Prevention Works

Celebrate Safe Communities is Crime Prevention Done the Right Way

Celebrate Safe Communities is crime prevention done the right way—local people working with local law enforcement to address local issues. CSC spotlights communities’ crime prevention efforts, enhances public awareness of vital crime prevention and safety messages, and recruits year-round support for ongoing prevention activities that help keep neighborhoods safe from crime and prepared for any emergency.

To further explain the importance and relevance of CSC, NCPC’s President and CEO, Ann Harkins, discussed the initiative with Rebecca Rose, Senior Policy Advisor for Strategic Initiatives with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, in a podcast. Click here to read the transcript from that exciting conversation.

2012 Themes for Crime Prevention Month in October

Week One:  Community Engagement (October 1-6)

• Engaging the public through academies, training, and outreach
• Engaging targeted stakeholders - youth, seniors, businesses

Week Two:  Neighborhood and Home Safety (October 7-13)

• Property Crime
• Car Theft – focusing on electronics
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Week Three:  Personal Safety (October 14-20)

• Stranger Danger
• Bullying Prevention
• Theft Prevention

Week Four:  Cyber Safety (October 21-31)

• Safe Online Surfing and Social Networking
• ID Theft Prevention
• Cyberbullying Prevention

 A CSC event can be anything large or small, such as an anti-drug march, a community safety fair, or a neighborhood clean-up. When you register your event, you will have access to free downloadable crime prevention resources, training programs, and other incentives. The first 500 sites to register will also receive a starter kit of resources, such as Neighborhood Watch manuals and safety-themed comic books. For more information, contact Kristen Adamowicz at 202-261-4156 or kadamowicz@ncpc.org.

 Register your public safety event at www.celebratesafecommunities.org and join hundreds of other neighborhoods across the country working together to create safe communities.

Swindled Seniors - One of America’s Biggest Secrets

Senior Fraud Remains Highest Underreported Crime

Older Americans Month is celebrated each May to honor and recognize the elderly for the contributions they make to our families, communities and society. Unfortunately, recent statistics show that the elderly still remain a particularly vulnerable population  faced with mounting health problems and dwindling financial resources.  The golden years aren’t serving as valuable time spent with loved ones and friends. According to a Harris Interactive survey of 62 senior citizens, 80 percent of seniors were concerned about falling victim to some type of financial fraud.  The last thing seniors need to worry about is their physical or financial security.  Yet, the reality remains—seniors are far more likely to become victims of financial fraud than they are of violent crime.

According to www.fbi.gov, senior citizens are most likely to have a “nest egg,” to own their home, and to have excellent credit. Unfortunately, that has made them targets for heartless swindlers who often prey on their needs and dreams, even depleting their hard-earned life savings.  These con artists are creative and deceptive, especially now more than ever with the use of today’s fast and innovative hi-tech gadgets.

 NCPC offers tips for seniors to help them stay safe

• Never give out a credit card number or social security number to anyone who has called you
• Beware of people with stock tips, “sure thing” investment opportunities and similar “secret” ways to make you rich
• Never let anyone rush you into signing documents
• Take time to review and get advice on insurance policies, sales agreements, and contracts of any kind

Senior fraud remains one of the most underreported crimes in the country and has become difficult to both track and examine.  Once defrauded, many seniors feel ashamed and embarrassed, thinking they should have known better and may even withdraw from loved ones. Unfortunately, the result in many cases is that they decide not to tell anyone, especially their adult children or their local law enforcement officer.
 
NCPC can help educate and empower our senior members of the community, and help contribute to their overall physical and financial safety.  The last worry for them should be the possibility of becoming a victim of senior fraud.

We invite you to share your success stories. What are you doing to help keep seniors safe and increase their quality of life in your community?  Visit www.ncpc.org for additional resources and useful tips on preventing crimes against seniors.

Do you have nomophobia?

The rise in use of smartphones has resulted in a new fear called nomophobia.  A recent survey by U.K.-based mobile security service provider SecurEnvoy conducted among 1,000 people found that two thirds (66%) of respondents fear losing or being without their mobile phone.  And it is on the rise — up 13% from just four years ago.  Nomophobia also includes the anxiety someone feels when not in the range of a cell tower to receive optimal reception.

If you live in the Washington Metropolitan Area you might be slightly more concerned about nomophobia given recent reports in the media.  Last week the Metropolitan Police Department reported a rise in the theft of smartphones in the District of Columbia.  In a Washington Post article Chief Cathy Lanier said, “It is the single fastest rising crime issue that I’ve seen in a long time.”  Lanier also said 40 to 50 percent of all robberies in the city are smartphone-related.

According to the article, the robberies have been a “snatch, grab, and run” type with the phones being resold quickly.  The average resale value for the phones is estimated to range from $100 - $300.  If this is happening in your area what can you do to protect your smartphone?

NCPC has a few tips:

• Be aware of your surroundings when using your smartphone in public.  Keep your smartphone close to you and do not leave it on a table, desk, or counter.
• Use passwords to lock your phone.
• Do not save your passwords on your smartphone for social media sites, banking, or other personal accounts.
• Know the phone number to report your missing or stolen smartphone.  When you call, the cell phone company can disable the phone remotely.
• Protect your smartphone by using a smartphone security pouch or smartphone security case
• Back up the information on your cell phone in case you lose or have your smartphone stolen.  Most cell phone companies offer backup assistance through your phone plans.
• Download a “find your phone” app or enable a Wipe feature on your phone. If you won’t be able to get your phone back, a Wipe application will clear all the data so your private information won’t fall into the wrong hands.  There is also other technology available that renders the phone useless if stolen.

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

For more information on the survey: http://mashable.com/2012/02/21/nomophobia/

Monopoly Money

Let’s face it; in times of economic hardship, we could all use just a little bit more money.

Something to set aside, something to pay the bills, or even, dare I say, something to splurge on a vacation. In a society where money makes the world go around, many of us have been standing still for quite some time. So, when you need more money, what do you do? Get another job? Work a few hours of overtime? Or how about removing the ink on a five dollar bill and reprinting it as a one-hundred dollar bill? One of these things is not quite like the others, but sadly, it’s still true.

Throughout the United States, and most recently in the Milwaukee Metro area, businesses have been victims of counterfeit currency transactions. Perpetrators are bleaching five dollar bills clean of ink, and then printing over the real money with larger denominations such as twenty, fifty, or even one-hundred dollar bills. Unfortunately, what’s fast money for some is hard earned money for others and not just the businesses, but every employee that works for them.  Thankfully, there are a few tips and precautions that business operators and clerks can take to prevent themselves from falling victim to counterfeiters.

• Now that you’re aware, be on the lookout for any suspicious bills.
• In addition to the standard security pen test, hold the bill up to the light and look for the watermark on the right hand side of the bill every time.
• Don’t be afraid to contact your local police department or manager if you’re unsure about a suspicious looking bill.

For more information about counterfeit money, visit www.wiccrimeprevention.com.

Digital Copier Identity Theft

In our office we have a copier that can make your copy into a PDF document that you can receive via email at your desk.  It’s a really great feature but recently I saw how that feature could turn potentially ugly with the push of a few wrong buttons.

A person accidentally sent a PDF copy of his license and social security card to a few people in the office because he mistakenly highlighted more names than his own.  This could have been an identity theft situation that would have cost this person a lot of time and money to reclaim the stolen identity.

But the problem doesn’t stop there.  If this person was using a digital copier, there is another risk that has nothing to do with human error.  Did you know that digital copiers store what you’ve copied on a hard drive that if not wiped clean, can be retrieved when that copier is re-sold or junked after it is no longer useful to the company?

It is scary to think about how much personal and company data could be on your organization’s copier hard drive.  Fortunately, there are some ways you can try to protect that information by working with your IT staff.  An article by Consumeraffairs.com has some easy to follow steps you can take in your office.

As scary as this is, the number one way people become victims of identity theft is still through their own lapses in judgment.  Don’t be careless with your personal information.  Learn how to be identity smart with the brochure,Identity Smart: A Guide for Consumers to Help Protect Against Identity Theft, by LifeLock and the National Crime Prevention Council. 
Ten simple tips to secure your identity:

• Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you’re dealing.
 

• Shred all documents, including preapproved credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and statements you are discarding, and other financial information.
 

• Protect your computer from Internet intruders—use firewalls. Also use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. Create hard-to-guess passwords that cannot be found in any dictionary. Select passwords with at least eight characters and that include a mix of numbers and both uppercase and lowercase letters.
 

• Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry. Take only what you’ll actually need. Make a list of all your credit card account numbers and bank account numbers with customer service phone numbers, and keep it in a safe place.
 

• Do not put your Social Security number on your checks or your credit receipts. If a business requests your Social Security number, give an alternate number.
 

• Be careful when using ATM machines and long-distance phone cards. Someone may look over your shoulder and get your PIN numbers.  You also have to be careful of ATM skimmer machines.  Do not use an ATM if it looks like it’s been tampered with.
 

• Never submit your credit card number to a website unless it is encrypted on a secured site. Look at the bottom of the screen for a padlock symbol. Do not select to save your information on the site for future transactions.
 

• Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if bills don’t arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit account and changed your address.
 

• Cancel all credit cards you have not used in the last six months. Open credit is a prime target for an identity thief.  Also, you might consider signing up for a monitoring service so you can be alerted to any unusual activity.
 

• Order your credit report at least twice a year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com), and Trans Union (www.transunion.com). The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to get one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Correct all mistakes on your credit report in writing. Send a letter to the credit reporting agency identifying the problems item by item, include a copy of the credit report, and send the letter return receipt requested.

FBI Agent Infiltrates Cybercriminals’ Hidden World

Infoworld has posted a fascinating account of FBI Agent Keith Mularski's successful infiltration of the professional identity theft and fraud scene. Over the three-plus years he spent posing as a scammer on the international fraud website DarkMarket, Mularski slowly built trust with other members and rose through the ranks of the criminals running the site. He steadily gained access to more information about the site's users and was eventually made an administrator of the site itself. Even after rumors began to spread that Mularski was actually a law enforcement agent, many of the cybercriminals still trusted him because of their long history dealing with him. After all, every other site administrator had previously been accused of being a law enforcement agent as well.

Though Mularski never sent spam or committed any acts of fraud while maintaining his dual identity, he was familiar with many of the techniques used by cybercriminals from his work on an antispam operation. He also spent long hours day and night maintaining the site and chatting with other members. It took a toll on his personal life, but gave him credibility he needed to gain the trust of other DarkMarket members.

Once he was given administrative rights on DarkMarket, Mularski could track scammers accessing the site and even read what they were saying to each other. Due to information provided by Mularski, the other administrators of DarkMarket were arrested in their home countries until he was the sole remaining administrator of the site. Then, working with other law enforcement agencies in Europe, he led an investigation that netted 59 arrests and prevented $70 million in bank fraud.

While this story highlights the great work of Agent Mularski and the Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit, run out of the National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance it also reveals the sophistication of many online scammers, and the wealth of resources available to them online. Law enforcement would be wise to follow this example in rooting out forums where potential criminals learn how to break the law and cooperate with each other. Doing so will prevent many people from ever starting down the path of crime. NCPC provides information that helps protect people from becoming victims of fraud and identity theft. What else can law enforcement agencies and crime prevention organizations do to prevent people from becoming victims of cybercriminals?

Hurricane Relief Scams That Could Leave You Devastated

It's hurricane season and it seems that every year a scourge of relief scams ride in with the storm surge. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ivan, and even the tsunamis of Asia in 2005 proved that there will always be some criminals who seek to profit from disaster by scamming both those hit by the hurricane and the kind-hearted donors who want to help.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported seeing an increase in websites soliciting for charitable donations to aid hurricane survivors. According to Computerworld, nearly 100 domain names related to Hurricane Gustav were registered well before the hurricane hit our shores. Some of those domains were probably intended for use as bogus charity and relief scams.

Many, if not all, of the unsolicited emails in your inbox asking for donations are scams. Some of them look pretty authentic or can move you to tears, but you can protect yourself from all of them by following these simple tips.

• Don't respond to spam emails or click on any links or pictures in spam emails.
• Be skeptical of individuals soliciting donations via email, no matter how official the email might seem.
• Don't provide your personal information to someone soliciting contributions.
• Make donations directly to recognized organizations, not through a third party. Type in the site yourself—rather than using a link in an email—and make sure you're using a secure connection (look for "https" in the address bar).

Con artists don't only target donors though. Some will stoop so low as to scam people who have been affected by the disaster, too. Scammers have claimed to represent government agencies, banks, and credit card companies. Some scammers pose as contractors offering to do immediate repair work to damaged homes—and then never show up to do the work. Even some legitimate contractors engage in price gouging, since there is so much repair work to be done and so few contractors available. Other con artists will email disaster victims promising them big winnings in a sweepstakes or lotteries if they send in payments for taxes or other fees or their bank account number. The worst con? Fee-based spam messages that offer to locate loved ones who are lost in the wake of a hurricane or other disaster. Disaster victims need to be vigilant in a time that can stressful and difficult.

If you receive a scam email, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Scambusters.org has put together a list of some of the most common hurricane scams. Have you come across any others?

"Identity" Crisis

Identity thieves prey upon the ignorance of their victims. No one is more ignorant nor stands to lose more when it comes to identity theft than college students. Usually burdened by student loans with no independent credit standing, most college students don’t realize how their lives can be irreparably damaged, or how quickly, by identity theft.

Kids continue to enter college with little if any education about credit card predators, what information they should give over the phone, when to give out their Social Security number, what personal information they shouldn’t list on social networking sites, and how to properly dispose of bills and promotions that contain personal information.

The single best investment a college student should make is not in a laptop, a HI-DEF TV, or even textbooks, but a paper shredder. College kids must take the necessary steps to protect their identity so that someone else does not destroy their credit rating, which would hamper their ability to apply for mortgages and loans upon graduation.

Phishing: Don’t Let Them Catch Anything

Recently, 38 people were arrested and charged in conjunction with a global crime ring for stealing names, Social Security numbers, credit card data, and other personal information from unsuspecting Internet users. The Romanian-based phishing scam had ripped off thousands of consumers and hundreds of financial institutions in the United States, Canada, Portugal, and Pakistan. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip told the Associated Press,“International organized crime poses a serious threat not only to the United States and Romania, but to all nations. Criminals who exploit the power and convenience of the Internet do not recognize national borders; therefore our efforts to prevent their attacks cannot end at our borders.”

Phishing takes place when scammers send emails to a user that falsely claim to come from an established legitimate enterprise (usually a bank or credit card company) in an attempt to obtain private information that will be used for identity thefts. The email directs the user to a website where he or she is asked to update personal information that the legitimate organization already has. The website, however, is bogus and is only set up to steal the user’s information.

There are several steps you can take to keep from being a victim of phishing, including these:

• Be cautious of email asking for personal information
• Don’t click on links within emails that ask for your personal information
• Be aware of “pharming,” which tricks your computer so your Web browser will take you to false versions of websites that may steal any information you enter
• Never enter personal information in a pop-up screen
• Protect your computer with spam filters, antivirus and antispyware software, and a firewall
• Only open email attachments you are expecting and know what they contain
• Be aware that phishing also occurs via phone calls

Always be careful when you receive spam email asking for your personal information and stay safe online. For more information on phishing and identity theft, visit NCPC’s Identity Theft campaign website, www.fraud.org, or the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ID Theft Clearinghouse at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Stalemate in Cyberspace

A war is raging in Cyberspace.  We have tried to document the action on this blog, but the nature of this online conflict is without precedent.  No ceasefire is in sight, and indeed, over the years, both sides of the battle have only escalated their tactics, each one desperately trying to stay a step ahead of the other.  On one side, hackers and thieves try to exploit the Internet’s near-anonymous landscape to steal identities and embezzle funds and credit.  On the other side, law enforcement agencies must study their online adversaries and implement strategies to locate and prosecute these criminals. But as usual, it is the average American consumer who is stuck in the crossfire.

The implications of this competition are dire, and the end results will dictate how we live and conduct business as a society.  Already, our lives have been dramatically affected by the volleys between these two adversaries, and we have learned to accept the unpredictability of peoples’ behavior on the World Wide Web and the relative lack of security in keeping our private information to ourselves. 

But with this in mind, I recognize that we currently have little choice in the matter.  As long as we embrace the Internet as a tool for business and recreation, we must constantly be aware of the more uncontrollable elements of Cyberspace.  Two articles from the Washington Post are helpful in navigating this Internet quagmire. 

The first article from the Post examines how the government will employ a private contractor to head an “interagency group that will coordinate the government’s efforts to protect its computer networks from organized cyberattacks.”  Then, a second Post article describes how thousands of law enforcement agencies are collaborating to create the largest online “national dragnet” to date.

These are just two more examples of how technology is being used in the fight to take back Cyberspace from con artists and criminals.  It would be beneficial for every American to keep an eye on related news, and understand both what criminals are doing online as well as how law enforcement agencies are combating these problems.