Do you need a REAL ID?

It’s gold star time -- beginning October 1, 2020, West Virginians will need to have a gold star on their driver’s license to go through airport security for a commercial airline flight.
The gold star converts your driver’s license into what is called a REAL ID for certain federal purposes. The alternatives of a passport, federal government PIV card, or military ID will work for the same purpose.
A REAL ID will also be needed to go through security in certain federal facilities/buildings, military bases, or nuclear power plants as of October 1.
There are exceptions where the REAL ID is not needed, such as Social Security, Veterans Administration and post offices, and National Parks. Some other federal facilities do not require identification to enter.
When a driver’s license needs to be renewed, West Virginians have the choice of a REAL ID or the standard type of driver’s license which will not be usable for identification after October 1 for flights, entering federal or military facilities, etc.
The REAL ID costs an additional $10 and also requires two documents, such as current utility bills, to show proof of West Virginia residency (the non-federal version requires only one). Further, either type of license also requires proof of identity (through a birth certificate or passport) and proof of your Social Security number.
Although these are state requirements, the overall program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and is intended to make it more difficult for terrorists to acquire and use fraudulent identification.
Online information on the REAL ID requirements is available at https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Drivers/Pages/Drivers-Licenses.aspx.

WV Legislative Session begins 1/8/2020

Our state legislature meets for its 2 month regular session starting Wednesday January 8, 2020. That night Governor Jim Justice will deliver his 4th State of the State address You can watch and listen live on West Virginia Public Broadcasting tv and radio stations, the legislature's internet live stream, the Governor's YouTube channel , and the Governor's Facebook page.

12 Days of Scams Day 12: Never Surrender!

Are Americans becoming scam-weary?

If so, that can actually make it much easier for the scammers.

So staying vigilant and remembering that if something comes your way that sounds too good to be true, it could be a scam.

The top tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid being the next victim are available at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0060-10-things-you-can-do-avoid-fraud.

To stay current on scams, the FTC provides a service that sends alerts to you via ftc.gov/scams. Also, AARP has a series of podcasts on scams that hit seniors at https://www.aarp.org/podcasts/the-perfect-scam/.

12 Days of Scams Day 11: I Am the H.A.L. 9000, You May Call Me Hal.

What are robocalls?

They are computerized calls that can be the least costly way to scam the unwary.

If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the Federal Trade Commission at https://donotcall.gov/.

Don’t press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list. That actually often tells the scammer’s computer to call you again.

There are ways to block various kinds of unwanted calls, depending on whether you are using a landline, mobile phone, VOIP. Learn more about how fro the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-block-unwanted-calls

12 Days of Scams Day 10: Mass Market Consumer Scams

Are we getting better at avoiding scams?

The Federal Trade Commission’s 2017 mass market consumer fraud survey report, at https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/mass-market-consumer-fraud-united-states-2017-update/p105502massmarketconsumerfraud2017report.pdf, found that 40 million U. S.adults were victims of various kinds of such fraud that year. That’s almost 16% of the adult population.

These surveys are done periodically, and the scams with attendant losses are increasing. Some even became double victims of scams since almost 62 million scam efforts were reported as successful.

Of the victims in the 2017 survey, 62% purchased fraudulent products via the internet. Always checking for the security lock on the line with the website address is a way to lower the effectiveness of the scam.

Fraudulent weight loss products and computer repairs were the top areas for scams. The fake weight loss products also had the most repeat victims.

12 Days of Scams Day 9: Heartbreaking Romance Scams

Romance in the air -- and on the internet. But so are the scams.

Complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about romance scams have risen significantly in recent years, as have the financial losses associated with them.

Learn more about the $143 million in reported losses during 2018 from such scams at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/02/new-ftc-data-spotlight-details-big-jump-losses-complaints-about?utm_source=govdelivery

Those victims age 70 and over reported losing the most -- a median loss of $10,000. Ouch!

The scammers were able to make the victim feel important and were often viewed as the most compassionate and helpful person in their life. But the scammer also needed help with rent, car repairs, medical emergencies, transportation or family situations and didn’t hesitate to ask the victim for help.

As the victims learn, the scammers were not who they said they were. They use other people’s photos and fake identities. And they can pocket around $10,000 per older victim. That’s not romantic!