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It has been difficult to watch the extreme weather patterns that have been happening around the U.S. over the past few months.  Fires and torrential rainstorms in California, tornadoes down south, blizzards in the Midwest and New York, and a devastating hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. It is heartbreaking to see the devastation and then on top of it, to know that fraudsters are using natural disasters to perpetrate fraud on victims who have suffered through them. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receives so many complaints about these fraudsters that it issued a warning on January 18, 2023, entitled “How to spot, avoid, and report weather-related scams.”

Whether you have been the victim of a weather disaster or  are in the future, or you want to assist those who are victims of a natural disaster, heed the warning of the FTC and protect yourself from these scammers.

According to the Alert:

Here are a few ways to spot the scammers who might try to take your money or personal information after a weather emergency:

  • Spot imposter scams. Scammers might pretend to be safety inspectors, government officials trying to help you, or utility workers who say immediate work is required. Don’t give them money, and do ask for identification to verify with whom you are dealing before sharing personal information such as your Social Security or other private account numbers.
  • Spot FEMA impersonators charging application fees. If someone wants money to help you qualify for FEMA funds, it’s a scam. Download the FEMA Mobile App to get alerts and information. Visit FEMA.gov for more information.
  • Spot home improvement and debris removal scams. Unlicensed contractors and scammers may appear in recovery zones with promises of quick repairs or clean-up services. Walk away if they demand cash payments up front, or refuse to give you copies of their license, insurance, and a contract in writing.
  • Spot rental listing scams. Scammers know people need a place to live while they rebuild. They’ll advertise rentals that don’t exist to get your money and run. The scammers are the ones who tell you to wire money, or who ask for security deposits or rent before you’ve met or signed a lease.
  • Spot charity scams. Scammers will often try to profit from the misfortune of others, sometimes using familiar-sounding names or logos. Check Donating Wisely and Avoiding Charity Scams [https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/how-donate-wisely-and-avoid-charity-scams] before opening up your wallet.

If you are the victim of a scammer, report the incident to the FTC. Stay safe during these uncertain times and avoid being victimized twice: once by the weather and again by a scammer.

This week (May 8-12, 2017) is Privacy Awareness Week—an annual initiative of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum (APPA) that concentrates on sharing information about privacy practices and rules.

The APPA is an interesting group made up of privacy regulators from Australia, British Columbia, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macao, Mexico, New South Wales, New Zealand, The Northern Territory, Peru, Queensland, Singapore, the United States (both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are included), and Victoria. It has been in existence since 1992 (way before privacy became such a huge issue with the Internet), and they meet twice a year to “form partnerships and exchange ideas about privacy regulation, new technologies and the management of privacy enquiries and complaints.” What a brilliant idea…

This year’s theme for Privacy Awareness Week is “Care When you Share,” and APPA is “encouraging individuals to care about their privacy and better inform themselves of what will or might happen to their personal information before they share it” as well as better educating employees of governmental agencies to understand their responsibilities with others’ personal information and to basically respect it and treat it as their own.

APPA and its members have distributed great resources for Privacy Awareness Week, including posters with the theme “Pause for Privacy,” a Quickguide for CIOs, a guide on “How to Embed and Support a Culture of Privacy,” and guides for the sharing of information between governmental agencies.

So embrace Privacy Awareness Week and “Share with Care.” Pause before you click “I agree.” Think twice before you give your Social Security number to someone or enter all of your personal information into a website form. These are all previous Privacy Tips from this blog, but it is always good to revisit them—especially when the theme of Privacy Awareness Week is “Share with Care.”

Cybersecurity specialists at BAE Systems and Symantec announced last week new evidence suggesting that the criminals behind the notorious 2014 attack on Sony Corp. are also responsible for recent cyber-attacks involving 104 organizations in 31 countries. Researchers and investigators have long attributed the 2014 Sony attack, which crippled computer systems and revealed internal emails, to the North Korea-linked group known as “Lazarus.” Malware recently discovered running on the computers of a Polish bank suggest that the Lazarus group is now targeting global financial institutions using a sophisticated “watering hole” technique. Continue Reading Sony Cyber-Attackers Lurking at Financial Supervisor “Watering Hole” Target Banks and Others