Crime Prevention Association of MI's 2015 Conference "Building Community Partnerships in the 21st Century" , Oct. 6th-9th, Bay City MI

 

The 2015, CPAM conference theme “ Building Community Partnerships in the 21^st Century” reflects the importance of the “team” approach to problem solving and trust.   We will kick off the conference with a banquet, and awards. Our key note speaker is Mr. Dwayne Gill , A Marine, A Cop, and A Comic.  Our members will be able to network and embrace new / old concepts of community policing that we will bring back to our communities. This year we have topics covering substance abuse, Identity Theft  and Fraud, computer security (LoJack), policing in a multi-cultural environment and more.   

This year we’re reaching out to agencies across the state of Michigan to find crime prevention best practices and successes and will be recognizing them for their achievements in their communities. I’ve provided an overview of the concept that we’ve used and will continue to beyond the 2015 conference.

Rich Coleman, PSCC, Pittsfield Twp. D.P.S., Leg. Rep. CPAM / Blog host

 

Crime Prevention Association of Michigan 

“Crime Prevention in Michigan: Search for Best Practices ”

In 2015, an Internet search of Law Enforcement agencies across Michigan found more than just the names of current and past CPAM members whose agencies are impacted by budget constraints for attendance at conferences, travel, and the most important,  networking with peers on crime prevention best practices.   What was exciting to see is the challenge “ to do more with less” being documented at the agencies websites and through the media. The new trend of embracing social media as a new tool to engage the community has continued to cautiously increase due to the advancing technology and having personnel trained in how to use, and keeping information accurate and current for those who subscribe.

Law Enforcement around the world has increased the use of social media while continuing to work with the local television stations, radio (AM / FM / Internet) , blogs, and mobile apps to help strengthen their partnership in the promotion of crime prevention awareness tips, alerts, and programs.  

Historically the  Neighborhood Watch alert offered by the agencies started with telephone calls and flyers passed out by volunteers  going door-to-door.  Now all notices and alerts are “one click away” for those who have signed up through law enforcement agencies , homeowner associations , neighborhood watch groups,  faith groups, apartment and condominiums, or businesses websites.  Most residents now use an electronic device such as a Smart phone, tablet, or laptop to access /send alerts,  and stay informed about local law enforcement initiatives.

This search for “best practices” goes beyond our current CPAM recommendations for awards and recognition from our members but being inclusive of the hard work being done by small and large agencies to engage their communities in reducing crimes, engaging residents, students, and businesses through social media, and being “the eyes and ears” by submitting tips through all available formats that help solve and prevent crimes from occurring.

This outreach from the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan and its members is to say “job well done” and your collaboration with your residents, local media, and community abroad has not gone unnoticed.

The following awards will be presented on October 6th, 2015 to kick off the CPAM Conference:

Outstanding Crime Prevention Practitioner of the Year

Outstanding Volunteer of the Year

Outstanding Michigan Media

Outstanding Corporate Award

Special Project in the field of Crime Prevention

Outstanding Unit Award

Outstanding Youth Award

Outstanding Youth / School Officer Award

 

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2015 Conference Awards Letter.pdf

2015 Conference Awards Letter.pdf

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Cyberbullying is worst than face-to-face teens say, "Vodafone International survey of 5,000 teens" 9/22/15

Groundbreaking Vodafone global survey reveals 43% of teens think cyberbullying a bigger problem than drug abuse

22 September 2015

• One of the largest global surveys of its kind, spanning 11 countries and almost 5,000 teens, reveals one in five teens cyberbullied, a fifth of whom felt suicidal
• #BeStrong anti-cyberbullying emoji initiative launched by Vodafone in response
• Anti-bullying ambassador Monica Lewinsky, psychologist adviser for 'Inside Out' film Dacher Keitner and anti-bullying NGOs involved in developing emojis to convey support

More than half of teenagers think cyberbullying is worse than face-to-face bullying and 43 per cent believe it to be a bigger problem for young people than drug abuse, a global online survey of around 5,000 teenagers across 11 countries* has revealed. The Vodafone survey, commissioned from YouGov, found that an average of around one in five (18%) teens across the countries surveyed had been cyberbullied and, as a result:

• 41 per cent said cyberbullying made them feel depressed or helpless (also 41%);
• 26 per cent felt ‘completely alone’ and 18 per cent experienced suicidal thoughts;
• 21 per cent had ‘not gone to school’ and 25 per cent closed down their social media accounts;
• 38 per cent said they did not tell their parents or guardians, as they felt ashamed (32%), scared their parents would get involved (40%), or worried what their parents might do (36%).

Forty-three per cent of those surveyed would find it hard to support a friend who had been bullied on social media, as they ‘could not find the right words’ to show support. Seventy-two per cent of teens said they would be likely to use an emoji to express compassion or support for friends being cyberbullied.

In response to the findings, Vodafone today announces the #BeStrong anti-cyberbullying emoji initiative,which involved the creation of a suite of ‘support emojis’ to raise awareness of the importance of conveying compassion, sympathy and support when friends are being bullied online. The emojis were chosen by the 4,720 teens surveyed from a wide selection designed by Vodafone and its anti-bullying panel as their favourite symbols for compassion and support. The favourite two sets of emojis can be seen below.

The images will be available from today on Vodafone and Vodafone Foundation social media platforms as part of a donation campaign. The Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone’s philanthropic arm, announces as part of its digital family programme that it will help raise funds for anti-bullying NGOs by donating 10p (14 cents) for every Twitter retweet or public Facebook like of Vodafone’s image of the #BeStrong emojis*.  The company is also talking to the major emoji app and social media platforms towards featuring the emojis on their platforms in the near future.

The idea for a ‘support emoji’ was first brought to Vodafone by anti-bullying ambassador Monica Lewinsky, who has been a consultant on the initiative, working alongside semioticians (who study signs and symbols and their use or interpretation), anti-bullying NGOs including The Diana Award, ENABLE, a European Union project to help combat bullying, and Berkeley University Professor Dacher Keltner - the psychologist who advised on the creation of the characters for Pixar film Inside Out.

Commenting in a new video released today, Professor Keltner explains the importance of teens being able to offer support and show sympathy to their peers being cyberbullied. He said: “A lot of emojis can be limited for communicating emotions.  The bystander needs better tools.  Specific emojis that they can send their friends to show that they are there for them.”

Vodafone and NGO The Diana Award have also released a series of learning modules aimed at teenagers, which cover subjects from ‘selfies ‘and ‘online gaming’ to ‘social networking’ and ‘mean tweets’. Further learning modules will be released over the next year on www.vodafone.com/parents , by NGOs including The Diana Award and by many of Vodafone’s markets. Each module provides resources needed for teachers to train a small group of students to deliver short lessons to other students at school. The modules also include advice for parents.

Today also marks the release of the fourth edition of Vodafone UK’s Digital Parenting magazine, which has been developed in partnership with parenting NGO The Parent Zone.  One million copies of the magazine, which aims to offer help and advice to parents and guardians trying to help their children navigate the increasingly complex digital landscape, will be distributed to schools, NGOs, government bodies, children charities and many other outlets over the next year. The magazine is available online at:http://vodafonedigitalparenting.co.uk/

Vodafone Foundation Director Andrew Dunnett, said: “The results of the global survey – which we believe to be one of the largest of its kind among teenagers in so many countries – will be a serious concern for any parent. The new generation that was born digital thrives in a world of constant connectivity, but there are clear risks for young people as well as benefits - and it is striking that cyberbullying troubles many young people more than drug abuse. Our research showed many teenagers find it difficult to help their friends when cyberbullying is happening, and the #BeStrong campaign has been created to help them convey emotional support”.

For further information:

Vodafone Group Media Relations  www.vodafone.com/media/contact

About Vodafone

Vodafone is one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 55 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 30 June 2015, Vodafone had 449 million mobile customers and 12 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.

About the Vodafone Foundation

The Vodafone Foundation’s Mobile for Good programme combines Vodafone's charitable giving and technology to make a difference in the world. Globally, the Vodafone Foundation supports projects that are focused on delivering public benefit through the use of mobile technology across areas including health, education and disaster relief. The Vodafone Foundation invests in the communities in which Vodafone operates and is at the centre of a network of global and local social investment programmes. The Vodafone Foundation is a UK registered charity, registered charity number 10989625.

Note to editors

* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 4,720 13-18 year olds in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Greece, South Africa, USA, Ireland & the Czech Republic. The figures have been given an even weighting for each country to produce an ‘average’ value.

 *The Vodafone Foundation will provide a total donation to anti-bullying NGOs of up to £100,000 (€137,000)

 Images of the emojis can be found here:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/vodafonegroup/pK5215

Survey highlights across the 11 countries:

Download the full news release (PDF)

 

Vodafone- Cyberbullying survey 2015

MI Attorney Generals "OK2Say program" : Back to School Safety Tips

MI Attorney Generals Office: WHAT IS THE OK2SAY PROGRAM:

OK2SAY is a program designed to empower Michigan students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, and law enforcement to share and respond to student safety threats.


A Culture of Silence

In the majority of violent incidents that occur in our schools, someone other than the wrongdoer knows of a threat before it’s carried out but fails to report it. Often, students choose to keep quiet because they fear retaliation or stigmatization by their peers. The result is a culture of silence in which students suffer harm that could have been prevented if another had chosen to speak out.

A Commitment to Safety

The goal of OK2SAY is to stop harmful behavior before it occurs by encouraging students to report threatening behavior to caring adult authorities who can help. Featuring a comprehensive communication system that facilitates tip submissions through telephone, text, website, e-mail, and multimedia technologies, OK2SAY enables Michigan residents to confidentially report student safety threats to trained program operators, who forward tips on to local law enforcement agencies, school officials, or community mental health service programs for a timely response.

A Call to Say

Ultimately, it’s about early intervention and prevention. When students make the courageous decision to break the code of silence and speak out against harmful behavior, they equip authorities with the information needed to respond to threats and avert tragedy. And that’s a good thing for Michigan schools, communities, and families.

So, let’s stand up for student safety. Remember: it’s OK2SAY.

For More information on the program, presentations,

 

 and resources click on the link below.

 

MI Attorney Generals "OK2Say Program"

         

Federal Trade Commmission: Spotting Elder Financial Abuse

Spotting Elder Financial Abuse

August 19, 2015

by  Lisa Weintraub Schifferle               

Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

Financial abuse can be a devastating form of elder abuse. If you're concerned about an older friend or relative, here are some things to consider.
To spot financial abuse, look for sudden changes in the older person’s financial situation, such as:

• Suspicious changes in wills or powers of attorney – Out of the blue, your grandfather wills all of his belongings to his new nurse.
• Financial activity the person couldn’t have done herself – You discover repeated ATM withdrawals from your bedridden mother’s bank account.
• Bills not being paid – When visiting a neighbor, you see mail piling up on his desk. Maybe his caregiver is using his money for something other than paying bills.
• Significant withdrawals or unusual purchases – You notice charges for fancy electronics on your thrifty aunt’s credit card bill.

If you see these signs and you’re worried that someone’s misusing a loved one’s personal information, IdentityTheft.gov explains what steps to take.
Often, older adults are in the best position to recognize and prevent elder abuse and scams. That’s why the FTC’s Pass It On gives older adults tools to start conversations about scams and pass on their knowledge.
If you think you see elder abuse, report it. If there’s immediate physical danger, call 911. Otherwise, contact Adult Protective Services (APS). Your long-term care ombudsman may be able to help too, if the older person lives in a nursing home or assisted living. And if the financial abuse involves a scam, tell the FTC.
For more resources about elder abuse prevention, check out the federal government’s Eldercare locator.

FTC - Elder financial abuse

8/6/`5 - IRS Warns Taxpayers to Guard Against New Tricks by Scam Artists; Losses Top $20 Million

August 6, 2015 - IRS

WASHINGTON — Following the emergence of new variations of widespread tax scams, the Internal Revenue Service today issued another warning to taxpayers to remain on high alert and protect themselves against the ever-evolving array of deceitful tactics scammers use to trick people.

These schemes — which can occur over the phone, in e-mails or through letters with authentic looking letterhead — try to trick taxpayers into providing personal financial information or scare people into making a false tax payment that ends up with the criminal.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 600,000 contacts since October 2013. TIGTA is also aware of nearly 4,000 victims who have collectively reported over $20 million in financial losses as a result of tax scams.

“We continue to see these aggressive tax scams across the country,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “Scam artists specialize in being deceptive and fooling people. The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra cautious and think twice before answering suspicious phone calls, emails or letters.”

Scammers posing as IRS agents first targeted those they viewed as most vulnerable, such as older Americans, newly arrived immigrants and those whose first language is not English. These criminals have expanded their net and are now targeting virtually anyone.

In a new variation, scammers alter what appears on your telephone caller ID to make it seem like they are with the IRS or another agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. They use fake names, titles and badge numbers. They use online resources to get your name, address and other details about your life to make the call sound official. They even go as far as copying official IRS letterhead for use in email or regular mail.

Brazen scammers will even provide their victims with directions to the nearest bank or business where the victim can obtain a means of payment such as a debit card. And in another new variation of these scams, con artists may then provide an actual IRS address where the victim can mail a receipt for the payment — all in an attempt to make the scheme look official.

The most common theme with these tricks seems to be fear. Scammers try to scare people into reacting immediately without taking a moment to think through what is actually happening.

These scam artists often angrily threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation or other similarly unpleasant things. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests, sometimes through “robo-calls,” via phone or email. The emails will often contain a fake IRS document with a telephone number or email address for your reply.

It is important to remember the official IRS website is IRS.gov. Taxpayers are urged not to be confused or misled by sites claiming to be the IRS but ending in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. Taxpayers should never provide personal information, financial or otherwise, to suspicious websites or strangers calling out of the blue.

Below are five things scammers often do that the real IRS would never do.

The IRS will never:

• Angrily demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Here’s what you should do if you think you’re the target of an IRS impersonation scam:

• If you actually do owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or do not immediately believe that you do, you can report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484. 
• If you’ve been targeted by any scam, be sure to contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.

For more information on reporting tax scams, go to IRS.gov and type “scam” in the search box.

IRS- Tax Scams Update 2015

 

DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Event * Contact your local Police Agency so see if they are participating

DEA Announces 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back

Event will take place from 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, September 26th

JUL 28 (WASHINGTON) - DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg today announced that the 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back will take place September 26th from 10 am-2 pm local time in every state but Pennsylvania and Delaware, where the event will take place on September 12.

As with the previous nine Take-Back events, sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide so local residents can return their unwanted, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal.

Collection sites in every local community can be found by going to www.dea.gov . This site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.
“Prescription drug abuse is a huge problem and this is a great opportunity for folks around the country to help reduce the threat,” Rosenberg said.  "Please clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse.”

In the previous nine Take-Back events nationwide from 2010-2014, 4,823,251 pounds, or 2,411 tons of drugs were collected.

DEA website - Collection sites

CNET - 7-27, 15 - Most Android phones at risk from simple text hack, researcher says

Last year, more than 1 billion Android devices shipped around the globe. Security firm Zimperium says this vulnerability could affect 95 percent of them.

• by Don Reisinger 

 

A security research company claims to have found a vulnerability baked into Android that could endanger nearly all devices running the popular mobile software.

The flaw, says researcher Zimperium, exists in the media playback tool built into Android, called Stagefright. Malicious hackers could take advantage of it by sending to an Android device a simple text message that, once received by the smartphone, would give them complete control over the handset and allow them to steal anything on it, such as credit card numbers or personal information.
So far, Zimperium told National Public Radio, the flaw has not been exploited, but in a blog post on its own website, it said that 95 percent of Android devices worldwide are vulnerable.

And that is potentially a lot of phones. In 2014, over 1 billion Android devices shipped worldwide, according to researcher Strategy Analytics, which expects the number to rise in 2015 and beyond. Zimperium called Stagefright the "mother of all Android vulnerabilities."
Google's Android software has been highly susceptible to security flaws for years, in part because of the open design that makes it popular as an alternative to Apple's iOS, the software that underlies the iPhone and iPad. In the first quarter, 99 percent of mobile malware targeted Android devices, according to security firm F-Secure.

And fixes to Android can take time to get to people's smartphones as those updates ripple through various phone makers and wireless service providers.
Zimperium said it discovered the issue in April and promptly informed Google.
A Google spokeswoman said that those intermediaries are armed with the patches they need to safeguard devices, though she did not offer specifics on which were ready to push those changes through, or when that might happen.

"The security of Android users is extremely important to us and so we responded quickly and patches have already been provided to partners that can be applied to any device," the Google spokeswoman said. "Most Android devices, including all newer devices, have multiple technologies that are designed to make exploitation more difficult. Android devices also include an application sandbox designed to protect user data and other applications on the device."

How the vulnerability gets exploited

The malware that would exploit the Android vulnerability hides inside a short video sent to a person's phone number, according to NPR, which reported on the bug Monday. As soon as the malicious text is received, features built into Stagefright to reduce lag time for viewing videos process the video to prepare it for viewing. That processing apparently is enough for bad guys to get their hooks into the platform and take control.

Exactly when the device might be exploited depends on the messaging platform a person employs. Those using the standard Messenger app built into Android would need to open the text message (but not necessarily watch the video) to fall victim to the trap. Those who are running Google's Hangouts app to handle text messaging, however, need not even open the application, according to Zimperium. As soon as Hangouts receives the text, it processes the video and the hacker is in. (The Google's Play app marketplace says Hangouts has been downloaded between 1 billion and 5 billion times.)
To compound the threat to Android devices, Google is largely powerless when it comes to actually getting patches to users. Phone makers including Samsung, LG and Huawei, as well as wireless carriers, all have control over how updates are sent to products.
Once Android is bundled into a product, it's typically been modified by those third parties. When security updates are required, Google can only send out a patch and after that, it's up to the phone maker or carrier to push those updates to phones.

Acknowledging that Android has become a destination for malware, Google in June announced a rewards program that pays researchers cash for finding bugs and holes that may be exploited in the operating system. Google has offered similar rewards programs to researchers for years with great effect. The company has doled out rewards to researchers who find flaws or security vulnerabilities in its Chrome browser and other software. In 2013, one security expert going by the name Pinkie Pie earned $50,000 for finding a particularly nasty bug in Chrome. Last year alone, Google paid out over $1.5 million to security researchers finding flaws in Chrome and other Google products. In total, the company has paid out $4 million since its bug bounties started in 2010.
Zimperium, which sent a patch to Google that the Android maker has accepted, told NPR that he estimates only 20 percent to 50 percent of Android devices currently in the wild will actually get the updates due to vendors  being slow to react -- if they react at all.

While Zimperium says the risks are high for Stagefright to be exploited, and it's possible that malicious hackers will soon take advantage of the flaw, Android device owners have been dodging at least some malware. In April, Google issued a report claiming that malware installs on Android devices fell by 50 percent in 2014. By the end of the year, Google said that fewer than 1 percent of all Android devices had "potentially harmful applications" installed on them.

According to Zimperium's blog, it will show exactly how Stagefright works and can be exploited at the Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas, which starts August 1.
Zimperium did not immediately respond to a request for comment.                                                                                                           

 

CNET - link to article

 

 

 

FTC: Dept. of Justice, 1st arrests of six Nigerian nationals from Sth. Africa for Internet Fraud acts in America

It’s A Criminal - 1st Arrests Dept. of Justice, Arrests made for Internet Scams and Fraud

July 20, 2015

by

Lois C. Greisman

Associate Director, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC

You hear from us fairly often about imposter scams. In recent months, we’ve told you about IRS imposters, romance scams, and work-at-home scams. We always give you tips on how to spot and avoid these scams. We tell you about the cases we’ve brought to shut down the scammers. But, as a civil law enforcement agency, we don’t often get to tell you about the criminal charges brought against the scammers. Until today.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the extradition of six Nigerian nationals from South Africa to Mississippi to face a nine-count federal indictment for various Internet frauds. These six people join 15 others who were previously charged with, among other things, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

What were the scams? According to the indictment, the defendants found and reached out to their potential victims through online dating websites and work-at-home opportunities. In some cases, they carried on so-called romantic relationships with their targets, trying to get their victims to do things like re-ship merchandise purchased with stolen credit cards, deposit counterfeit checks, and send money to the defendants – whether via wiring money or sending prepaid debit cards.

Here’s where you come in. If you know someone who lost money or information to romance, reshipping, fake check, or work-at-home scammers, please tell them to visit DOJ’s announcement. Why? Because there’s a list of aliases and email addresses that the defendants allegedly used in carrying out these scams. If you recognize a name or email address, you could help in the investigation of these crimes.

It’s not every day you get to help lock up alleged bad guys. Unless, of course, you work at the Department of Justice, the US Postal Inspection Service, or Homeland Security Investigations – all of which had a hand in this case. Please check out the list and see if you might have information to share with the investigators.

* Click on the link below for the Dept. of Justice announcement on the arrests of six Nigerians for scams and fraud. The names and email addresses used are listed.

Department of Justice

Michigan Cyber Security Initiative Newsletter , July 2015

Michigan Cyber Initiative News offers updates on Governor Rick Snyder’s cyber initiative as well as knowledge and awareness on cybersecurity issues. This monthly newsletter is produced by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget , Office of Cybersecurity.
Click on the link below for the current issue.


MI Cyber Security Newsletter for July 2015

Data Breach: Office of Management and Budget- “ 4 Million Federal Employees data breached”

June 4, 2015, by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle, Attorney, FTC Division of Consumer and Business Education

 

A data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and you’re a current or former federal employee whose personal information may have been exposed. What should you do? Take a deep breath. Here are the steps to take. 

First Steps

Check your credit report at annualcreditreport.com. Look for accounts or charges you don’t recognize. Even if the breach didn’t involve credit card information, thieves may use your Social Security number, address and date of birth to open accounts in your name.

OPM announced that it plans to offer credit report access, credit monitoring, and identity theft insurance and recovery services to potentially affected individuals. Take advantage of this offer.

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports. With a fraud alert, businesses must verify your identity before providing new credit. An initial fraud alert lasts 90 days but you can renew it.    

 

To access the remaining recommendations click on the link below:

FTC - Federal Employees what to do if your information has been comprised

FTC / MI Attorney General: Charity Scams

5/19/15, LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today joined state law enforcement partners in every state in the nation, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Trade Commission, to jointly file a federal lawsuit against four phony cancer charities and their operators, who allegedly scammed more than $187 million from consumers throughout the country.

The joint complaint alleges the defendants including Cancer Fund of America, Children’s Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and The Breast Cancer Society, portrayed themselves to donors as legitimate charities with substantial nationwide programs.

     “Federal and State law requires honesty of our charities and fundraisers.  We will not tolerate those who employ unscrupulous fundraising tactics to deceive donors in Michigan and across the country,” said Schuette.  “Our actions today mean that those charities aiming to deceive those who want to help children with cancer and breast cancer patients will be held accountable.” 

For more details on the groups sited and how to find out if a charity is credible click on the link below.

MI Attorney Generals Website

Better Business Bureau: Purchase Property Deed $83 when you can get it for $2 ? - “Record Transfer Services- Unsolicted request”

The BBB has received complaints about the "Record Transfer Services" unsolicited letter asking you to pay $83.00 for a copy of your home deed and assessment profile.

 

You have to read the fine print where they acknowledge on the second page that you can get this from your local County Clerk.

 

If you received a letter from Records Transfer Service Company charging $83.00 for a copy of your “Current Grant Deed and Property Assessment Profile” it is an unsolicited request for you to pay for something that you don't need.   It fits the classic scam formula.

 

See the attached:

 

If you received this letter please call your local County Clerks office to alert them to the letter and asked to get it from them if needed but don't fall prey to the unsolicited letter

Milwaukee Journal - Public Investigator "Deed Scam".

 

 

Netsmartz - Online Safety PSA contest

Don't forget about the Speak Up for Safety PSA contest. There's still time to enter!

Encourage teens to submit a 30 to 60-second video explaining the one thing they think teens need to know about being safer online. The deadline for entries is May 12, 2015.

Click on the link for details from Netsmartz about the PSA contest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netsmartz - PSA contest

FTC: Reluctant to be rude?

March 25, 2015, Amy Hebert Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Respectfulness and politeness, they’re valued in many close-knit communities. But when you’re dealing with a scammer, those values can backfire, as we’ve heard during our ongoing effort to fight fraud in every community. Scammers try to take advantage of your politeness to get you to hand over money or personal information.

Here are some situations when it would be just fine to interrupt, hang up, and not give a caller the time of day: 

1.)   They want your personal information

2.)   They want you to spend money right away

3.)   They keep talking

4.)   They are threating you

 

For more details from the Federal Trade Commission on the situations sited above click the link below.

FTC- Fraud, It's ok to be rude,,,,,

National Missing and Exploited Children: Rethinking “Stranger Danger”

“Stranger danger” It’s short. It’s simple. It even rhymes! But is it really the most effective abduction prevention lesson for our children?  Children do not understand the concept of a stranger. Many believe that strangers are mean, ugly people — so the nice man asking for help to find his lost puppy? Not a stranger.

A New Message

Although “stranger danger” seems like an easy way to teach our children basic personal safety, it actually puts them at a disadvantage. Children who are taught stranger danger may: Be afraid to ask helpful strangers for assistance when they need it Not knowing how to recognize and avoid risky situations. Instead of teaching “stranger danger,” try the following tips when talking to your child about abduction prevention safety:

Don’t say: Never talk to strangers.

Say: You should not approach just anyone. If you need help, look for a uniformed police officer, a store clerk with a nametag, or a parent with children.

Don’t say: Stay away from people you don’t know.

Say: It’s important for you to get my permission before going anywhere with anyone.

Don't say: You can tell someone is bad just by looking at them.

Say: Pay attention to what people do. Tell me right away if anyone asks you to keep a secret, makes you feel uncomfortable, or tries to get you to go with them.

 

For more tips for parents, grandparents, child care providers, and the faith community, click on the National Missing and Exploited link below.

 

NC for ME Children- Kidsmartz