The Phony Express: Identity Thieves Love When You Get Mail
Your identity is one of the few things in your life that is irreplaceable. Unfortunately, it has also become a hot commodity on the black market. Although many scam artists use a number of high-tech methods to commit identity theft, one of the easiest ways is by taking your mail. You may not have given it much thought, but your mail is filled with the type of personal, credit and banking information that identity thieves absolutely love.
School and University Safety
“Providing a safe place to live, work, and raise a family is the first order of leadership,” says Rob Weinhold, Principal of the Fallston Group. Students work and sometimes live at school; therefore, school leaders must keep student safety as their first priority. A social media crisis management plan is one way that school and university leaders implement to help promote the safety of their students.
San Diego Mayor Should Step Down
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner should resign; he should take some time to solely focus on his personal issues. After Filner works on himself, if he wishes to seek office in the future, the people will then decide if he is fit for duty.
The Traveler’s Safety Guide
If you are traveling unaccompanied, you must take extra precaution. Make sure you are ultimately prepared by remembering these ten travel safety tips.
The Public Has Voted with Its Feet
Paula Deen recently hired a professional crisis manager to help repair her reputation. The fact of the matter is that before Deen’s story even hit the news, she should have proactively developed an assertive, heartfelt crisis communications strategy which forthrightly dealt with the racial slur she apparently espoused decades ago. Deen has become one of the most famous women in the cooking industry with a wide range of fans that fell in love with her southern charm and food. But after her admission to using a racial slur (almost 30 years ago according to Deen) hit the court of law (deposition) then the court of public opinion, even the most loyal fans are questioning her character and ethics. Fans aren’t the only ones abandoning Deen. The Food Network announced they will not be renewing Deen’s contract and corporate sponsors (Target, Wal-Mart, Smithfield Foods, etc.) are cutting ties. Based on Deen’s reputational crisis, some stakeholders believe continuing a working relationship with her would not be good for their own brands and violate their ethics and beliefs. This week, Deen also severed her relationship with her long-time agent who helped get her the Food Network gig. Candidly, the Deen empire is in shambles and her financial future in jeopardy. None of us are in a position to truly judge the heart of another; however, the actions of high-profile business leaders are always fair game in the court of public opinion. Regardless of Deen’s true intent, ability to apologize or attempt to lend perspective, many have already voted with their feet – they’ve run for the hills and have distanced themselves as far away as they can from Deen’s slur. Were these the right and most appropriate corporate decisions? Did Deen handle herself well in the court of public opinion since the issue became public? Should a remark 30 years ago define one’s character? Many will debate these questions over time, but one thing is clear…regardless of opinion and conjecture, the reality is Deen’s slur has cost her lots of time, unimaginable amounts of money, countless customers and, quite possibly, her storied career. Image by SLOETRON
Public Safety Not Just a Policing Issue…
The recent spate of gun violence in Baltimore has its police department pulling out the enforcement stops, elected officials asking pointed questions and communities wondering how safe they really are. Make no mistake about it, public safety is not just a policing challenge. It is an assertive strategy that must be considered at every level, including the grass-roots level within Baltimore’s most at-risk communities. Is there inherent community and personal risk in giving police information, reporting in-progress crime and cooperating with prosecutors – absolutely! However, the greater risk is to remain silent, do nothing and pretend the criminal element will eventually disappear. If residents allow criminals to get a stranglehold on their neighborhoods and in their schools, citizens will eventually become prisoners in their own homes and fail to live, work and raise their families as they’d like. While law enforcement must do everything in its power to remove violent criminals, they cannot do it alone. Neighbors must courageously help their community by getting involved; here’s how: Understand what numbers to call or the various points of contact are for all levels of law enforcement (both anonymous tip lines and emergency numbers); Join or start a Neighborhood Watch in your area. Partner with community members to strengthen the community bond and improve the relationship between the community and local police officials; Host community meetings with police officers; get to know the officer who patrol your neighborhood; Contact your local police department to request informal lectures, free literature, and advice on how to detect and address criminal activity; Get to know your neighbors. By familiarizing yourself with the usual lifestyles and activities of your neighbors, it makes it much easier to detect suspicious activity and report a potential crime before it occurs; Establish on-going crime prevention techniques in your neighborhood. Learn about current safety policies and implement new rules where necessary; Educate yourself, family, friends, and neighbors on how to identify a suspicious person or unusual/criminal activity; If you suspect criminal activity, don’t hesitate to call the police immediately and give them a detailed description; Know what steps to take in the event of an emergency. Don’t wait for someone else to contact the local officials, take matters into your own hands and protect your community. Always remember – if you see something, say something! Working together, police and the communities they serve can reduce crime and improve the quality of life. A crisis management and communications company, the Fallston Group focuses on working with organizations to help them prepare for, navigate through and recover from issues of adversity and crisis. Fallston Group experts are often called upon to interview, lecture and write about public safety issues. For more information, contact the Fallston Group at 410-420-2001 or email info@fallstongroup.com. Image by causes.com
Active Shooter – What Would You Do?
According to the Department of Homeland Security, an “Active Shooter” is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation. A few tips if you find yourself in an Active Shooter situation; Evacuate (Run) – if there is an accessible escape path, attempt to quickly evacuate the premises. Be sure to: Have an escape route and plan in mind; Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow; Leave your belongings behind; Help others escape, if possible; Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be; Keep your hands visible Follow the instructions of law enforcement; Do not attempt to move wounded people; Call 9-1-1 when safe to do so. Hide – if evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should: Be out of the active shooter’s view; Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (e.g. an office with a closed and locked door); Not trap you or restrict your options for movement; To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place: Blockade the door with heavy furniture Lock the door Silence your cell phone and/or pager; Turn off any source of noise (e.g. radios, televisions); Hide behind large items (e.g. cabinets, desks); Remain quiet; Fight – If evacuation and hiding are not possible: Remain calm; Dial 9-1-1, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location; If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen; Take action against the active shooter; As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to: disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by: Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her; Throwing items and improvising weapons; Yelling; Commit to your actions to save your life. For more information about how to protect your people, assets and brand, contact the Fallston Group at 410.420.2001 or email at Info@FallstonGroup.com. Image by guidetocebu.com
Workplace Violence A “Must” Issue for Leaders
A safe work environment is paramount to everyone in the workplace and should be the first order of leadership. The 2010 workplace shooting at the Emcore Corporation in New Mexico (and many like it) highlights the pervasive dangers faced by all business owners and their employees each day. This tragic situation left ten people shot and three dead, including the gunman who is suspected of targeting a domestic partner. Workplace violence is defined as physical violence, threats of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behaviors which occur in the workplace. Attacks in the workplace often seem unpredictable, sudden, devastating, life-altering and public for many stakeholders – physically, emotionally and financially. Unfortunately, many leaders do not pay attention to the prevention side of workplace violence until it is too late. In an effort to provide some top-line advice regarding prevention, the Fallston Group offers the following: Install a controlled access security system complete with designated entry points; Monitor access security cameras and badge identification systems which are controlled by a trained receptionist or security personnel – includes monitoring of hallways, stairwells, ingress and egress to executive suites, etc.; Implement one-way exit strategies which allow employees to vacate buildings quickly from multiple areas during an emergency – points of exit which cannot be penetrated from the exterior of the building; Limit access to certain areas of property based on job description and authorization; Offer workplace violence awareness training for supervisors and managers (educate the workforce about the early warning signs of workplace violence and encourage employees to engage – “If you see something, say something” policy); Require detailed documentation of behavior/performance and implement reporting policies – be certain assessments, policies and training strategies are reviewed and implemented on a routine basis; Provide employee access to counseling services and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs – pay close attention to the culture of the business as problems often creep into the workplace from the personal lives of employees. If practical, offer family life programs to relieve some of the work-life balance pressures some employees may feel; Involve law enforcement in the documentation process if behavior is deemed threatening; Request law enforcement visits with stop, walk and talk details (free of charge); Form a threat assessment/crisis team who regularly plan for and evaluate issues – be certain an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is in place. For more information about the early warning signs of workplace violence and what employers can do to make their workplace safer, please contact the Fallston Group at 410-420-2001 or info@fallstongroup.com. Image by JobsPapa
Prevent Identity Theft…Shred Your Document Trail
Did you know that someone in America has their identity stolen every 3 seconds? With more people having access to digital information than ever before, it is imperative that you do everything you can to protect your identity. “Dumpster diving,” or rifling through trash cans and recycling bins for personal information is still one of the most common tactics used by identity thieves. So, when you throw something away with personal information on it, it is not safe unless it is shredded to an unreadable state. According to Maryland’s Office of the Attorney General, it is important to safely shred sensitive documents to help prevent identity thieves from obtaining personal information. Documents that need to be destroyed include any documents that contain your personal information – utility bills, benefits explanations from your health insurer, bank & credit card statements and anything that contains your name, address, Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers, passwords or PIN’s, or any other information that could be used to steal your identity or access your funds. In additional to old hard drives, identity thieves can also find personal information on computer disks and CD’s that they find in the trash. In fact, any digital device that stores data is an area of vulnerability if not destroyed properly. For more tips on preventing identity theft, log onto Maryland’s Attorney General’s website at www.oag.state.md.us/idtheft or e-mail the ID Theft Unit at idtheft@oag.state.md.us. Image by PopularResistance
Maryland’s Cyber-Bullying Bill Demands Our Support
Submitted by Jonathan Oleisky, Kalix Communications – Would you be surprised to hear that 15% of social media-using teens have experienced a form of cyber-bullying? That shocking statistic comes from the 2011 Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project report. Additionally, 88% of teens “have witnessed someone being mean or cruel on a social network site.” With the evolution and dramatic growth of social media communities, parents today (me included) have the additional burden of educating our children about how they need to treat and respect others in the digital world. Not only do we need to model proper behavior for our children (yes, we must teach our children that everyone deserves to be treated with the utmost respect), some parents have the added burden of dealing with cyber-bullying as a very real threat to their children’s health and safety. Sadly this threat is real and is endangering children here in Maryland. Just last year a 15 year- old Howard County teen, Grace McComas, committed suicide “after suffering months of online harassment. She was the victim of harmful tweets, some of which threatened her life.” Her tragic death inspired Delegate Jon S. Cardin, D-Baltimore County, to introduce a tough new cyber-bullying bill in the General Assembly this session. Cardin’s bill, named “Grace’s Law” unanimously passed the House of Delegates on March 23, 2013. The legislation has now moved to the Senate which has a plethora of bills to consider as it enters the final week of the 2013 legislative session. Cardin’s bill would close a loophole in Maryland’s current anti-bullying law which makes it “Illegal to send threatening, intimidating emails to minors.” According to Cardin, “there’s no limitation on Facebook or Twitter because of its public nature. The new bill would prohibit a person from using electronic communication to publicize certain facts concerning the private life of a minor, disseminate harmful information about a minor, and direct a threat to or make a comment about a minor that would reasonably place the minor in fear of bodily harm or death.” As a social media professional and father of two, I urge you to call your State Senator this week and ask them to help us remember the life of 15 year old Grace McComas by joining the House in unanimously passing this important cyber-bullying legislation. Let’s pass Grace’s Law. Maryland’s children deserve nothing less.
