Taylor Swift bites Apple & the latest CRA tax scam: BUSINESS WEEK WRAP
There was a new twist on an old scam in the news this week, as fraudsters appear to be stepping up their attempts to part you from your money.
As is the case in many other similar attempts, the bait is a contact claiming to be from Canada Revenue Agency informing you that you owe the tax man some money, and there will be dire consequences for not paying up promptly by sending in cash.
Around tax time, a similar scam went around where some people were contacted via text message seeking money they allegedly owed. This time, the scammers seem to have starting calling people — including one CBC producer who outed the scam.
After being informed she owed more than $1,500 and she had to pay immediately, CBC producer Sophia Harris recorded the swindler informing her of all sorts of problems in her future if she didn't pay up. "If the matter goes in the court, then your credit report will be spoiled, your passport will be cancelled, your property will be sealed, your security ID will be cancelled and also your bank account will be frozen," the scammer said.
Police say the scheme has raked in at least $100,000 since last year and they urge vigilance to not get caught. For its part, the tax agency gave us the usual reminder with these sorts of things: the CRA will never contact you via telephone demanding instant payment via cash, and certainly won't threaten jail time if you don't comply.
E-book price gouging
You might think that libraries are welcoming the advent of e-books with open arms as it reduces two of their major costs, the acquisition and storing of books. But you'd be wrong. Thanks to Byzantine laws about digital copyright rules, publishers sometimes charge libraries five or even ten times for an e-book what they would charge for a physical copy.
And while paperbacks and hardcovers can theoretically be loaned out an infinite number of times until the books fall apart, libraries are limited in how many times they can loan out an e-book before having to pay a fee again.
Strange, but true.
Despite the fact that e-books save publishers money by cutting back on paper costs, storage, and delivery charges, the CBC's Aaron Saltzman reported this week that the cost of e-books is a major problem for libraries — yet one that major book publishers seem to be in no hurry to fix.
"The pricing model and the terms of conditions aren't sustainable for public libraries," said Vickery Bowles of the Toronto Public Library.
With demand for e-books at libraries up 4,200 per cent since 2008, it's a problem that needs a solution — and fast.
Taylor Swift takes bite out of Apple
One is the world's most valuable company. The other is the world's best-selling recording artist. But when these two titans faced off this week, it was the singer who came out on top.
Apple upset many musicians when it announced they would not be paying artists for their work if users listened to it during their free trial of the company's new music service. Nobody seemed to like the decision, but nothing was done about it until Taylor Swift chimed in, saying she would pull her music from the service unless the policy was scrapped.
That was all it took for the company to have a swift change of heart, announcing that artists would be paid when their music was accessed, even if it was given away to customers using a free trial period.
It didn't take long for Swift to relent, too, and announce her best-selling album 1989 would be available on the service soon.
So far from saying never ever, it turns out the two sides are indeed getting back together after all.
Other stuff
Those were some of our most popular stories this week. For more business news, be sure to check out our website often and don't forget to follow us on Twitter here. In the meantime, here's a day by day list of some of our best stuff from the past seven days.
Monday
- CP train left without hand brakes above B.C. town
- Some Loblaw workers reject deal and prepare for strike
Tuesday
- ANALYSIS: The world is awash in oil and Canada is making it worse
- Start-up backed by celebrities aims for bigger slice of Canada's mattress market
Wednesday
- CRA phone scam uses fear of the tax man to swindle 'not so smart' Canadians
- Olive oil mislabeled as 'extra virgin' class action suit alleges
- Cheap loonie has made cottages popular among foreign buyers
Thursday
- HomeAway doesn't pay for theft by vacation renters
- DON PITTIS: Invention may make hydrogen a real green contender
Friday