The National Police Memorial contains the names of the 19,298 law enforcement   officers that made the ultimate sacrifice in upholding the law.  As of this post, there have been 36 line of duty deaths in 2012, which is a 47% decrease from the number at this time last year. 

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In Wisconsin, officers will be gathering at a ceremony at the WI Law Enforcement  Officers Memorial located outside of the state capitol.  Three names are presently  being added, which will bring the total to 263 officers killed in the line of duty in Wisconsin.

This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. 

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. 

This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard telephone Credit Card Scam works, you’ll be  better prepared to protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from  ‘VISA’, and I  was called on Thursday from ‘MasterCard’. 

The scam works  like this: 

Person calling says – ‘This  is (name), and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge  number is  12460, Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card  which was  issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona ?’ When you say ‘No’, the  caller continues  with, ‘Then we  will be  issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?’ You say ‘yes’. 

The caller continues – ‘I will be  starting a  Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should  call the 1-  800 number  listed on the  back of your  card  (1-800-VISA)  and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. ‘Do you need me to read it again?’ 

Here’s the IMPORTANT part  on how the  scam works -  The caller  then says, ‘I  need to verify  you are in  possession of  your card’. He’ll ask you to ‘turn your card over and look for some numbers’. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are  part of your  card number,  the last 3 are the Security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will  ask you to  read the last  3 numbers to  him. After you  tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, ‘That is correct, I  just needed to verify that  the card has  not been lost  or stolen, and  that you still  have your card  Do you have any other questions?’ 

 After you say no, the caller then thanks you and  states, ‘Don’t hesitate to  call back if you do’, and hangs up. You actually say very little,  and they never  ask for or  tell you the  card number.  But after we  were called on Wednesday, we  called back.  Within 20 minutes to ask  a question. Are we were glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was  a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number.. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of  the card.  Don’t give it  to them. Instead, tell them you’ll  call VISA or Master Card directly for verification  of their conversation.. 

The real VISA told us that they will  never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit; however, by the time you get your statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then  it’s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file  a fraud  report. 

It appears  that this Is a  very active  scam, and  evidently quite successful

“For identity thieves, accessing personal information like social security numbers, credit card numbers, and financial account information is like winning the lottery,” said Sandy Chalmers, Division Administrator of Trade and Consumer Protection.  ”Remember that identity thieves will do or say anything to get their hands on your personal information.”

 Chalmers said that consumers should use extreme caution when sharing personal information online and should keep an eye on credit reports and bank statements. Irregular activity should be reported immediately to your bank or credit card company. 

Within the identity theft category, consumers most often reported fraudulent use of personal information or being the victim of a data breach.  Wisconsin’s data breach law requires that companies notify victims within 45 days of becoming aware of the breach. 

For the ninth year in a row, telemarketing complaints led by “No Call List” violations topped the annual count.  Consumers filed 1,669 telemarketing complaints in 2011. 

“Every day, we receive dozens of calls from Wisconsin consumers who are fed up with robocalls from ‘Rachel’ about lowering their credit card interest rates,” said Chalmers.  ”Most of these pre-recorded solicitations are illegal.  If you want to stop getting fraudulent robocalls, the best thing to do is to hang up.  Don’t press a number to speak to a live person or to ‘opt-out’ of future calls, because that validates your phone number as an active account.” 

Chalmers said the best way to limit the number of legitimate telemarketing calls you receive on your home or cell line is to sign up your phone numbers for the No Call List at 1-866-9NOCALL or online at www.nocall.wisconsin.gov.  Telemarketers who knowingly and repeatedly violate the policy are investigated and can face fines and prosecution. 

Telecommunications complaints against telephone and internet services jumped to second in the 2011 list with 1,272 written complaints.  This number is due in large part to billing issues and bundling of services. 

“Keep a close eye on your phone, internet and cable bills and question any charges you are unsure about,” said Chalmers.  ”Read the fine print and make sure you fully understand your responsibilities before entering into any sort of service contract.” 

Landlord/tenant issues dropped to third in this year’s complaint list with 837 written complaints, with most complaints relating to security deposit and lease provisions. 

Home improvement issues retained their spot as fourth on the list with 338 complaints. 

Complaints about gas pump accuracy tied with identity theft for fifth with 225 complaints.  Rounding out the top ten are the categories of motor vehicle sales (6); furniture/home furnishings (7); motor vehicle repairs (8); satellite dish (9); and (tied) dentistry and contest/sweepstakes/prize promotions (10). 

DATCP recorded 10,220 new formal written complaints and closed 10,304 existing complaints in 2011. 

For more consumer information or to file a consumer complaint, visit the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s website at www.datcp.wis.gov; send an email to datcphotline@wisconsin.gov; or call toll-free at 1-800-422-7128. 

The second day will feature some timely information on prescription drug abuse and crime prevention strategies for pharmacies from Ritch Wagner, a retired Nebraska State Patrol captain who is now with Purdue Pharma.  The afternoon will feature new scams and cons along with an overview of the US Postal Inspectors and we will end with a session from the WI Division of Criminal Investigation on internet predators.

Our annual awards banquet will be that evening and we have a special speaker that we are working on for the night.  Don’t forget to nominate your programs and people for recognition.

And we will wrap up the conference with the ever popular Dave Perlman’s legal update.  As always, we will have a stellar raffle, so bring some extra cash along for that. Proceeds help offset the numerous trainings that we have been offering recently.

A detailed agenda is posted in the conference section of the website along with the registration form!

The Wisconsin Crime Alert Network from the Wisconsin Department of Justice allows local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies to send out crime alert bulletins to businesses and the public targeting recipients based upon type of business and location.

 The Wisconsin Crime Alert Network is used for:

• Crime Prevention
• Finding Stolen Property
• Identifying Suspects
• Locating Missing Persons
• Notifying public about Police Action

A subscription to the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network is just $12 per year and will allow the recipients to receive alerts by their choice of email, SMS text, fax, or all three.

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For more information and to enroll, please visit the WI Crime Alert Network

We have also been working on some other training opportunities that we hope to wrap up in the next few months. If you have any suggestions for training or any other aspect of crime prevention and community policing, don’t hesitate to contact one of the board members.

The following video comes courtesy of the Naples, Florida Police Department and brings us some great safety tips for shoppers and hopefully some warm weather as well!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Unhaunting Your House and Neighborhood

• Welcome trick-or-treaters at home by turning on your exterior lights.

• Remove objects from your yard that might present a hazard to visitors.

• Drive slowly all evening—you never know what creature may suddenly cross your path.

• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your local police or sheriff ’s department.

Making Safe Costumes

• Check that costumes are flame-retardant so the little ones aren’t in danger near candlelit jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards.

• Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.

• Encourage kids to wear comfortable shoes.

• Try makeup instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and, more importantly, they can obstruct a child’s vision—a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.

• Make sure kids wear light colors or put refl ective tape on their costumes.

Preparing Ghosts and Goblins for Their Tricks and Treats

• Make sure older kids go out with friends. Younger children should be accompanied by an adult. If you live in a rural area, offer all kids a ride in the car.

• Set a time limit for children to trick-or treat. Together, map out a safe route so you know where they’ll be. Remind them not to take shortcuts through backyards, alleys, or playing fields.

• Remind kids not to enter a strange house or car.

• Try to get kids to trick-or-treat while it is still light out. If it is dark, make sure the children are carrying flashlights that work.

Eating the Treats

• Kids need to know not to eat their treats until they get home. One way to keep trick-ortreaters from digging in while they’re still out is to feed them a meal or substantial snack beforehand.

• Check out all treats at home in a welllighted place.

• What to eat? Only unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers.  Don’t forget to inspect fruit and homemade  goodies for anything suspicious. By all means, remind kids not to eat everything at once or  they’ll be feeling pretty ghoulish for a while.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For more information and to register Click here