March is Financial Crimes Awareness month and we are thrilled to partner with the Houston Police Department (HPD) to bring valuable awareness and education about this subject. In this post HPD discusses what constitutes a financial crime, signs of financial exploitation, and best practices to protect yourself and your loved ones from financial victimization. What is Financial Crimes? Financial Crimes deal with anything concerning financial crimes; such as Identity Theft, Credit Card Abuse, Theft and Forgery of Governmental Documents. Must of Financial Crimes deal with Identity Theft. Identity Theft is a common term used by all types of crimes in which some wrongfully obtains and uses another’s personal data in some manner that involves fraud or deception, usually for economic gain. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. How is Identity Theft Committed? It can be committed by Shoulder Surfing, Business Record Theft, Scamming, Phone Fraud, Skimming, Dumpster Diving, Mail Theft, Steal Wallet or Purse, The information Highway and Spoofing and Phishing. What are some of the warning signs of Identity Theft? Your monthly credit card and bank statements suddenly stop arriving. You are denied credit for reasons that do not match your understanding of your […]

Did you know that animal abuse, cruelty, neglect, and abandonment are crimes that are punishable by law? In 2020, the Harris County Animal Cruelty Taskforce, an organization that Houston PetSet and Crime Stoppers of Houston helped establish, received 4,881 reports of such offenses. This statistic is significant not just because it is disturbing that animals are being harmed at an alarming rate, but also because there is a proven correlation between crimes against animals and crimes against humans. According to the National Link Coalition, “animal abuse is ‘the tip of the iceberg’: the way animals are regarded in a family is a window into interpersonal relationships and family dynamics. Investigators who find animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect are rarely surprised to see other issues lurking beneath the surface.” Unfortunately, animals do not have a voice to use to speak for themselves, so they are an easy target for offenders to begin their abuse with; the offender learns to assert their dominance and, if they are not stopped, can progress to hurting children and other adults. In fact, a 1997 study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University found that animal abusers are five […]

Born and raised in Southeast Houston, abandoned at birth, raised, loved and enabled by many, my name is Tracy Dudley, and I am the Founding Survivor of Project Girls, a crisis intervention program that targets exploitation primarily in Southeast Houston. I spent many years on the southeast side of Houston as an angry, violent, drug addicted prostitute. I never had a pimp, nor was I forced into the life by another human being. Instead, my pimp was camouflaged in a dope mans body. My pimp hid in the trauma I experienced growing up, the self hatred that I learned to nurture and survive with. My pimp was the anxiety and frustration I felt year after year in not feeling important or that I mattered. From this place of pain an alter ego was born. Countless women, like myself make vows and promises from this place as desperate attempts are made for power and control and the confidence that escapes so many. Today as an overcomer with more than 17 years’ experience, I am honored to stand with the countless survivors, agencies, initiatives, concerned families, government officials and NGO’s who have taken a stand in the fight to end the demand and […]

This year, 2020, is quite different for so many reasons; notably, Covid 19. Covid-19 has moved people indoors, requiring us to perform work and school from home for most of the calendar year. Some businesses have managed to thrive during 2020, including the mobile phone and PC business. Yes, the PC (personal computer) is popular again, and PC usage continues to increase. This is good news for companies that make PC’s, PC hardware, software and peripherals. “Customers are using Windows PCs to stay productive, connect and learn in this time. In fact, over 4 trillion minutes are being spent on Windows 10 a month, a 75% increase year on year,” Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer, wrote in a blog post on Monday. Windows had nearly 87% share of the PC operating system market in April, according to NetMarketShare, and in March, Microsoft said it had reached 1 billion active Windows 10 devices. Cell phone usage is also on the rise. User’s are spending more time logging into their social media and are spending longer on social media with each use. Internet technology has impacted our lives since its inception. Each device provides another opportunity for exposure to harmful cyber […]