Federal Trade Commission: Fake calls about your Social Security Number

Consumer Alert: Fake Calls about your Social Security Number

 

 

December 12, 2018

by Jennifer Leach                

Acting Associate Director, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

The FTC is getting reports about people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are trying to get your Social Security number and even your money. In one version of the scam, the caller says your Social Security number has been linked to a crime (often, he says it happened in Texas) involving drugs or sending money out of the country illegally. He then says your Social is blocked – but he might ask you for a fee to reactivate it, or to get a new number. And he will ask you to confirm your Social Security number.
In other variations, he says that somebody used your Social Security number to apply for credit cards, and you could lose your benefits. Or he might warn you that your bank account is about to be seized, that you need to withdraw your money, and that he’ll tell you how to keep it safe.
But all of these are scams. Here’s what you need to know:

• The SSA will never (ever) call and ask for your Social Security number. It won’t ask you to pay anything. And it won’t call to threaten your benefits.
• Your caller ID might show the SSA’s real phone number (1-800-772-1213), but that’s not the real SSA calling. Computers make it easy to show any number on caller ID. You can’t trust what you see there.
• Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Don’t confirm the last 4 digits. And don’t give a bank account or credit card number – ever – to anybody who contacts you asking for it.
• Remember that anyone who tells you to wire money, pay with a gift card, or send cash is a scammer. Always. No matter who they say they are.

If you’re worried about a call from someone who claims to be from the Social Security Administration, get off the phone. Then call the real SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). If you’ve spotted a scam, then tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

 

FTC Announces Kick-off to First Annual International Charity Fraud Awareness Week Oct. 22-26,'18

For Release    

October 22, 2018       

The Federal Trade Commission, the National Association of State Charities Officials, and state charities regulators across the country are announcing the first annual International Charity Fraud Awareness Week (ICFAW), between October 22 and 26, 2018. ICFAW is a coordinated international campaign to help charities and consumers avoid charity fraud and promote wise giving. Consumers can follow the week’s events at #CharityFraudOut.

The FTC and its U.S. partners are joining the Charities Commission for England & Wales, which for many years has hosted its own Charity Fraud Awareness Week. This year, the event is expanding to other countries.

In addition to the U.S. participants in ICFAW, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, the New Zealand Charities Service, and the Office of the Scottish Regulator are also joining in the international outreach effort. Key non-governmental participants include Chartered Accountants Worldwide, the UK’s Fraud Advisory Panel, and international charities Oxfam, British Council, and Amnesty International.
“Generous Americans gave more than $286 billion to charity last year. It’s important to raise awareness about charity fraud and promote wise giving, to ensure that consumers’ money goes where it is intended and helps those in need,” said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. “Joining forces with state and international partners makes all of our education efforts more effective.”

To promote awareness of the impact of charity fraud and the importance of wise giving, the FTC is releasing a new video, “Make Your Donations Count.” The video highlights the value of researching charities to avoid donating to a scam, provides tips people can follow to verify the charity before they donate, and directs people to visit FTC.gov/Charity for more information.

Be careful how you pay

• If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it. That’s how scammers ask you to pay.
• To be safer, pay by credit card or check.
• It’s a good practice to keep a record of all donations. And review your statements closely to make sure you’re only charged the amount you agreed to donate – and that you’re not signed up to make a recurring donation.
• Before clicking on a link to donate online, make sure you know who is receiving your donation. Read Donating Through an Online Giving Portal for more information.

Keep scammers’ tricks in mind

• Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. That’s something scammers do.
• Some scammers try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation that you never made.
• Scammers can change caller ID to make a call look like it’s from a local area code.
• Some scammers use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving.
• Scammers make lots of vague and sentimental claims but give no specifics about how your donation will be used.
• Bogus organizations may claim that your donation is tax-deductible when it is not.
• Guaranteeing sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation is not only a scam, it’s illegal.

If you see any red flags, or if you’re not sure about how a charity will use your donation, consider giving to a different charity. There are many worthy organizations who will use your donation wisely.
Report scams to FTC.gov/complaint. Find your state charity regulator at nasconet.org and report to them, too. Share any information you have – like the name of the organization or fundraiser, phone number, and what the fundraiser said.

Organizations that can help you research charities

These organizations offer reports and ratings about how charitable organizations spend donations and how they conduct business:

• BBB Wise Giving Alliance
• Charity Navigator
• CharityWatch
• GuideStar

The IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search tells you if your donation would be tax deductible.
You can find your state charity regulator at nasconet.org. Most states require the charity or its fundraiser to register to ask for donations.

 

Charity Scams video

CPAM 2018 Conference : Next Generation Training, "C.O.P."

Speaker, Daphne Levenson, Next Generation Training

Community Orienting Policing -  It is not a division, or position, It is a philosophy, attitude, and way of life.

3 pillars of C.O.P.
-Organizational change
-Problem solving
-Partnerships

Points of observation:
-Challenge for law enforcement and the current situation - what do we need to do for change to occur?
-Did police cause all social problems? No why are we being asked to solve them.
-Division of powers- local government, courts, child services, Code Enforcement. All of these divisions must work with the local police for C.O.P. to be effective.

-The Good Ole days—technology has changed policing , what is the real role of 9-1-1? Has it become overused for incidents that are not emergency related, yes this is where the rest of the community services play a vital role.

-Changes in our society - technology and it’s impact on the neighborhoods, families, and the media. The media is about making money and influence, not educating. What makes money ? Racism, police brutality, fear of government, disasters, celebrities.

-Sir Robert Peel - Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, the start of the public campaign to improve public law. 
And today's challenge - Organizational change :
-Admit we can’t handle it all
-Share info
-Make a plan / ask for help
-Work on their problems
-Call them out

Law enforcement agrees to prepared for and consider:
-trying new things
-seeing things differently
-use of technology
-being flexible
-share transparency
-fail / win - celebrate

Use of technology - texting 9-1-1 , what systems are available in your community?
-Security cameras on businesses, *home video security systems.
 
Problem solving - 10% of the criminals cause 55% of all crimes.

“Fixing Broken Windows” -(Author's George L. Kelling and Catherine M. Coles ) book and research showed that if a community doesn’t take care of buildings, people, and the community there will be no change in reducing crime or people getting services that are needed to increase their well being.

CPTED - Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (*info can be found @ NCPC)
-territorial reinforcing
-natural access control
-maintenance
-Natural surveillance

SARA - problem solving (*info can be found at the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing)
-Scanning
-Analysis
-Response
-Assessment

Next Generation Training

Interview w/ Daphne of Next Generation Training

CPAM Conference: 2018 General Membership meeting 10/18/18

CPAM Officers: Andrew Kozal President opened the meeting at 12:15pm, members were provided with the agenda.  Reports were given by V.P. Adam Nothelfer, Secretary Julie Niemchik, Treasurer Dave Robinson had to leave the conference early and the financial report which was listed on the agenda was reviewed and given by the president.

Approval of the reports was recommended and motion carried.

-Members were encouraged to complete the feed back forms and evaluations from the conference .
Ideas /topics were requested for future quarterly meetings. Members were polled on the idea of hosting an advanced CPTED training. Most thought this was a good recommendation.

-Training: The training committee announced that the 2019-20 conference dates / sites were listed in the conference packet and designed to assist in planning for members.

General membership quarterly training: December / January quarterly, updates on CRASE training.

-Awards Committee update, Ian Graham, members were encourage to nominate members for recognition and special projects in their communities. Information on the award nominations are in the conference packet with time lines for submissions.

- Mini Grants, Rick Smediendorf,  CPAM members have access to a $300.00 mini grant for special projects. Members are encouraged to apply, the application is in the conference packet.

-Legislative Update, Rich Coleman
Federal- Safe Neighborhood Block grants Authorization Act for 2018, FY ‘18, funding $30.3 Billion, this Act will fund, FBI / Federal prisons / US Marshals / DEA / Bureau of ATF /State and local grants - $2,442.3 million / Homeland Security- $47.7 billion.

State of MI - Bill of most concern by MACP, Senate Bill #594, “Private Police Services”.

Upcoming events of interest: U of M Cyber Security Summit 10/25/18, Ann Arbor MI .
North American Cyber Security Conference, 10/29/18, Cobo Hall, Detroit MI.
November 9th, '18, "2018 Scams and Fraud- Impact on Vulnerable Seniors, Pittsfield Twp. DPS

-CPAM Opportunities: members were provided with information about opportunities to help with the CPAM organization efforts such as website content, outreach to agencies from around the state to help expand the membership, and other projects that may need assistance.

New Business - pending

Motion to close the meeting @ 1:10pm was approved.

CPAM 2018 Outstanding Achievers / Award Winners

Outstanding Crime Prevention  Practitioner of the Year
Deputy  Mandy Trevino Kent County Sheriff’s Office

Outstanding Volunteer Project
Mr. Brian Johnson, PhD

Outstanding Corporate Award
Tim and Teresa Sobie, Sobie Meats

Outstanding School Security Program
Mr. Dave Eichberg, Berrien Springs Public Schools

Special Project in the Field of Crime Prevention
Dennis & Pat Raap / Dave & Lois Koch, Coopersville Rotary Club

Outstanding. Contributions to the Crime Prevention Association of MI
Mr. Jeremy Huffman, Past CPAM President
Mr. Ritchie Coleman, Executive Board Member

CPAM '18, Conference- Cyber Security -“Protect Young Eyes”

Mr. Chris McKenna, Founder of “Protecting Young Eyes" workshops - Desired outcomes for participants will gain a deep understanding of the impacts that technology is having on the social, relational, physiological, and emotional development of children today (increased empathy). Participants will walk away with a suite of possible solutions that can address or partially mitigate these (increased effectiveness).

This organization does workshops for students parents and communities. The greatest challenge is for parents to help monitor their children’s online activity.

Comments and highlights from the presentation:

FACT: All apps that are connected to “Twitter” will allow access to porn.

-200% increase in teen girl suicide from 1999 to 2014.

-“There is no such thing as passive parenting in the digital age, If you don’t talk to them Dr. Google will”.

-“A lot of parents complain that it’s really hard to be a parent in the digital age. Guess what ? It’s even harder being a kid.”

-“Parents who are “OBSERVANT, ENGAGED, and INFORMED" often have kids who learn to use technology will be more responsible, but they (parents) can't let their guard down.

 #1 violator of  trust - YouTube” — 2nd largest search engine, #1 is Google, Google owns YouTube”.

Subscribe to parent tech updates: text the word -protect-  to 66866

Know Your Kids: Assess their ability to handle the Internet responsibility, don't be afraid to ask the following questions or seek to find this information on their devices:

-Friend history
-Obedience history
-Curiosity level
-Heart condition
-Age

What is the right age for social media?  It is subjective, can they interact with others, do they have the ability to engage and have a conversation?

“Parents take early digital code of conduct device ownership,  talk to your teens often.”

Protect Young Eyes Blog post - Parents learn how to block porn from any device ( info posted on how to set up blocks on android and apple devices).

 #1 issue in Middle School - “ sexting”  —New program in Kent County MI, middle school students who are involved in “sexting” are required to take a four (4) hour webinar program.

FOMO - Fear of Missing Out,,,  the need to reply to every beep or notification of a text or message.
“We have to give our kids permission not to talk to nice people they don’t know online. #predatorproofyourchild.”

Protect Young Eyes Blog post - Warning for Parents -Are we over sharing with posting pictures of our children? By the time  a child turns 2 years old they will have a social media profile they they didn’t create.

The 5 most dangerous places on the Internet ( * parents go to the website for this info and more)

Safe Guard your Internet access explore using one of these programs:
-Mobicip
-Circle with Disney
-Bark. * used by school district across the county to monitor social media platforms.

Subscribe to Parent Tech Support updates : text the word -protect- to #66866
Resource : Digital Future initiatives ( DFinow.org)UIKeyInput

Interview w/ Chris about the role of parents and navigating digital devices.

Face Book

Twitter

Protect Young Eyes

CPAM 2018 conference workshop : Crisis Intervention Program Development

Presenter: Mr. Rafael X. Diaz President and CEO of Diaz Consulting

This presentation was designed to help Law enforcement develop / improve on the skills of working with mental ill - split second decisions are made based on education and training  and this program will help establish better skills.

The goal of the Diaz Consulting group is to bring in other disciplines such as social workers, psychologist and others to help with understanding the challenge of working with the mentally ill.

In 1987, a mentally ill person was shot in Memphis TN. This incident brought resources together to explore how to help address responding to citizen contacts with mentally ill persons. This brought about the development of the “Memphis Model”  a multi-jurisdictional approach to addressing mental illness.

The Michigan Model - (C.I.T. Crisis Intervention Team) a system of training and interdisciplinary cooperation designed to streamline the delivery of emergency mental health services. This is a 32 hour training course consisting of five categories, these five (5) areas include the foundation  components, community interaction,  De-Escalation techniques, and Real Time Scenarios.

PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Ward offered insight into the impact of officer safety based on the incidents he had been involved with and shot in the line of duty. Officers are trained on identifying what it is and the triggers that those experiencing the disorder may be showing.  Officer's are exposed to trauma on a daily basis and they are impacted by what they see and these incidents can and will never be erased from their memory. Debriefing techniques are important for emergency responders to help address the emotional impact of these types of incidents.

For  Veterans who are experiencing PTSD -VA Benefits are available- agencies are encouraged to work w/ the local VA hospital for assistance to work with military families.

Training opportunities for staff needs to have members from multiple disciplines in their respective community.

For more information on bringing this program to your agency please contact our CPAM site.

Interview w/ Rafael and Ward who presented at the CPAM conference:

Crime Prevention Association of MI 2018 Conference

Tuesday October 16th, 2018, CPAM members and guess opened the 2018 conference with our banquet and awards ceremony at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City Michigan.

Our C.P.A.M., Officer's , Andrew Kozal, President  Kent County Sheriff Dept., Adam Nothelfer, Vice President, Saginaw Township Police Dept., Julie Niemchick Secretary , Grand Rapids Police Dept., Dave Robinson , Treasurer, Rockford Dept. Of Public Safety.

Training Committee members:
-Sandi Jones, Training Chair, Kent County Sheriff Dept.
-Brian Look,Training Committee, Wyoming Police Dept.
-Rick Smiedenddorf, Training and Membership Committee,
Berrien County / Oronko Twp. Police Dept.
-Ian Graham, Awards Chair, Rockford Dept. Of Public Safety


Our Keynote speaker's topic is "Your Noble Profession", Retired Chief Neal Rossow of Flat Rock Michigan who has served for forty (40) years in law enforcement working his way up through the ranks in several agencies. He currently is serving as the Director of Professional Development for the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police and was recently given the responsibility for creating the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

Retired Chief Rossow provided an overview of the transition in policing, impacts of budget for personnel, equipment, and technology.   He was reassuring to those in attendance about how important the role of Community Policing is in /for our respective agencies and communities.

On behalf of the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan, we'd like to thank Retired Chief Rossow for his continued service to the law enforcement community and residents of the state of Michigan.

A special thank you to the sponsors for this year's event, Vanessa Andrus, Realtor Re/Max United, FOP Lodge #97, and the Gerald R.Ford Metro Lodge #97.

National Night Out, "Heighten Crime Prevention Awareness" Aug.7th, 2018

WHAT IS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT?

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August (Texas celebrates on the first Tuesday in October). Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.

Click on the link to see if your community is participating in the 2018 effort. * Some agencies incorporate this event with other programs.

NNO Map

Medicare: Scams involving new Medicare Cards

*Michigan Seniors started receiving new cards in July of 2018:

When you’re enrolled in Medicare, you’ll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail. If you're automatically enrolled, you'll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail 3 months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of getting disability benefits. Your Medicare card shows that you have Medicare health insurance. It shows whether you have Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance) or both, and it shows the date your coverage starts.
Be sure to carry your card with you when you’re away from home. Let your doctor, hospital, or other health care provider see your card when you need hospital, medical or other health services.

New Medicare cards are coming

Medicare is mailing new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare now. Find out more about when your card will mail.
View an example of the current card.

10 things to know about your new Medicare card

1. Your new card will automatically come to you. You don’t need to do anything as long as your address is up to date. If you need to update your address, visit your mySocial Security account.
2. Your new card will have a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you, instead of your Social Security Number. This will help to protect your identity. 
3. Your Medicare coverage and benefits will stay the same.
4. Mailing takes time. Your card may arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.
5. Your new card is paper, which is easier for many providers to use and copy.
6. Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away.
7. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), your Medicare Advantage Plan ID card is your main card for Medicare—you should still keep and use it whenever you need care. And, if you have a Medicare drug plan, be sure to keep that card as well.  Even if you use one of these other cards, you also may be asked to show your new Medicare card, so keep it with you.
8. Doctors, other health care providers and facilities know it’s coming and will ask for your new Medicare card when you need care, so carry it with you.
9. Only give your new Medicare Number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurers, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.
10. If you forget your new card, you, your doctor or other health care provider may be able to look up your Medicare Number online.

Watch out for scams

Medicare will never call you uninvited and ask you to give us personal or private information to get your new Medicare Number and card. Scam artists may try to get personal information (like your current Medicare Number) by contacting you about your new card. If someone asks you for your information, for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your personal information, hang up and call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).  Learn more about the limited situations in which Medicare can call you.

How can I replace my Medicare card?

If you need to replace your card because it’s damaged or lost, sign in to your MyMedicare.gov account to print an official copy of your Medicare card. If you don’t have an account, visit MyMedicare.gov to create one.
If you need to replace your card because you think that someone else is using your number, let us know.

How do I change my name or address?

Medicare uses the name and address you have on file with Social Security. To change your name and/or address, visit your online my Social Security account.

Medicare.gov

FTC: Stopping Unsolicited Mail, Phone Calls, and Email

FTC Alert: Tired of having your mailbox crammed with unsolicited mail, including preapproved credit card applications? Fed up with getting telemarketing calls just as you're sitting down to dinner? Fuming that your email inbox is chock-full of unsolicited advertising? The good news is that you can cut down on the number of unsolicited mailings, calls, and emails you receive by learning where to go to "just say no."

Consumer Reporting Companies

If you decide that you don't want to receive prescreened offers of credit and insurance, you have two choices: You can opt out of receiving them for five years or opt out of receiving them permanently.
To opt out for five years: Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com. The phone number and website are operated by the major consumer reporting companies.

To opt out permanently: You may begin the permanent Opt-Out process online at www.optoutprescreen.com. To complete your request, you must return the signed Permanent Opt-Out Election form, which will be provided after you initiate your online request.
When you call or visit the website, you'll be asked to provide certain personal information, including your home telephone number, name, Social Security number, and date of birth. The information you provide is confidential and will be used only to process your request to opt out.
If you don't have access to the Internet, you may send a written request to permanently opt out to each of the major consumer reporting companies. Make sure your request includes your home telephone number, name, Social Security number, and date of birth.

Experian
Opt Out
P.O. Box 919
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
Name Removal Option
P.O. Box 505
Woodlyn, PA 19094

Equifax, Inc.
Options
P.O. Box 740123
Atlanta, GA 30374

Innovis Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 495
Pittsburgh, PA 15230

Direct Marketers

Telemarketing

The federal government's National Do Not Call Registry is a free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you get at home. To register your phone number or to get information about the registry, visit www.donotcall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register. You will get fewer telemarketing calls within 31 days of registering your number. Telephone numbers on the registry will only be removed when they are disconnected and reassigned, or when you choose to remove a number from the registry.

Mail and Email

Consumers can register at the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) consumer website: www.DMAchoice.org for a processing fee of $2 for a period of ten years. Registering online is the fastest way to see results. DMAchoice offers consumers a simple, step-by-step process that enables them to decide what mail they do and do not want.
In addition, DMAchoice online offers registration for DMA's eMail Preference Service (reduce your unsolicited commercial email);
Mail-in registration:
If you do not wish to complete your registration online, you can register for DMAchoice by using the mail-in form that is online: fill out the DMAChoice Mail In Form with all required information, print it and mail to the address below.
Or, if you do not have access to the Internet, you can register by sending your name and address (with signature), along with a $3 processing fee (check or money order payable to DMA) to:
DMAchoice
Data & Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

Department of Motor Vehicles

The Drivers Privacy Protection Act allows states to distribute personal information only to law enforcement officials, courts, government agencies, private investigators, insurance underwriters, and similar businesses — but not for direct marketing and other uses.

FTC Alert: Government imposter scams

July 30, 2018

by Carol Kando-Pineda               

Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education

You get a text, call, or email from someone who says they’re with the government. They may claim to be a U.S. Marshal, saying you must pay a fine for missing jury duty. Or the IRS, saying that you owe thousands in back taxes. Some might threaten legal action, deportation, or arrest if you don’t pay up or give them your financial information.

In other cases, it sounds less scary and more like your lucky day. The call, text, or email will say you’ve won a prize, the lottery, or a grant — but you need to pay some fees or taxes to get your winnings.

 

These are all scams. Scammers will try to make it seem legitimate. They might give you a badge number, or even know information like the last four digits of your Social Security number. A Washington, D.C. area code on your caller ID also might seem convincing. But caller ID can be faked.

 

If someone calls, texts, or emails saying they’re with the government and you must pay, stop.

• Never send money — especially by gift card, cash reload card, or money transfer. No government agency will threaten you or demand payment this way.
• Don’t give out your personal or financial information to anyone who calls, texts, or emails.
• If you sent money to a government imposter, contact the company you used to send the money (gift card company, cash reload card company, or wire transfer service) and tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask to have the transaction reversed if possible.
• Report it to the FTC at FTC.gov/complaint.

IRS Imposter Scam video 

U.S. Secret Service Releases Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence

Release Date: 

July 13, 2018

On July 12, 2018, the United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center released another tool in support of the effort to end the prevalence of targeted violence effecting the Nation, the world, and most importantly – our schools.  ENHANCING SCHOOL SAFETY USING A THREAT ASSESSMENT MODEL – An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence, was developed to provide fundamental direction on how to prevent incidents of targeted school violence.

The guide provides schools and communities with a framework to identify students of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence, and identify intervention strategies to mitigate that risk.

The Secret Service created the National Threat Assessment Center in 1998 to focus on research, training and threat assessments related to various forms of targeted violence. Following the tragedy at Columbine High School in April 1999, the Secret Service partnered with the Department of Education to study 37 incidents of targeted violence that occurred at elementary and secondary schools.  The goal of that study, the Safe School Initiative (SSI), was to gather and analyze accurate and useful information about the thinking and behavior of students who commit acts of violence.  The findings of the SSI led to the establishment of threat assessment programs in schools – something the Secret Service remains fervently committed to. 

“The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting tragedy served as the impetus to go beyond our past work and go in depth regarding the how - how do we solve this epidemic?” said Secret Service Director R. D. “Tex” Alles.  “The report truly is an operational guide and I am confident that if embraced and followed by our Nation’s communities and schools, that we will together reduce the occurrence of violence and the tragic loss of life.”

To ensure no school goes overlooked, the new guide is available to the public and for download at DHS.gov/school-safety-and-security and www.SecretService.gov.  The Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center will also be printing and distributing copies to schools across the country.

This report is not the end of the Secret Service’s work to prevent school shootings and targeted violence.  Work is currently underway to release an updated comprehensive study with an anticipated completion date in the spring of 2019.

Recommendations for School Security from HL Security

 

What is Email Spoofing?

Wired Safety:

 

Spoofing is the term for falsified e-mail addresses that appear to come from a sender when in fact, the message is really being sent by a spammer. They can be difficult to spot and cause many problems, both for recipients and spoofed e-mail address owners.

How spoofing operates

E-mail spoofing can assume a variety of forms, but basically, a spoofed e-mail has appears to have been sent from one source when it actually was sent from another source entirely. Phishing attempts and e-mail worms typically use spoofed e-mail addresses to trick users into believing that an e-mail has come from a trusted source. The actual sender effectively hides behind a user's address by falsifying its routing information, making it appears to come from the legitimate user's account.

 

However, any replies to a spoofed e-mail go directly to the legitimate e-mail account (not the sender who has spoofed the e-mail) causing embarassment and inconvenience. The legitimate user can find their e-mail Inbox bombarded with viruses, bounced e-mail, flame e-mails and in some cases can have their account suspended or shut down by their Internet Service Provider (ISP) for violating its anti-spam policy.

 

Meanwhile, the sender avoids all of these consequences, leaving innocent users to deal with the aftermath.

 

How to tell a spoofed e-mail address from a legitimate e-mail address

 

It is extremely difficult to detect a spoofed e-mail address, at first glance. It is possible to identify a spoofed e-mail by carefully analyzing e-mail headers but generally, spoofed e-mail is not immediately detected as such.

 

There are several things to look out for regarding potentially spoofed e-mail addresses

 

Typically, spoofed e-mails will appear to come from a legitimate source and it is often only the content of the e-mail itself that can give the spoofer away. Banks and other financial orgaizations do not request personal information via e-mail - that is one of the most important things you can remember regarding all e-mail fraud (spoofing, spamming and phishing included).

 

Like spammers, spoofers use various ploys to trick users into opening their e-mails, anything from placing "Dear friend" or "Remember me" in the subject line - implying that the e-mail is from someone the user knows, to more generic subjects like, "Your money has been refunded" or "About your Web site."

 

Be wary of e-mail that appears to be from a legitimate source (like your bank) that asks you to update your personal information - it is almost certainly a phishing attempt and the official looking e-mail address will be spoofed.

 

How to tell if your e-mail address is being spoofed

 

You receive (sometimes angry) replies to e-mail you know you did not send.

You receive multiple bounced e-mail that you know you did not send.

Your ISP challenges you about violating its anti-spam policy.

What to do if you think you have received a spoofed e-mail or your e-mail address is being spoofed

 

Do not respond to a spoofed e-mail to complain because, it will only arrive in your own e-mail Inbox.

Send a copy of the spoofed e-mail to the spoofed e-mail sender's ISP. The e-mail address for this is usually or but if you are not sure, visit their ISP's Web site and search for the information - it will be there.

Send a copy of the spoofed e-mail you received to your ISP's abuse desk. The e-mail address for this is usually or but if you are not sure, visit your ISP's Web site and search for the information - it will be there.

Include full e-mail headers when you file a spoofing report. Find out how to read e-mail headers here.

Further assistance can be also obtained by contacting our organization via out contact form

Basic safety tips for preventing e-mail spoofing:

 

Use more than one e-mail addresses. One for personal e-mail and the other for mandatory fields in online forms and access areas.

Make your e-mail address difficult to guess. Spoofers will use every name combination they can find to send spam (known as "dictionary attacks"), so , although unattractive and possibly difficult to remember, might attract less spam than susan@yourisp.com. Generic e-mail addresses like will always attract spoofing, unfortunately.

 

Never post your real e-mail address anywhere online, such as newsgroups, online chat and online profiles.Use a "throwaway" e-mail address or disguise your e-mail address so that harvester bots cannot read it. Always check the privacy policy of any Web site that requests personal details, such as e-mail addresses. If the Web site is requesting this type of information and either does not provide an option to opt out or does not have a privacy policy, it is not wise to submit your information.

When you are responding via a Web site form, read it thoroughly.
Some Web sites who do include an opt out option usually require you to check a box to say that you agree to be sent e-mail (either from them or their associates). However, some of them ask that you uncheck a pre-checked box not to be sent e-mail and many consumers have fallen foul of that.

Never open e-mail and/or download attachments from anyone if you are not expecting them and if you must open an attachment - always virus scan it first.

Keep your operating system, anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software up to date.

Use any spam filters available by default from your ISP.

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