reconfigured its ownership structure, shifting from a closely held operation to a limited liability partnership. Michael Gibbons, now senior partner, said the reorganization "basically means that I bought out my partner in Chicago and sold those shares to various people in the firm." Gibbons now has 13 partners and may have two others soon. Gibbons, who said he's "excited about the change," started his investment banking career with McDonald & Co., a broadly held partnership, "and that's the way we structured this." Under its new ownership structure, Gibbons said, Brown Gibbons will keep the same name at its offices in Cleveland, Boston and Chicago. And, Gibbons said, the firm may open an office in Los Angeles. HEALTH CARE Three hospitals win quality award Three of the region's hospitals won national recognition for superior patient outcomes and quality.
Zimbabwe: Cash Shortage - Gono Speaks
RESERVE Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono yesterday said the current cash shortages being experienced in the market are largely a reflection of the seasonal increase in demand for cash. Dr Gono told journalists and business leaders that the central bank had adopted a wait-and-see attitude with regard to the cash shortages. .
BOC opens new UK outlet amid Chinese banks' "gold rush" overseas
The Bank of China on Wednesday held an opening ceremony for its new outlet in London which provides retail services to local individuals and companies.
With registered capital of 200 million pounds, the new outlet will focus on services including bank card and consumption loans, targeting middle-class and high-end locals as well as Chinese people living in London.
On the heels of the new launch, a lending center covering the European market will soon be set up in London, said Zhang Yanling, vice president of the BOC.
The second biggest Chinese lender's expansion was part of the ongoing "go-out" move of major Chinese banks. With abundant capital raised from share offering, the banks started to eye the international market.
Within merely one year, the BOC launched a string of new branches and other outlets in Indonesia, Vietnam, Canada, Brazil and Russia.
Credit crunch clouds darken over UK
Business Finance and city news online from Interactive Investor (www.iii.co.uk). Plus financial and currency market news and information 24/7. Stock prices, share prices, currency markets news and business finance headlines. Also news from AFX and Reuters. UK online business, currency, markets and financial news .
Two neighbors launch errand running service
ROCKTON - With an increasing number of errands to run, and dwindling time, neighbors Holly Fiorini and Ellen Pidde decided to launch an errand running business. They started 2nd Hands Errand Services in March."We knew there was a need in the area for our services. We know many are needing people to do their grocery shopping, especially the elderly," Fiorini said. "It only takes a phone call."After researching it and learning how more hospitals and corporations are hiring errand services, the two stay-at-home moms knew it was a slam dunk. The two women became fully insured and bonded to go into homes and help with errands.
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Standard Bank to increase transaction fees
Standard Bank will raise its transaction fees by an average of 4,65% in 2008, the bank said on Monday. Increasing competitive pressure, rising interest rates and inflation were some of the reasons for the increase, said the bank's CEO for personal and business banking, Sim Tshabalala. He said the bank had to strike a balance between keeping its customers happy and providing a return for its shareholders. A "veritable slew" of competitors had entered the field, offering basic banking services, such as Woolworths, Shoprite Checkers and Bidvest. The bank's director of banking products, Keith Fuller, said: "There's a relatively healthy gap between inflation and the price increases." Since 2006, this gap had, however, been decreasing. In 2006 the bank increased fees by 1,97%, while annualised inflation was 3,9%, a difference of 1,93%.
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