Announcements, information and updates from the AG Alliance Members and Associates
August 12, 2021
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2021 North Dakota Energy Summit
CWAG and the Attorney General Alliance are pleased to partner with co-hosts and Immediate Past Chairs Attorneys General Wayne Stenehjem of North Dakota and Hector Balderas of New Mexico for the 2021 North Dakota Energy Summit.
Overview: Since the Industrial Revolution, energy has become perhaps our most important resource, now powering nearly all industries and economies around the world. This bipartisan gathering will highlight energies like oil, gas, wind, and solar power, and will discuss the importance of energy awareness, conservation and environmental sustainability through human-centered approaches and technological solutions. Attorneys General are well-positioned to create policies, regulations, and strategies for energy conservation. Through collaboration and meaningful engagement, attendees will share and discuss new solutions and ways to enhance the wellbeing of our communities and citizens moving forward.
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FORMER COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL SALAZAR CONFIRMED AS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO
During his time as Attorney General, Hon. Salazar focused efforts on energy, environment, natural resources, corporate governance and Native American matters and was influential in the progress of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. While in office, he oversaw investigation of numerous civil and criminal matters, including the infamous Columbine High School shooting.
In his new role as Ambassador, Hon. Salazar will play a critical role in managing diplomatic relations with Mexico, specifically as they relate to the southern border.
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ATTORNEYS GENERAL AGAINST ROBOCALLS
On June 30th, the FCC implemented the STIR/SHAKEN law to fight against spam calls we all receive and are likely aggravated by. The law states that all phone companies in the US must start using STIR/SHAKEN technology, requiring them to verify all calls routed through their networks. The hope is that in requiring call verification, the number of scam calls will be reduced along with number of dollars spent and time wasted by tricked consumers.
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STIR: Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (technical protocol)
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SHAKEN: Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens (framework for tracking calls)
A bipartisan group of 51 Attorneys General, led by Attorneys General Rutledge (AR), Stein (N.C.) and Shapiro (PA), called on the FTC to speed up this process by putting pressure on the deadline for smaller telecomm companies to implement the new tech. The AGs urged the FCC to require companies to implement STIR/SHAKEN tech as soon as possible and no later than June 30, 2022.
A copy of the comments is available HERE.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
As home prices continue to soar and houses selling faster than ever, people are turning toward rental properties if they can't afford the alternative. In March, homes were on the market for an average of 18 days and the median single-family home sold for $335,000, according to the National Association of Realtors. Scammers are taking advantage of buyers flooding the rental market.
- Individuals advertising rental properties that they do not own or manage, and
- individuals advertising rental properties as a way to obtain personal and banking information to steal identities
- Individuals offering to pay deposits or rent with certified funds in excess of the actual amount owed, and requesting the excess funds be wired back to the renter
Real Estate & Rental scams are of top priority to our state attorneys general. Late last month, MI Attorney General Nessel issued a new Rental Listing Scams Consumer Alert to offer support for consumers and keep citizens abreast to bad actors in the space. Additionally, this month, CA Attorney General Bonta issued an alert to remind homeowners and tenants of their rights, especially during the pandemic.
STUDENT PROTECTION
With students returning to the classroom this year, they are looking to purchase school supplies online to avoid searching for items that may be sold out in stores. This allows fraudsters the opportunity to take advantage of consumers through fake advertisements on social media.
- Use a credit card when shopping online for additional consumer protections;
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Before providing sensitive information online, make sure the website is secure by identifying a padlock symbol by the URL or the https;
- Reach out to a trusted loan servicer to ask about the legitimacy of student loan forgiveness plan offers; and
- Know that legitimate companies will never solicit personal or sensitive information over the phone, by email or by text.
COMBATING ILLEGAL DRUGS
The opioid crisis continues to make headlines and remains a top priority within our legal community. Attorneys General often partner with law enforcement and first responders to crack down on drug trafficking and related criminal activity within their states. MT Attorney General Knudsen recently announced a grant aimed at training canine units to better track and detect illegal drugs in the vicinity.
By implementing training programs for officers, increasing funding for tools needed on the job, and partnering with law enforcement for ongoing investigations, Attorneys General and their counterparts are able to effectively decode and locate these criminals.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR ONGOING SOCIAL JUSTICE & EQUITY INITIATIVES
Over the last year, communities across the country have assessed their treatment of minorities and other under-represented populations. In an effort to facilitate dialogue in the Attorney General community, Amazon and the Attorney General Alliance have partnered to create a series of conversations exploring issues around justice and social equity. We are excited to announce 2021 as the inaugural year of this forum and we look forward to providing focused programing aimed at facilitating exploration of these issues. We thank Amazon for their leadership and invite all of our public and private partners join us as we embark on these discussions.
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Missed our live programs? No problem! Follow the button below to visit our Virtual Seminar Library for access to all recordings.
Do you have a webinar topic suggestion? We want to hear from you! Please email ideas to Andrea Friedman at AFriedman@AGAlliance.org. |
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CWAG Executive Committee
- AG Phil Weiser - AG Jason Ravnsborg -
- AG Aaron Ford - AG Wayne Stenehjem -
AG Alliance Co-Chairs
- AG Lawrence Wasden - AG Sean Reyes - AG Karl Racine -
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