Boise, ID -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/02/2012 -- A recent fraud involving Amazon notification emails has been making the rounds online with the following on the subject line:

Subject: Your order has been successfully cancelled.

But instead of being sent by Amazon.com, this message actually comes from spoofed emails (in this case, from orders@amazon.com). The link embedded in the email will usually take you to a login page designed to look like it's really Amazon.com so as to collect your login details.

Because of the subject, Amazon users who are actually waiting for some pending orders will feel compelled to contact Amazon.com about the cancellation.

Not only that, there are also tons of other fraudulent transactions being done through Amazon.

- A man pleaded guilty in a fraud accusation that involves £500,000. He and a bunch of other people teamed up and allegedly used stolen credit card information to buy his own songs on Amazon and iTunes.

Lamar Johnson, a 19-year old from Wolverhampton, was charged one count of conspiracy to defraud along with 11 others.

They reportedly downloaded the songs more than 6,000 times between January 2008 and June 2009 in order to get royalties from the sales.

According to Johnson, he was responsible for around 2,000 of the downloads.

- Another incident involved someone who paid $400 for gold items he bought but since the seller was out of stock already, the order was cancelled. However, according to the poster, Amazon put a hold on his credit card and would not release any funds.

- Someone purchased a Sony digital camera with a bunch of accessories on Amazon and was delighted that he was given a free delivery. However, when the package arrived at their address, it turned out to be a randomly inappropriate book. He suspects that it might be because of some mistake on Amazon's part or a horrible mix up in the delivery contractor. But noticing that the package has his name and address on it just right and that it appears to have been tampered with, he feared that there was some sort of theft or fraud involved.

- A customer bought a laptop through Amazon and was, strangely enough, sent a used laptop. But since the card used in the transaction was closed by the customer already, a USD 40 check was issued as refund instead. However, when it was deposited on the bank, it was discovered that the check is a fraud.

While it is certainly understandable for fraud victims to blame Amazon and wish them all the bad luck, let's also keep in mind that customers also have their responsibilities. Note to self: If you don't want to suffer from horrible customer service and if a transaction looks shady early on, then just buy in a physical store.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Saudi Gold Traders Face Tough Competition

Boise, ID -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/24/2012 -- Gold traders in Jeddah and Makkah, Saudi Arabia are lamenting about the low demand for gold along with difficulties they are faced with to boost the market. They are also opposing the blatant inequality between foreign and local traders.

Saudi's gold industry is still suffering from high prices that lead to a large number of layoffs and closing down of shops.

Employees and investors in the gold market are among the worst hit after the slump in the gold sale brought about by high prices.

Local traders are barely surviving in the gold market because of many obstacles and remarkably low sales.

The pressure being placed on Saudi gold participants is way higher when compared to what foreigners are getting. Local gold traders are calling for equality between Saudi and foreign investors in terms of rights, duties and benefits. They reportedly face some problems dealing with government policies. Legally speaking, foreign investors get advantages of smoother processing and better services.

Gold sales in the Makkah area are really weak inspite of the increase in gold demand during the Haj and Umrah seasons.

They said they are attempting to salvage the gold sector in Saudi through providing more resources to local gold traders. Aside from that, they are also looking to re-establish a traditional gold market in Makkah that could possibly revive the morale of Saudi traders and better the sales of local gold items.

Competition in the gold market has become even more strained because of the favor that foreign investors are obtaining in available resources in Saudi.

More often than not, foreign investors get the resources to build their own firms and deal with competitive foreign employees. In addition, they are also in contact with many experts in the jewelry and gold sector.

On the other hand, Saudi traders are being forced to implement full Saudization and make do with employees who are still new in the field and generally lack creativity.

Saudi gold traders are obliged to leave the market due to a number of factors like stiff competition with foreigners, policies that favor foreign investors who work in the gold industry and high gold prices.

He called for a conference that will bring together all the gold traders in Saudi in order for them to find resolutions to the crisis in their industry and to be in equal footing with foreign gold investors.

Farsi said that one of the main factors affecting the rise in gold prices this year is the consumption increase in China; though he thinks that Makkah gold market will continue to slow down. Such increase in sales on the Umrah and Haj seasons is not enough to compensate for losses made during the whole year.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Boise, ID -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2012 -- Jewelers from Amazon to China create customized items made of precious metals for clients -- from simple bracelets to sophisticated rings that alert one of the wearer's status.

A jewel designer usually starts by discussing with clients what design concepts they have in mind. From that sketch, a technical drawing is then created to a scale. And since the popularization of computer aided designs, the technical model is rendered digitally in a 3D form to serve as basis for the casting and setting.

And it's not just all about art skills. There are also technical aspects of the job, the same way that an architect needs expertise to start a project. The jeweler must have a good understanding of jewelry creation, what would look good on a specific client, etc.

Every client consultation is expectedly unique, for people sometimes want to have a more antique look on the jewelry they are requesting, or already have an accurate picture of what they like and would just like to tweak it a bit.

Some designs are more vintage, coming from inspirations from Amazon landscapes. On the other hand, there were also more trendy designs and colors that alert onlookers, derived from the more expressive trends at present.

The thing is, the variety in clients' inclinations help a lot. When something is customized for a very specific purpose, it tends to become more meaningful for the clients.

The most challenging part of the work will be the part where the clients are not sure what they want to have. Having a creative mindset is an asset, especially in drawing out what the clients are actually looking for.

Either clients would have no idea what they like or they would have a variety of things they want to experiment on. As a result, jewel designers have to spend much time with the clients in order for them to figure out the best option. You have to be able to communicate effectively and have patience in every transaction.

To give you an idea how much a jeweler earns in a year, entry-level salaries amount to USD 23,050 while those with significant experience can have up to USD 50,000.

Aspiring jewelers can learn of the trade from vocational schools offering such courses or even on by distance-learning centers. Still, there are those who hone their skill in making or designing jewelry through on-the-job training.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Amazon Gold Ventures – 2011-2012 Trending Costume Jewelry

Boise, ID -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2012 -- Knowing what is coming up in jewelry developments is vital and then getting able to duplicate the pattern at a fraction of the designer or retail pieces is important. I have visited a number of factories recently and noted some strong trends coming through.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm