John Skoglund, Director of Consumer Protection - 18th Judicial District

John Skoglund, Director Consumer Protection - 18th Judicial District will no longer be posting Consumer Protection information on this facebook site. From this point forward, Consumer Protection information will be posted to the Facebook site: 18th Judicial District - District Attorney Carol Chambers. Please like that Facebook site and keep apprised of matters within the 18th Judicial District.

The District Attorney’s Office is pleased to highlight the fifth Consumer Protection Video titled “Avoiding Home Burglaries.” Chief Deputy District Attorney Leslie Hansen shares some important safety tips to safeguard your home. Click on video to view.

Avoiding Home Burglaries

The District Attorney’s Office is pleased to highlight the fourth Consumer Protection Video titled “Finding a Contractor.” The video highlights the importance that once you find a contractor and before you sign the contract, you determine if a building permit is needed before the work starts. Even if the contractor states you don’t need a permit, it is always a good idea to contact your local building department to inquire if a permit is needed. Click on the video to view.

Finding a Contractor

The District Attorney’s Office is pleased to highlight the third Consumer Protection Video titled “Before You Sign.” The video highlights the importance of reading and understanding any document before you sign it. Click on the video to view it.

Before You Sign

The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the AARP Foundation/AARP ElderWatch join forces for National Consumer Protection Week 2012 in a You Tube video to warn you about Sweepstakes and Foreign Lotteries and how to avoid being scammed. Please click on the video link to learn how to protect yourself from these types of scams. Remember, you are in control of the situation! You do not have to pay to win a sweepstakes!

National Consumer Protection Week Check out Amy and John, they have great tips to protect yourself from fraud!

CONSUMER ALERT - TELEPHONE SCAM

Recently senior citizens have been receiving telephone calls by a male individual stating he is their grandson and is in need of money. The caller states that he is out of the country and has been in an accident, broke his nose and needs to have money wired to him immediately. The telephone number is blocked so that it does not appear on caller id and the caller will not leave a call back number. The caller states he will be at a different location and have to call back. The caller asks for about $5,000 to be wired to him. The caller will provide all of the information on where the money is to be wired. This is a scam, do not become a victim.

Steps to take to minimize risks:
• Do not send money.
• Try to obtain a telephone number from the caller.
• Hang up the telephone.
• When you get off of the phone, verify if your grandson is really out of the country by using contact information you already have for him. Those that have received this call have verified their grandsons to be at home.
• Do not give any personal identifying information to the caller, to include bank accounts.
• Do not confirm information about you to the caller.
• Do not feel pressured to do something immediately.
• If called again, tell the caller to quit calling you.

Criminally prosecuting this type of fraud or theft is very challenging, as the individual(s) committing the crime could be anywhere in the world and have been in a foreign country. This type of scam has also been done through e-mail and over the Internet. Avoid e-mailing personal and financial information. Be suspicious of urgent demands and independently verify if you were really contacted by the individual.

If you become a victim of fraud or theft, file a report with your local law enforcement agency. The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Line provides assistance to victims of crime and answers questions on white collar crime issues. If you have a question or need assistance, call 720-874-8547.

The District Attorney’s Office is pleased to highlight the second in a series of consumer protection videos. The video titled “Written Agreements” discusses important consumer tips about why you should have a written agreement. Click on the video to view.

Written Agreements

SMARTPHONE RISKS AND SECURITY

Recently there have been news articles regarding the safety and security of smart cell phones, known as smartphones. A smartphone basically is a small, portable computer capable of making telephone calls, surfing the Internet, making purchases, managing accounts and more. Consumers are turning more and more to the use of smartphones. Their convenience makes them very popular. Safety doesn’t always accompany the convenience. Consumers need to be aware that using mobile devices comes with risks. The Denver Better Business Bureau recently had an article on their Web site regarding the risks of making payments using these types of devices. An article on IT World’s Web site last year indicated that 89% of mobile owners are unaware of the risks of using smartphones for banking. Owners of the devices are unaware that smartphone applications (apps) can transmit personal details, such as credit card numbers without the user’s knowledge or consent (according to research by AVG). Research by the Ponemon Institute revealed that 91% were unaware apps can be infected with malware specifically designed to steal banking details.

Most people use security software on their computers, but few have security software installed on their mobile devices. There are a number of different vendors that have security software available for mobile devices. You need to research what is available for your device. Current technology sites that test and review software haven’t finished their research on mobile software.

Minimize risks:
• Use your mobile device’s security (locking feature).
• Install/update security software.
• Don’t shop using unsecure Wi-Fi networks. Look for “WPA” or “WPA2” on your screen, which indicates data will be scrambled.
• Use trusted Web sites.
• Beware of fraudulent apps. Research and read reviews about apps.
• Familiarize yourself with your carrier’s policies regarding financial transactions and what your liability would be if fraud occurs.

Criminally prosecuting fraud or theft that occurs through the Internet and the virtual world is a challenge. The individual(s) committing the crime could be anywhere in the world. If you become a victim of fraud or theft, file a report with your local law enforcement agency. If the crime occurs within the 18th Judicial District, the scammers could be charged with Computer Crime, Theft, Identity Theft or Criminal Impersonation depending on the circumstances. The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Line provides assistance to victims of crime and answers questions on white collar crime issues. If you have a question or need assistance, call 720-874-8547.

Consumer Alert - XCEL Energy Scam

Below is an Alert that came out from Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office regarding suspicious activities by individuals representing themselves as representatives of Excel Energy.

You should never provide any personal or sensitive information to callers over the telephone unless you have independently verified the caller; this includes: credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security Numbers, passwords, PIN numbers or driver’s license numbers.

If you have not already do so, you should register your telephone numbers on the Colorado No Call List by calling 1-800-309-7041 or through the Internet at www.coloradonocall.com and with the National Do Not Call Registry by calling 1-888-382-1222 or through the Internet at www.donotcall.gov.

The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection line provides assistance to victims of crime and answers questions on white collar crime issues. If you have a question or need assistance, call 720-874-8547.

Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office - BULLETIN

DENVER – Xcel Energy wishes to alert its customers to an illegal customer contact effort that may target senior citizens in Colorado, particularly in the Denver Metro area.
As part of the scam, a phony customer service agent may contact an Xcel Energy customer to explain that his or her monthly electricity payment has been received but the check was not signed. Customers are then asked for a credit card number to pay the bill. Investigators have not determined how many customers have been contacted by the bogus company but speculate that seniors may be a primary target because of their propensity to make payments by check.
In rare cases when Xcel Energy needs to contact a customer concerning his or her account, customer service agents will take several steps in order to verify to the satisfaction of both the customer and the company that everyone is who they claim to be. Xcel Energy urges its customers to simply hang up if they are called under the false pretense of unsigned checks requiring credit card numbers.
If any customers have been victimized by this scam, they should contact their credit card company immediately as well as their local police department.
Xcel Energy’s security team constantly works with its customer service department to detect and stop such illegal activity and is currently working with law enforcement agents in the state from which these calls may have originated to put an end to this activity. If customers have any questions or concerns regarding the company’s bill payment policy, they can contact us at 1-800-895-4999.

Welcome to the Official Colorado No-Call List

The Better Business Bureau just released their list of the Top 10 Scams of 2011. Click on the article for details.

The Office of the District Attorney, 18th Judicial District, has a Consumer Protection Hotline. The Consumer Protection Line provides assistance to victims of crime and answers questions on white collar crime issues. If you have a question or need assistance, call 720-874-8547. The Director of Consumer Protection provides Crime Prevention Seminars at no charge to any group, organization or business. Call the Consumer Protection Line to schedule a presentation.

BBB Names Top 10 Scams of 2011 - BBB News Center Stay up to date on all the important news, alerts and breaking stories in the world of business via the Better Business Bureau's News Center.

District Attorney Carol Chambers announces the first in a series of videos regarding consumer protection tips. The first video is titled “Doing Business with Strangers.” Click on the video to view this important consumer tip. A different consumer protection video will be released each month during 2012, starting in February. The videos will address some of the most common types of consumer fraud issues

Doing Business with Strangers

John Skoglund was recently appointed Director of Consumer Protection for the District Attorney’s Office in the 18th Judicial District of Colorado. Previously, he was a U.S. Postal Inspector. As a Postal Inspector, he gained extensive experience in criminal, civil and administrative investigations. He has worked on a number of national consumer protection initiatives and campaigns. He is very knowledgeable about consumer, business and government fraud issues. In his new role, he looks forward to educating consumers about scams and schemes operating in the Denver Metro area and assisting those who have fallen victim to a fraud.