Hurricane effected areas Beware of the Scams~OPI

James A. Copenhaver
The Orlando Private Investigator
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 11:01am

“Fraud watch"

Tips for those rebuilding or renovating:

� Remember when talking to a contractor always request identification, address, multiple phone numbers and other ways to contact them. Also note description of the person and their vehicle, including the tag number.

� Always require multiple references and go look at their other work.

� Ask to see the contractor’s licenses.

� Make sure the contractor obtains all permits before the work begins. Deal only with the licensed and insured contractors.

� Always get detailed written estimates from the contractor to avoid surprises.

� Always get guarantees in writing.
Buyer beware if

� The contractor tells you they only accept cash.

� The contractor asks that you pay for all the work up front or asks you for the money to go buy the building supplies.

� The contractor says that they have building materials left over from another job, so your cost will be less.

� The contractor talks fast to confuse you.

� The contractor tries to scare you with a sense of urgency about the work needed.

� The contractor pressures you for an immediate decision.

� The contractor claims to be doing work in the area but does not provide names of references or addresses.

� You can’t find a listing in any phone book for the contractor.

� The contractor asks you to get the required building permits.

� The contractor offers you a discount if you find other customers for them to pursue.

� The contractor offers an unreasonably long guarantee.

� The contractor says that your job will be a demonstration.

� The contractor requires a lien on your property.”

If the storm damages your property, contact your insurance company. Some insurance companiesrequire an adjuster’s approval before work can be done. Take pictures and videos of the damage, if possible. Cover holes in your roof or walls with a tarp to prevent additional damage if you can do so safely.

Don’t pay for work up front. Inspect the work and make sure you’re satisfied before you pay. A reasonable down payment may be required for some projects, but don’t pay anything without getting a written contract.

Avoid paying with cash; use a check or a credit card instead.

Beware of any contractor who tries to rush you or who comes to your home to solicit work. If an offer is only good now or never, find someone else to perform the work. Seek recommendations from friends, neighbors, co-workers and others who have had work performed on their homes.

Get three written estimates, if possible, and compare bids. Check credentials and contact the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau to learn about any complaints against the contractor. Before work beings, get a written contract detailing all work to be performed, its costs and a projected completion date.

For car repairs, shop around and compare written estimates. On major jobs, get a second opinion. Ifthe mechanic recommends replacing parts, ask for the old parts.

You may receive credit on some parts if the mechanic wants to keep them.

FACEBOOK AND YOUR SECURITY

S/A James A. Copenhaver
The Orlando Private Investigator

Facebook has become the Google of social networks. If you're not updating your status right now, chances are that you are uploading photos or taking some sort of odd quiz. We post tons of intimate details about our lives that we normally wouldn't share with anyone. We think that as long as we make sure our privacy settings are set correctly that we are safe and snug within our circle of friends.

The problem is that we never know who's really looking at our information. Our friend's account could have been hacked when they installed some rogue application, or their creepy uncle might be using their account because they forgot to log out. For the sake of the safety of you and your family, there is some information that you should never post on Facebook. Here are 5 things you should consider removing or not posting to Facebook and/or other social networks.

1. You or Your Family's Full Birth Dates

We all love getting “happy birthdays” from our friends on our Facebook wall. It makes us feel all warm inside knowing that people remembered and cared enough to write us a short note on our special day. The problem is when you list your birthday you are providing identity thieves with one of the 3 or 4 pieces of personal information that is needed to steal your identity. It’s best to not list the date at all, but if you must, at least leave out the year. Your real friends should know this info anyway.

2. Your Relationship Status

Whether you are in a relationship or not, it may be best not to make it public knowledge. Stalkers would love to know that you just became newly single. If you change your status to "single" it gives them the green light they were looking for to resume stalking now that you're back on the market. It also lets them know that you might be home alone since your significant other is no longer around. Your best bet is to just leave this blank on your profile.

3. Your Current Location

There are a lot of people who love the location tagging feature on Facebook that allows them to let people know where they are 24/7. The problem is that you have just told everyone that you're on vacation (and not at your house). If you add how long your trip is then thieves know exactly how much time they have to rob you. My advice is not to provide your location at all. You can always upload your vacation pictures when you get home or text your friends to let them know how jealous they should be that you're sipping an umbrella drink while they toil away at work.

4. The Fact That You Are Home Alone

It is extremely important that parents make sure their children never put the fact that they are home alone in their status. Again, you wouldn’t walk into a room of strangers and tell them you are going to be all alone at your house so don’t do it on Facebook either.
We may think that only our friends have access to our status, but we really have no idea who is reading it. Your friend may have had their account hacked or someone could be reading over their shoulder at the library. The best rule of thumb is not to put anything in your profile or status that you wouldn’t want a stranger to know. You may have the most stringent privacy settings possible, but if your friend’s account gets compromised than those settings go out the window.

5. Pictures of Your Kids Tagged With Their Names

We love our kids. We would do anything to keep them safe, but most people post hundreds of tagged pictures and videos of their kids to Facebook without even giving it a second thought. We even go so far as to replace our profile pictures with that of our children.
Probably 9 out of 10 parents posted their child’s full name, and exact date and time of birth while they were still in the hospital after delivery. We post pictures of our kids and tag them and their friends, siblings, and other relatives. This kind of information could be used by predators to lure your child. They could use your child’s name and the names of their relatives and friends to build trust and convince them that they are not really a stranger because they know detailed information that allows them to build a rapport with your child.
If you must post pictures of your children then you should at least remove personally identifying information such as their full names and birth dates. Untag them in pictures. Your real friends know their names anyway.

I would be a hypocrite if I said that I have completely removed all tagged pictures of my kids on facebook. It is a daunting task given the amount of pictures that we take as proud parents, but I have started on it and I'll do a little bit each day until it's finished.

Lastly, think twice before you tag pictures of the children of friends and relatives. They might not want you tagging their kids for the reasons mentioned above. You can send them a link to the pictures and they can tag themselves in place of their children if they want to.

Casey Anthony Not Quilty

The jury unanimously found Anthony, 25, not guilty on murder, manslaughter and child abuse charges in a case that has gripped US talk shows and cable news television. But as she cried with relief at the verdicts on the more serious charges, she was convicted of lying to the police after claiming that her daughter, Caylee, had been abducted by a nanny when Anthony was driving around with the body of the child in the boot of her car.

Anthony would have faced a possible death sentence had she been convicted of first degree murder but will serve no more than four years in prison when she is sentenced on Thursday.

The verdict was met with outrage by some outside the court who denounced it as a miscarriage of justice comparable to OJ Simpson's acquittal for murder. But Anthony's lawyers praised the jury for resisting what they portrayed as the "media assassination" of their client since her arrest, particularly by television talkshow hosts and celebrity lawyers who pronounced her guilty before the trial was over.

Prosecutors had alleged that Anthony murdered Caylee because she stood in the way of her party lifestyle and interest in men. They told the jury that she killed her daughter, in part with the use of chloroform, in 2008 and then buried her body in woods near the family home in Orlando several weeks later. Caylee's body was found with three strips of duct tape over her mouth and nose.

Anthony's father, George, told the court his daughter left home in June, 2008 taking Caylee with her and did not return for a month. Anthony's parents asked repeatedly to see the child but their daughter told them she was too busy with work. Anthony also claimed that Caylee was being looked after by a nanny. It was later established that the nanny did not exist.

Anthony maintained that claim until her parents received a notice that their daughter's car had been towed away. When they went to pick it up, George Anthony said that he noticed a strong odour from the boot that he and a worker in the tow yard both told the court smelled like a decomposing body.

Anthony's mother, Cindy, then called the police and reported Caylee missing.

"There is something wrong. I found my daughter's car today and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car," she told the emergency operator.

The prosecution honed in on Anthony's failure to report her daughter missing during those 31 days.

"Responses to grief are as varied as the day is long, but responses to guilt are oh, so predictable," the lead prosecutor, Linda Drane Burdick, said. "What do guilty people do? They lie. They avoid. They run. They mislead, not just to their family, but the police. They divert attention away from themselves and they act like nothing is wrong. That's why you heard about what happened in those 31 days."

The prosecution relied on controversial scientific evidence including the testing of air taken from the boot of Anthony's car, which the court was told revealed the presence of decomposing human flesh and chloroform. The defence challenged the reliability of the tests.

The judge refused to permit the prosecution to have the jury sniff a can containing an air sample from the car.

Before the case went to the jury, Burdick showed two images of Anthony at a nightclub after Caylee went missing and of a tattoo with the words "beautiful life" in Italian that the prosecution said she obtained after her daughter was already dead.

"At the end of this case, all you have to ask yourself is whose life was better without Caylee?" the prosecutor said. "This is your answer."

But the jury rejected that explanation and accepted the defence's contention that Anthony was guilty of nothing more than being a panic stricken young mother who covered up an accidental death out of fear.

The defence said that Caylee had drowned in the family swimming pool and that her mother then panicked. It claimed that Anthony's father knew about the accident and helped his daughter dispose of the body.

It said that George Anthony, a former police officer, placed the tape over the dead girl's face to make it look like murder in order to cover up the failure to report the death. The man denied his daughter's account.

The defence also claimed that Casey Anthony had been sexually abused by her father and brother and that was a factor in her erratic behaviour

Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, said the prosecution had attempted to portray his client as "a lying, no-good slut" who murdered her daughter in order to go nightclubbing when in fact Caylee's death was "an accident that snowballed out of control".

One of the prosecutors, Jeff Ashton, told the jury the defence failed to present any real evidence to back any of its claims and that the allegation that George Anthony staged a murder to cover up a lesser crime made no sense.

"That's absurd. Nothing has been presented to you to make that any less absurd," he said.

But the jury was not persuaded that Anthony killed her daughter either deliberately or by accident.

The prosecution's case appears to have foundered on the lack of a definitive medical assessment of how Caylee died, uncertainty about what role the chloroform was meant to have played and the lack of any scientific evidence tying Anthony to her daughter's death.

Outside the court, the verdict was met with astonishment and anger.

"Where's justice for Caylee?" Janine Gonzalez told the Orlando Sentinel. "Do you mean to tell me that in Florida you can kill your child, toss her on the side of the road and go free? She [Casey Anthony[ better move and move to a faraway place."

Ti McLeod, a neighbour of the Anthony family, said: "The justice system has failed Caylee."

But Joe Adamson, an Orlando businessman, was sceptical about the prosecution's use of forensics.

"I think it is really great that we have science, but we also have common sense," Adamson told the Sentinel. "These guys [jurors[ didn't buy into science fiction."

Prosecutors were clearly stunned by the verdict, saying that they were amazed the jury rejected what they portrayed as a wealth of evidence against Anthony.

Lawson Lamar, the Florida state attorney, said: "We're disappointed in the verdict today because we know the facts and we've put in absolutely every piece of evidence that existed. ... This is a dry-bones case. Very, very difficult to prove. The delay in recovering little Caylee's remains worked to our considerable disadvantage."

Anthony's parents were reported to have gone in to hiding following death threats.

"The family may never know what happened to Caylee Marie Anthony," said Mark Lippman, a lawyer for the parents. "Despite the baseless defence chosen by Casey Anthony, the family believes that the jury made a fair decision based on the evidence presented, the testimony presented, the scientific information presented and the rules that they were given by the Honorable Judge Perry to guide them."

After the verdict, one of Anthony's lawyers, Cheney Mason, condemned the "media assassination" of his client since her arrest, including by other lawyers who appeared on television talkshows to pronounce her guilty before the trial was over.

"Bias and prejudice and incompetent 'talking heads' saying what would be and how to be - I'm disgusted by some of the lawyers that have done this. I can tell you that my colleagues from coast to coast and border to border have condemned this whole process of lawyers getting on television and talking about cases they don't know a damn thing about," he said.

Among those who have been the focus of criticism is Nancy Grace, the presenter of a show on CNN, who has almost doubled her ratings since the trial began with ritual pronouncements that the "tot mom", as she calls Anthony, was guilty.

Grace defended the media in comments on the CNN website.

"I find it interesting that his first reaction was to attack the media like we had something to do with it," she said. "We didn't have anything to do with it; this was all tot mom ... There is no way that this is a verdict that speaks the truth."

But Baez, said: "I think we should all take this as an opportunity to learn and to realise that you cannot convict someone until they've had their day in court."

Welcome Investigator S. Patel

The investigative firm of Copenhaver & Associates Inc. The Orlando Private Investigator, would like to introduce and welcome Investigator S. Patel to our firm. Investigator Patel brings sound judgement, experience and new ideas to our firm.

The Verdict: Hang Up Don't Fall for Jury Duty Scam

The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.

This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam.

Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen a resurgence in recent months. Communities in more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about cold calls from people claiming to be court officials seeking personal information. As a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.

The scam's bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. Facing the unexpected threat of arrest, victims are caught off guard and may be quick to part with some information to defuse the situation.

"They get you scared first," says a special agent in the Minneapolis field office who has heard the complaints. "They get people saying, 'Oh my gosh! I'm not a criminal. What's going on?'" That's when the scammer dangles a solution-a fine, payable by credit card, that will clear up the problem.

With enough information, scammers can assume your identity and empty your bank accounts.

"It seems like a very simple scam," the agent adds. The trick is putting people on the defensive, then reeling them back in with the promise of a clean slate. "It's kind of ingenious. It's social engineering."

More Information
Want to learn more about new and common scams like this one? Then sign up for our e-mail alerts.

In recent months, communities in Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Hampshire reported scams or posted warnings or press releases on their local websites. In August, the federal court system issued a warning on the scam and urged people to call their local District Court office if they receive suspicious calls. In September, the FBI issued a press release about jury scams and suggested victims also contact their local FBI field office.

In March, USA.gov, the federal government’s information website, posted details about jury scams in their Frequently Asked Questions area. The site reported scores of queries on the subject from website visitors and callers seeking information.

The jury scam is a simple variation of the identity-theft ploys that have proliferated in recent years as personal information and good credit have become thieves' preferred prey, particularly on the Internet. Scammers might tap your information to make a purchase on your credit card, but could just as easily sell your information to the highest bidder on the Internet's black market.

Tips for Parents: The Truth About Club Drugs

Tips for Parents: The Truth About Club Drugs

What Are Raves?

"Raves" are high energy, all-night dances that feature hard pounding techno-music and flashing laser lights. Raves are found in most metropolitan areas and, increasingly, in rural areas throughout the country. The parties are held in permanent dance clubs, abandoned warehouses, open fields, or empty buildings.

Raves are frequently advertised as "alcohol free" parties with hired security personnel. Internet sites often advertise these events as "safe" and "drug free." However, they are dangerously over crowded parties where your child can be exposed to rampant drug use and a high-crime environment. Numerous overdoses are documented at these events.

Raves are one of the most popular venues where club drugs are distributed. Club drugs include MDMA (more commonly known as "Ecstasy"), GHB and Rohypnol (also known as the "date rape" drugs), Ketamine, Methamphetamine (also known as "Meth"), and LSD.

Because some club drugs are colorless, odorless, and tasteless, they can be added without detection to beverages by individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others in order to commit sexual assaults.

Rave promoters capitalize on the effects of club drugs. Bottled water and sports drinks are sold at Raves, often at inflated prices, to manage hyperthermia and dehydration. Also found are pacifiers to prevent involuntary teeth clenching, menthol nasal inhalers, surgical masks, chemical lights, and neon glow sticks to increase sensory perception and enhance the Rave experience.

Cool down rooms are provided, usually at a cost, as a place to cool off due to increased body temperature of the drug user.

Don't risk your child's health and safety. Ask questions about where he or she is going and see it for yourself.

What Are Club Drugs?

1) Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

Street names: Ecstasy, E, X, XTC, Adam, Clarity, Lover's Speed

An amphetamine-based, hallucinogenic type drug that is taken orally, usually in a tablet or capsule form.

Effects:

Lasts 3-6 hours.
Enables dancers to dance for long periods of time.
Increases the chances of dehydration, hyper tension, heart or kidney failure, and increased body temperature, which can lead to death.
Long-term effects include confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, paranoia, and loss of memory.
2) Gamma-hydoxybutyrate (GHB)

Street names: Grievous Bodily Harm, G, Liquid Ecstasy, Georgia Home Boy

A central nervous system depressant that is usually ingested in liquid, powder, tablet, and capsule forms.

Effects:

May last up to 4 hours, depending on the dose used.
Slows breathing and heart rates to dangerous levels.
Also has sedative and euphoric effects that begin up to 10-20 minutes from ingestion.
Use in connection with alcohol increases its potential for harm.
Overdose can occur quickly-sometimes death occurs.
3) Methamphetamine

Street names: Speed, Ice, Chalk, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Fire, Glass

A central nervous system stimulant, often found in pill, capsule, or powder form, that can be snorted, injected, or smoked.

Effects:

Displays signs of agitation, excited speech, lack of appetite, and increased physical activity.
Often results in drastic weight loss, violence, psychotic behavior, paranoia, and sometimes damage to the heart or nervous system.
4) Ketamine

Street names: Special K, K, Vitamin K, Cat Valium

An injectable anesthetic used primarily by veterinarians, found either in liquid form or as a white powder that can be snorted or smoked, sometimes with marijuana.

Effects:

Causes reactions similar to those of PCP, a hallucinatory drug.
Results in impaired attention, learning, and memory function. In larger doses, it may cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, and depression.
5) Rohypnol

Street names: Roofies, Rophies, Roche, Forget-me Pill

Tasteless and odorless sedative, easily soluble in carbonated beverages, with toxic effects that are aggravated by concurrent use of alcohol.

Effects:

Can cause anterograde amnesia, which contributes to Rohypnol's popularity as a "date rape" drug.
Can cause decreased blood pressure, drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, and confusion.
6) Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)

Street names: Acid, Boomers, Yellow Sunshines

Hallucinogen that causes distortions in sensory perception, usually taken orally either in tablet or capsule form. Often sold on blotter paper that has been saturated with the drug.

Effects:

Are often unpredictable and may vary depending on dose, environment, and the user.
Causes dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, dry mouth, and tremors.
Can cause numbness, weakness, and nausea.
Long-term effects may include persistent psychosis and hallucinogenic persisting perception disorder, commonly known as "flashbacks."
Know the Signs

Effects of stimulant club drugs, such as MDMA and Methamphetamine:

Increased heart rate
Convulsions
Extreme rise in body temperature
Uncontrollable movements
Insomnia
Impaired speech
Dehydration
High blood pressure
Grinding teeth
Effects of sedative/hallucinogenic club drugs, such as GHB, Ketamine, LSD, and Rohypnol:

Slow breathing
Decreased heart rate (Except LSD)
Respiratory problems
Intoxication
Drowsiness
Confusion
Tremors
Nausea
Effects common to all club drugs can include anxiety, panic, depression, euphoria, loss of memory, hallucinations, and psychotic behavior. Drugs, traces of drugs, and drug paraphernalia are direct evidence of drug abuse. Pacifiers, menthol inhalers, surgical masks, and other such items could also be considered indicators.

Halloween Safety Tips

Always use common sense.

Young children should always go trick-or-treating with an adult.

Never trick-or-treat alone. Have at least 2 buddies go with you.

Plan your entire route and make sure your family knows what it is.

Make sure that you are wearing a flame retardant costume.

Wait until you get home and your parents check your candy before you eat it.

Be very cautious of strangers.

Accept treats only in the doorway. Never go inside a house.

Be sure and say thank you for your treats.

Don't play near lit jack-o-lanterns.

Visit only houses where the lights are on.

Walk, Do not run.

Walk on sidewalks and driveways.

Cross the street at the corner or in a crosswalk.

Take a cellular phone with you if possible.

Wear a watch.

Carry a flashlight.