Safety Tips

Do 1 Thing
a web-based twelve month preparedness program that focuses on a different area of emergency preparedness each month, and provides a range of preparedness options for each topic. .

Let's Put a Red Light on Sex Trafficking
Imagine a child you know is bought and sold. For sex. This is sex trafficking. And it’s happening right here in Minnesota. To our neighbors.

What is Sex Trafficking?
Sex trafficking is the sale of a person for sex or sexual acts. Sex traffickers may be family members, friends, recent acquaintances, or “boyfriends/girlfriends”of the person who is trafficked. Traffickers use violence, threats, and manipulation to control their subjects. As one pimp said:

THE GOAL IS TO GET THE GIRLS AS DEPENDENT AS POSSIBLE. MENTALLY YOU’VE GOTTA BURN INTO THEIR BRAINS YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE…YOU’RE GOD. ONCE YOU’VE GOT THAT DOWN AND THEY’RE READY TO WORK…THEN YOU INSTILL THE FEAR…THE WRATH OF GOD. IF THEY MESS UP, THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY, AND THEY KNOW IT’S A HEAVY PRICE.

Sex trafficking is not only a human rights violation, but also a public health crisis and a personal tragedy.

Does Sex Trafficking Exist in Minnesota?
Yes. Minneapolis is one of the top locations in the U.S. for child sex trafficking. A six-month study by local prosecutors found over 34,000 advertisements posted online for sex in the Twin Cities. But sex trafficking is not just a Twin Cities problem. Trafficking affects people from all parts of Minnesota. An online sting in southwest Minnesota led to the arrest of 48 individuals. One 16 year-old who was trafficked in northern Minnesota stated that she was exploited on average by five men every day―which means that she was exploited over 1,800 times in a year.  

 

For additional information visit: 

• https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Publications/SexTrafficking.asp

1. Use filtering software to screen out adult sites on the web.
2. Monitor online time...look for excessive hours on the Internet.
3. Use the computer in the Family Room, make it a family activity.
4. Keep tabs on the phone bill, check out any unfamiliar numbers.
5. Be as familiar with the Internet as your children... have them show YOU!
6. Children should never use their real name, address and/or phone number or agree to meet with someone person to person.
7. Encourage your child to "Surf" Responsibly and learn.  Be aware of their online "buddies" and e-mail habits.
8. Make a list of online rules and place them alongside the computer.

Resources for Information On Internet Safety for Kids

• http://www.netsmartzkids.org/
• http://www.getnetwise.org/
• http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety
• http://www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids-safety
• https://www.aacc.edu/technology/file/GamingTips.pdf
• http://www.safeteens.com/

Senior Citizen Scams
Scams targeting senior citizens come in all types and sizes, range greatly in complexity, and may originate from someone close to you or a stranger halfway around the world.

Below is information on some of the more common types of scams. Keep in mind that scam artists constantly reinvent new ways to perpetrate old scams. Because knowing how to spot a scam is important, we have put together a publication titled How to Spot a Scam that outlines some of the tell-tale red flags of a scam.

How the Scam Works
The person receives a phone call initiated with a phrase like, “Hi Grandma/Grandpa! Do you  know who this is?”, or something similar. If the grandparent responds with a name, the con artist assumes the name is a grandchild’s and uses it to pose as the grandchild. The “grandchild” describes some type of urgent trouble, often in a foreign country, and begs the grandparent to immediately wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram to pay for medical treatment, bail money, auto repair, or a ticket home. By claiming that they are embarrassed or there is no time to talk to others, the con artist tries to dissuade the grandparent from contacting the grandchild’s parents or friends.

Some con artists may investigate the identity of the grandchild before the initial phone call or pretend to be a third party, such as a government official or a bail bondsman. The involvement of a family member, an immediate need for money, and a request for secrecy are the hallmarks of this scam.

Grandparents Scam:

• What to Look For

• A phone call claiming to be about or from a grandchild or other family member in distress.
• An urgent need for money to be secretly wire transferred, often to a foreign country.
• Avoid the Grandparents Scam
  Avoid the Grandparents Scam by verifying a caller’s identity and resisting pressure to act before the caller’s identity is verified.
• Verify the Caller’s Identity
  Contact a family member who could confirm the caller’s story. Try contacting the real grandchild at a number you know is accurate. You can also ask questions of the caller, the answers to which only the real grandchild would know. Be attentive to whether the caller is answering in detail or just guessing the answers. Remember, while some fraudsters investigate the grandchildren to make their impersonations more accurate, many depend upon their intended victims providing necessary information over the phone. Do not give out names or other information about family members unless you are certain of the identity of the caller. There may even be some similarities between your real grandchildren and a fraudster’s impersonations. For example, some grandparents have a grandchild traveling in Canada when they receive a fraudulent phone call claiming that their grandchild needs money to return home. Even if a story seems to be true at first, verify its accuracy.

For additional information visit:

• https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Seniors/SeniorScams.asp