October 19, 2023
Meeting Summary
Presiding: Murray Schroeder
Meeting Room setup/takedown and general problem solving: Tom Mangan & Team
Inspiration:
Professor’s Quote: Rollin Abernethy
Foundation Flash:
Introduction of Guests: Tim Eisenhauer
Guests: Keith Downey introduced prospective member, Blake Moore.
Visiting Rotarians:
Junior Rotarians/RYLA/Young RYLA/Exchange Students: Marianna, Ava Reese, Stella Hadstalle
Rotaract/Interact Students:
Humor: Terry Roark
Foundation Drawing: The Club won $10 with $16 in the pot.
O’Dwyers Drawing: The Club
Announcements:
- Caitlin White told the club that the Youth Exchange Committee will need help hosting ski weekend for the District exchange students. Contact Todd Pearson if you can help.
Upcoming Programs:
- Nov. 2: UW Men’s Basketball, Coach Linder
- November 9: Cathedral Home
Rotarian of the Week: Murray Schroeder nominated Tim Eisenhauer and Caitlin White for helping with the meeting.
Rotarian of the Month: Paul Montoya
Songs: Five Foot Two; Get Together Song
Program: Top 5 Scams of 2022, Better Business Bureau, Marcus Rasmussen
Introduction: Tony Hoch
Scams hinder trust in the marketplace. You can learn more at bbb.org/scamtracker. This can help eliminate and track scams.
The Better Business Bureau had 40 percent of visitors to the site checked to see if they could be experiencing a scam. Twenty-one percent said it helped them avoid losing money to a scam. The scam tracker prevented consumers and businesses from losing an estimated $21.2 million to fraudsters in 2022.
In 2022, there were 40,503 reports. Over 40 percent included a financial lost. The media loss in dollars is $171.
The BBB risk index includes exposure, susceptibility, and monetary loss. Outside of financial impacts, there are other impacts from scams such as: lost time, lost confidence, lost personal information, and lost potential earnings.
The top five riskiest scams in 2022 were online purchases, employment, cryptocurrency, home improvement, and advance fee loans. Romance was number 7, and has jumped from number 14 in 2021.
Online purchases are 31 percent of reports, and 74 percent report losing money. It is the riskiest for ages 35-64. Paying by credit card is the best practice in case you are scammed.
Employment scams resulted in a median $1,500 loss. It is the riskiest for students and ages 18-34. Cryptocurrency sees $1,100 in median loss. Ages 18-24 report the highest numbers of monetary loss, while 65+ has the lowest susceptibility.
Impersonation scams are population. Often organizations are impersonated. The most common are Amazon, Geek Squad, and Publishers Clearing House.
Red flags to know are:
- Reaching out unsolicited to gain information
- Pressuring you to act immediately
- Asking you for money through wire transfer or gift cards
- Threatening you in some way
- Offering something that is too good to be true
- Asking to access your computer
If you are targeted, you should stay calm, don’t reply directly, go to the source for assistance, never feel pressured, never pay over the phone or give personal information, never allow remote access, and check the email address and URL. You are at greater risk of a scam if you are financially vulnerable, feel lonely, or panic easily.
Response: Terry Roark
‘Response: The Rotary Club of Laramie will make a donation to the public library children’s book fund in the speaker’s name.
NOTE: We Do Not Donate a Book!
Rotary 4-way test
Of the things we think, say, or do:
•Is it the Truth?
•Is it Fair?
•Will it build Good Will and
Better Friendships?
•Will it be Beneficial to All
Concerned?
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
•FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
•SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
•THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
•FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
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Website: laramierotaryclub.org
Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org