Governor Gary R. Herbert's Schedule
December 9, 2019 - December 13, 2019
**The Governor’s schedule is subject to frequent change**
Monday, December 9
10:00 a.m. Speak at Computer Science Press Conference
Location: Gold Room
Media Access
11:00 a.m. Meet with Leadership Team
Location: Governor’s Office
2:00 p.m. Speak at Press Conference for Fairness for All Act
Location: Capitol Board Room
Media Access
3:00 p.m. Call Constituents
Location: Governor’s Office
Tuesday, December 10
10:00 a.m. Attend Silicon Slopes Listening Tour
Location: Lehi
Wednesday, December 11
Travel to Las Vegas
Attend Western Governors Association Meetings
Thursday, December 12
Attend Western Governors Association Meetings
Friday, December 13
Attend Western Governors Association Meetings
Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox's Schedule
December 9, 2019 - December 13, 2019
**The Lt. Governor’s schedule is subject to frequent change**
Monday, December 9
10:00 a.m. Speak at Computer Science Press Conference
Location: Gold Room
Media Access
11:00 a.m. Meet with Governor’s Leadership Team
Location: Governor’s Office
12:30 p.m. Meet with Chief of Staff
Location: Lt. Governor’s Office
1:30 p.m. Coal Country Strike Team Meeting
Location: Salt Lake City
Tuesday, December 10
10:00 a.m. Attend Silicon Slopes Listening Tour
Location: Lehi
2:30 p.m. Point of the Mountain State Land Authority Board Meeting
Location: State Office Building
3:30 p.m. Meet with the Department of Workforce Services
Location: Lt. Governor’s Formal Office
Wednesday, December 11
No Public Events
Thursday, December 12
8:50 a.m. Utah State Certified Public Accountants Conference
Location: Salt Lake City
9:30 a.m. Meet with Representative Melissa Garff Ballard
Location: Lt. Governor’s Formal Office
10:00 a.m. Early Childhood Education Commission Meeting
Location: State Capitol Complex
Friday, December 13
3:00 p.m. Wake Up Film Screening
Location: Sandy
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Press Release
USDA Invests $8.1 Million in Rural Broadband for South Carolina Families
HUGER, S.C., Dec. 9, 2019 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Jim Hubbard announced USDA has invested $8.1 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 3,780 homes in rural South Carolina. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“Rural America needs robust modern broadband infrastructure to thrive,” Hubbard said. “The critical funding we’ve announced today will be used to improve internet speeds for hospitals, public safety and schools, and it will provide new opportunities for economic growth.”
Home Telecom will use $8.1 million in ReConnect grant funding to deploy 96 miles of fiber-optic cable in unserved areas of Charleston and Berkeley counties in South Carolina. This investment is anticipated to reach 3,780 rural households, 23 farms, 19 businesses, 19 educational facilities and eight fire stations.
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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*attached contains the following:
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Brooke Scheffler
Public Information Officer
801.674.0132
Gov. Herbert, Lt. Governor Cox and industry leaders announce funding for computer science in all Utah schools
SALT LAKE CITY (December 9, 2019) – In an event this morning at the State Capitol, Gov. Gary R. Herbert announced his intent to dedicate $10.2 million in his upcoming budget recommendations to the legislature to ensure every K-12 student in the state has access to computer science education.
Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox and technology industry leaders from Utah’s Silicon Slopes joined the governor in expressing support for the initiative.
Over the past year, Talent Ready Utah, in partnership with Pluralsight One, has coordinated efforts between government, industry and education leaders to develop, adopt and implement a state-wide Computer Science Master Plan that aligns efforts to meet Gov. Herbert’s goal to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn computer science by the year 2022.
“Computer science teaches students about technology, encourages them to think critically, and helps them develop problem-solving skills. Improving computer science education in our state is crucial and will help prepare our next generation of learners, teachers, thinkers, and innovators to make a robust contribution in tomorrow’s digital world,” said Gov. Herbert.
The governor also expressed thanks to Talent Ready Utah, the State Board of Education, and industry partners for their involvement in creating the state-wide Computer Science Master Plan.
In the past year, Utah has completed five of the nine national policy recommendations around computer science. It has also become the 12th state in the nation to build and adopt a Computer Science Master Plan. The State Board of Education also approved K–5 grade-level standards in 2019. In 2018, it adopted a framework for K–12 computer science standards.
“We cannot underestimate the role computer science and technology play in Utah's current and future economy,” Lt. Governor Cox said. “Expanding computer science education to every school is not only vital to meet the needs of the market but also opens doors for our students. By partnering with Silicon Slopes to get computer science education in every school, we are demonstrating that Utah is serious about keeping its place as a national economic leader."
In addition to the $10.2 million budget Gov. Herbert announced, industry partners have also stepped up to help provide wrap-around funding through the Silicon Slopes Computer Science Fund at the Community Foundation of Utah. The Silicon Slopes founders and their spouses have personally invested $4 million so far in ensuring an equitable future for the students and teachers of Utah through their tremendous contributions and pledges to computer science outcomes.
“Gov. Herbert understands that computer science is now a foundational literacy that is critical to preparing students to succeed in our technology-driven world, and his budget now clearly establishes access to computer science for all Utah students as a priority for the state,” said Aaron Skonnard, co-founder and CEO of Pluralsight. “These funds, combined with the power of the Silicon Slopes Computer Science Fund as a vehicle for all donors across the state to support the master plan for computer science, will put us on course to fulfill our collective vision of ensuring every K-12 student has the opportunity to learn computer science by 2022.”
Thanks to generous support from organizations and individuals, Utah continues to lead the nation in public/private partnerships.
“The launch of the Silicon Slopes Computer Science Fund is just the latest example of the great partnership that exists between public and private sectors,” said Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org. “Utah’s unified approach to expanding computer science education to reach all its students can serve as a template for other states to replicate.”
Gov. Herbert closed his remarks by declaring the second week of December as Utah Computer Science Education Week in Utah.
You can learn more about the Silicon Slopes Computer Science Fund here.
# # #
Tyler Robinson Foundation to host
“Slay Cancer with Poker” event
at Palms Casino Resort Saturday, Jan. 18
LAS VEGAS (Dec. 9, 2019) – The Tyler Robinson Foundation (TRF), the nonprofit organization of the GRAMMY® Award-winning band Imagine Dragons dedicated to supporting children battling childhood cancer, is proud to announce their first charity poker event in partnership with the Charity Series of Poker. Dubbed “Slay Cancer with Poker,” the $300 buy-in event with $100 re-buys and $100 add-ons will take place at View Nightclub at Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020.
The “Slay Cancer with Poker” event will begin with an open bar reception and hors d’oeuvres at 3:30 p.m. PST. Beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST, players can compete to win the grand prize of a $10,000 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event seat. Additionally, there will be $1,000 cash bonuses for purchasing the most rebuys and for the chip leader, bounty prizes, and many other prizes including a silent auction and 50/50 cash raffle drawing.
“Truth Be Told” star Mekhi Phifer and horror movie icon Kane Hodder will be in attendance along with other surprise celebrity guests. Comedian Joe Stapleton will emcee the charity poker tournament, while other poker personalities slated to attend the event include World Series of Poker bracelet winner Chris Wallace and Matt Stout. Additional participating celebrities and personalities will be announced in the coming weeks.
All net proceeds from the event will benefit TRF. TRF has raised more than $10 million to support families battling childhood cancer by providing grants to offset the many unseen costs associated with treatment. More than 1,000 families have benefited from TRF support. The Foundation continues to grow its efforts for families through a number of awareness and fundraising initiatives.
Players can get more information, pre-register online, donate, or bid on silent auction items from anywhere in the world at TRFCSOP.givesmart.com.
Sponsors for TRF’s “Slay Cancer with Poker” charity event include All American Dave’s Fit Food Truck, Beckwith Printing, Brad Garrett's Comedy Club, Gaetano Brand, Global Poker Index, JB Public Relations, Klarity Life, Lake Las Vegas Water Sports, Las Vegas ATV Tours, Pokernews, Professional Massage Inc., Revolt Tattoos, Right Touch Trophies,RunGoodGear, Sofa King Creative, Spade Sun Shades, Ultimate Boat Racing Experience, Vegas Sports Shop and VerStandig Law.
For more information, including poker rules, sponsorship and volunteering opportunities, please contact Ashley Burney at ashley@trf.org.
###
About The Tyler Robinson Foundation
The Tyler Robinson Foundation (TRF) helps strengthen families financially and emotionally as they cope with the tragedy of a pediatric cancer diagnosis by providing grants specifically to offset out-of-pocket life expenses. TRF is the nonprofit organization of the Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum selling band Imagine Dragons. TRF meets a critical need in communities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe and Malaysia. Each year, one in 285 children are diagnosed with cancer. While many pediatric cancer organizations focus on growing awareness and support for families with the physical and emotional toll of a diagnosis, the huge financial hardship cancer treatment places on families is rarely discussed. More than 85-percent of every dollar TRF raises goes right to families in need. For more information, visit TRF.org and follow TRF
============= on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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SALT LAKE CITY—The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by Rick B. Larsen, Sutherland president & CEO, to Utah’s Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force at a meeting held Monday evening, Dec. 9, at the Utah Capitol.
"Sutherland Institute is pleased to comment on the debate surrounding current tax reform," Larsen said. "Sutherland is aware of the issues – including the public perception that asks, 'Why now? Why the rush?' With record-low unemployment and apparent growth all around, it seems counterintuitive that we should have a tax structure problem.
"In our view, the facts of Utah’s economic consumption trends and actual revenue growth suggest that indeed we do. Our current tax structure is outdated and requires updating to meet a changing and growing economy. And the process – as illustrated by today’s version of the legislation – has been thorough and responsive.
"For this reason, Sutherland supports the proposed tax reform legislation as an important and necessary step toward adjusting state public policy to meet the evolving economic and social circumstances – including but not limited to changing patterns in commerce, technology and significant population growth. The bill contains a policy approach that will reduce taxes for families, which are the driver of Utah’s economy. Further, the legislation lowers taxes in a manner that should improve families’ day-to-day finances through significant income tax rate cuts, with additional tax relief to low- and middle-income families through exemptions and tax credits.
"We further support a special session this month which will sustain the momentum of current efforts and ensure that the 2020 general legislative session will not be a single-issue session.
"With respect to the legitimate questions and concerns that have been raised and in order to ensure that passage of this tax reform legislation becomes more meaningful over time, rather than more controversial, it will be essential for policymakers to take ongoing steps beyond this bill. These steps must be grounded in sound principles and with an eye toward maintaining, and in some cases restoring, public communication and trust. This should include: (1) following through on this legislation with sustained and exacting scrutiny of spending of taxpayer dollars, including reallocation or repeal of spending that is deemed ineffective; (2) thoughtful reform of transportation funding with families and businesses first and foremost in mind, followed by the need for reliable revenue streams; (3) studying and crafting principled recommendations to address a sales tax system that threatens to pick winners and losers based on whether a business sells goods or services; and (4) careful consideration of education funding reform with a priority toward ensuring that each child is empowered to pursue the educational path that is best suited to their unique needs, as well as ensuring sustainable funding for public schools.
"We support the intent and content of the current proposal. We view it as a critical step in creating sound emerging tax policy. Thank you."
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Dear Editor:
Please consider this authoritative piece by an analyst, Dr. Mel Gurtov, whose credentials go all the way back to the original Pentagon Papers. For PeaceVoice, thank you.
Tom Hastings
`~~~~~~~
The Afghanistan Pentagon Papers
by Mel Gurtov
872 words
The war in Afghanistan, America’s longest, has cost about 2,300 US lives, over 20,000 wounded, and about $1 trillion. Now, thanks to the persistence of the Washington Post, we have an abundance of interviews which, like the Pentagon Papers, reveal the enormous wastefulness, ignorance, and deceit that make Afghanistan, like Vietnam, a chapter in the history of failed US interventions.
In my October 2015 blog, “Truth and Consequences,” I cited a report at the time that Richard Nixon had complained to Henry Kissinger about the US failure to win the Vietnam War given all the firepower at its disposal. But that’s not what Nixon said publicly. I concluded: “We are now witness in Afghanistan to the same scenario: public lies, private doubts.” I also identified some of the problems with the US war effort in Afghanistan that the Post documents now reveal—problems that should have led Obama to deliver on his promise to withdraw US troops. Instead, he continued the failed effort and passed Afghanistan on to Trump. Both presidents had plenty of bipartisan support from people who, as in Vietnam, use “resolve” and “commitment” to justify the sacrifice of blood and treasure in a country they barely know. “Afghanistan is blessed with a substantial number of lobbyists who seem incapable of thinking beyond war,” I concluded in my blog.
Vietnam Syndrome
Decision making on Afghanistan, the interviews tell us, parallels that in Vietnam in several specific ways. Here are some symptoms of this seemingly chronic illness drawn from the Post interviews:
• Unwarranted optimism. No matter how badly things go, decision makers remain determined to win. (Donald Trump has recently said as much: If negotiations with the Taliban don’t work out, “complete victory” is the alternative.)
• Manipulating the Metrics. “The metrics were always manipulated for the duration of the war,” says one interviewee. (As a French general famously told his American counterpart in Vietnam, “You want the numbers to go up, we will make them go up. You want them to go down, we’ll make them go down.”)
• Bureaucratic Politics. A former brigadier general pointed to the confusion of activity with impact, and therefore treated money and projects as equivalent to real accomplishment. “The crack cocaine of development was how much money was spent. It was an addiction that affected every agency,” he said. USAID was the worst offender: Its “mission is to perpetually involve itself in projects to justify its existence” and make local people dependent on it.
• Lie When You Have To: Most everyone on the ground saw the disconnect between what was actually happening and what had to be said in public. Lying became commonplace. As one colonel said, “Every data point was altered to present the best picture possible.”
• Mission Impossible: “We were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan—we didn’t know what we were doing,” said one general. In agreement, a former commanding general in Afghanistan said: “I tried to get someone to define for me what winning meant, . . . and nobody could. . . . Some people were thinking in terms of Jeffersonian democracy, but that’s just not going to happen in Afghanistan.”
• Nation building hubris—thinking US involvement would eventually cure Afghanistan of official corruption, reform the military and police, and transform the economy. The emphasis was on building a strong central government, contrary to the tribal character of Afghanistan’s political culture. As one former ambassador said, the Americans had to deal with “feudal lords”—people who weren’t about to give up their power, or their weapons. Corruption was endemic, much like “Tammany Hall” or Chicago: People take care of their own in return for loyalty.
• Inability to separate development from security. “If you look at the amount of money spent in Afghanistan, you see a tiny percentage of it went to help the people of the country. It almost all went to the military and even most of that money went for local militia and police training.” There were also budgeting cycles and fights over programs in “the snake pit that Washington is,” making it extremely difficult to make progress on Afghanistan’s development.
• Failure to see the big picture. “Collectively the system is incapable of stepping back to question basic assumptions,” said one former National Security Council staffer. The “bigger question,” he said, is “why does the U.S. undertake actions that are beyond its abilities?” Afghanistan “is not government-in-a-box or nation-building,” yet it was treated as such. Introspection, questioning those approaches, didn’t occur. “There is too much momentum and not enough reflection,” he concluded.
• Wrong prescription. James Dobbins, a former diplomacy: “We don’t invade poor countries to make them rich. We don’t invade authoritarian countries to make them democratic. We invade violent countries to make them peaceful and we clearly failed in Afghanistan.” Invading for peace?
Someday, someone will write a memoir of Afghanistan with a mea culpa similar to Robert McNamara’s In Retrospect. Like his, it will be too little, too late. Probably unlike his, the war in Afghanistan will still be going on when that memoir is written, telling us that despite all the US wrongdoing, and the “lessons learned” that prompted the interview project, no president has had either the courage or the wisdom to say, enough.
—————————-end--
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University and blogs at In the Human Interest.
World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates (WASDE)
December 10, 2019
FOR RELEASE
December 10, 2019
A Utah-based company and its owner are permanently banned from offering tech support products and services to consumers as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission resolving allegations that their scheme tricked consumers into believing their computers were infected with viruses in order to sell them costly computer repair services.
In a complaint filed in February, the FTC alleged that Elite IT Partners, Inc., and its President and CEO, James Martinos, used Internet ads targeting consumers looking for help to recover their email passwords. Once they reached consumers, Elite IT’s telemarketers often claimed to be associated with well-known companies like Microsoft and Yahoo!, and pressured consumers to provide access to their computers. The telemarketers then ran bogus “diagnostic” tests, claimed consumers’ computers and personal information were in imminent danger, and pitched consumers costly and unnecessary repair services and antivirus software.
“Companies selling tech support services shouldn’t misrepresent who they are and shouldn’t scare consumers into buying services by falsely stating that a consumer’s computer is infected with viruses,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “When companies trick people into buying unnecessary tech support services, the FTC will take decisive action to stop them.”
The settlement imposes a $13.5 million judgment against Martinos and Elite IT, which will be suspended upon payment by Martinos of $173,500 and the turnover of other assets, due to an inability to pay the full amount. If found to have misrepresented their finances, Martinos and his company will be required to pay the full amount. In addition, Martinos and Elite IT are permanently prohibited from offering or marketing tech support products or services to consumers and misrepresenting their cancellation or refund policies associated with a product they sell. The settlement also prohibits Martinos and his company from falsely claiming an affiliation with another company or that a consumer’s product is infected with a computer virus.
The Commission vote approving the stipulated final order was 5-0. The FTC filed the proposed order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. The Court approved the final order on December 9, 2019.
NOTE: Stipulated final orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rental fraud pervasive among home, vacation property listings, Better Business Bureau study shows
(Salt Lake City, UT) Dec. 10, 2019 — The place seems like a dream come true: the right space, the right location, the right price. But is it really for rent? Or will you arrive to find your money gone with nowhere to stay?
An in-depth investigative study by Better Business Bureau (BBB) finds that fraud is widespread in the online rental home and vacation rental market, with 43% of online shoppers encountering a fake listing and more than 5 million consumers losing money to such scams.
The investigative study — Is That Rental Listing Real? A BBB Study of Rental Scams Involving Apartments, Houses and Vacation Properties — notes that 85% of consumers encountering fake rental listings do not fall for them. However, these figures suggest that the volume of rental scams lurking on the internet is staggering. Read the full study here.
According to the study, rental scams can take several forms, but perhaps most commonly, fraudsters simply copy the photo and description of a property, post it online with their own contact information and try to get a deposit and first month’s rent from the victim. The fraudster may communicate only by email or text message and may claim to be out of the country and unavailable to show the property. Once the victim sends money, the fraudster disappears.
One southern Utah woman was shocked to find her house and photos listed for rent online without her knowledge. The scammer running the listing was charging people for deposits, and sending potential buyers to the house.
“This website is having people send them money for a deposit on the home. They are sending people to look at the property. We have people living in that house, and people just show up—walking right in the house to look at it—because the person from the website told them that they could,” she said to BBB Serving Northern Nevada and Utah. She believes the scammers got the photos from a listing she had previously put on Zillow. When she contacted the number from the fake listing, the man she spoke to claimed to own the house. Eventually the website was taken down, but she has no idea how many people were scammed in the time it was running.
In less common types of fraud, victims may be enticed to buy an online directory of homes supposedly for rent, or they may be tricked into signing up for credit monitoring that comes with recurring monthly charges.
“While an advertised rental that meets your needs at a great price might be tempting, it just may be a scam,” says Jane Rupp, President and CEO of BBB Serving Northern Nevada and Utah. “Consumers shouldn’t rush into paying upfront fees for renting housing sight-unseen. Instead, take time to verify the details of the listings.”
BBB Scam Tracker has received more than 1,300 reports of rental fraud from 2016 to 2019, while the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports more than $37 million from January 1, 2019, through October 20, 2019, in losses associated with complaints that mention the word “rent.”
Ryan Boswell of South Jordan, UT inquired about an apartment online and was asked to send his driver’s license and wire money to a different state. Boswell sent his license, but not the $670 they requested. He noticed the ad seemed off when the supposed owner claimed to be living in Europe, and backed out.
Many consumers like Boswell look for rental listings on free classified listing sites like Craigslist in the U.S. and Kijiji in Canada, as well as Facebook Marketplace. They also check websites such as Apartments.com, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and Homes.com. Fake listings turn up frequently on these sites, despite the companies’ efforts to keep scam listings off their sites and warn consumers about potential fraud. The study finds that while the most fraud reports come from the largest metropolitan areas, no geographic area in North America appears to be safe from it.
Scams also frequently appear on vacation rental websites such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway.com. They follow the same pattern, preying on vacationers’ inability to check out a listing before paying money for it. Cases also have been noted of scammers luring a renter away from Airbnb to deal with the “landlord” directly or spoofing Airbnb’s site to impersonate the landlord and the company’s payment portal. These companies likewise have warned consumers about potential fraud and taken steps against fake listings.
Rental fraud is often committed by Nigerian criminal gangs that participate in other types of fraud. Law enforcement efforts have targeted perpetrators of a variety of rental fraud. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against a company that fraudulently sold credit monitoring that allegedly was required before a consumer could tour a rental property, while another company selling a fake directory of “pre-foreclosure” homes was successfully prosecuted in federal court.
In addition to warning consumers of red flags that may signal apartment or vacation rental scams, the report recommends:
Rental unit owners should watermark photos used for rental postings, which will make it more difficult for scammers to copy photos of other properties posted online.
Website platforms that list houses, apartments and vacation properties should make extra effort to screen for bogus listings, and they should explore ways to allow consumers to easily report scam listings.
Police should encourage victims to report not only to the rental platform, but also to the FTC, BBB, IC3, or in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
What to do if you are the victim of a rental scam:
File a report with local police.
Go to BBB.org to view a business’ BBB Business Profile, including complaints and reviews, or to file a complaint or report a scam on Scam Tracker.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint or by calling 877-FTC-HELP.
File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
For incidents in Canada, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Call toll free from the US at 1-888-495-8501.
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ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on nearly 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. Today, BBB serving Northern Nevada and Utah is supported by just over 4,300 Accredited Businesses that have voluntarily committed to adhere to BBB’s Standards of Trust.
