Federal Trade Commission’s Post

This is the second time in the past few months we’ve seen a major story of this nature. The other being ShotStop Armor for the same reason with body armor. Setting aside specific comments on either case (because I have no first hand knowledge) and taking the allegations on their face, we have to ask ourselves a few questions: 1) Are the enforcement mechanisms working when we are catching this only many years after the fact? BRAVO ZULU to HSI for their work. It is fantastic to see them taking action here. This has always been an issue and no one ever seemed to care. So thank you! 2) Are the incentives to cheat simply too strong a siren song for some companies? For sewn goods, this is especially true. Labor costs make up MOST of the cost of a sewn good. For sewing, the difference in cost between US made and third world made can be 75% or more. For a simple item that could mean quadrupling the profit for the manufacturer. This has been an issue for the four decades I’ve been in the industry, but it has gotten dramatically worse in the past decade. 3) Has our manufacturing base gotten too small? As we have outsourced EVERYTHING we buy as a country, the manufacturing base for our country has shrunk. We are a service economy in almost all states now, we do not have craftsmen like we used to. Trying to do large military projects in the US has gotten much more difficult as a result. Every sewn goods company we know struggles to find sewers and other manufacturing staff. WE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE US MANUFACTURING! I am a very strong believer in US manufacturing. So much so that we started a CA based manufacturing team despite the strong business case against it. But, IF we want US made, we need to support US made goods with incentives, enforcement, and policy. The lessons we learned during COVID about not being able to source foreign products (especially for military products during a conflict) are quickly being forgotten. We are killing small US businesses, especially in this industry. It’s time for congressional action! #usamanufacturing #hsi #berrycomplaint #military #tactical

FYI, this is ABSOLUTELY a Military Money Mistake! 😬 I’m actually working on a new class about scams for the Military Money Mistakes course and I happened to come across this article. Keep in mind that while this was happening in Norfolk, these types of scams tend to migrate quickly. I don’t care who they are, if ANYONE ever asks you for access to your banking app, overcome whatever social anxieties you may have and politely (at first) tell them to 🤬 off, and then inform the authorities. 👉Follow me for more insights into SBP, VGLI, TSP, Military Transition, and VA Disability. Got questions? Need help? Comment below or hit me up.👇 https://lnkd.in/gFqQyfSS #military #veterans #personalfinance https://lnkd.in/gQPJ3MG8

Keep impersonators at bay! Along with its boon, the digital era brings with it some trouble as well and identity theft is one problem that is growing and frequency. In the ever-increasing digital space, stealing the identity of a person to gain financial advantages has become easier. So, this is one area where people must learn to be more cautious to prevent identity theft. bit.ly/azmg029 Azmoneyguy.com. #azmoneyguy #roberthockensmith #taxtips #52pickup #52pickuptax #efile #filetaxes #52waystooutsmarttheirs

A major 'pilfer and profit' military scandal last week. A New York Army National Guard military police officer, a supply specialist, and a civilian Air National Guard employee were arrested for allegedly stealing and selling military-grade equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. How is this still happening? FeaturePrint can put a permanent end to this issue. By serializing products, FeaturePrint provides an irrefutable way to identify parts in the defense industry, eliminating risk related to fraud and gray market goods, while ensuring transparency, traceability, and trust in government affairs. Ensuring the integrity of our high-value, highly confidential military assets is a no-brainer. FeaturePrint can do it with just a photo from a standard camera. https://lnkd.in/g9zWP44k #Alitheon #FeaturePrint #OpticalAI #Innovation #Authentication #FightCounterfeits #FightFraud #TechSolutions #GovernmentFraud

Keep impersonators at bay! Along with its boon, the digital era brings with it some trouble as well and identity theft is one problem that is growing and frequency. In the ever-increasing digital space, stealing the identity of a person to gain financial advantages has become easier. So, this is one area where people must learn to be more cautious to prevent identity theft. bit.ly/azmg029 Azmoneyguy.com. #azmoneyguy #roberthockensmith #taxtips #52pickup #52pickuptax #efile #filetaxes #52waystooutsmarttheirs

As we approach Veterans Day, we thank our veterans for their service and sacrifice. But not everyone has a vet's best interests in mind. Whether you left the service decades ago or you're planning your transition to civilian life, scammers will try to get you to send money or share personal information. Scammers also want to get their hands on the valuable benefits you earned through military service. This short article reveals the ways to know if you're dealing with a scammer https://smpl.is/83jef #fraudalerts #scammers #ScamAlert #VeteransDay

I’ve lost count of how many stories about fraud schemes I’ve read that play out the same way - (1) fraudster makes up outrageous story about their background; (2) people believe without questioning and (3) hand over lots of money, power, and/or access to money/power; (4) eventually it all implodes. People, can we focus on doing less of (2) so we can have less of (3) and less need for (4)? Why do so many people - sophisticated and powerful people - remain so gullible and trusting? https://lnkd.in/ekyHHyZj

Fraud XXXII: Enclosed, in my view, a very interesting article from the US about delivering fraudulent parts to the US army. If a similar case would happen in Germany, the German DoD would try everything to sweep this under the rug before making it public. As insiders know, we are investigating the matter of the Lockheed Martin PZL Mielec aircrafts M28 of a German service provider of parachute services for the Dutch, Swedish, Belgian and German military. In these aircrafts were not reliable Parachute Jumper Rescue Systems installed without proper certification (STC) by the company itself. The German Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA, German Aviation Authority) does not interfere, because the same company used in the past illegal Russian aircrafts AN28 for 7 years all over Europe under the eyes of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt. If the LBA would now admit their reckless disregard for the truth, its president would be fired. Hopefully no deadly accident will happen. The responsible people from the above mentioned armies were informed. German Federal Ministry of Defence | Bundesministerium der Verteidigung Bundeswehr (German Federal Armed Forces) Federal Aviation Administration Canadian Transportation Agency German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport https://lnkd.in/eJK3P6zK

Army Reserve Colonel Perpetrates Fraudulent Scheme Involving Temporary Duty Allowances. In a federal court case, Col. Reece Dennis Roberts pled guilty to defrauding the U.S. Army. The charges stem from his manipulation of temporary duty station entitlements. Details of the case: * Roberts reportedly lied about his residency to qualify for benefits intended for soldiers stationed far from home. * He allegedly fabricated lease agreements and used another individual to conceal the scheme. * This case raises concerns about potential vulnerabilities within military benefits programs. Importance of the case: * This incident emphasizes the need for robust oversight and adherence to ethical standards within the military. * The case serves as a reminder of the importance of deterring fraudulent activity to ensure the integrity of military benefits programs. The outcome of this case will likely involve further discussions on measures to prevent similar incidents and safeguard the appropriate allocation of military resources.

I am a Fan of Fighting Foolish Fees and Frustrating Fraud with the Patriot Card. A quick rundown of the Card's Fraud Mitigation Tools: -On/Off (block card use until you choose to use) -Geofencing (set zip code and distance from zip for card to work) -Curfew (card works/does not work between X:00-X:00) -Spend Limits (daily, weekly, monthly, merchant category type) -Merchant Category Block (gas stations, gambling, etc.) -International (yes/no) -Real-Time Transaction Alerts (text and/or email) -Transaction Max Amount (by merchant category or overall) -Block ATM Withdrawal -Block Send Money https://lnkd.in/eJszd5D7 #Military #Veterans #Payments #Cards #FraudPrevention