COVID-19 – Scammers Try to Take Advantage of Relatives of COVID-19 Victims

Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) implemented a funeral assistance program to help people pay funeral expenses for their loved ones who have died from COIVD-19. While this program was starting, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that scammers are calling loved ones of COVID-19 victims offering to “help” them to pay for funeral expenses.

In the last few weeks, the daily total of deaths due to COVID-19 in Washington State have spiked above 10 deaths per day according to a chart published by The Seattle Times.

The FEMA plan would pay up to $9,000 in funeral expenses for loved ones who have died of COVID-19 since January 20, 2020. Survivors should apply for benefits by calling FEMA at this toll-free, multi-lingual number- (844) 684-6333.

In April, the FTC warned that scammers were contacting people and “offering” to register them for assistance even before the FEMA program started.  

The FTC points out,

·         FEMA will not contact you until you have called FEMA or have applied for assistance.

·         The government will not ask you to pay anything to receive this financial help.

·         The government will not call, text, email, or contact you on social media and ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number.

·         Do not give your own or your deceased loved one’s personal or financial information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.

Someone who calls, texts, or emails you, claiming to be from FEMA and offering help with funeral expenses, out of the blue, is a scammer. Losing a loved one is a traumatic time. There’s the loss and there is the work of making all sorts of arrangements that make this time stressful. Scammers know that this stressful and try to steal your money and your personal information by taking advantage of you while you are under stress.

FEMA discourages disclosing any personal information of a deceased individual such as name, birth date, or Social Security number to anyone who initiates an unsolicited telephone call, email, or text message. After you have applied for the funeral program, FEMA says that it may call you from an unidentified phone number. If you doubt that a caller is legitimate, FEMA recommends that your hang up and report the call to the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at (844) 684-6333 or to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721.

For more details about obtaining funeral assistance from FEMA, check out the following links,

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency:

https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance

https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/04/scammers-target-loved-ones-covid-19-victims

 

US Department of Justice National Center for Disaster Fraud:

https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud

 

The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/coronavirus-daily-news-updates-aug-30-what-to-know-today-about-covid-19-in-the-seattle-area-washington-state-and-the-world/

 

 

 

T-MOBILE BREACH – What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

You probably have heard about the most recent T-Mobile data breach in the press. Some estimates have as many as 40 million consumers affected by the breach while others claim as many as 100 million customers affected by it. This is the third data breach on T-Mobile since December 2020

Data that was exposed included customers’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, addresses, phone numbers and IMEI’s and IMSI’s. IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) and IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) can be used to track your mobile device or in SIM swapping. Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers can be use for fraudulent applications for loans, credit cards or bank accounts in your name.

T-Mobile customers, past, present, and potential (if you have applied for a T-Mobile account) should pay attention to this breach and take action to protect yourself. Here are some suggestions:

·         Freeze your credit. A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report to your existing creditors which helps prevent new lines of credit from being opened in your name.

·         Change your passwords and PIN numbers for your T-Mobile account. Make sure that you are NOT using the same passwords and PINs across multiple accounts.

·         Use multi-factor authentication (MFA or 2FA) on your accounts. With MFA, often you receive a text message with a code that you input when you are logging into your account. While considered an improvement in security, MFA with a text is not secure. For example, someone who has conducted a SIM swap, has access to your text messages. A better solution is to use a free authenticator app, like you can acquire from Microsoft and Google, which are more secure.

·         Monitor your financial accounts for fraudulent activity.

·         Be alert for breach notifications. Take actions as necessary recommended in those notifications.

·         Be alert for phishing emails that may be designed to look like they are from your provider that has been breached.

 

 

The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/t-mobile-says-hackers-stole-data-of-more-than-40-million-people/

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/heres-what-to-do-if-you-think-youre-affected-by-t-mobiles-big-data-breach/

 

Krebs on Security:

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/08/t-mobile-investigating-claims-of-massive-data-breach/

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/t-mobile-data-breach-what-steps-to-take-now/

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/the-weekly-breach-breakdown-podcast-facts-are-stubborn-but-statistics-are-pliable-t-mobile-data-compromise-impacts-millions/

https://helpcenter.idtheftcenter.org/s/article/Place-a-Credit-Freeze

 

T-Mobile:

https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/data-breach-2021?icid=MGPO_TMO_P_21DTASECRT_8SZBD38SJT3BHWAY26101

 

 

 

WILDFIRES – A Growing Threat for All of Us

The hot, dry weather that we have been experiencing this summer, as well as in recent summers, has increased our susceptibility to wildfire. The Snohomish County Fire Marshal issued a burn ban in June and then recently upgraded the burn ban to Stage 2, to include all recreational fires. While most wildfires that have received publicity have been occurring in arid areas such as eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, California and eastern British Columbia, the dry weather has dried out the vegetation on the western slopes of the Cascades, increasing the potential for wildfire in portions of the Puget Sound region.

The highest risk is in eastern Snohomish County with its forests and mountainous terrain. While most of this area has a small population, over the years more and more people have built their homes in eastern Snohomish County as they seek the benefits of the countryside and less expensive places to live. Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue (SRFR), formerly Fire District 7, views the following areas as most susceptible to wildfire:

·         Many south facing slopes and high ground east of Arlington to Darington.

·         Along the Mountain Loop Highway east of Verlot.

·         In the high ground south of Sultan.

·         Much of the high ground above U.S. 2, from Gold Bar, east to Index and then to the county line near Baring.

·         Much of the South Fork Stillaguamish River drainage.

·         High ground southeast of Monroe near the county line.

Fire districts such as SRFR, deploy specialized wildland brush vehicles and tenders to rapidly attack wildfires while they are small, before they can grow to damage many acres of trees, vegetation, and houses that might be in the area.

However, wildfire crews can become stretched very quickly in a wildfire situation. Homeowners can help by creating a “defensible space” around their homes that will make it possible for firefighters to suppress a fire. This basically means removing anything that can fuel a fire such as vegetation or dead matter.

Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue recommends that homeowners take the following actions:

 

·         Complete the Homeowner’s Checklist on How to Make Your Home Fire Safe- https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/64490/Fire-Safety-DefensibleSpaceBrochure-1

·         Regularly clean the roof and gutters.

·         Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from your home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.

·         Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.

·         Review your homeowner’s insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home’s contents.

 

SRFR also recommends:

·         Sign up for the Snohomish County SnoCoAlert Public Warning System- https://snohomishcountywa.gov/620/Public-Alert-Resources

·         If you see a wildfire and haven’t received evacuation orders yet, call 9-1-1. Don’t assume that someone else has already called.

·         If ordered to evacuate during a wildfire, do it immediately- make sure and tell someone where you are going and when you have arrived.

·         If you or someone you are with has been burned, call 9-1-1 or seek help immediately; cool and cover burns to reduce chance of further injury or infection.

 

Fire Weather Watch

If the National Weather Service issues a “Fire Weather Watch” (dangerous fire weather conditions are possible over the next 12 to 72 hours) take the following steps:

·         Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.

·         Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have a plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.

·         Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

 

Taking precautions to protect your property from wildfire has become more important with the warmer, drier spring, summer, and fall months. Your efforts may not only protect your property from fire, but also may help firefighters protect your property from any wildfire that is in your area.

For more details about how to protect your home from wildfire, check out the following resources,

The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/landmark-climate-report-promises-massive-effects-for-western-u-s-seattle/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning+Brief+8-9-2021_8_9_2021&utm_term=Active%20subscriber

 

Snohomish County, Department of Emergency Management:

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/3629/Wildfire-Preparedness

 

Snohomish County Hazards (click on “Wildfire” tab for map of areas with most wildfire danger):

https://snoco-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=8924ce09ff58487ea905e63210ee7cdf

 

National Fire Protection Association- Firewise:

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA

 

Fire Adapted Communities:

https://fireadapted.org/

 

Washington State Department of Natural Resources:

https://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/rp_fire_defend_home_from_wildfire.pdf

 

American Red Cross:

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/wildfire.html

 

ready.gov:

https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

 

Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue:

www.srfr.org/preparedness_education/home_education_lessons/lesson-details.cfm?record_id=10