Ka'u Rural Health Community Association, Inc.

Reconnecting Families inquiry system

The American Red Cross would like to make readers aware of the new public inquiry system on the American Red Cross Reconnecting Families webpage. The Reconnecting Families team works to restore communication between families who have been separated due to war, disaster or migration. See the link to the webpage and the link to the new public inquiry. The inquiry page allows the public to submit questions, requests or concerns directly to our staff. It is a great way for people to ask about our services.

Liz Corrigan
International Reconnecting Families
American Red Cross
Washington, DC

Fraud to rob refugees of personal data

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) would like to warn you of a new fraud scheme to rob refugees of personal data, which can be used to commit identity theft.

Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC), an ORR grantee from Iowa, reports that last week some of their clients were visited by two men claiming to be cell phone company representatives. These men went door to door asking refugee families for their social security numbers, Medicaid numbers, and dates of birth, promising them free cell phones in return.

ORR urges you to be aware that there are several criminals seeking to take advantage of newly arrived refugees who may not realize the need to protect their personal information from thieves and other criminals. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is following scam attempts such as these, and encourages anyone contacted with similar scams to report them through the FTC website. Their recently published Consumer Alert provides valuable tips on how to avoid being victimized, and what to do in case you are contacted. They have also set up a new web page, Avoiding Scams Against Immigrants, with information and materials in several languages.

How can you avoid scams like this?
• Do not give important personal information – or money – to someone you don’t know or to someone who contacts you unexpectedly.
• Do not give your personal or financial information to unknown persons who seek payment or ask for charitable contributions. Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
• Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages. • Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials asking for payments or donations, door-to-door, or by phone, mail, e-mail, or social networking sites.
• If you are a refugee and are contacted like this, talk to the case manager at your resettlement agency immediately. Then report it to the Federal Trade Commission online or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. Information courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission, FTC Consumer Alert

Resettled refugees are once again advised to consult with their local resettlement agencies if someone claiming to represent the government contacts them, especially if there are promises of cash or prizes. If these scammers come to your home, report the incident to your local police. Please spread the warning about these scams.