National Privacy Week April 28th - May 4th '13

April 28^th  through May 4^th  is Privacy Awareness Week, and to mark the occasion, the FTC and other members of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) are teaming up to talk about why privacy matters and what individuals and businesses can do about it in today’s digital world. The FTC has a number of resources to protect important information. Click on the image below for more resources.

FTC- National Privacy Awareness Week 2013

The FTC has released a great report worth reading. See the article caption and link below.

R. Coleman, CPAM

Fraud harms 25.6 million people: Anyone you know?

• By Bridget Small
• April 23, 2013 - 2:05pm

The FTC is always working to know more about the types of fraud being committed and who spends money on them.  Periodically, we survey consumers and ask them to share details about their recent marketplace experiences and a bit about themselves.  Our most recent survey found that nearly 11% of U.S. adults — an estimated 25.6 million people — paid for fraudulent products and services in 2011.
There were an estimated 37.8 million incidents of fraud because some respondents, especially those who bought bogus work-at-home programs, made multiple purchases.  The survey report has rich details about the financial circumstances and demographics of consumers surveyed, including how they found and paid for fraudulent products, and how shopping and payment methods have changed since 2005.


Click the link to the FTC site for the report.FTC Fraud Survey Report 4/23/13

C.P.A.M. 2012 Conference: Interview with US Eastern District Attorney General Barbara McQuade

The Crime Prevention Association of MI's 2012 conference "The Power of Prevention" was well attended and the speakers on point. This year's theme focused on all aspects of crime prevention practitioner's taking the tools learned and applying them in our respective communities.

One of our speakers was the U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District of Michigan Mrs. Barbara McQuade who provided an overview of the role of the US Attorney Generals office in the East District of Michigan and how the residents that are served by the local law enforcement agencies can obtain assistance from any of the U.S. Attorney Generals offices.

Rich Coleman, Legislative Liaison, C.P.A.M. had the opportunity to interview Mrs. McQuade highlighting the presentation and the importance of working with Identity Theft and Fraud, senior safety, families, crime in our neighborhoods, our youth as we deal with bullying, gang violence, drugs, and issues that impact all of our communities.

Click the link below to see the video.

Interview: East District US Attorney General, Barbara McQuade

2012 CPAM Conference - Interviews with CPAM members

Crime Prevention Association of MI 2012 Conference- Interviews with Members
http://vimeo.com/63791830

"CPAM President Lt. Lee Hoeksema, Ottawa County Sheriff's Dept. welcomes members and guests to the conference and thanks Michigan chiefs, Sheriff, and Directors of Public Safety for their support of crime prevention. Deputy Chief Rick Smiedendorf, Berrien County Oronoko Twp., and other C.P.A.M. members talk about their experience as members and the importance of the conference. Plan to attend the 2013 CPAM conference, Oct. 8th - 11th, in Traverse City MI. It will be held at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. For more details go to www.crimepreventionassociationofmichigan.org

 

Vimeo Link - CPAM 2012 Conference and Interviews with Members

CPAM 2012 - Awards for Outstanding Efforts in the field of Crime Prevention for 2012

CPAM 2012 Conference "The Power of Prevention"

2012 Awards for Outstanding  Efforts in the Field of  Crime Prevention

In October 2012, the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan hosted it's annual conference in Mt. Pleasant Michigan. Opening the conference the night before was the Awards for Outstanding efforts in the field of Crime Prevention. This is one of our most important nights of recognizing our peers and their agencies for their outstanding work for their community. 

We would like to thank the Michigan Chief's, Director's of Public Safety and Sheriff's throughout the state  that support, provide personnel, and resources to members of C.P.A.M.

Our elected C.P.A.M. officers, training committee members, and awards committee worked very hard to reach out to find agency leaders and members to recommend those members who had gone over and beyond the day-to-day efforts of protecting and serving our respective communities for these awards.

The following awards were presented:

 Crime Prevention Practitioner's of the Year: * Two members selected

Officer Charles Henly, Detroit Police Department, "The Detroit Blue Pigs Band"

Deputy Phil Green, Newaygo County Sheriff's Dept.

Volunteer of the Year

Mr. Glen Buller, Walker Department of Public Safety

Outstanding Media Award

WDIV Channel 4's "Defender's"

"K-2 Spice Impact on families"

Ro Coppola, Producer

Outstanding Corporate Award

Chris Yeager, "PRINTEK"

Outstanding Project in the field of Crime Prevention

Deputy Tom McCutcheon, Kent County Sheriff's Dept.

"National Night Out"

Outstanding Unit Award

Community Patrol Unit, Pittsfield Twp. Police Dept.

Officer Matt Hornbeck

Officer Kevin Cassette

Outstanding Youth / School Officer

Officer Chuck Mendham

West Bloomfield P.D.

C.P.A.M Members who served in leadership roles

Mike Kazyak, Auburn Hills P.D.

Rick Trabusley, West Bloomfield P.D.

Dave Robinson, Rockford D.P.S.

CPAM 2012 Video- Awards for Outstanding efforts in the field of Crime Prevention

FTC - Resolving Identity Theft? How to Help

The FTC has created a video that will help show victims of ID Theft .  See the note below from the FTC staff and the video link.

FTC staff has a proud history of collaborating with legal services and victims’ rights groups, sharing legal resources and information and training hundreds of advocates throughout the country about a number of important consumer protection issues. Along the way, we’ve gotten many questions about how to help people reduce their risk of identity theft — and how to help them recover from the crime.


FTC website Resolving ID Theft video

Use Blue Tooth? B.B.B.- Protect yourself from Hacking Scams

Use Blue tooth? Protect your self from hacking scams.

Scammers use specialized software to intercept your Bluetooth signal and hack into your device. It is called "bluebugging”. Doing this gives them access to all your texts, contacts, photos, call history and everything on your phone. For tips on protecting your device and personal information, click on the image below.

Better Business Bureau: Blue Tooth protection from scams

Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft: What to do if your Social Security # is stolen

The I.R.S. has reported a rise in social security number fraud cases this year. Individuals have had someone file an unauthorized tax return “online” using their social security number. If you have discovered that, you are a victim the Federal Trade Commission and the IRS have joined forces to help correct the problem. Click on the image below for details and resources.

Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft

American Poison Control Center: 2012, 2,654 calls of exposure to "Bath Salts"



American Association of Poison Control Centers

"Bath Salts- 2,654 calls about exposure to bath salts Jan.- Dec. 2012"

Synthetic cathinones, often marketed as “bath salts,” have names like Cloud 9 and Bliss. They are NOT the bath salts you use in your tub. These are powerful illegal drugs that have not been tested for safety, and users don’t really know exactly what chemicals they are putting into their bodies. The side effects they cause may be permanent.

Poison center experts say these substances are among the worst they have seen. Users have experienced many side effects and some have died from exposure to excessive abuse.

For more details and resources to help loved ones and your community click on the link below.

American Assoc. of Poison Control Centers " Bath Salts"



National Consumer Protection Week March 3rd – 9th 2013

N.C.P.W.'s website is more than a destination for consumer information; it is also a source for outreach tools to share with your family and friends. Thanks to 64 federal, state and local agencies and nonprofits that are putting the spotlight on the critical consumer protection work they do year-round, consumers have easy access to a tremendous variety of timely, useful information about recognizing and reporting frauds and scams, managing credit and debt, using technology, and staying healthy and safe. Click on the link below for more details.

National Consumer Protection Week 2013

2012 Consumer Sentinel Report- Michigan Data

The Federal Trade Commission's 2012 Consumer Sentinel national report was released on 2/26/13. This national data has been analyzed and broken down by state. The State of Michigan's data has been purged from the report and provided in this post (click on the link below to see the complete report). Contact a member of the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan or an officer from your local police department to get the latest information on how not to be a victim of any of the "reported" crimes listed below. R. Coleman, CPAM

Fraud and Other Complaints Count from Michigan Consumers = 49,501

1

Percentages are based on the total number of CSN fraud and other complaints from Michigan consumers (49,501).

                                      

                                      MICHIGAN

    Consumer Sentinel Network Complaint Figures

                        January 1 - December 31, 2012

 Total Number of Identity Theft, Fraud and Other Consumer   

                                Complaints = 61,576

                               Identity Theft Types Reported by Michigan Victims

Identity Theft Complaints Count from Michigan Victims = 12,075

1

Percentages are based on the 12,075 victims reporting from Michigan. Note that CSN identity theft

complaints may be coded under multiple theft types.

Top 10 Fraud and Other Complaint Categories Reported by Michigan Consumers

Federal Trade Commission Page 44 of 102 Released February 2013

Rank Top Categories Percentage

1

1 Debt Collection                                                           7,330 15%

2 Banks and Lenders                                                      3,986 8%

3 Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales                                3,109 6%

4 Impostor Scams                                                           2,194 4%

5 Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries                                1,829 4%

6 Telephone and Mobile Services                                    1,795 4%

7 Internet Services                                                           1,699 3%

8 Auto Related Complaints                                              1,493 3%

9 Foreign Money Offers and Counterfeit Check Scams    1,317 3%

10 Credit Cards                                                              1,106 2%

Complaints

Rank Identity Theft Type Percentage

1

1 Government Documents or Benefits Fraud                   6,512 54%

2 Credit Card Fraud                                                       1,380 11%

3 Phone or Utilities Fraud                                               1,254 10%

4 Bank Fraud                                                                    630   5%

5 Employment-Related Fraud                                            387   3%

6 Loan Fraud                                                                    299   2%

Other                                                                             1,602 13%

Attempted Identity Theft                                                    770   6%

2012 FTC Consumer Sentinel Annual Report

National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA): Safety Tips Using Portable Generators

Portable electric generators can offer many benefits when a long-term electrical outage occurs due to a storm. However, if generators are not used properly things can turn deadly.

Carbon Monoxide deaths associated with generators have spiked in recent years. Running a generator in a closed garage or using a generator improperly are only two reasons why safety is key. Click on the image for NFPA’s tips on using a portable generator.

   

NFPA - Generator Safety use tips

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Tax-Related Identity Theft

The IRS uses your Social Security Number (SSN) to make sure your filing is accurate, complete, and that you receive any money due to you. Identity theft can affect how your tax return is processed. An unexpected notice or letter from the IRS could alert you that someone else is using your SSN.

The IRS does not contact taxpayers by sending emails, text messages, or using social media to ask for personal or financial information. If you get an email that claims to be from the IRS, do not reply or click on any links. Instead forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

For more details to avoid becoming a victim, or if you are a victim, click the image below.

FTC- Tax related ID Theft

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Inaccurate Credit Reports Found In 2013 Study.

The FTC recently completed its fifth national study on the accuracy of consumer credit reports. The agency found that one in five people surveyed found at least a single error on at least one of their credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. After completing the dispute process, the good news was that some people saw improvement in their credit score. A higher credit score means you are not as much of a risk and in turn, means you can get credit or pay less for it. Consumers are encouraged to check their credit report annually.

The time it takes to request a credit report is minimal and you can get them for free. Click on the link for more details from the FTC. 

FTC- Reports

Facebook: Website Hacked Into January 2013

Facebook was the recent victim of a sophisticated cyber-attack discovered in January 2013. In this incident, a virus or malware was installed on employee’s laptops. In a blog entry posted by Facebook Security on Feb. 15, 2013, the company said it found no evidence that Facebook user data had been compromised. For tips on protecting your personal data on social media sites click on the image below to watch an ABC News special regarding this topic.

ABC News - Facebook data comprised

Michigan Attorney General: Warns Consumers Against Buying Cars Flood-Damaged by Superstorm Sandy

Attorney General Bill Schuette has issued a consumer alert advising Michigan residents to exercise caution before purchasing their next used car to avoid being scammed into purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle. The warning comes amid an influx of flood-damaged vehicles on the national automotive market in the wake of Superstorm Sandy's devastation. For additional details, click the link below.

MI AG's website

2nd Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Night Feb. 23, 2013

Brent Clark
Law Enforcement Ambassador (Michigan)
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Museum



The long wait is over! Hockey is back in Detroit and the Detroit Red Wings, along with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, are excited to present the 2nd annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Night as we honor law enforcement officers from city, county, state and federal agencies at the Joe Louis Arena.

 

The Detroit Red Wings have put together 2 incredible ticket packages that are open to all law enforcement personnel, non-sworn law enforcement employees, EMT, dispatchers, family, friends and anyone who respects and honors law enforcement and their service to our communities.

 

For just $45.00 or $60.00 you will receive admission to the

February 23^rd, 2013 game against the Nashville Predators. The First 1,000 ticket orders will receive a special edition Detroit Red Wings Law Enforcement Commemorative Challenge Coin. $10.00 from each ticket will be donated to the National Law Enforcement Museum!

For tickets click on the link below.

Detroit Red Wings

Kelsey’s Law: Bans teens with level 1 and 2 driver’s license from using a cell phone

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed a bill that makes it illegal for anyone with a level 1 or level 2 probationary driver's license to use a cell phone while behind the wheel.

Known as Kelsey's Law, the measure makes it a civil infraction and imposes a $100 fine on anyone with a level 1 or level 2 licenses that is caught using a cell phone while driving. For details, click the link below.



Kelsey's Law- Ban Texting and Driving Level 1 & 2 Drivers



January 28th 2013 National Data Privacy Day

On January 28th, 2013 residents and businesses across the country are encouraged to learn more about protecting your personal information.  Everyday millions are impacted by identity theft, data breaches, email accounts being hacked into, and someone accessing personal information from a social network.

StaysafeOnline.org has been a leading source for helping to provide resources on what can be done to protect your personal information.  Our challenge as consumers is to make everyday "National Data Privacy Day". Click on the link below for more details.

StaySafeOnline

Michigan’s “Internet Privacy Act” House Bill - #5523

Michigan’s “Internet Privacy Act” House Bill - #5523:

Michigan House Bill #5523: “An act to prohibit employers and educational institutions from requiring certain individuals to grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose information that allows access to or observation of personal internet accounts; to prohibit employers and educational institutions from taking certain actions for failure to allow access to, observation of, or disclosure of information that allows access to personal internet accounts; and to provide sanctions and remedies”. To read the bill signed into law by Governor Snyder on December 28th 2012, click on the link below.

House/htm/2012-HNB-5523.htm