What You Need to Know about Online Scams
It’s been a surreal two weeks. The senseless murder of Dr. Mark Hausknecht shook our lives and captured the attention of the nation. As the community came together, a tip led to the identification of Joseph James Pappas, the man who apparently held a 20-year grudge after the Houston cardiologist performed a surgery in which Pappas’ mother died. The anger turned to a murder – suicide with so many lives devastated. I know we all agree that this tragedy has left our collective prayers, thoughts and deepest sympathies with the Hausknecht family.
And while we have all united in following the breaking news, many of us have also noticed a crime swell taking place, one that’s affecting Houston friends, families and businesses in record numbers: online scams. In fact, you may have received the very email that plagued many this last week. It went something like this:
[Victim], We have gained access to all your information, including your passwords, one of which is [insert actual password]. In addition to gaining access to all your contacts, we have also captured video of you watching pornographic videos on your computer. If you do not send us $2,800 immediately, these videos will be sent to every one of your contacts. You must respond immediately. We are watching you.
The email, while absurd, is concerning as it reveals that your information (to what extent, you don’t know) has been compromised.
Stats
According to a recent sit-down with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, this scam and others like it have become a very real problem for businesses and individuals alike. A look at the losses gives us some indication of how pervasive and compelling these scams are: in 2016, $300 million was lost globally. That number rose to $1 billion in 2017 and is expected to topple $9 billion in losses for 2018. Saying it another way – scammers will have successfully defrauded businesses (major corporations and sole proprietors) and individuals (young and the elderly) of nearly $10 billion dollars in one year alone.
How
Sitting at a computer somewhere oversees, a computer hacker breaches company information (using your own information against you like in the scam above) or goes phishing for information to use against you or creates a very real threat (back taxes are owed from a decade ago) which is purposefully mailed to elderly individuals. Within minutes, a hard-working employee or business owner or student or housewife or elderly man unwittingly walks into a trap. He/she may click on an official-looking email embedded with malware capable of capturing keystrokes and handing over website names, usernames, passwords and bank account information. Or, he/she may receive an email threat so compelling (like the one above) that money is wired instantly out of fear. Or, he/she may be working so quickly that they don’t realize the “invoice” received or the “request for updated information” is fake; as they respond, they are unwittingly sending their money and information to scammers.
These professional hackers are smart, determined and banking on (literally and figuratively) the fact that you are unaware of their tactics. Once you bite, you’re pulled into their elaborate criminal web complete with criminal bank accounts and “staff” all over the world. A money mule will push the buttons and move money out of your account and into the criminal account. And recruiters are always working to find more money mules and pay them a percentage of the gain.
In the end, you are outnumbered and out smarted, left picking up the pieces and trying to protect your personal information.
How to Protect Yourself
This is an area in which knowledge goes a long way in protecting you and your information. Here’s what you must know now:
- Never fall for phishing emails or any email asking you for any information. Delete any email asking you to verify information. Instead, call your bank at the number on your bank card or go into your branch and ask if an update was requested. Same with store credit cards or phone bills. When you can’t walk into a store, call the official number on the invoice or card or official website.
- Never click on links in emails that are from parties unknown to you.
- Check spelling on all emails you receive. Check the sender’s email address as well. If the email is from “PayPal” but the sender is info@bbhvth.net that’s a red flag.
- In the business place, make sure to have two-step verification. This means a wire transfer (for example) requires two separate individuals to oversee it, verify the request and approve the transfer.
- Change all factory settings on Wi-Fi, router, computers, smartphones and other gadgets. Do this on all your electronics – especially if you have a “smarthome!”
- Enable automatic updates – this will make sure you are always operating with the latest technology, which should have the latest safety measures. Make sure your computer has strong firewalls and current malware protectors installed.
- Use long passwords and don’t be afraid of sentences rather than words and numbers. For example: SmithBankofAmericaPasswordForTheYear2018! Pick something you’ll remember, make it long and don’t use the same passwords for all your devices and accounts.
- Don’t check any account information when you’re on a public Wi-Fi (i.e., Starbucks or the mall).
- Don’t leave accounts open; always log out.
- Check your account information regularly!
We live in a changing world where criminals are becoming more brazen. As we work hard to protect ourselves, we are also determined to protect each other. That is one thing I am seeing more and more. Let’s make sure our friends, neighbors, colleagues and more are aware of how scammers are hacking and infiltrating our lives – together we can keep each other safe.
Dangers of Drinking and Driving
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It doesn’t matter if you know the families or knew the girls. Tragic doesn’t even begin to describe the incomprehensible deaths of 16-year-old Salma Gomez and 16-year-old Chloe Robison. And the unbearable events that unfolded on July 25, 2018 remind us of the need to once again talk to our children and all children about the dangers of drinking and driving.
And while we join the families who have lost daughters with bursting lives that were meant to be lived, we also have to watch the life of 17-year-old Jaggar Clayton Smithforever change. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Vehicular Crimes Unit has charged the teen with two counts of intoxicated manslaughter. Reports describe the accident this way {parents, I share the details because it’s important to walk your teens through the magnitude of this crash. Drunk driving accidents often lead to horrifying and violent deaths and this fact cannot be sugar-coated}:
- Smith, driving at a high rate of speed, failed to drive in a single lane
- His vehicle ended up off the roadway traveling southeast into the center median
- He struck a tree and the collision was so impactful, the vehicle broke in two
- The front portion of the vehicle rotated clockwise coming to a controlled rest in the median; the front right passenger (Gomez) was transported to Memorial Hermann northeast where she died due to injuries sustained in the collision
- The rear portion of the vehicle continued to rotate southeast striking another tree in the median; the back right passenger of the vehicle (Robison) died at the scene
- Smith (now called the “defendant”) was transported to Houston Northwest Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries and arrested.
The time of the crash was 12:25 a.m. and Smith was driving while intoxicated. Reports indicated that he allegedly drank an entire bottle of MD 20/20, a fortified wine, prior to getting in his car.
It leaves us asking so many questions. Why. Why did Smith choose to get behind a wheel while intoxicated? Why did Gomez and Robison allow Smith to drive them? Where were they prior to the accident? How did Smith get the alcohol? How do the parents move on? And how do we work together to make sure this doesn’t happen again? We need to talk and talk again to ensure that our kids know their options and make the right decision next time and every time a potential drinking and driving situation presents itself.
Stats – Texas Leads the Nation:
- We must keep the important conversation going because children are still losing their lives to reckless drunk driving accidents all the time.
- The CDC estimates that there are 2.4 million accounts of high school students driving while intoxicated every month, nationwide. Of the fatal crashes that occur involving alcohol, underage drinkers account for 17 percent of them.
- Texas leads the nation in drunk driving crashes and fatalities. That’s why thousands of state troopers and local law officers across Texas are stepping up patrols and arresting drunk drivers.
- Every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This is one death every 50 minutes.
- The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.
The Law:
People or businesses selling or giving underage kids alcohol can face criminal charges and financial crimes. The supplier of the alcohol may also be liable for loss and any/all damages that result because they gave a minor alcohol. Additionally, businesses can lose their license to sell alcohol.
In Texas, the legal limit for intoxication is a .08 blood alcohol content (BAC). If an officer thinks your driving is impaired, you can still be stopped and arrested for a DWI regardless of your BAC. Penalties get worse with every DWI offense. Remember that Texas is a zero tolerance state, which means punishment is automatically applied if your BAC is above .08.
Minors who purchase, attempt to purchase, possess, or consume alcoholic beverages, as well as minors who are intoxicated in public or misrepresent their age to obtain alcoholic beverages, face criminal consequences, fines, mandatory community service and loss of their drivers’ license. Consequences escalate with each infraction not to mention the mental and emotional toll that their actions will have on them for the rest of their lives. While Smith survived the crash, it will live with him for the rest of his life.
What Parents Can Do:
- Be a good role model: NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
- Have regular conversations and discuss drinking situations, options and expectations.
- Create a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that puts your rules in writing to clearly set expectations and limits. Make sure this includes real options for your teen if they are in a precarious situation – either because they drank too much or are fearful that the friends have drank too much. No judgement or punishment if they make the wise decision to never drink and drive or get in a car with a drunk driver.
- Set up “safe driving” rules (which will turn into habits) for your teens including:
- Never drink and drive
- Never get into a car with someone who has been drinking
- Wear a seat belt on every trip
- Limit nighttime driving
- Set a limit on the number of teen passengers in the car
- Never use a cell phone or text while driving
- Obey speed limits
- Never, ever give drinks to a minor
What Teens Can and Must Do:
- Never drink and drive. Just never, ever do it
- Have a designated driver whenever alcohol is involved
- Call your parents or a trusted adult if you don’t feel comfortable getting into someone’s car
- If you don’t feel comfortable calling your parents, call a car service like Uber or Lyft and force friends who you know have been drinking to not get behind the wheels of their cars
- Always buckle up when driving – it’s your best defense against an impaired driver
- When you become old enough to purchase wine, liquor or beer, do not buy it for underage people
- Just say “no” to friends who urge you to drink and drive or to get into a vehicle with an impaired driver
- Drink responsibly; recognize that drinking too much can greatly impair your judgment, distort your hearing and vision, and cause a slew of symptoms
- If you plan to drink, tell a friend you trust to hide your keys
The simplest way to avoid drunk-driving incidents is to stay away from alcoholic beverages. Grab a soda, seltzer, or coffee instead, or simply say, “no, thank you.”
This is another tragedy that has struck our community. Chloe Robison planned to attend Arizona State University and pursue a degree in photojournalism. Salma Gomez, a well-loved athlete, was described by friends and family as a “ray of sunshine.” Both lights in the world, with a path, plan and purpose. And both, tragically taken from their family, friends, and communities due to a series of bad decisions.
Drinking and driving is preventable. It’s 100 percent preventable. But it will not stop unless we aggressively and consistently remind those we love about both the realities, the options and all the consequences. For the sake of these victim’s families, please, let’s keep this conversation going.
Social Media Safety – Unsolicted Messages
We are all on social media – it is so deeply ingrained with how we live, think, spend our time, connect, message, market and socialize. We use it to keep up with family and friends, to watch what others are up to, to find romance or to market our businesses. I respect all legal uses of all legal platforms but caution that when used the wrong way, social media can be extremely dangerous.
I was reminded of this when I recently received a friend request from someone unknown to me. Because I use Facebook primarily for work, I accepted. NOTE: When you are marketing a brand, you cast a wide net to reach as many as possible; I often accept friendships from strangers. I’ll address this more later.
Within minutes, I started receiving messages (all with horrific spelling, I might add) beginning on a Friday evening at 10:49 p.m., again at 11:06 p.m., again at 7:50 a.m. and again at 8:27 a.m. after which point I blocked the account. The comments were about my appearance, the account users’ interest and in the end, I was “honey.”
I was furious.
Ironically, I shared the incident on Facebook as a warning to others to be aware, and the barrage of messages that came my way prompted this week’s post. Many women shared they’re receiving unsolicited messages like this all the time, which is terrible. They were frustrated. Others claimed it was a “bot” and encouraged me not to give it a moment’s concern (yes, the message was more than likely a bot but that raises great concern). And then there were the men who were angry that I called the account user out and “shamed” him. They felt I was only sharing the post to parade the compliments I was receiving… (REALLY?). It was incredible and the conversation that followed was eye-opening. I had to share the takeaways with you.
Takeaway #1 – Compliments and the Younger Teen
In my case, not all compliments are complimentary. These unwelcomed messages bothered and offended me. I was even embarrassed to share them, but I did for one reason: if I, a married mother of three, am receiving “solicitation” messages, what are our younger girls receiving and how are they responding? In my case, the sender was already thinking about me “24/7”, he “appreciated” me and was “there for me.” I knew to block immediately. But if I were a lonely teen used to living and connecting in the online world, these might be welcomed words, lifesaving attention… guess what, even the most well-liked girl could reply thinking it was adventurous or even funny to see where the messages would lead. Whether the account user was real or a bot, in ALL cases, this is dangerous, and we must be talking about it.
Takeaway #2 – Think: Why do you use social media?
To connect with friends/family: It’s wonderful for sharing your lives with those near and far! Please remember to connect only with “friends” known to you; turn off location services on all photos posted; make sure your posts are not public; check the “interests” of those who friend request you and are unknown to you – I once had someone try to connect and when I looked at his “interests and hobbies” on his page, he wrote “going to sex shops.” Do you really want to share photos of your teen with a person who has this as a hobby? Never share to the location of your home, children’s schools or activities. Be very cautious knowing that whatever you share could ultimately be reshared by others.
To find a potential partner: This is a tough one. There are many dating platforms perfect for finding others interested in connecting. To be very honest, for those of us using social media to share our lives or promote our businesses, it’s extremely annoying to be “hit on” when you’re not looking for it. Let me put it this way – if you are looking for love, go to singles night at the bar. Don’t tap on my shoulder while I’m at Target with my children. Not interested. Not appropriate. And that’s not just me, that’s all women, single, married, or otherwise. Unwanted advancements, especially if they are persistent and repetitive, become harassment. We don’t want it. According to a PEW study from October 2014, women are more likely to be harassed on social media than men (73 percent to 59 percent). That number has increased since this study.
To market your brand or company: Given the dynamic nature of digital marketing in today’s society, social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat have become a significant and critical piece of our lives. I use Facebook and LinkedIn 99 percent for work because it’s a cost-effective way to connect Crime Stoppers of Houston with people from all over the world. Reflect on this for a second:
- 1.45 billion people on average log onto Facebook daily and are considered daily active users (Facebook DAU) for March 2018, which represents a 13 percent increase year over year (Source: Facebook as of 04/25/18).
- Five new profiles are created every second. (Source: ALLFacebook 2012)
- Every 60 seconds on Facebook: 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. (Source: The Social Skinny)
Social media offers businesses a powerful marketing tool. Just remember, if you are opening the gates to the mass public, do your best not to share any personal photos of your family, your home, or truly personal life (wishing a spouse happy birthday, for example, would be okay but posting photos of you and your spouse in front of your new home would be a NO-NO!). After all, you do not know your connections and should not open your personal lives to them.
As a teen: Realizing that for youth, accepting friend requests or followers is similar to a stock building its portfolio by acquiring assets. Teens, as much as we talk to them, don’t have the full maturity to understand the depths of the risks we are trying to protect them from. Remind them that users unknown to them, especially considering that the average teen on Snapchat or Instagram, is 100 percent sharing their location (where they work, go to school, shop, hangout), it’s CRITICAL that they exercise extreme caution when connecting online.
- 82 percent of 5-7 year olds are on social media
- 96 percent of 8-11 year olds are on social media
- 99 percent of 12-15 year olds are on social media
Balance that with the fact that the number of sexual predators and online sexual offenses has more than doubled in the last three years with more than 82 percent of online sex crimes originating from social networking sites that predators use to gain insight into the victim’s habits and likes. According to a PEW report from October 2014, online harassment is especially pronounced at the intersection of gender and youth. Parents, please talk to your kids about these risks! If you’ve allowed them the use of social media then you must have this conversation.
Takeaway #3 – Bots and fake accounts
What is a bot? Bots were originally designed by companies as AI software that can engage in actual conversations to make consumers feel heard; they are almost an AI customer service arm or sales force. Forbes Magazine credited Facebook in the article “How Facebook Messenger Bots are Revolutionizing Business.” In fact, there are an estimated 83 million+ fake Facebook profiles.
Like all things, the technology has been replicated and used to find potential victims – young and old – who might engage in conversation and ultimately share photos, banking information, location or more. Let’s not forget that young girls can be lured into human trafficking by clicking and sharing their way through social media. This is a fact. Ultimately, there is a purpose behind the solicitation, the unwanted message, and it is never good. So how do you detect a bot? Well, beware of all unsolicited requests from someone you don’t know, even if you have “mutual friends in common.” Spelling mistakes are a red flag as well as odd jobs or messages from people in other parts of the world. Never engage, block immediately and report the account. PLEASE talk about it and share the experience with others. In my case, the account user that reached out to me was reaching out to many of the women I was connected to.
Social media is a part of our lives and it’s a wonderful tool, if used properly. But it’s a powerful tool with criminals monopolizing its weakness for their gain. My greatest hope is that as we become this global community, we don’t forget to keep ourselves, our children and each other safe, at all times. Let’s commit to doing that together.
You’ve Gotten a Scary Email Alert, Now What?
The other day, I, along with 25 of my female colleagues and friends received a terrifying “warning” email. It sent something like this: two women went out for dinner at a well-known and liked Houston hotspot. During the course of their time out, they were allegedly drugged, taken from the restaurant and sexually assaulted. They woke up the next morning separated and unaware of where they were or who had taken them. Not only was the thought nerve-wracking, it was the second email warning involving popular Houston restaurants that I had received in the last few months.
I bet you’ve received one too or something similar.
That said, as I read responses from other women – which ranged from absolute fear and forwarding to everyone they knew to frustration because the incident obviously seemed false – it got me thinking: Is it wrong to be public-safety minded? Does it automatically equate to being paranoid? What’s the best way to vet these stories when you find them in your inbox? And, at the end of the day, what, if any, are the real dangers when you and a friend are out and about town?
Prepared or Paranoid?
Personally, I live a very public-safety minded life. I think this way, I act this way and I plan this way. But guess what – I also do everything I want to do. Being prepared, thinking about safety, is not a negative in my book. It doesn’t make me paranoid or unrealistic, it doesn’t mean I think the worst of my neighbor, it just means I’m aware of what’s going on, I’m careful in what I do and I’m prepared, as much as possible, for what could happen. In these changing times, I think more of us women need to be thinking this way. I also think we need to be raising our children to do the same. Never afraid but always aware and prepared.
The Vetting Process
But I also think it’s critical to stick to the facts and make judgement calls based on real assessments of information. That’s hard in today’s world. Let’s face it, there’s no getting around the fact that we are inundated with news – whether coming from news outlets, social media feeds, alerts, emails, etc. In this time of instant access, we can no longer take things on face value. So what do you do?
- Be aware. Understand the threat being communicated and the real risks or dangers that are possible. Not all alerts are hoaxes; we have seen incredible things take place but not all threats are real.
- Do your own research. Start with a simple Google search to try to corroborate the threat. There are also “truth finding” platforms like Snopes.com, ThoughtCo.com(specifically “urban legends in the news). Many of these deal with national news but then again, outrageous local claims that gain traction in email chains can find themselves being debunked within the pages of these larger sites. The “women being attacked at a local restaurant” has been addressed by Snopes.com. The point is, do some homework.
- Common sense still makes sense. In our rush to protect each other – which is wonderful – we sometimes don’t stop to question our own actions or thoughts. But we can cause more harm by perpetuating a false story. Don’t hesitate to call you local law enforcement agency to get their thoughts or the establishment where the threat presumably took place.
Safety in Numbers.
When all is said and done, what are the chances that something is ever going to happen to you anyway? Well, it depends on factors such as your location, what time it is, who you are with and what you are doing. That said, in Houston, according to AreaVibes.com:
- The overall crime rate in Houston is 88 percent higher than the national average. In general, you have a 1 in 19 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.
- In downtown Houston, you have a 1 in 29 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.
- In the Galleria-Uptown area, you have a 1 in 47 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.
At the end of the day, you can be in the safest part of Houston and be targeted if you are not prepared. Similarly, you can be in the most unsafe part of our city and be just fine if you are 100 percent prepared. Education, awareness and preparedness are powerful!
Be Aware of the Damage a False Claim Will Have on a Local Business.
In the case of the email I received this last week, within one day of receiving the original email, the actual establishment contacted me and everyone else on the list to say that the incident did not happen and that we had a duty to send a retraction. We have to be careful when dealing with people or corporate images – what you put out there has a lasting impact.
But What If It’s True?
I know from experience that the incidents and types of crime are something all of us must be considerate of. I see it every single day. Where you know an incident has happened (you’ve verified the incident, know a police report was filed, have seen corroborating information from local news agencies, etc.) – it’s okay to share. Actually, please share what you’ve discovered. Great places to share are across your social media platforms, via email distribution lists or on platforms like Nextdoor.
At the end of the day, we all just want to protect ourselves and each other. We want to go out and do everything. We want to make sure our children have every opportunity, but we want to do it all, safely. I think that’s a wonderful thing and one of the reasons Houston is so unique. A community built on friends who look out for each other is a community that will and does thrive. We have that… and I’m personally very thankful for it.
Topics of Conversation this July 4th
It’s a deeply emotional time. A time in which complex issues and hard images are hitting us daily. In just the last week, we have been traumatized by loss in Maryland, concerned over two young teens missing from The Woodlands Mall, and watched officers with Constable Alan Rosen’s office navigate the reality that a simple piece of paper left on your car might be laced with fentanyl or another poisonous substance.
We are all overwhelmed.
It’s more important than ever to make time for friends and family and take time to surround yourself with positive, peaceful moments. I hope you’ll be able to do just that this July 4th. And I hope that while our hearts are filled with compassion and empathy and a bound determination to be the good and kindness our world and community needs, I also hope that for you, and for me, this Fourth of July will be filled with images of my kids playing, someone grilling on a BBQ (preferably my husband) and conversation that are fun or maybe even silly. Here are five ideas for lighter conversations with friends and family:
- It’s our country’s birthday! As we celebrate American independence, remind those young ones that on July 4, 1776, the United States was born when we declared independence from Great Britain. And yes, even though our nation’s founders found for independence, we are all still infatuated with British culture…. Just ask how many of your friends have watched or are currently watching “The Crown” on Netflix or bring up a royal or two and watch the conversation flow.
- We live in a world where people speak and write in #hashtags. That said, TIME Magazine just revealed the “25 Most Influential People on the Internet.” Take a glance to determine how connected (or unconnected) you are to social media. Making the list is the Korean boy band BTS and also on the list are the Paul brothers, Logan and Jake Paul, who are YouTube stars with a controversial past. You may remember that earlier this year, YouTube dropped 23-year-old Logan as a “preferred ad partner” after he filmed himself discovering an alleged dead body in Japan’s “Suicide Forest.” Other names topping the list include Rihanna, Kanye West, The Women of #BabaeAko, Ryan (a.k.a. Ryan ToysReview), Matt Drudge, “Q” and Busy Philipps. TIME made their determination based on the users’ global impact on social media coupled with their overall ability to drive news.
- Ever wonder what type of people win the lottery? Good news here, an Oregon man claimed the grand prize on June 28, 2018 – just one week before he was set to retire! Richard Nelson will receive $1000 a week for the rest of his life. Not bad! That said, Texas friends, the odds of winning Lotto Texas are 1 in 25,827,165, according to a June 20, 2018 report. Is it still worth the one-dollar investment? And of course, what would you do if you won?
- If you’re of a certain age and were a “Toys R Us Kid” the closing of the mega brand was sad. That said, it’s also interesting. Kids today don’t seem to long for the stimulation of walking down store aisles; instead, they gravitate to an electronic where they can scan, click and shop. Packages at the front door are slowly becoming the excitement of shopping we long for. With that in mind, The Spruce has compiled a listof the best places to buy kids’ toys online. I’ll add that Amazon has a great kids’ “STEM Club” monthly toy subscription. The kits are compiled based on age and cover fun games involving math and science.
- We all followed the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which subjected 87 million Facebook users to having their information compromised. For those of you who find the way companies can harvest, use and sell our personal information of concern, I’d urge you to tap into what CA is currently doing. As of June 28, 2018, a new law concerned about online privacy was just signed into effect giving Americans more control over their own data. Companies will have to disclose what information they have on consumers and with whom they share it. It also gives consumers power to STOP companies from selling their info and will absolutely forbid companies from collecting, selling information on minors’ under 16. Additionally, companies must give consumers an opt out of selling information. The new law, if it continues down its path of approval, will kick into effect in 2020.
As you celebrate this week, remember to be safe while grilling, with kids in the pool and, of course, near gunfire or fireworks. Remember, even though we’re in Texas, “Celebratory Gunfire” is still not always allowed! In fact, the law is complicated: Anyone who fires a gun in a public place without a legitimate reason (i.e., protecting yourself or at a gun range) is committing disorderly conduct which is a Class B misdemeanor defined by up to 180 days in jail and/or a fine of $2,000 if caught. That said, if the shooter is on private property and shoots “across property lines” you could be charged with disorderly conduct or deadly conduct. Now if you are alone on your private property and there’s great distance between you and your neighbor and fire your gun into the air on July 4th, you may not face any violation of any kind. It will just depend!
All that said, if you are in a city with more than 100,000 residents (hello Houston!) you can be jailed for up to one year and fined up to $4,000 (even if on your own property). In summary, celebratory gunfire is just a plain old bad idea.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful and safe week – most of all, filled with rest, health and happiness.