SCAM UPDATE- What to do if you have been “Phished”

Email phishing has received a great deal of publicity lately. You probably know to be careful when you see an unexpected email in your inbox. But what do you do if you click on a suspicious link. Crawl in a hole? Not according to Leo Notenboom of the Ask Leo web site. He points out that phishing attempts are becoming ever more sophisticated, so it can be difficult to tell a phishing email from a legitimate email.

Prevention, not clicking on any links or attachments on suspicious email, remains your best bet. But Leo gives some hints you can use to tell if that link you just clicked on is fake and what you can do to reduce the damage.

Ask Leo:

https://askleo.com/i_think_ive_been_phished_what_should_i_do/

SCAM UPDATE- Tech Support Scammer Shut Down

When it comes to scammers, the common rule of thumb has been that most scammers are beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. There are cases, however, that law enforcement agencies have been able to shut down a scammer.

One example, is the law suit initiated by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office against iYogi, a worldwide tech support company. The 2015 lawsuit alleged that iYogi and its U.S, president, Vishal Dahr, used deception and scare tactics to pressure consumers into purchasing unnecessary tech support services.

The AG’s office received a $6.3 million judgement from the King County Superior Court against iYogi. The AG’s office quotes the “Times of India” as pointing out that iYogi’s value dropped by more than $260 million because of the lawsuit.

The AGs office says that it is working to collect the judgment from the company. There is possibility that some consumers may be eligible for restitution. A process to distribute any possible restitution will be determined at a later date. It also notes that iYogi will not be making refunds directly to consumers. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from iYogi asking for information to send a refund, it is a scam. Hang up the phone!

Washington State Attorney General’s Office:

http://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-s-lawsuit-shuts-down-tech-support-scammer-iyogi

SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT- Expanding Needle Cleanup Program

The Snohomish Health District is expanding the number of locations that citizens can pick up needle clean-up kits starting on Wednesday. With the danger of needles left on the ground volunteer and neighborhood groups along with individuals have been working to pick up and safely dispose of the stray needles.

The health district has been providing free kits at its Everett headquarters. Beginning Wednesday, citizens can pick up kits at the Snohomish Health District Everett headquarters, the Everett and Lynnwood city halls and the Arlington and Monroe police departments.

The kits include a Sharps container (to hold syringes), puncture-proof gloves, safety glasses, tongs, hand sanitizer and instructions.

Once full, citizens can drop off Sharps containers at the Everett, Arlington and Mountlake Terrace recycling and transfer stations, the Monroe Police department or the health district.

The health district attempts to tackle the county’s opioid crisis from multiple angles including prevention, education and treatment. It also coordinates with several agencies and organizations. Distribution of the needle clean-up kits allows the public to be safely involved in helping to keep Snohomish County a clean and safe community.

Snohomish Overdose Prevention:

http://snohomishoverdoseprevention.com/clean-up/

The Herald:

http://www.heraldnet.com/news/needle-program-expanding-across-county/

OPIOIDS/HEROIN- A Guide for Parents to Help Their Children

Much of the publicity around the current Opioid/heroin crisis in Snohomish County has been focused on the homeless. However, teens or young adults, with good living conditions, can develop a dependency on opioids.

For these individuals, often the best source of help can come from their families. But, parents or siblings usually do not have the training or experience to help their children or brother or sister obtain help for their addiction.

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has developed a resource guide for parents to help them support their children who may have become involved with opioids. It also provides tips on ways to prevent children from becoming involved with drugs.

This thoughtful guide is worth reading, especially if your child may be in danger of becoming involved with opioids or heroin or if you suspect that they are already involved.

Some of its key points include:

1.      Have an on-going conversation with your teen or young adult about the risks of drugs.

2.      Seek non-opioids alternatives to manage your child’s pain.

3.      Monitor, secure and properly dispose of any prescription pain medications in your home.

4.      Know the sign of opioid misuse.

5.      Get an evaluation to determine your treatment options if your child is misusing opioids.

6.      Get and know how to use Naloxone (Narcan).

7.      Practice self-care including counseling for yourself and attending a support group.

This excellent guide goes into depth on all of the above recommendations. To download it, go to the following link,

Heroin, Fentanyl & Other Opioids:

https://drugfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Heroin-Fentanyl-Other-Opioids-eBook-Partnership-for-Drug-Free-Kids.pdf?utm_source=email&utm_medium=parent&utm_campaign=opioid-ebook-release

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids:

https://drugfree.org/

Snohomish Overdose Prevention:

http://snohomishoverdoseprevention.com/

Opioid Affected Families:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/opioidaffectedfamilies/posts/?ref=page_internal

http://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-support-group-for-those-whose-loved-ones-battle-opioids/