When a Child Goes Missing, an iPhone App Can Help

According to a survey released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children not enough parents in the United States know vital statistics about their children: height, hair color, eye color, weight, etc.  Young children change in physical appearance so rapidly that it can be a challenge to keep up with this information.  And in a time of crisis, it can be even harder for a panicked parent to accurately recall and disseminate this vital information to law enforcement.

For law enforcement, the first few hours in the case of any missing child are the most crucial in successfully finding a child alive.  Having an accurate description of your child and a recent picture can make the difference between a search and rescue effort to a search and recover effort.  For years, parents have been getting ID cards for children that have everything from vital stats to DNA.  Usually, the child carries one and the parents keep one.

This is a great idea, and the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) has just taken it one step further by making an admirable leap in to the digital age with its release of an iPhone app called Child ID.

This is the first-ever mobile app released by the FBI.  Not only can parents input and store information about their child’s appearance using this app, but they can also send information directly from the app to law enforcement during a crisis.

Kudos to the FBI.  It would be great if the FBI added two additional features to this app – password protection and fingerprint storing capability.  A lost or stolen iPhone could put lots of personal info about your child in the wrong hands.  A simple password protection would take care of that.  Second, a fingerprint storage area in the application could be of great use to authorities.  While iPhones do not, as yet, have the technology to accept or process fingerprints, it would be easy enough for a parent to scan a fingerprint and store it as an image that can then be loaded to the app.  Tech-savvy parents can probably figure that out now, but adding a simple walk through into the app would take care of all the parents out there who will use Child ID.

The FBI has done a tremendous service to parents and children by releasing this app.  It is now up to us to use it.

Scammers Don't Need Your Charity

“OH MY GOD! That is SO sad!”, you say as you watch the tragic news on TV or read through the articles you find on Google News or MSNBC.com about the recent tsunami in Japan.

Then suddenly, as if someone was listening, you get an email titled – “Help Tsunami Victims Now!”

In the email, there are sad stories and photos that bring tear drops to your eyes. Just as a tear rolls down your cheek and just about the time you’re saying to yourself, “I wish I could do something,” there it is, in nice bold print, your call to action —

“Help a Child – Donate Now!”

“Just click on the link and give $5, $10, $100 – every bit helps and every bit goes to tsunami relief!”

And you do just that…

And, there goes your money to some scam artist out there – never to return…

Remember when you used to get phone calls (and you might still get them) after a tragedy asking for money? You used to think about whether you were getting scammed. “How did you get this number? Why are you calling if I’m on the “do not call” registry? I’ve never heard of you, who are you again? Why are you calling after 9 p.m. – you just woke up the kids!”

Unless, of course, you knew the organization well – it was the school PTA planning a fund raising drive, or it was the local Red Cross seeking your help once again. These lessons from the ‘real’ world apply to the ‘online’ world too.

In times of crisis, good organizations heed the call to action and so do the scammers.

Protect yourself — keep these great tips from the FBI’s website in mind:

* Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

* Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.

* Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.

* Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.

* To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.

* Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site.

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* Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.

* Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

For more useful information on charity scams, visit the FTC’s website.

Be A Safe Santa Online

Safe Santa OnlineSadly my three older kids ages 10, 14 and 15 found out the truth about Santa a few years ago when they snuck into the attic on Christmas Eve and found their Christmas gifts; while my 5 year old still awaits Santa’s visit.  Even more sadly (for me), now that they know that Santa is not a poor old man living in the North Pole giving gifts to children around the world but is instead their father who has a wallet and who personally knows how hard they have worked in school all year. I, like most Americans who play the role of Santa and are too busy to spend all day at the mall shopping for their children, am relying on the vast online shopping possibilities that the wonderful world of the Internet provides.

Online holiday shopping is in fact more successful this year than ever before according to a MuyBuys, Inc. press release from yesterday that showcases the successful Cyber Monday sales numbers that well known big box retailers are reporting.  In fact, iStockAnalyst points out that Cyber Monday sales crossed the $1 billion mark making it the busiest online shopping day ever.
Wall Street will no doubt debate whether the economy is rebounding or whether we are still stuck in a recession.

While they debate away, one fact is indisputable about our economic situation – consumers are showing much more confidence when it comes to shopping online.

And that leads to another fact that is just as indisputable – scammers are showing much more confidence when it comes to ripping off excited online shoppers.

To put it in perspective, think of the local malls we all visit – the more shoppers go there to shop, the more thieves show up to steal wallets and purses – and they don’t always distinguish between Neiman Marcus and Target as long as there is cash inside.

So let’s make being Santa online safe –

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) provides lots of good tips on avoiding online scams – everything from credit card fraud to identity theft.  Check it out here.

Merry online shopping to my fellow Santas.