SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services to low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

May 30, 2019

TORNADO, FLOOD, FIRE RELIEF SCAMS

Recent tornados, floods, hurricanes, and fires have left many homeowners desperate for help. Unfortunately, this creates opportunities for fraudsters to ply their despicable trade.

They may pretend to represent a charity that is helping those in need. Their first contact might be by computer ID spoofing, telephone or robocall technology.  

Be wary of charities that spring up too suddenly in response to current events and natural disasters. Even if they are legitimate, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people.

Representatives of legitimate charities and fundraisers may use the phone, face-to-face contact, email, the internet (including social networking sites), and mobile devices to solicit and obtain donations. Naturally, scammers use these same methods to deceive you and take advantage of your goodwill.

Regardless of how they reach you, avoid any charity or fundraiser that:

*Refuses to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs, and how the donation will be used.

*Won’t provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible.

*Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization.

*Offers thanks for a pledge you don’t remember making.

*Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to think about it and do your research.

*Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money.

*Offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately.

*Guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.

If you receive this type of contact, before giving out any personal information or agreeing to any payment, you should independently verify that the call is from a legitimate charity. 

If you wish to report a suspected fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-720-5721. If you need to report other fraudulent activities during or following a natural disaster, please notify FEMA at 1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission http://www.ftc.gov.

To guard against this disaster related scam, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself:

*Donate to trusted, well-known charities. Beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website. If you have doubts:

* you can check with Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance

 *You can also check with the National Association of State Charity Officials. Legitimate charities are required to be on file with your state.

* To check if the charity is trustworthy, or gain other information you can contact the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, GuideStar or ftc.gov/charityfraud.

*Verify all phone numbers for charities. If you need to contact a charity by phone, verify through the charity’s official website that the number you have is legitimate.

*Do not open suspicious emails. If you receive a suspicious email requesting donations or other assistance, do not click on any links or open any attachments. Scammers regularly use email for phishing attacks and to spread malware.

*Be skeptical of social media posts. Independently verify any solicitation for charitable donations before you give. If you’re using text-to-donate, check the number with the charity first.

*Finally, watch out for scammers impersonating federal, state, tribal and municipal authorities. If someone calls claiming to be a government official, hang up. You can call the number listed on that government agency’s official website to determine if it is a legitimate call.

If you have been scammed – or have reason to believe a scammer is attempting to scam you—the US Federal Trade Commission would like to have your report  at www.ftc.gov.

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SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who assists low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

CROWDFUNDING SCAMS

May 22, 2019

Crowdfunding is one way to support a project you believe in and get rewards. But the project you’re backing is only as good as the people behind it. Some dishonest people can take your money but produce nothing – no product, no project, and no reward.

Here’s how crowdfunding works: People called “creators” ask for small amounts of money from lots of people. The purported purpose is to fund projects through websites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. In exchange, creators offer rewards—possibly a product the creators plan to create in the future. Sounds great–unless the creators don’t create anything but profit for themselves.

In an FTC lawsuit against iBackPack, the FTC says people shelled out over $800,000 via crowdfunding campaigns. The company said those funds would help it provide consumers with backpacks and shoulder bags with built-in batteries for charging mobile devices. But, according to the FTC, iBackPack’s claims that bags would soon be going out to consumers were lies.

What’s more, the FTC’s investigation found that the money the creators took in from their campaigns generally didn’t go toward what they said it would. Instead, iBackPack’s CEO pocketed a large part of the funds for his own personal use.

When contributors began to complain about iBackPack’s failure to perform as promised, the CEO allegedly threatened some of them – adding that he knew their addresses and other personal information.

If you’re thinking about contributing to a crowdfunding campaign, take time to research the creator’s background and reviews before you pay. For example, has the creator engaged in previous campaigns? How did those campaigns turn out?

If you learn about a crowdfunding scam you are urged to report it to the Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov.

Special Measles Advisory Warning Courtesy of Mayo Clinic

May 16, 2019

    MEASLES

Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus that replicates in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. Then, when someone with measles coughs, sneezes or talks, infected droplets spray into the air, where other people can inhale them. Also called rubeola, measles can be serious and even fatal for small children.

The infected droplets may also land on a surface, where they remain active and contagious for several hours. You can contract the virus by putting your fingers in your mouth or nose or rubbing your eyes after touching the infected surface.

Consult your Doctor to be sure you understand the dangers of measles and how best to protect yourself or others.

Your doctor can usually diagnose measles based on the disease’s characteristic rash as well as a small, bluish-white spot on a bright red background — Koplik’s spot — on the inside lining of the cheek. However, many doctors have never seen measles, and the rash can be confused with a number of other illnesses. If necessary, a blood test can confirm whether the rash is truly measles.

    For the first 10 to 14 days after you’re infected, the measles virus incubates. You have no signs or symptoms of measles during this time.

    Measles typically begins with a mild to moderate fever, often accompanied by a persistent cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and sore throat. This relatively mild illness may last two or three days

The rash consists of small red spots, some of which are slightly raised. Spots and bumps in tight clusters give the skin a splotchy red appearance. The face breaks out first.   Over the next few days, the rash spreads down the arms and trunk, then over the thighs, lower legs and feet

 At the same time, the fever rises sharply, often as high as 104 to 105.8 F (40 to 41 C) before the rash gradually recedes, fading first from the face and last from the thighs and feet.

Risk factors for measles include:

    *Being unvaccinated. If you haven’t received the vaccine for measles, you’re much more likely to develop the disease.

    *Traveling internationally. If you travel to developing countries, where measles is more common, you’re at higher risk of catching the disease.

    *Vitamin A deficiency. If you don’t have enough vitamin A in your diet, you’re more likely to have more-severe symptoms and complications.

Complications of measles may include:

    *Ear infection. One of the most common complications of measles is a bacterial ear infection.

    *Bronchitis, laryngitis or croup. Measles may lead to inflammation of your voice box (larynx) or inflammation of the inner walls that line the main air passageways of your lungs (bronchial tubes).

    *Pneumonia. Pneumonia is a common complication of measles. People with compromised immune systems can develop an especially dangerous variety of pneumonia that is sometimes fatal.

    *Encephalitis. About 1 in 1,000 people with measles develops a complication called encephalitis. Encephalitis may occur right after measles, or it might not occur until months later.

    *Pregnancy problems. If you’re pregnant, you need to take special care to avoid measles because the disease can cause preterm labor, low birth weight and maternal death.

Prevention—family members

If someone in your household has measles, take these precautions to protect vulnerable family members and friends:

   * Isolation. Because measles is highly contagious from about four days before to four days after the rash breaks out, people with measles shouldn’t return to activities in which they interact with other people during this period.

            It may also be necessary to keep nonimmunized people — siblings, for example — away from the infected person.

    *Vaccinate. Be sure that anyone who’s at measles risk receives the vaccine as soon as possible.

            The first vaccine dose for infants is usually given between 12 and 15 months, with the second dose typically given between ages four and six years. If you’ll be traveling abroad before your child is a year old, talk with your child’s doctor about getting the measles vaccine earlier.

If you’ve already had measles, your body has built up its immune system to fight the infection, and you likely will not get measles again. For everyone else, there’s the need for measles vaccine.

Treatment:

There’s no specific treatment for an established measles infection. However, some measures can be taken to protect vulnerable individuals who have been exposed to the virus. Your doctor can advise you of your best course of action.

  Post-exposure vaccination.

 Nonimmunized people, including infants, may be given the measles vaccination within 72 hours of exposure to the measles virus to provide protection against the disease. If measles still develops, the illness usually has milder symptoms and lasts for a shorter time.

Immune serum globulin.

Pregnant women, infants and people with weakened immune systems who are exposed to the virus may receive an injection of proteins (antibodies) called immune serum globulin. When given within six days of exposure to the virus, these antibodies can prevent measles or make symptoms less severe.

Medications—after consulting with your doctor.

    *Fever reducers. You or your child may also take over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Children’s Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve) to help relieve the fever that accompanies measles.

    *Antibiotics. If a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or an ear infection, develops while you or your child has measles, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.

    *Vitamin A. Children with low levels of vitamin A are likely to have a more severe case of measles. Giving vitamin A may lessen the severity of the measles. It’s generally given as a large dose of 200,000 international units (IU) for children older than a year.

 Communicable period:

A person with measles can spread the virus to others for about eight days, starting four days before the rash appears and ending when the rash has been present for four days.

Post-exposure vaccination:

Nonimmunized people, including infants, may be given the measles vaccination within 72 hours of exposure to the measles virus to provide protection against the disease. If measles still develops, the illness usually has milder symptoms and lasts for a shorter time.

Immune serum globulin. Pregnant women, infants and people with weakened immune systems who are exposed to the virus may receive an injection of proteins (antibodies) called immune serum globulin. When given within six days of exposure to the virus, these antibodies can prevent measles or make symptoms less severe.

Lifestyle and home remedies:

If you or your child has measles, keep in touch with your doctor as you monitor the progress of the disease and watch for complications. Also, you can try these comfort measures:

    *Take it easy. Get rest and avoid busy activities.

    *Sip something. Drink plenty of water, fruit juice and herbal tea to replace fluids lost by fever and sweating.

    *Seek respiratory relief. Use a humidifier to relieve a cough and sore throat.

    *Rest your eyes. If you or your child finds bright light bothersome, as do many people with measles, keep the lights low or wear sunglasses. Also avoid reading or watching television if light from a reading lamp or from the television is bothersome.

For a complete version of the acclaimed Mayo Clinic Article log onto http://www.mayoclinic.org.

S CAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services to low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

May 6, 2019

HAIR REGROWTH SCAMS

A person can lose hair for a range of reasons. It can be caused by hereditary predisposition, or to illnesses that causes hair loss. In some cases, either for cosmetic or genuine medical need, a person may search for a solution to restore hair.

While certain treatments and procedures have produced desired results, many others are based on phony claims. It may be illegal to claim a product or service achieves hair regrowth without back-up scientific evidence and Federal Drug Administration approval.

But that doesn’t stop fraudsters from using wording that implies regrowth without actually saying it. For example: A fraudster might say their product “helps people who are balding.” They might even use phony before-and-after photos that suggest hair regrowth when all the product actually does is thicken existing hair.

Here are simple tips to help avoid a hair loss treatment scam:

*Before seeking any kind of treatment, speak to your doctor. There are some drugs, ointments, and injections that have been shown to work on certain hair-loss disorders such as alopecia.

*Beware of ads or promotions that use words like “miracle,” “wonder,” and “amazing.” There are no miracle regrowth treatments.

*If you’re seeking a surgical procedure, ask for evidence of success and customer references. Ideally, it would be helpful to meet up with someone who has successfully undergone the treatment.

If you have been a scam victim, or believe there is an attempt to victimize you, the Federal Trade Commission requests you report it to http://www.ftc.gov.