Sentinel has strong technical and operational safeguards to protect its sensitive data. Soon we will deploy a security upgrade to bring Sentinel in line with Zero Trust Authentication, a security framework that will help keep Sentinel data safe. Your login procedure will therefore change: we will email you more details about that soon. Sentinel members outside of the FTC likely will need to install the Microsoft Authenticator app for the new logon procedure on their personal or work smartphones. Consequently, they may have to contact their I.T. Departments for approval for the latter. Please see our FAQs to learn more about this important change and how it will affect you.
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If you missed it, the 2023 Data Book is now on our agency’s website. It has aggregated information about what consumers told us last year on the full range of fraud, identity theft and other consumer protection topics. The agency has also released the 2023 Do Not Call Data Book, showing a continued decline in consumer reports related to telemarketing fraud.
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The FTC welcomes six new sources of data. The business sources are Arvest Bank, Dominion Energy, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and Zelle, the digital payments network. There are also two new federal government sources: Grants.gov and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, we have expanded the Cybercrime Support Network and U.S. Postal Inspection Service data feeds. These entities are providing quality consumer reports in areas such as business impostors, online shopping, and unsolicited emails and texts to consumers.
New to Sentinel or just need a refresher course? The next online Sentinel training session will be on Thursday, April 4th at 12:00 EST; the following one will be on Wednesday, May 1st at 12:00 EST. Please contact sentinel@ftc.gov to register or find out about future monthly sessions. The Sentinel Team also looks forward to presenting Sentinel at the National Cybercrime Conference in April. This annual Massachusetts conference offers cybercrime and digital evidence training events for law enforcement and prosecutors.
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Sentinel has a library with charging documents used to prosecute scams, consumer fraud, contempt of FTC orders, and other consumer protection violations. The Criminal Liaison Unit Library is a resource for prosecutors and other law enforcers. You can find it by going to Other Resources/For Criminal Law Enforcement. And you can also learn about the Criminal Liaison Unit, which works to prosecute consumer fraud.
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Congratulations to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for its recent law enforcement success story involving Sentinel reports. Sentinel data was important in the office’s recent settlement with the organizer of a Kickstarter campaign who collected $31,753 from 101 supporters but did not deliver the goods he promised in return for pledges. He also failed to turn over donations to the turtle conservation charities identified as the campaign beneficiaries until he received pressure from the Attorney General’s Office and local police. Well done, case team!
Have a Sentinel success story? We’d love to hear about it at sentinel@ftc.gov.
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Need to explain to consumers how to spot scams? Here’s a consumer advisory with clear information on the topic.
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