DISASTER SCAMS- Helping Victims of the L.A. Wildfires

It’s all over the news. The wildfires in Los Angeles have been closely covered over the last few days by national and local news outlets. From the horrific photos of the damage done by the fires and the heart wrenching stories of families losing their homes of many years if not decades, it makes sense that we might be motivated to want to help, often with a financial contribution.

Unfortunately, disasters are natural events for scammers to try to steal your money in the guise of helping victims of wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc. The scammers know the there are people who are ripe to scam. People who are motivated to do good but may not know how to give or who may be too busy Scammers prey on our empathy and our emotions to get us to give them money while they pretend to be from a charity that will help the wildfire victims.

The most important thing to do before you give money is to research the charity that you are considering.

News media have made recommendations of organizations that can help victims of the wildfires. Here are recommendations from three organizations,

KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/how-help-those-impacted-by-californias-wildfires/MDPQPYA3UJEDXD6X5DBBKRGQDU/

 

Associated Press:

https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfires-palisades-eaton-los-angeles-21ca02ac9b897fd1eddef8c5e8dd3c25

 

ABC:

https://abcnews.go.com/US/california-fires-victims/story?id=117470695&utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=flipboard%2Fmagazine%2F10+For+Today

 

While these news organizations have vetted the organizations you might want to check out an organization on your own. One thing to check is if the charity is registered in the State of Washington. All charities and commercial fund raisers who solicit donations in the State of Washington must follow the Washington Charitable Solicitations Act, RCW 19.09. You can see if a specific charity is registered with the Washington Secretary of State at this link- https://www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/nonprofits-charities/charities/information-donors/givesmart.

You can also research a charity’s trustworthiness and effectiveness on the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org website at-  https://give.org/.

A charity may advertise that it is a tax-exempt organization, and your donation is tax exempt. You can check to see if a charity is truly tax-exempt at this IRS web site- https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search.

 

You can also do a web search for the charity. Do a search with the name of the charity plus words like “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam.” If you find their website, review it carefully. Look for specifics about its programs, how it spends its money, the oversight of the organization, and a listing of the organization’s officers.

 

Remember

 

·         If someone calls for a charity and they pressure you to give right away, hang up.

·         Be skeptical if the charity thanks you for a donation that you do not remember making.

·         Be wary if the charity wants the donation in cash, money order, gift cards or cryptocurrency. Make your donation with your credit card.

·         If a caller cannot explain specifically what your donation will be used for or what percentage of donations is used for operations versus administration, hang up.

 

For more tips on charitable giving, check out the following sources,

 

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/donating-safely-and-avoiding-scams

 

Washington State Secretary of State:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/givesmart-ago-sos-handout-final-093015.pdf

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/charity.html?intcmp=AE-FWN-LIB1-POS7

 

BURGLARY PREVENTION- Keeping Burglars Out of Your House

 Having a home burglarized is a violating experience for the homeowner and their neighbors. Especially if your neighborhood does not experience burglaries or other crimes on a regular basis. After all, often that is why we choose a house to live in- a place where we can feel safe.

There are things you can do to prevent a burglar from entering your home, or at least make it harder for a potential burglar to enter your home.

The first thing to understand is that burglaries are crimes of opportunity. Burglars look for targets that they think will be easy to enter, grab a few things, then leave quickly without getting caught. Burglars do not like to get caught. Part of the risk assessment that they make is if the home has features that make it easy for someone to see what they are doing and then call the cops. So, if there is a sign saying the home is protected by a security system they will move on to another home.

Another indicator is if the home can be easily seen from the street. If the landscaping is overgrown obscuring the front of the house, then the burglar can hide their activity from casual passersby who could call 911 if they see something suspicious. Also, if the area around the house is not neat and picked up, the burglar may be more motivated to enter the house. Having a ladder stored outside of the house, for example, only gives the burglar a tool that he could use to enter a bedroom on the second floor.

A factor in getting caught is if someone is at home. When burglars look at a potential target, they will look for clues that there is no one at home. Blinds or curtains are open. Are there any noises such as a TV or radio playing? Some burglars will knock on the door. If someone answers, they will make an excuse such as looking for someone in the neighborhood, then move on to the next target. After all, there have been cases when an enraged homeowner catches a burglar in the home and shoots the burglar.

Ease of entering a house is also important. If a burglar cannot enter quickly or easily, they will move on to another house. One point of entry is the front door. Burglars will kick in the front door. One way to defeat a burglar at the front door is to use a dead bolt lock. Also, check the screws in the strike plate in the door frame. Many homes when they are built have strike plate screws that are under 3 to 4 inches long. Doors with screws that short are easy to kick in. Make sure the screws at the strike plate are at least 3 to 4 inches long and go deep into the door frame. 

Burglars can go around to the side of the house or to the back, especially if you have a six-foot, sight obscuring cedar fence, and enter your house through a side door or a back window. So be sure your side and back doors also have 3 to 4 screws in the strike plate. If you have a sliding glass door, a charley bar or dowl in the bottom track can help prevent a forced entry. Of course they can break a window. Placing a clear plastic film (check with your local hardware store) over your windows can help prevent a burglar from breaking one of your windows.

A security system can be a good idea to alert you, a monitoring service, and/or your neighbors that you have an intruder in your home. Be sure that your system has a loud external speaker that makes a loud siren that your neighbors can hear when you have an intruder. While monitoring services can be fast in alerting the police, many police say that the fastest most sure way to getting a police officer out to your home in time to catch the burglar is when a neighbor calls 911 and tells police that they see the burglar in action at your home. That way they know that the alarm is not a false alarm.

Cameras can help show what is going on, especially now with the capability to see the video on our phones. They can also help local police in identifying potential suspects to your burglary. Place cameras at points of ingress and egress. For example, with a view of your driveway to show people coming and going from your property. Also, views of your front door and back door to show people going into and out of your house. Where you can, place cameras inconspicuously at head level to get the best view of a person’s face. Cameras placed above head level can easily be obscured with a hat. Be familiar with your system. If you are burglarized, you will be traumatized, and you probably will be angry. Knowing how your system works will help you turn over any evidence of the crime more easily. Play with your system from time to time to ensure that you know how it works.

Be sure to develop good crime habits. Get into the habit of locking all of your doors and windows when you leave your house. Also get into the habit of arming your alarm system as you leave. This way you are using your key security devices to protect your home while you are away.

Here are some local resources with more information on home burglary prevention tips.

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6948

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7014

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7033

 

HOLIDAY SHOPPING – Staying Safe at the Mall

While much of our shopping has migrated online, sometimes we still need to go to a physical store to purchase those special Christmas gifts. Like online, there are safety and crime prevention measures that you should take to ensure that you have a successful and safe shopping experience.

Parking and securing your car.

·         Park your car in a well-lit busy area, near the front of the mall/store if possible.

·         Be sure nothing is showing inside the car. Keep any purchases out of sight in the trunk.

·         LOCK YOUR CAR!!! If you have a remote key fob, take it with you. Do not leave keys or key fobs in your car.!!

·         Make a note of where you parked so that you can go to it without looking like you are lost.

·         On the way back have your car keys in your hand so that you do not have to fumble to get them out of your pocket or purse.

·         When you get back inside, lock your car.

Walking around the street or mall.

·         Shop with some friends. There is strength in numbers.

·         Be aware of your surroundings. Look out for unusual activity.

·         Walk in busy, well-lit areas. Stay away from isolated areas.

·         Don’t be distracted by your phone. Take out your earbuds or earphones. It is easier to hear what is going on around you without earbuds or earphones in your ears.

·         Keep your purse close to your body. Keep keys and wallets in a front pocket.

·         Be aware of exit locations in case of an emergency.

Shopping.

·         Don’t carry a lot of cash.

·         Avoid ATM’s. If you need to get cash, go to an ATM inside the mall, in a store, or in a bank. Shield the keypad from view by strangers. Keep the receipt, do not throw it away in a public trash can.

·         When paying for your purchases, try using your digital wallet, credit card, or debit card instead of cash.

·         Use just one credit/debit card. If your account has a data breach, then only one credit/debit card is affected.

·         If you are eating at the food court, keep your packages near you, under the table if possible.

·         Save your receipts. Check your bank/credit/debit card account regularly for unusual activity.

·         If you have purchased a large item, ask for help loading it into your car.

For more safe shopping tips, check out the following links:

 

 

 

KOMO News:

https://komonews.com/news/offbeat/shoppers-beware-how-to-protect-yourself-and-your-purchases-during-black-friday-madness-shopping-deals-palm-beach-outlets-gardens-mall-florida-november-29-2024?s=09

 

State Farm Insurance:

https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/family/black-friday-shopping-safety-list

 

The Hearty Soul:

https://theheartysoul.com/holiday-shopping-safety-tips/

 

Everett Police Department:

https://www.everettwa.gov/1095/Vehicle-Prowl-Prevention

https://www.everettwa.gov/1092/Personal-Safety

 

 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE – Crime Prevention Newsletter Holiday Issue

This holiday issue of “Partners in Crime Prevention” talks about purchasing gift cards in retail stores and other handy prevention tips for the holidays.

To see the issue go to https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7228.

Hope everyone has a great holiday season!

 

 

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/7228

HOLIDAY ONLINE SHOPPING – Tips to Avoid Online Shopping Fraud

With holiday shopping in full swing, scammers will try to take advantage and take your money and personal information while you look for gifts for your loved ones.

Here are some tips to help you avoid a shopping scammer,

·         Research unfamiliar brands or websites. You may find a good deal for an item that you want to purchase on a website that is unfamiliar to you. Do a web search with the company’s name or website’s name and terms like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.” For example- “Special Good Deals complaint.” Then see what people have to say about the website.

·         Look for misspellings in the URL. Scammers often try to mimic legitimate, known websites not only with the graphics and layout of the site, but also with the URL. For example, “acehardware.com” might be misspelled with “acehardwear.com” by a scammer. Another trick is to use a subdomain. For example, a scammer might use “netflix.com.movies.com” for their fake website, hoping that you won’t notice that “movies.com” is the real domain name. You can check out if a site is safe by using Google’s Safe Browsing Tool, https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search, You can check out when a website was created ICANN Lookup site, https://lookup.icann.org/en. A new website or recent copyright date indicates the website is a scam.

·         Search the website for an address or phone number. First, if there is no address or phone number, that might be an indication that the website is fake. Second, if you find an address and/or a phone number, you can check to ensure that the address is legitimate through a search of it with a mapping app such as Google Maps, and you can do a search of the phone number to ensure that it is genuine.

·         Stay away from deals that are too good to be true. Be skeptical of offerings that are well below their retail value.

·         Pay with a credit card. Don’t pay with a debit card or via gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. Debit card payments take money directly out of your checking account, so you are not protected from fraud. Payments by gift cards, wire transfers, and cryptocurrencies have become indicators of scams.

·         Look for delivery, exchange, refund, and return policies. If the sight does not have these policies, or if they are vague, go somewhere else to make your purchase. Also, legitimate online shopping websites should have detailed complaint or dispute handling policies in case something goes wrong with your order.

 

If something goes wrong with an online order, for example you paid for a purchase but don’t receive anything and you suspect the website is fraudulent, report the occurrence to,

·         Better Business Bureau- https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint

·         Federal Trade Commission- https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ or call 877-FTC-Help

·         FBI- https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice/default.aspx

 

Many online shopping transactions are conducted through social media, including Facebook.

·         Facebook- If you encounter an advertisement that violates Facebook’s policies go to this link for instructions on how to file a complaint, https://www.facebook.com/business/help/162606073801742

·         Instagram- To report abuse and spam on Instagram go to, https://help.instagram.com/165828726894770

 

 

 

Verify:

https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/scams-verify/5-tips-avoid-onling-shopping-scams/536-20db68f1-7d96-42d5-b4e6-83b0c5bfa5a6

https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/scams-verify/how-to-avoid-online-shopping-scams-verify/536-08be036d-4e5b-4030-9eda-3a6953855c09?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_VerifyThis&s=09

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/online-shopping

 

AARP:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/online-shopping.html

 

Better Business Bureau:

https://www.bbb.org/all/scamstudies/fake_online_retailers_study/2024-study-update-online-shopping-fraud

 

 

SHIPPING TEXT SCAMS – Taking Advantage of Online Shopping

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping in full swing, delivery companies such as UPS, Fedex, Amazon, and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) are also in full swing delivering packages. As we try to protect our packages from Porch Pirates, scammers also try to take advantage of the intense season with shipping text scams.

As with all scams, shipping scammers “pretend” to be from a major delivery company with a text or email that is formatted like the real company’s text/email. The text/email will have a link that the scammer wants you to click on which will take you to a fake website or download malware that can harvest your personal information on your hard drive.

The scam presents a “problem” that you have to solve.  The scam may claim that they are having trouble delivering your package. One variation is where scammers place a fake “missed delivery” tag on your door claiming that they are having trouble delivering a package and to please call a number to reschedule delivery. Another variation is a text from the USPS saying the package is at the warehouse but has incomplete address information. You are asked to click on a link to verify your address.

Scammers place pressure on you to act now before you can think about the situation. In this case, there may be no need for a scammer to remind you to act now before Christmas comes. Some scam texts, however, will tell you that if you do not respond right away, they will return the package to the sender

Finally, you pay. You most likely will pay with the personal information that you provide the scammer as you “login” to a fake website or fill out an online form with your id and password, banking information, etc. Some scam texts/emails might also ask for payment. That should be a clear warning sign that the message is a scam.

What to do with a shipping message,

·         If you receive an unexpected text message or email about a package delivery, contact the company by phone or a website that you have verified as the true phone number or web address.

·         DO NOT click on any links provided by a text message or email.

·         If you think you recognize the message as concerning an order that you have made, go to the web site where you purchased the item and look up shipping and delivery status there.

 

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/12/fake-shipping-notification-emails-and-text-messages-what-you-need-know-holiday-season

 

Better Business Bureau:

https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/16460-scam-alert-fake-text-delivery-scam

 

United States Postal Inspection Service:

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/smishing-package-tracking-text-scams

 

Aura.com:

https://www.aura.com/learn/ups-text-scam

 

 

 

RETAIL GIFT CARD FRAUD- Draining the Spirit of Christmas

With the holidays rapidly approaching, giving gift cards to family or friends has become a handy way of giving gifts for the Christmas holidays or any other time of year. Over the years however, retail thieves have found ways to steal the funds that you put onto the gift cards. The thieves in essence have found ways quickly “drain” the funds that you have placed on the gift card then use the money for their own purposes.

Draining is different from other criminal uses of gifts cards that you may have heard about. That is when scammers force a victim to pay the scammer for supposed fees, fines, bail, or simple extortion, sometimes draining the victim’s bank accounts to nothing. Cybersecurity educators have over the last few years been teaching that gift cards are for gift giving, and not for paying government, utilities, or anyone else for supposed late fees or fines. If someone, out of the blue, wants to be paid in gift cards, that is a signal to hang up.

Retail gift card fraud has turned into an International Organized Retail crime enterprise conducted by large, well-organized gangs who collect the cards and the account information on them. In some cases, teams of gang members steal blank gift cards from retailers, hand them over to other gang members who extract the account information and PINs then carefully return the card into its original packaging. They may send the account information to a central gang authority. Then the original “runners” who stole the cards, return the cards to the original retail store’s racks. In the meantime, other gang teams monitor the account balances of the stolen gift cards using sophisticated software. As soon as the software detects a balance over $0, the team drains the gift card of any funds placed on it. They may put the funds in a virtual wallet. In some cases, gangs purchase popular retail items, then sell those items to further launder the originally stolen funds.

Major retailers have built security into some gift cards and gift card packaging in an attempt to get ahead of the fraudsters. However, as with many security measures, gift card secure packaging will not be perfect. It still is up to us to take steps as best that we can to protect ourselves from gift card draining. As one Homeland Security Investigations agent put it in a recent webinar, consumers should treat gift cards like they treat produce or meat. You can,

·         When purchasing gift cards in a store, inspect the card packaging closely for tampering. Does the masking for the card number look like it has been scratched off? Does the packaging look like it has been tampered with? Don’t be afraid to be picky. Being picky might save you from an embarrassing call from the recipient of your gift card.

·         Keep the receipt. This can be your proof you made the purchase if there are problems with the card.

·         Purchase the gift card directly from the desired vendor. Cards from the vendor are less likely to have been tampered with by an unauthorized person. When ordering online from the vendor, be sure that you make your order from the vendor’s legitimate website. If you want an Apple gift card, order it from Apple.

·         DO NOT order gift cards from 3^rd party vendors or from gift card “auctions” when ordering online. Some websites claim to sell other people’s gift cards. There is no marketplace for secondhand gift cards!

·         On giving the gift card, encourage the recipient to use it as soon as possible or redeem the funds by putting them in a virtual wallet. That way the card is blank, and your friend or family member has the funds.

If you do receive a blank card, call the customer support number on the back of the card. This is the financial institution who is backing the card for the retailer or the brand name on the card and should be able to help you.

 

 

 

 

National Cybersecurity Alliance:

Season of Light, Season of Scams: Avoiding Gift Card Fraud- a webinar with an interview of a Homeland Security Investigations agent

https://staysafeonline.org/programs/events/season-of-light-season-of-scams-avoiding-gift-card-fraud/?utm_content=314808656&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-71354375&s=09

 

ProPublica:

https://www.propublica.org/article/chinese-organized-crime-gift-cards-american-retail

 

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2019/12/tips-holiday-gift-card-shopping