Girl Scout Cookies: Now Accepting Cash or Card!

After years of cash-only, you can now buy Thin Mints with a credit card.

The Girl Scouts have been selling Shortbread, Tagalongs, and Thin Mints for years, but starting this year, the San Diego Girl Scouts can accept credit card as payment. Considering how much people rely on cards for payment, the Girl Scouts will most likely see a rise in sales.

Thanks to iPhone technology, secure credit card transactions are easy and portable. Troops will get iPhones with mophie marketplace credit card cases. They swipe the credit card, and the customer signs the receipt on the iPhone touch screen.

Some people might see this as a gimmick to boost sales, but I think this is a pretty cool idea from the Girl Scouts. First, they probably will see an increase in sales. Many people use their credit or debit cards more often than cash, and the ability to process credit card transactions gives people one less excuse not to buy Girl Scout cookies. Second, and more importantly, the Girl Scout organization is using this advancement as a teaching opportunity. In a press release from mophie, leaders from Girl Scouts and mophie have stated that they want the girls to learn about using credit and think outside the box with new technology.

Readers, we want to hear from you. Do you think it is a good idea for Girl Scouts to adapt credit card technology? Are these girls responsible enough to handle credit card transactions? As a bonus, what is your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Leave your response below!

To learn more about responsible credit card use, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com to sign up for a free credit evaluation today.

Follow Up: “Lord of the Rings” Credit Card Thief Gets Prison Time

Last month, we brought you the story of Richard Berry, a Michigan business owner who sold toys and collectibles. When his business started to fail, he used film director Peter Jackson's credit card information to charge $190,000 in a desperate attempt to keep his business open. Since being caught, Richard has cooperated with authorities and has already paid off over half of the bill in hopes that he will get to serve his sentence outside of prison.

Last Monday, Richard Berry received his sentence. He will serve 10 months in prison, pay restitution, and be under court supervision for 3 additional years after completing his prison sentence.

Since the first article was published, some readers have pointed out that Richard Berry committed a serious crime and that theft and credit card fraud is never acceptable. I wanted to assure our readers that we do not condone Richard Berry's actions in any way. I was sympathetic for Richard Berry's situation with his business and the difficulties of a small business owner in today's economy, but his actions were wrong, no matter his intentions might have been. I apologize if that was unclear in the original article.

To learn more about responsible credit card use and protecting yourself against credit card theft, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com to sign up for a free credit evaluation today.

Deputies Can Be Credit Card "Jerks" Too

Usually on this blog, we enjoy laughing at the stupidity of credit card thieves and bringing you some of the most ridiculous credit card fraudsters from around the country. Today, however, we want to take a moment to point out the stupidity of a former law enforcement official who was a victim of credit card theft. The only excuse I can find for this crime is a lack of common sense, and hopefully our readers will behave smarter.

Debra Hill, a retired deputy in West Palm Beach, was shopping for couch at Baer's Furniture. She was being helped by the only employee in the store, so she though it was safe for her to leave her purse on a table on the store's first floor and head up to the second floor. I have no idea why she thought this was safe. Shouldn't she just bring her purse with her? Isn't that the point of a purse, that you can throw it over your shoulder and take it with you?

Anyways, by the time she got back to the first floor, someone had snatched her wallet out of the purse which she claims had $200 in cash in addition to her cards, ID, and other personal information. This is the part that really baffles me. You can cancel credit cards and replace ID, but she had a good amount of cash in her wallet. This woman used to be a deputy, and she just left her purse with $200 in cash on the first floor of the store while she was on the second floor.

The thief was Merri Cindy Snyder who was an employee at Baer's Furniture. Surprisingly, her purchases were relatively tame. She bought shampoo and beauty products at CVS, picked up groceries, and stopped to gas up her car. She was no Shatarka Nuby or Tamika Garris. When the authorities caught up with her, she claimed that she took the wallet because “there was no food in the house” and she didn't have money for groceries.

Normally, I give the Navin R. Johnson award to credit card thieves, but today, I am awarding it to Debra Hill, a former deputy who does not have the sense to keep an eye on her purse. Hopefully she learns from this experience and does a better job protecting herself from credit card thieves in the future.

To learn more about responsible credit card use, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and call My Credit Specialist at 1-866-565-6500 or go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com to sign up for a free credit evaluation.