Chicago is an amazing city.  Home to vibrant culture, world-class food, and a diverse population of millions, it's a beloved metropolis with so much to offer.  Yet, the men and women who keep us safe in the Windy City are not without their sacrifices.  The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation was created to honor fallen officers and provide support to the families of those injured in the line of duty.

Today, Mike and Mark have the pleasure of speaking with Phil Cline, Executive Director of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.  Phil gives us some insight into this amazing foundation and all the help it provides officers and families of officers throughout the city of Chicago while also discussing some of the difficulties law enforcement and prosecutors face these days.

Chicago Police Memorial Foundation: https://cpdmemorial.org/

In this episode of The Protectors, Mike and Mark delve into the dark world of financial fraud.  From sophisticated phishing schemes to insider collusion, we examine the various methods criminals use to steal from banks and their customers.  Chris, a subscriber to the podcast, shares his personal story of how he almost became a victim of an attempted bank takeover.  Join us as we uncover the secrets of illegal bank takeovers and learn how to protect yourself and your money

*** This episode was previously recorded on 11/11/22

Website: [email protected]

Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov

Are you unknowingly being scammed out of your home?

On today's episode of "The Protectors," Mike and Mark welcome attorney David Fleck.  David is a former Deputy DA who has prosecuted felonies and complex financial crimes, including real estate, investment, and loan fraud.  David gave up his law practice and in February 2019, co-founded Veritable Data Solutions, Inc. to prevent deed fraud, construction fraud, ID theft, and forgery using technologies he developed.  Today, David educates us and cautions us as to what we can do to prevent ourselves from becoming victims of these multi-million-dollar scams.

Website: https://www.veritabledata.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veritabledatasolutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deedfraudlawyer/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/VeritableData

Email: [email protected]

Chances are you're buying at least one gift card this time of year. But you need to be especially vigilant this holiday season because scammers are increasingly using gift cards to steal your money. On today's episode of The Protectors, Mike and Mark welcome Martha Weaver. Martha currently serves as the North American Head of Retail Partnerships at Tillo, a company that offers a software platform that uses the power of digital gift card rewards and incentives to connect consumers to retail brands.  Martha also sits on the Board of Directors for the Retail Gift Card Association (RGCA) and is the Chairperson of the Fraud Committee. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Martha gives us the inside scoop on the many different types of gift card fraud that exist in the retail, restaurant, travel, and entertainment industry. Her goal is to educate the consumer while also providing best business practices to retailers so that they can protect themselves and their customers.

Sit back and absorb everything Martha has to offer so your loved ones can enjoy their gifts this Christmas, and you're not wasting your money!

GUEST CONTACT INFO:

Martha Weaver Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-weaver-6597977

Retail Gift Card Association: https://www.thergca.org/

The holiday season is always a special time of year but also a time when busy people become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. We can never be too careful, too prepared, or too aware.  On today's show, Mike and Mark welcome an expert on the subject, Scott Warren.  Scott is the acting Supervisor in charge of Investigations at the Oak Brook, Illinois Police Department.  He has been with the Investigations Division since 2017 and previously served as a detective from 2008 to 2012.  Scott has also been a board member of the Cook County Retail Organized Crime Task Force as lead investigator on cases involving identity theft and credit card fraud. 

'Tis the season for holiday theft.  From the minute you arrive till the second you leave the stores, Scott covers it all in our podcast. Educate yourself with Scott's essential tips and strategies to ensure a safe and happy holiday shopping experience.  Don't become a victim this Christmas!

https://www.protectorspodcast.com/episode/felony-lane-gang-is-coming-to-your-town  

https://www.linkedin.com/company/iafci-presents-the-protectors-podcast/

Scott Warren LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-warren-746a698a/

Oak Brook Police Acting Supervisor (Investigations) Scott Warren: [email protected]

Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis: [email protected]

Oak Brook Police Deputy Chief Reid Foltyniewicz: [email protected]

Oak Brook Police Deputy Chief Mark King: [email protected]

Oak Brook Police Sgt Jason Wood: [email protected]

IAFCI Presents…The Protectors Podcast Celebrates its 30th episode by honoring the life of NYFD Fireman Stephen Siller and so many others who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11/2001.

Mike and Mark welcome to the show Stephen’s brother, Frank Siller, who started Tunnel To Towers Foundation (T2T.org) to honor his brother and others.  Over the past 21 years, Frank has helped thousands of first responders, military personnel, and their families who heroically gave of themselves to keep us safe. 

As this is released on the eve of Thanksgiving, let us “Never Forget” our heroes.  This episode has touched our hearts, and we hope it inspires everyone who listens to be thankful and to graciously support T2T, our first responders, and the military. 

Local police departments all over the country are alerting residents of a rise in "ruse burglaries."  These burglaries can occur anywhere and often end in significant losses for the unwary homeowner. On today's episode of The Protectors, Mike and Mark welcome Detective Jose Mendez of the Skokie, IL Police Department.  Detective Mendez is a 23-year veteran and is a member of the Major Crimes Task Force specializing in burglary patterns and offenders. Detective Mendez offers his expertise on the rising trend known as the ruse burglary.  He explains what it is, the different forms the ruse burglary can take, and what you need to know to protect yourself, your family, and your neighbors.  Enjoy our podcast and pass the knowledge on to others to help prevent this devastating crime.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/iafci-presents-the-protectors-podcast/

Jose Mendez Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jose-mendez-a754024b

www.linkedin.com/in/marcevanslv

Today we go live to the 2022 IAFCI Conference in Baltimore where Mark and Mike welcome back April DeValkenaere.  April is the owner and founder of Fortress Financial Education, LLC whose focus is helping clients who have fallen victim to power-of-attorney theft, elder fraud, and other white-collar crimes.  Fortress also aids law enforcement in the investigation processes of these crimes in their effort to prosecute these criminals. April stresses the importance of prevention through education - teaching people actionable steps they can take, both in the short term and long term, to be able to advocate for themselves on how to protect their current and future finances.  April is also the President of the Wisconsin local chapter of the IAFCI, and today she visits The Protectors for a second time to share her knowledge and experience in an effort to help YOU protect and preserve your own "personal fortress."

https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-devalkenaere-sbwcp-cfci-759334a5

https://protectyourfortress.com/

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/managing-someone-elses-money/

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2018/09/managing-someone-elses-money-new-protection-id-theft-and-fraud

If you think that human trafficking cannot, or is not occurring in your communities, then this is the podcast you need to hear. From sex trafficking to labor trafficking, the evil of human trafficking is embedded in our communities both large and small. You may think it operates in darkness and secrecy, but chances are, many of you may encounter offenders and victims of these crimes on a regular basis.  And your conceptions of who they are and how they appear may significantly change after listening to this podcast.  

Mark and Mike recorded this Live from the 2022 IAFCI Conference in National Harbor, MD and were able to interview two leading experts in human trafficking investigations.

Detective Joe Scaramucci is with the McLennan County Sheriffs Dept. Since creating a Human Trafficking Unit in 2014, Detective Scaramucci has conducted sting operations resulting in the arrest of more than 550 sex buyers, and 150 individuals for human trafficking and related offenses, which le d to the identification of 260 trafficking victims.

Rochelle Keyhan is the CEO of Collective Liberty, whose mission is to eradicate human trafficking by collaborating across industries, agencies, and service providers to create radical, data-driven approaches that address, disrupt and put an end to all forms of trafficking.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-scaramucci-92ba24174

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochellekeyhan

www.collectiveliberty.org