Fraud: Not big OR clever!

Yesterday I noticed some worrying activities going on with my bank account so I went along to Barclays to see what was going on. Shortly after explaining to the lady at the desk that I've got approximately £250 missing from my balance, (and her giving me her "yeah, yeah" eyes) she showed me my statement on the screen. To my shock there had been 3 lots of transactions the sum of £88 that I just could not explain. I was then told to use the service phone to call the debit card department who went on to reveal that some wise crack in PERU had withdrawn £264?! "What???" I heard myself demand! Apparently, according to 'Matt' I must have used a cash machine somewhere in London that had a skimming machine attached to it. So there we go, I've used the machine and now the fraudsters have my ALL details, go on to (somehow) make a copy of my card and off they trot to South America to rinse my account for all its worth! What a joke! So how do you know NOT to use a cash machine that may have been tampered with? I hear you ask. Well it's pretty difficult to tell if you ask me (obviously, or we wouldn't be having this conversation) but for your visual pleasure I've included a photo of a hole in the wall I recommend you stay away from! Despite this nightmare, credit where credit's due (s'cuse the pun) Barclays have been very helpful throughout my whole ordeal and have already dispatched my new card and I'm expecting my dispute papers in 2-3 days so I can claim my stolen money back! So, moral of the story, when withdrawing cash if the machine looks like it's been messed with, don't use it! Equally when you can, try and use cash machines inside banks as they get regular check ups for skimmers. Lesson learned, from now on I'll be even more suspicious of everything and everyone! Trust no-one...

THE GIN LADY GETS SEXY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EUROSTAR SAY ‘NON’ TO SEX!

Eurostar, who touts itself as part of a green lifestyle as well asoffering ‘Love Trains’ over Valentines, has reneged on its decision toadvertise on the eco chic online glossy magazine, TheGINlady.com, due toits “inappropriate content”.

The popular Green, Independent & Natural online magazine, The GINLady.com, was set up to showcase a green lifestyle as fun, stylish andsexy to engage a mainstream audience. The GIN Lady, the alter ego of DrNicola Thomas, who’s been blogging on the website since May 2008, says “Wecover fashion, beauty, family life, food and drink, wellbeing, travel andmore, but take a green, ethical angle. We never have, and never will,offer “inappropriate content” such as pornography on our site. I reallydon’t understand why Eurostar has gone back on its decision to advertiseon our site. Eurostar needs to decide, once and for all, whether it wantsto be seen as part of a green lifestyle or not.”

While TheGINLady.com does not hold any lewd content, it does have a Sex &Wellbeing section, featuring non-toxic sex toys, natural aphrodisiacs andeco-friendly love gifts. Nicola, the site’s editor, comments “Promotingthe safe alternatives is crucial for a women’s lifestyle title, not justbecause it’s fun, but because so many adult toys contain toxic substancesthat many feel should be banned.”

Greenpeace, an ardent campaigner to ban the use of harmful substances inadult toys, reports “...the plastics used to construct a wide range of sextoys contain very high concentrations of hazardous phlalates, toxicchemical softeners used in PVC to make it soft and flexible... these arechemicals which do not easily biodegrade and can be dangerous - even insmall amounts.”

Lucy Tanat-Jones, the owner of Organic Pleasures, the first eco eroticboutique, has been a huge success, both online and its hometown Edinburgh.Lucy says “I opened our Organic Pleasures store due to high market demand.There was a lack of sophisticated, sexy, but safe alternatives for womenand couples, instead of the usual sleazy and toxic fare on offer. Ourproducts are considered part of a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Wesupport what The GIN Lady is doing wholeheartedly.”

Prior to Eurostar’s turnaround decision, a number of travel features hadbeen planned for The GIN Lady’s Out & About section, which covers greentravel, tourism and entertainment. The team wanted to support Eurostar’spositioning as the eco-friendly alternative to flying. Rather thanfeaturing the Eurostar as a simple means to get from A to B, the teamwanted to promote Eurostar as part of the ‘green experience’ and as afabulous way to get to nearby European destinations such as Lille,Brussels and Paris, as well as a gateway to places further afield, such asMarrakesh and Scandinavia.

Nicola believes this decision is at odds with Eurostar’s marketingmessages. Nicola asks “Why is Eurostar suddenly being so prudish? They’verecently promoted their ‘Love Trains’ for Valentines and rightly so.Couples don’t travel to Paris to play Tiddlywinks in their hotel rooms. While they may want to turn a blind eye to the Mile Deep Club, Eurostarshould not turn their back on sexy green lifestyle brands such as The GINLady. The GIN Lady readers are just the sort of people who want to travelby Eurostar, because it’s comfortable, quick and carbon neutral.”

ENDS

Further information, images and interviews with Nicola can be arranged bycalling her on 0208 704 4676/07917 220 090 or emailingnicola@theginlady.com

Notes To Editor: Please find more information regarding Eurostar’s Love trains:http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/eurostar_valentines_weekend.jsp

For more information regarding Greenpeace’s sex toy report:http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/toxics/bad-vibrations-we-expose-an-eu-sex-scandal

Organic Pleasures owner Lucy Tanat-Jones has recently been voted 6th MostEligible Woman in Scotland by The Scotsman newspaper in recognition of herrole as a national business woman. Rather than being shunned by the publicand business community, Lucy and her high profile eco erotic business hasbeen welcomed by the Scottish community.

Dr Nicola Thomas, prior to her career in online publishing, was atransdisciplinary research scientist and specialised in green attitudesand behaviours (once upon a time she was a marine biologist). In 2004,Nicola was awarded a PhD in ‘Restoring Ecosystem Health’ from the Schoolof Life Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia. When Nicolareturned home to England, Nicola sought to engage a mass audience, firmlyin the belief that a fun, engaging and sexy format would be the mosteffective means to incentivise a sustainable green lifestyle in the UK andbeyond.

Green commentators have long been urging us to make green lifestyle issueslook and feel ‘sexy’ to attract widespread interest. Experts include BruceStirling, Sut Jhally and John Grant, the author of The Green MarketingManifesto.

The GIN Lady.com was originally accepted on the affiliate advertisingprogram by Eurostar in Summer 2008. Affiliate advertising is not paid foradvertising, instead, the publisher affiliate receives a commission fromsales referred to the advertiser.