the ig connection - pinellas county · at the federal law enforcement training center (fletc) ......

A newsletter brought to you by the Division of Inspector GeneralClerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Pinellas County, FloridaA newsletter brought to you by the Division of Inspector GeneralClerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Pinellas County, Florida

IG ConnectionIG Connectionthethe

December 2013

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Ken BurkeClerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

Write:Public Integrity UnitDivision of Inspector GeneralFraud Hotline510 Bay AvenueClearwater, FL 33756 Call: (727) 45FRAUD (727-453-7283)Fax: (727) 464-8386E-mail: [email protected]: www.mypinellasclerk.org www.twitter.com/pinellasig www.facebook.com/igpinellas

An Accredited Office of Inspectors General

TM

DIVISIO

N OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

PRESERVING THE PUBLIC’S TRUST

“YES, WE SURVIVED FLETC!” Those were the words from two Division of Inspector General (IG), Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller employees, Melissa Dondero and Debbie Weiss. These two adventurous “auditgators” (perform both IG audits and IG Investigations), eager to learn, attended the Inspector General Criminal Investigator Academy (IGCIA), “Essentials of Inspector

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Melissa Dondero 1st from the left center row

Debbie Weiss, 3rd from the left center row

Employees Graduate From FLETCGeneral Investigations” training course from September 17 through September 27, 2013 at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. It was a grueling learning process but when all was said and done, we can honestly say it was well worth it.

The IGCIA was established in Public Law 106-422 “for the purpose of performing investigator training services for offices of inspectors general created under the Inspector General Act of 1978.” The Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 combined the two existing IG councils (the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency), into one statutory Council of Inspector Generals’ on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). The mission of the CIGIE is to address integrity, economy and effectiveness issues that transcend individual agencies, and to increase the professionalism and effectiveness of IG personnel by maintaining one or more training academies. The CIGIE has established a Training Institute to further the CIGIE mission.

The IGCIA was officially established at FLETC, Glynco, Georgia, in February 1994. Located in the flat pinelands north of Brunswick, Georgia, is the former Glynco Naval Air Station, a base for the Navy’s fleet of airships, commonly known as blimps, which patrolled the coast for marauding German submarines during World War II. The Naval Air Station property is now home to the headquarters facility for FLETC. Amongst the 1,600 acres FLETC encompasses are classrooms, dormitories, a gymnasium, and administrative and logistical support structures, including a dining hall capable of serving more than 4,000 meals per day. Additionally, FLETC has multiple indoor and outdoor firearms ranges, a sprawling complex of driver training ranges, a physical techniques facility, explosives range, fully



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functional mock port of entry, a 34-building “neighborhood” practical exercise area, and various special purpose areas including a library, interviewing suites, mock court rooms, computer forensics laboratories, and other laboratories for fingerprinting and identifying narcotics.

The FLETC mission is “We train those who protect our homeland.” To carry out this mission, FLETC serves as an interagency law enforcement training organization for 91 federal agencies. FLETC also provides training to state, local, rural, tribal, territorial, and international law enforcement agencies. During fiscal year 2012, almost 70,000 students received FLETC training. Since it was established in 1970, approximately 1,000,000 law enforcement officers and agents have been trained at FLETC. Although FLETC trains officers and agents from all federal departments and all three branches of government, it is a component of the Department of Homeland Security. Approximately one-third of the instructor staff are permanent FLETC employees. The remainder of the cadre is comprised of federal officers and investigators who are on short-term assignments from their parent organizations or who recently retired from the field.

The day of our arrival to FLETC was a bit intimidating. This place is huge! We checked in at the main gate security building to obtain our picture ID badges. This badge would be our ID, key, and meal ticket for the entire two-week training. We drove around the facility to pinpoint exactly where we needed to eat, sleep, and train! Class sessions began at 7:30 am on the dot each day, therefore we did not want to get lost and be late. After finding several landmarks, we finally stopped missing our turns to the student dormitory, dining hall and classroom.

The class session on the first day of training began with self-introductions by each participant. We were back in college! The majority of participants were Federal IG employees who had some idea of what they

were getting themselves into (unlike us). We received our student handbook and training manual that day which was heavy enough to actually get some workouts in before and after class.

The class was comprised of 36 students divided into six teams. Each team had a facilitator who assisted with the continuous case study and homework assignments. Say what? Yes, homework almost every night. No vacation here after all!

The training curriculum consisted of daily lectures and interactive activities on topics such as:

• The IG Community & IG Act• Investigative Technology Tools• Investigative Planning• Criminal, Civil, & Admin Remedies• Common Fraud Schemes• Employee Misconduct Investigations• Interview Techniques• Investigative Writing• Inspector General Subpoenas• Sworn Statements• Administrative Hearing Practices• Criminal Justice Process

The instructors and facilitators were excellent and even somewhat entertaining. They provided real life work experiences to demonstrate situations related to the topics discussed in class. The diversity of work backgrounds made the lectures much more interesting.

An integral part of the class was the continuous case study which each student participated in a fictitious scenario that illustrated the entire investigative process. The case study was designed for students to role-play through the various stages of an investigation with a heavy emphasis on interviewing skills. As Debbie and I eagerly awaited our first mock interview, we wondered who we would be interviewing; the instructors, facilitators, other students Oh no, there were actual actors hired from

outside of IGCIA to be role players for the informant, witnesses, and the subject during the interview sessions of the case study. At the end of each interview session, the facilitator would provide valuable feedback that we could immediately use in our next interview session. As the class progressed, we felt more confident and less nervous. Homework consisted of documenting the investigation, including interviews and analyzing evidence. There was a weekend break after the first week of training. At first, we wondered if this was like the Bates Motel, once you check in, you can never leave. Luckily, that was not the case and many students left IGCIA to explore regional attractions such as St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and Savannah. Organized tours and trips were also available on the weekend coordinated by the FLETC Recreation Services staff.

The last week of class was hectic and included a final exam (yep, definitely back in college). When the last day of class finally arrived, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, before we could officially graduate, we had to participate in a mock administrative hearing to get one last bit of learning in! The graduation ceremony recognized the effort and time each student put into the class. It was a proud moment for all of us. How did we ever survive?

We survived because we knew IGCIA training would be most beneficial to us in our role as Inspector General Investigators for Pinellas County. The IG is an independent service offered by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller that amongst other duties, conducts investigations of fraud, waste and abuse for the citizens and employees of Pinellas County.



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Federal Trade Commission Statistics For 2012 The Federal Trade Commission releases reports and statistics every year on Fraud and Identity theft based on complaints to its Consumer Sentinel Database. Listed below were the top reported company countries for fraud complaints for Calendar Year 2012.

Complaints Percentages1 Complaints Percentages1 Complaints Percentages1

19 and Under 3,143 1% 11,513 2% 10,476 2%20-29 80,832 17% 74,394 15% 66,042 15%30-39 92,637 20% 83,356 17% 74,585 16%40-49 109,569 23% 97,262 20% 84,513 19%50-59 114,697 24% 109,468 23% 102,941 23%60-69 31,560 7% 71,704 15% 75,653 17%70 and Over 36,518 8% 36,278 7% 40,239 9%

Consumer Age CY - 2010 CY - 2011 CY - 2012

Total Reporting Age

468,956 483,975 454,449

2%

15%

16%

19%

23%

17%

9%

19 and Under

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70 and Over

1Percentages are based on the total number of consumers reporting their age for CSN fraud complaints each calendar year: CY-2010 = 468,956; CY-2011= 483,975; and CY-2012 = 454,449. Of the total, 42% of consumers reported this information during CY-2012, 47% in CY-2011, and 57% for CY-2010.

Consumer Sentinel Network Fraud Complaintsby Consumer Age1

Calendar Years 2010 through 2012

Consumer Sentinel Network Fraud Complaints by Consumer Age1

January 1 – December 31, 2012

Federal Trade Commission Released February 2013

Inspector Hector’s

Quick Facts

Quick Facts

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Federal Trade Commission Statistics For 2012 Below are the statistics related to the State of Florida. The first table lists the top 10 fraud and other complaint categories from Florida consumers. The second table lists the top 5 identity types.

Fraud and Other Complaints Count from Florida Consumers = 133,973

1Percentages are based on the total number of CSN fraud and other complaints from Florida consumers (133,973).

FLORIDA Consumer Sentinel Network Complaint Figures

January 1 - December 31, 2012

Total Number of Identity Theft, Fraud and Other Consumer Complaints = 203,768

Identity Theft Types Reported by Florida Victims

Identity Theft Complaints Count from Florida Victims = 69,795

1Percentages are based on the 69,795 victims reporting from Florida. Note that CSN identity theft complaints may be coded under multiple theft types.

Top 10 Fraud and Other Complaint Categories Reported by Florida Consumers

Federal Trade Commission Released February 2013

Rank Top Categories Percentage1

1 Debt Collection 21,377 16%2 Banks and Lenders 10,187 8%3 Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales 6,195 5%4 Impostor Scams 5,702 4%5 Internet Services 5,360 4%6 Auto Related Complaints 5,227 4%7 Telephone and Mobile Services 4,590 3%8 Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries 3,940 3%9 Credit Cards 3,838 3%10 Foreign Money Offers and Counterfeit Check Scams 3,402 3%

Complaints

Rank Identity Theft Type Percentage1

1 Government Documents or Benefits Fraud 50,561 72%2 Credit Card Fraud 5,081 7%3 Bank Fraud 2,675 4%4 Phone or Utilities Fraud 2,381 3%5 Employment-Related Fraud 1,091 2%6 Loan Fraud 710 1%

Other 7,526 11%Attempted Identity Theft 3,244 5%

Complaints



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NW3C NewsA LEADING SOURCE FOR ECONOMIC AND HIGH-TECH CRIME PREVENTION

Protect your Discarded Mobile Phones from Scammersby Kim Williams - November 21, 2013

Image Credit: 34153153 Copyright holbox, 2013 Used under license from Shutterstock.com

Mobile phones today function like computers in many ways, including their ability to store vast amounts of data and provide access to the Internet. People use their phones for a combination of private, financial and business purposes. Their phones may contain passwords to bank accounts, social media applications and email; photos; credit card numbers; private text messages; and other information they would like to keep secure.

Unfortunately, criminals have realized that many discarded mobile phones still contain the identifying information and passwords they need to engage in a variety of scams, including identity theft and profiting from your financialinformation.

Since mobile technology changes rapidly and many like to upgrade their phones to keep up with the advancements, there is no shortage of second-hand phones. These phones are sold, donated, recycled and put into trash cans everyday. If scammers obtain these phones and they still contain data, the criminals know how to access it.

Before donating, 1. Ensure all of your data is backed up and transferred to your new phone or to another secure electronic device.2. Delete all files you can access from your phone’s memory.3. Reset your phone to its initial factory settings. Consult your device’s manual or contact your service provider for instructions unique to your device.4. Remove your SD or SIM card from the phone and either destroy it or keep it in a secure place. This memory card stores phone book data, photos, text messages and other personal identifying information.5. Refer to your phone’s manual and/or contact the manufacturer or wireless service provider to make sure there are no additional steps you need to take.

If after taking the steps above, you are still not certain you scrubbed it completely, you may want to destroy it or store it in a safe place in your home. An older phone may come in handy if your new phone needs repairs and you need a back-up.

For more information, visit:

• http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0200-disposing-your-mobile-device

A LEADING SOURCE FOR ECONOMIC AND HIGH-TECH CRIME PREVENTION

Protect your Discarded Mobile Phones from Scammersby Kim Williams - November 21, 2013

Image Credit: 34153153 Copyright holbox, 2013 Used under license from Shutterstock.com

Mobile phones today function like computers in many ways, including their ability to store vast amounts of data andprovide access to the Internet. People use their phones for a combination of private, financial and business purposes.Their phones may contain passwords to bank accounts, social media applications and email; photos; credit cardnumbers; private text messages; and other information they would like to keep secure.

Unfortunately, criminals have realized that many discarded mobile phones still contain the identifying information andpasswords they need to engage in a variety of scams, including identity theft and profiting from your financialinformation.

Since mobile technology changes rapidly and many like to upgrade their phones to keep up with the advancements,there is no shortage of second-hand phones. These phones are sold, donated, recycled and put into trash cans everyday. If scammers obtain these phones and they still contain data, the criminals know how to access it. Before donating,selling or disposing of your mobile phone, take the following steps in order to prevent sensitive information from fallinginto the wrong hands:

Ensure all of your data is backed up and transferred to your new phone or to another secure electronic device.1.Delete all files you can access from your phone’s memory.2.Reset your phone to its initial factory settings. Consult your device’s manual or contact your service provider forinstructions unique to your device.

3.

Remove your SD or SIM card from the phone and either destroy it or keep it in a secure place. This memory cardstores phone book data, photos, text messages and other personal identifying information.

4.

Refer to your phone’s manual and/or contact the manufacturer or wireless service provider to make sure there are noadditional steps you need to take.

5.

If after taking the steps above, you are still not certain you scrubbed it completely, you may want to destroy it or store itin a safe place in your home. An older phone may come in handy if your new phone needs repairs and you need aback-up.

For more information, visit:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0200-disposing-your-mobile-devicehttp://www.ctia.org/consumer_info/safety/index.cfm/AID/12087

Front Page Image: 102001087 Copyright asharkyu, 2013 Used under license from Shutterstock.com

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