FBI Issues Formal Alert About Online Dating Extortion Scams After ALG Client Speaks Out

Several months ago I posted about our client's online dating extortion ordeal.  Our client was brave and determined enough to speak out publicly.  Brandi Kruse at KIRO radio profiled his story, and he was one of the first victims to file this type of complaint with the IC3, the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Since then, the IC3 has received a substantial number of similar complaints, so many that the FBI has issued a public alert.  The FBI's investigation and alert are explained here, and the local update from Brandi Kruse is here.

Shortly after our investigation and the original story aired, baitmymate.com went offline.

Seattle to Require Health Code Inspection of All Rental Properties

The Seattle City Council today unanimously adopted a program requiring the registration and inspection of all residential rental properties in Seattle.  Implementation of the program begins in 2014.

The new law requires landlords to complete a checklist certification that units meet City health and safety code.  Units will be inspected every five years.  See more in this article.

Ackley Law Group Represents Two in Nationwide Tattoo Ink Infection Outbreak

Health officials have traced an outbreak of tattoo infections, causing bubbly rashes, not to problems with the needles or equipment sterilization, but to infected ink.  Specifically, the infection is traced to contaminated water used in making the ink.  Read the full CBS News article here.

Ackley Law Group represents two individuals in Washington State with infections caused by tattoo ink.  The culprit bacteria can cause itchy and painful blisters that often require antibiotics with serious side effects, and months of treatment, to clear up.

Both the federal Center for Disease Control and our local Department of Public Health have investigated the outbreak.  

 

Ackley Law Group Assists Man Targeted By Online Embarrassment Extortion Scam

If it seems illegal, it probably is.  This is what 29 year old Alan Chalfant of Tacoma suspected and confirmed after he was targeted for embarrassment and extortion by the site baitmymate.com.  Alan was part of an ordinary dating website plentyoffish.com, where he contacted a girl he thought was pretty.   The girl led him to a Facebook chat page and then abruptly ended all contact.  Later, Alan found out the chat and his real name and information were posted by Baitmymate, listing him as a busted cheater.  The problem?  Alan was not in a relationship.

After contacting the site, the "removal department" indicated that someone had paid them to stage the conversation, lure him into a chat room, and post Alan's information.  The problem?  Alan initiated the conversation with the "woman."  The "removal department" emphasizes the embarrassing exposure caused by their posts, dismisses any legal ramifications of their actions, and even goes so far as to offer him a payment plan on the cost to take down the embarrassing post.  Baitmymate has victimized people all over the country in similar fashion, and appears to be doing so with impunity.

Baitmymate.com is registered through Moniker Privacy Services, a domain registration company that refuses, absent legal compulsion, to reveal the true identity of the web domain registrant.  The IP address associated with the site has been linked to Panama, but may originate elsewhere.

Thanks to a story by Brandi Kruse at KIRO 97.3 FM, the Department of Justice is currently investigating scams such as this.

If you are a victim of an internet-based crime, file a complaint with the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center).

Andrew Ackley on Protecting Your Rental Deposit as a Tenant

I recently spoke with Brandi Kruse of KIRO 97.3 FM here in Seattle about protecting your rental deposit as a tenant in Washington.  Link for the article and news piece is here.

Security Life Selling Illegal Dental Policies in Washington

About three years ago I purchased a dental insurance plan from Security Life Insurance Company.  I had no idea that Security Life failed to file the policy with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), and was therefore selling the plan illegally.  The OIC apparently notified Security Life about the illegal sale more than two years ago.  Nevertheless, Security Life continued to renew (and in fact increase the price of) my policy.

In the middle of May Security Life sent me a letter indicating they were canceling my policy at the end of June.  There are other fish in the sea, as they say, but here's the thing:  My policy has several lengthy waiting periods and time period restrictions for coverage of certain expenses--standard things we all need from time to time.  That means I've been paying into their system (much more than I am receiving in return) for an extended period to obtain the benefit of my continued payments (more coverage).  Because Security Life was selling an illegal policy, however, my accrued benefits are going to waste.

Definitely filing a complaint with the OIC under the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, and will hopefully find out when their investigation is complete how many others have been affected by this.

The Group Therapy Dilemma

Since filing Oraivej v. CSI this winter, several groups from around the country have contacted me about their advocacy for safe and effective group therapy, including alcohol programs, anger management classes, and drug addiction programs.

The dangers of group therapy revolve around one central issue: the idea of bringing together a group of vulnerable people. They could be emotionally vulnerable, malleable, desperate, or volatile. They could be a danger to other participants or to themselves, or they could be easy prey for others in the group.

While there is a clear potential for chaos in a group therapy setting, many of the dangers of group therapy play out in indirect ways and materialize outside the classroom. Members develop a trust relationship with other vulnerable members, and exploit the relationship in private. This could be in the form of anything from rape to robbery to swindling.

This is not to say that there are not benefits of learning and healing with others, taking comfort in not being alone, and learning from others' mistakes. But, given the potential risks, it's important to have a well-defined standard of care for group therapy providers to provide safe and effective classes. This is what many advocates strive for.

Below are some links to others in the Blogosphere speaking on this issue:

http://nadaytona.org/2011/12/28/alateen-safety-guidelines-g-34/

www.leavingaa.com

www.orange-papers.com

www.stinkin-thinkin.com

www.stop13stepinaa.wordpress.com

"Waze" to Get In An Accident

If there is an award for the most horrifically counterproductive software products, "Waze" has to win for 2012. Waze is a smartphone application that offers GPS mapping and turn-by-turn directions to your destination. The routes are automatically updated based on traffic conditions, including data from other Waze users in your area--if another Waze user gets stuck in a traffic jam, the application updates your route accordingly. Waze also encourages users to manually contribute information to other Waze users, including taking a photograph of whatever road ailment you think other drivers ought to know about. These include the traffic jams and accidents, police officers, construction, and a general "hazards" category. The program also features a "Chit chat" function, presumably for a new era of road rage and commiseration.

We all hate traffic. We all want to get to there sooner, faster, easier, while braking as little as possible. But, we have to ask, do we really want drivers around us:

1. constantly peeking down at their smartphones for real-time or close to real-time updates, just to save fifteen seconds?
2. looking down at their phones and suddenly making last minute turns and lane changes because some other guy with his iPhone reported an unidentified hazard?
3. reaching for their phones and attempting to take a picture of road hazards?
4. relying on anonymous Waze users posting a picture of a clown in the road and claiming it was taken on I-5?

I hope the answer is a resounding No.

Toyota Can't Get it Right

According to The Associated Press, via NPR, federal investigators are looking into fires in 2007 Toyota Camry and Rav4 vehicles. Where is the fire? Naturally, the driver's side door. The probe could affect 830,000 vehicles nationally.

For other driving safety information, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website.

Cruise Line Forum Clause

I'm sure you've heard of the cruise ship that sunk off the coast of Italy after the captain ran the ship aground, and then bailed before passengers and had a chance to get on life rafts. The Carnival Corp. owned Costa Cruises (owner of the Costa Concordia cruise liner) offered each uninjured passenger a full refund and $14,400 in cash.

Those who were injured (or lost their lives) and need more than Costa Cruises' cash offer are running into a ship-sized roadblock. Costa Concordia is based in Miami. Ordinarily, this would mean that an injured passenger could file suit against Costa Cruises in Florida. However, the small print on each Costa Concordia ticket includes a "choice of forum" clause, requiring any lawsuits against the company to be brought in Italy. As you would imagine, the cost and practical hurdles of filing suit in Italy deter many legitimate claims.

Though passengers probably did not consider the possibility of town-size ship running aground during their vacation when signing below the small print, the clauses will probably be upheld based on multiple prior Supreme Court decisions. See this Seattle Times article for more.

More salmonella sprouts

This time from the Northwest. Idaho-based Evergreen Produce sprouts have been linked to 20 cases of salmonella poisoning in five states, including Washington. Evergreen is not planning a recall.

Roundup Causes Birth Defects

And industry regulators have known for years. At least 30 years, in fact.

The active chemical, glyphosate, has been known to cause birth defects and malformations in lab animals since 1980, and in repeated studies since then. Nevertheless, the European Commission and other global industry regulators hid the evidence and denied any connection.

See the report and related article.

Vegetable Recall

See this CNN article about recalls of sprouts, parsley, and cilantro. The parsley and cilantro have both been linked to Washington state. The sprouts were sold to Jimmy John's franchises.

More Toyota/Lexus Recalls

Toyota/Lexus announces recall of 1.53 million cars in Japan and the U.S. for a brake problem that causes fluid leak. Yes, a brake problem.

Toy Recalls: Poorly Placed Pegs Cause Genital Bleeding

Fisher-Price is recalling more than 11 million tricycles, toys and high chairs. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency in charge of product oversight, the toys have already injured several children. Injuries include laceration and genital bleeding due to poorly placed pegs and protrusions such as a tricycle "key" in the middle of the riding area (see picture to the left). Fisher-Price is also recalling two other toys due to choking hazards. See the Seattle Times article here. Go straight to the source for detailed information from the CPSC here, here, here, and here.

If you want to keep up with recalls without having to look in the news, you can sign up for the CPSC alerts here.

Eggs-actly: manure floods in laying houses too darn nitpicky

An enormous surprise to all, the farmers responsible for infecting 1,600 people with salmonella from contaminated eggs, and then the largest egg recall in U.S. history, are (1) contrite puppy dogs before Congress, (2) repeat offenders, and (3) circle back through (1) and (2) next time (though hopefully not).

As reported by the Seattle Times, the DeCoster farm has apparently been cited numerous times for sanitation violations. The DeCosters insisted they had taken steps to clean up facilities, but offered no explanation as to why problems kept coming up.

Here is a good reason why: the post-recall FDA inspection revealed rodent holes, liquid manure streaming through holes, and dead birds and maggots in the laying houses. In several cases the manure built up so much as to push open the door. Peter DeCoster described the FDA's inspection as nitpicking, and noted that only four doors were opened by manure overflow, out of 292.

Similac Formula Recall... for what??

Abbott Labs is recalling 5 million containers of Similac powdered infant formula due to contamination with, wait for it... beetles and their larvae. The FDA believes the formula poses no immediate health risks other than stomach aches, so the recall is more of a precaution. See the NPR article here.

Phantom Tylenol Recall

CNN reports that lawmakers and drug regulators released documents on Thursday that indicate Johnson and Johnson, the maker of Tylenol, may have known about problems with the drug months before the actual recall. To add insult to injury, Johnson and Johnson attempted a "phantom recall" of more than 88,000 Motrin tablets in June of 2009. The company hired a subcontractor to buy the products off of store shelves rather than take the products back and notify the public.

You don't need to look very far to see similar corporate tactics: According to internal timelines, Toyota knew of the accelerator defects in 2006. Now they spend millions on public relations to correct not just the product defect but the deceit behind it.

I would be curious to see a study on the long term cost-benefit analysis of a swift recall and taking responsibility early on vs. waiting. I suspect a swift recall would prevent injuries and save dollars on litigation, temper the media storm, and shorten the length of time the company's shortfalls fill the public domain. This would theoretically allow the company to return revenues to normal more quickly.

One thing I do know is that almost all major corporations regain public trust and revenue eventually--how many of us are still boycotting Exxon, or even BP for that matter? But the people killed by defective products and delay tactics of executives do not get to return to their families.

Void of Oversight at Adult Homes

Many of us have probably visited a loved one in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home. As depressing as nursing homes can be for us, patients themselves would do just about anything to avoid them. The intermediate and preferred step between a home-home and a nursing home is called an "adult home" or an "adult family home." Unfortunately, the gap between adult home and nursing home is a nebulous and largely unregulated void. DSHS licenses homeowners to give long term care for up to six seniors, but there is no requirement that the home have a licensed caregiver.

A recent article in the Seattle Times explores the statistics and evidence of mistreatment and negligence in adult homes.

Tenants Have Rights Too

When I was a Rule 9 intern at UW Student Legal Services, my favorite thing in the world was to go after sleazy landlords. Many landlords and rental agencies do some pretty terrible things because they can get away with it. Tenants often don't know their rights. Even if they do, it's ordinarily not worth it to pay a lawyer $200/hr to get a $500 deposit back.

The good news is, knowledge is power, and the internet is knowledge. Below are some resources to learn about the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RLTA) and what you can do to protect your money.

RLTA: The Act itself. As statutes go, it's pretty easy to grasp.
WSBA: This is a WSBA "pamphlet" on landlord-tenant rights.
Washington Law Help: Find pro bono services.
Housing Justice Project of King County: Pro bono help from volunteers.
UW Student Legal Services: Inexpensive and attentive representation if you are a UW Seattle Campus Student.
A good pamphlet: Explanation of tenants' rights.

If you need guidance, I'm happy to talk to you. Did I mention I love going after sleazy landlords?