Since 1996, November has been recognized as National Veteran and Military Families Month. Service members and their families face long separations and frequently must adjust to new living situations and communities. Military families endure these challenges through resilience, strength, and courage. Unfortunately, scammers are not concerned about protecting or caring for our military families. They are much more interested in finding ways to line their own pockets at the expense of someone else.

The practice of impersonating service members for financial gain is a common tactic of some scammers. These people often steal the online identity or profile pictures of service members and use social media to perpetrate a romance scam or make claims that involve the sale of a house, car, or other big-ticket items. It is good practice to search sites regularly for impostors and even conduct a reverse image search on your own picture to be sure it is not being used fraudulently.

NATIONAL VETERAN AND MILITARY FAMILIES MONTH

November 2020

Impostors are damaging not only to an individual’s reputation but also to that service member’s branch of the military. It is important to know the following warning signs of a scam or the common identifiers associated with an impostor account.

• The account is not registered and/or verified.

• The account has very few photos.

• The photos are posted in the same date range.

• The account has few followers or comments.

• The account name and photos do not match.

• There are obvious grammatical errors.

• Key information is missing.

Service members, especially leaders, are prime targets for identity thieves who will use images posted online to create fake accounts. Impostor accounts are violations of terms of use agreements, and when one is identified, it is important to report it to the host platform. Most social media platforms have a reporting system that allows users to report an individual who is pretending to be someone else.

The individuals or groups establishing impostor accounts can be clever, using different usernames, similar spellings, personal photos, official photos, and even photoshopping pictures to change the nametape on service members’ uniforms.

International Fraud Awareness Week was established in 2000 by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) to minimize the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education. Fraud is a year-round business, though, and staying informed and alert is the best way to avoid becoming the victim of a scam.

According to the Financial Cost of Fraud Report published in 2019 by the national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm, Crowe, together with the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies at the University of Portsmouth, fraud is costing businesses and individuals around the world $5.127 trillion each year. That figure represents almost 70% of the $7.442 trillion the world spends on healthcare each year. Another 2019 report issued by the FINRA Foundation in collaboration with the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Stanford Center on Longevity, and Federal Trade Commission explored the cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal difference between fraud victims and non-victims. The groups surveyed more than 1,400 people who had reported a scam and identified the main differences between people who did and did not fall for the scam. The people who avoided becoming a victim:

• Didn’t engage with a scam offer. Nearly half the people surveyed said they had ignored emails, thrown away mailers, and deleted friend requests. They had also hung up on bogus tax and debt collection calls and imposter phishing scams.

• Learned about scams and scammers’ tactics. People who knew more about specific scams and scammers’ tactics were more likely to reject an offer and avoid losing money. News stories were the top way to get information about frauds and scams for the majority of people surveyed.

• Talked to someone. The people who had someone to talk with about the offers were less likely to lose money. Some people who were caught up in scams were helped by store cashiers, bank tellers, or wire transfer employees who talked them out of sending money. Sometimes sharing what you know can help who you know avoid a scam.

While one of these 2019 reports paints a bleak picture of the reality of fraud, the other offers a glimmer of hope. Hope based on vigilance, knowledge, and the sharing of information. Stay alert, talk with your friends and family, and find additional Scams and Fraud information at www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com.

INTERNATIONAL FRAUD AWARENESS WEEK:

NOVEMBER 15-22, 2020

The iPhone 12 was released in October, and many consumers anxiously anticipated the launch of the “new era for iPhone with 5G.”. Unfortunately, scammers were aware of that excitement and attempted to capitalize on it through an iPhone 12 chatbot scam via text message. They were hoping to steal people’s personal information such as names, addresses, and financial information like credit card numbers and security codes. While the scam tried to convince people they have won a free trial of the iPhone 12, the only ones winning with the iPhone 12 chatbot scam are the scammers.

The iPhone 12 chatbot scam targeted Apple product users, especially those who like to stay on the cutting edge of the latest Apple technology. The scam is a phishing campaign that spread through text messages. The text messages appeared to come from an Apple chatbot offering free trials for the iPhone 12 before its release. When people clicked on the link in the text message, it triggered multiple text messages, ending with one saying the user qualified for a test group before taking them to a “payment” screen for shipping charges.

The iPhone 12 chatbot scam was ultimately after people’s credit card information. After people clicked through the questions and learned they were “eligible,” they were taken to the “payment” screen where they were asked to enter their credit card information to pay a “courier delivery charge.” Once victims gave out their personally identifiable information (PII), scammers could use it to commit identity theft.

Remember these tips to avoid falling victim to a phishing scam:

• If you receive a text message you are not expecting that requires you to act, ignore it. Instead, go directly to the source to verify the validity of the message.

• Look for grammatical errors and stylistic issues in the text message to spot the phishing scam.

• Remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do not enter any personal information or click on any links for an offer unless you confirm it is legitimate.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, call Florida’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832) for Spanish speakers. Recovering from identity theft can be a long a painful process. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is a non-profit organization established to support victims of identity theft in resolving their cases. Identity theft victims can call the ITRC toll-free at 888-400-5530 or live chat with one of their expert advisors at www.IDTheftCenter.org.

IPHONE CHATBOT SCAM SPREAD THROUGH TEXT MESSAGES

by Cristina Miranda, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

Two disturbing phone scams have popped up on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) radar. Both scams have one thing in common: they want to trick (and scare) you out of money. These two scams seem to be targeting people in the Staten Island area, but we know that scammers don’t often stick with one area. They could expand their target area at any time.

PHONE SCAM EXTORTING PARENTS

This scam starts with someone texting you a picture of your own child. This is something they could have grabbed from your public social media account. Sometimes, these scammers also send frightening pictures, like images of dismembered bodies. In either case, the messages come with the threat that the scammer knows where you live and will kill your family if you don’t pay them. If you get a call like this, report it to your local police right away, before you do anything else.

PHONE SCAM TARGETING IMMIGRANTS

This scam starts as an imposter call from someone pretending to be from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These scammers often say your immigration status is being revoked, and the police are on their way to arrest or deport you — unless you pay them money right away.

THREATENING PHONE SCAMS TARGETING

PARENTS AND IMMIGRANTS

These are both scams. As scary as they seem, if you have received these kinds of messages or calls:

• Don’t respond to calls or texts, and don’t pay, even in the face of threats. Scammers will often try to pressure and intimidate you to get your money or information.

• Report these scams to your local police department, and then tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

• Set your social media accounts to private. This can keep scammers from getting personal details or grabbing pictures you don’t want shared.

• Know that the government will never call or text to threaten you or ask for money. If you’re concerned, look up the agency’s real number and call them directly. Ask them what the story is.

For more tips, check out this video on telemarketing fraud: Let’s Say Goodbye to Phone Fraud.

FDACS-P-00030 Rev. 11/2020

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properly represented food products. CLICK THE ICON ABOVE TO SEE THE LATEST RECALLS,

MARKET WITHDRAWALS, & SAFETY ALERTS.

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agency’s mission to protect consumers and families from hazardous products.

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The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. Consumers who would like information about filing a complaint against a business or who believe fraud has taken place can visit us online at FloridaConsumerHelp.com or contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832) for Spanish speakers.

Did you know one in six Americans will get foodborne illness this year? Stay safe from foodborne illness this holiday season by handling your turkey properly and cooking it to a safe temperature.

Follow the tips on Turkey (Poultry) Safety from the Division of Food Safety’s new Consumer Resources and Outreach website. This website offers information on how to handle your turkey (poultry) properly to stay food safe, how long to store your holiday leftovers, a Fresh From Florida Osceola Turkey with Citrus Brine recipe, video on practicing turkey safety, and other food safety resources.

You may also access Food Safety Tips for Your Holiday Turkey from the Centers for Disease Control website here.

STAY FOOD SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON