ScottsdaleAZ.Gov

 Better Business Bureau Names
Top Ten Scams of 2011

Source: Better Business Bureau, Press Release (6 January 2012)

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) investigates thousands of scams every year. The new Scam Source (www.bbb.org/scam) is a comprehensive resource on scam investigations from BBBs around the country, with tips from BBB, law enforcement and others. One can sign up to receive the Scam Alerts by email and can also report scams discovered. The BBB has divided scams up into nine major categories and picked the top scam in each, including the Scam of the Year:

Top Job Scam: BBB sees numerous secret shopper schemes, work-from-home scams, and other phony job offers, but the worst job-related scam can dash one’s hopes and steal your identity. Emails, websites and online applications all look very professional, and the candidate is even interviewed for the job (usually over the phone) and then receives an offer. In order to start the job, however, the candidate has to fill out a “credit report” or provide bank information for direct deposit of “paychecks.” The online forms are nothing more than a way to capture sensitive personal data - and, of course, there is no job either.

Top Sweepstakes and Lottery Scam: “You’ve won a whole lot of money, and in order to claim it you have to send us a smaller amount of money. Keep it confidential!” This year’s top sweepstakes scam was undoubtedly the email claiming to be from Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announcing that the recipient was the winner of $1 million from the popular social networking site. These kinds of scams often use celebrities or other famous names to make their offer seem more genuine. If one is not sure, don’t click on the link. Go directly to the homepage of the company mentioned. If they are really giving away $1 million, there will be some kind of announcement on their website.

Top Social Media/Online Dating Scam: On the Internet, it is easy to pretend to be someone you are not. Are you really friends with all of your “Friends” on Facebook? Do you have a lot of personal information on a dating site? With so much information about us online, a scammer can sound like they know you. There are tons of ways to use social media for scams, but one this year really stands out because it appeals to one’s natural curiosity…and it sounds like it’s coming from a friend. Viral videos claiming to show everything from grisly footage of Osama bin Laden’s death to the latest celebrity hijinks have shown up on social media sites, often looking as if they have been shared by a friend. When you click on the link, you are prompted to “upgrade your Flash player,” but the file you end up downloading contains a worm that logs into your social media account, sends similar messages to your friends, and searches for your personal data.

Top Home Improvement Scam: Always near the top of BBB complaint data are home improvement contractors who often leave one’s home worse than they found it. They usually knock on the front door with a story or a deal – the roofer who can spot some missing shingles on the roof or the paver with some leftover asphalt who can give a great deal on driveway resealing. The worst are those who move in after a natural disaster, taking advantage of desperate homeowners who need immediate help and may not be as suspicious as they would be under normal circumstances. Find a contractor you can trust at www.bbb.org.

Top Check Cashing Scam: Two legitimate companies – Craig’s List and Western Union – are used for an inordinate amount of scamming these days, and especially check cashing scams. Here is how it works: Someone contacts you via a Craig’s List posting, maybe for a legitimate reason like buying your old couch or perhaps through a scam like hiring you as a secret shopper. Either way, they send you a check for more than the amount they owe you, and they ask you to deposit it into your bank account and then wire the difference via Western Union. When the original check bounces, you are out whatever money you wired…and you are still stuck with the old couch.

Top Phishing Scam: “Phishing” is when one receives a suspicious phone call asking for personal information or an email that puts a virus on one’s computer to hunt for data. It is almost impossible to avoid them if you have a telephone or an email account, but the most pernicious phishing scam this year disguised itself as official communication from NACHA – the National Automated Clearing House Association – which facilitates the secure transfer of billions of electronic transactions every year. The email claims one of your transactions did not go through, and it hopes you react quickly and click on the link before thinking it through. It may take you to a fake banking site to “verify” your account information, or it may download malware to infiltrate your computer.

Top Identity Theft Scam: There are a million ways to steal someone’s identity. This one has gotten so prevalent that many hotels are posting warnings in their lobby. Here is how it works: You get a call in your hotel room in the middle of the night. It is the front desk clerk, very apologetic, saying their computer has crashed and they need to get your credit card number again, or they must have gotten the number wrong because the transaction will not go through, and could you please read the number back so they can fix the problem? Scammers are counting on you being too sleepy to catch on that the call is not from the hotel at all, but from someone outside who knows the direct-dial numbers for the guest rooms.

Top Financial Scam: In challenging economic times, many people are looking for help getting out of debt or hanging on to their home, and almost as many scammers appear to take advantage of desperate situations. Because the federal government announced or expanded several mortgage relief programs this year, all kinds of sound-alike websites have popped up to try to fool consumers into parting with their money. Some sound like a government agency, or even part of BBB or other nonprofit consumer organizations. Most ask for an upfront fee to help you deal with your mortgage company or the government (services you could easily do yourself for free), and almost all leave you in more debt.

Top Sales Scam: The Internet has introduced a whole new way to rip people off. Penny auctions are very popular because it seems like you can get something useful - cameras, computers, etc. – for way below retail, but you pay a small fee for each bid (usually $.50 to $1.00) and if you aren’t the winner, you lose that money. Winners often are not even the top bidder, just the last bidder when time runs out. Although not all penny auction sites are scams, some are being investigated as online gambling. The BBB recommends you treat them the same way you would legal gambling in a casino – know exactly how the bidding works, set a limit for yourself, and be prepared to walk away before you go over that limit.

Scam of the Year: The BBB phishing scam! Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people have gotten emails that very much look like an official notice from BBB. The subject line says something like “Complaint Against Your Business,” and the instructions tell the recipient to click on a link or open an attachment to get the details. If the recipient does either, a virus is launched on their computer…a virus that can steal banking information, passwords and other critical pieces of information. BBB is working with security consultants and federal law enforcement to track down the source of these emails, and has already shut down dozens of hijacked websites. Anyone who has opened an attachment or clicked on a link should run a complete system scan using reputable anti-virus software. If your computer is networked with others, all machines on the network should be scanned as well.  

   The Scottsdale Police Department
 Wants You!



The Scottsdale Police Department has excellent job opportunities in the following fields:
Police Officer, Police Aide, Communications, Detention Officers, Crime Lab, Records, and
Crime Scene Specialists. 

Visit our website at
www.Scottsdalepd.com
 

From the Desk of Commander Johnny Cervantes  

The 2012 Javelin Strategy & Research Identity Fraud Report shows that the number of identity fraud incidents increased by 13 percent in 2011, totaling 11.6 million adult victims. The report also found that certain social media behaviors and increasing number of data breach incidents contributed to the overall amount of identity fraud instances in the United States over the past year.

Intersections Inc., a leading provider of consumer and corporate identity theft risk management services, and provider of the award-winning identity theft protection service, IDENTITY GUARD TOTAL PROTECTION(SM), is a co-sponsor to the study for the fourth consecutive year.

"Intersections is pleased to once again be a co-sponsor for this year's Identity Fraud Report.  As a leading expert in the industry, it is a testament of our promise to continue to educate consumers on the dangers of identity theft and inform them of the steps they can take to help protect themselves from becoming a victim," said Steve Schwartz, executive vice president of Consumer Services for Intersections Inc. "The rise in victims and data breaches is a cause for concern for both consumers and businesses.  As more consumers turn to unconventional communication methods, such as social media and Smartphones, doing so in a safe and responsible way must now become a priority."
"We are excited to have Intersections support this important study for the fourth year in a row," said Jim Van Dyke, president and founder of Javelin Strategy & Research. "Our research clearly indicates that consumers who are using identity protection services are experiencing a reduction in fraud costs compared to all consumers. And for those that do experience fraud, the resolution time on these fraud cases is lower as well."

The Findings
Identity fraud incidents have increased. According to the report findings, victims of a data breach were 9.5 times more likely to be a victim of identity fraud.  With a staggering 67 percent increase in data breach victims in 2011, this notable increase directly correlates with the increase in identity fraud victims. 

• Costs remain steady. Despite the increasing number of identity fraud victims in 2011, the total dollar amount tied to losses remained steady. More stringent authentication practices by financial institutions and increased consumer awareness efforts by government and financial institutions likely helped keep these costs from rising.
• As the report finds, electronic monitoring of accounts through the Internet, ATM or other electronic means is the leading way of detecting fraud over reviewing paper records. Approximently 54 percent of victims were notified they had been a victim of identity theft by their financial institution, law enforcement, etc.
• Consumers who actively engage with social media and utilize a smartphone were found to have a disproportionate rate of identity fraud than consumers who do not engage in these mediums.

Intersections' Insight and Recommendations
The findings in this year's study indicate that fraudsters are taking advantage of consumers' increased use of social networks, and hacking into large businesses where many identities are housed in one place. As these criminals continue to evolve in finding new ways to retrieve personal information, it is imperative that consumers remain consistent and committed to protecting their identity.

• Protect Your Information. Exposing common information like birthdates and addresses puts consumers at a greater risk as these elements are commonly used by financial institutions for security questions and validation of identity to access accounts. Even such seemingly harmless information could be valuable to experienced identity thieves.
• Be Social, But Be Smart. Knowing that social networks are a hotbed for identity fraud activity, consumers should take extra care when deciding who to connect with and what applications to accept. Users that approve friend requests from strangers and use GPS/location based applications are far more susceptible to fraud.
• Take Caution with Mobile Computing. The convenience of online and mobile banking is here to stay, but consumers need to take the extra step of ensuring their network connection is secure and their devices have updated security.
• Be an Active Party in Detection. Consumers must take the responsibility of protecting their identities into their own hands.  By enrolling in a comprehensive identity protection service like IDENTITY GUARD TOTAL PROTECTION(SM), consumers have the extra security they need to help keep them protected.
• Act Quickly. The sooner a victim learns of the fraud, the sooner their road to recovery can begin, so consumers must remain alert and act quickly in the event that they notice suspicious activity, reporting it to their financial institutions and law enforcement.

*Article taken from Security Today February 24, 2012; Security Products Media Brands

Commander Johnny Cervantes 
(480) 312-2567
jcervantes@scottsdaleaz.gov 

March Calendar of Events

Saturday March 3rd, 2012 from 9 am – Noon at 33606 N 60th St Cave Creek (the parking lot for the Fine Arts Center) see attached flyer for more information, or contact Officer Jason Glenn at 480-312-8801 or jglenn@scottsdaleaz.gov.  Flyer

Saturday March 31st 2012 from 7 am  - 10 am at the Wal-Mart located at 15355 N. Northsight Blvd see attached flyer for more information, or contact Officer Craig Abernethy at cabernethy@scottsdaleaz.gov . Flyer 

FREE Child Identification Card Clinic :   Saturday March 3rd, 2012 from 9 a.m.  - 1 p.m, at the Chandler Regional Medical Center.  Please see attached flyer for details. 

Learn how to SPOT and AVOID Fraud:  Tuesday March 6th, 2011, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at The Fiesta Resort and Conference Center - 2100 South Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282.  Please see attached flyer for details.  Bike Rodeo:  Saturday March 31st from 9 a.m. – noon at The Cardon Children’s Medical Center - 1400 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, 85202.  FREE Bike Helmets for kids!  Questions?   Visit www.safekidsmaricopaaz.org.  See ttached flyer for details.  

Although summer is months away, it's not too early for teens 14 to 18 to start applying for the Public Safety Teen Academy, June 4-8. The class is limited to 40 participants and seats go quickly! The free program offers a total public safety hands-on experience, including exposure to police and fire training, tactics and job duties. Apply online at by March 30. See attached flyer.   

Public Safety Community Contact Numbers
and E-mail Links    

• Scottsdale Police Non-Emergency 480-312-5000
• Scottsdale Fire Department  480-312-8000 
• SPD Drug Enforcement Hotline - Suspected illegal activity, 480-312-TIPS (Hot lines are not monitored)
• SPD Traffic Enforcement Hotline - chronic traffic problems, 480-312-CARS
• Code Enforcement 480-312-2546
• Child Safety Seat Installation 480-312-BABY
• CPR/First Aid Classes 480-312-1817
• Lockbox for Seniors Program 877-229-5042 Flyer

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