Keep Your Holidays Happy

BE AWARE OF PRE AND POST HOLIDAY FRAUDS

American shoppers are expected to spend more than $900 each during this holiday season, once gifts, food, and decorations are all added up, according to the National Retail Federation. And scammers are waiting to grab a share. The holidays have emerged as gala days for fraudsters who rely on proven tactics to exploit consumers. Increasingly, the scams take place online, and victims often have no recourse. Returning gifts may also put shoppers at risk.

Holiday shoppers are advised to watch out for certain dangers in the marketplace that have become more common in recent years. Here are six of the most common consumer scams:

1. Holiday-season phishing. Criminals create fake emails and texts that are designed to look like as though they come from genuine retailers, including those that a consumer has patronized in the past. These phony messages may sound like holiday promotions, but they are meant to lure victims onto malicious websites where personal data is stolen.
2. Counterfeit products. In the frenzied atmosphere of holiday sales and returns, consumers may grab products that are actually cheap imitations of ones they are actually seeking. In some cases, unscrupulous vendors may provide fake tracking numbers for items they never deliver.
3. Failure to deliver. Looking forward to the arrival of that perfect gift you found online? Scammers may pretend to represent FedEx or UPS. They then claim there is a delivery problem and advise the consumer to click on a link to provide personal identifying information. Consumers who cooperate open themselves up to identity theft.
4. Returning holiday presents. Returning gifts received over the holiday season can be a challenge, but scammers recognize that this is a good time to ensnare customers who are desperate for a refund. Calling or writing to Customer Service sounds like a reasonable option, but consumers need to be very careful about who they are contacting.  “If you go to your web browser and type in customer support for “x company,” it’s common that those first ones that come up on the list are entirely fraudulent,” Kathy Stokes, director of Fraud Prevention at AARP warns.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Don’t let scammers ruin the holidays. Warn your loved ones to stay safe online and if you/they receive a suspicious text, email, or voicemail – don’t click on questionable links! Instead, forward it to Hotline@eversafe.com and/or 240-630-1990 for a review by our fraud prevention team

Supplement for Longevity

IS TAURINE THE ANSWER?

Many of us have wondered if there is a vitamin or supplement that can help extend life. One 2023 study, published in Science,  found that taurine, an amino acid found in many energy drinks, showed promise. There are hundreds of amino acids that exist in nature, but only nine are essential for human life, according to scientists. And taurine is not on that list! But a study conducted in 2023 showed that mice taking taurine lived three to four months longer than those that didn’t. That’s a 12% increase in lifespan for females and 10% increase for males – which is equivalent to seven to eight years when translated to humans. Taurine may not make a good holiday gift – but keep it in mind when you check in with your doctor about your 2025 health and wellness resolutions!

GOVERNMENT / LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

REGULATORS ISSUE GUIDANCE ON ELDER FRAUD

On December 4th, five federal financial regulatory agencies and state regulators issued a statement focused on combatting elder financial abuse. This guidance also provided examples of risk management for supervised institutions in their effort to shut down scams. These practices included employee training, using transaction and disbursement holds, filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), reporting to the appropriate agency (i.e. law enforcement; Adult Protective Services), and using Trusted Contacts – who can be notified in the event of a suspicious financial event.

SENATE PASSES THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT

Earlier this month, the Senate passed a reauthorization to the Older Americans Act. This new version of the bill provides significant updates to elder justice programs, including support for Adult Protective Services and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. The updates also support older adults who wish to age in place, addressing caregivers, potential home modifications, and improved technology literacy. The new legislation also adds elder abuse training to the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The next step is for the bill to be voted on in the House of Representatives − hopefully before the end of December.

SCAM WATCH

FAKE EMAILS TARGET ATTORNEYS NATIONWIDE

The emails are carefully designed to trick lawyers. They appear to be coming from the federal court filing system. And they warn recipients that they are “required” to respond to a new electronic court filing – immediately. But attorneys who respond to the email are sent to a “malicious website” where viruses can attack their computers, the Administrative Office of the US Courts warned attorneys last month. Investigators are still determining the scope of the scam. The federal court filing system – formally known as the Case Management Electronic Case Files – enables lawyers to file judicial documents, such as pleadings, motions, and petitions, with federal courts online. In the wake of the scandal, court officials are advising attorneys to contact the federal court in their jurisdiction in order to validate cases and documentation, rather than automatically open attachments or links in emails that could be fraudulent. “Be very careful, lawyers, because your personal or client data could be at risk,” cautions an article in Above the Law, a legal publication. The federal court system, the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida have all sent out warnings. This isn’t the first time scammers have targeted the court system. The federal court scams page notes that jurors, court translators, vendors and others have all been the subject of scams in the past. “Hopefully no lawyers fell for this phishing attempt, but this serves as a sobering reminder for all law firms that they need to be on top of their cybersecurity. That includes making sure client data is secure, protecting the firm network from hackers, and educating their employees about best practices,” advised the Above the Law piece.

Dick Van Dyke Celebrates 99

PARTNERS WITH COLDPLAY’S CHRIS MARTIN

Chris Martin, of Coldplay, has released a heartwarming video for his new song “All My Love,” performed with the amazing Dick Van Dyke. December 13th was Dick’s 99th birthday and a longer, extended cut of the video, filmed at Van Dyke’s Malibu home, was released earlier this month. You can watch the special video of the now centenarian − surrounded by friends and family, which includes touching original footage of Van Dyke’s various Hollywood projects, including Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Dick Van Dyke Show here.