April 30, 2004
New York Day in Washington hotel deadline FRIDAY . . .
June is quickly approaching, which means it's time to register for CANYS' fifth annual New York Day in Washington, June 8-9, 2004. New York Day provides chambers and business people an opportunity for meaningful contact with Congressional legislators and staff. Your colleagues on the New York Day planning committee have worked hard to bring you:
- A Legislative Reception on Capitol Hill featuring made-in-New York refreshments
- A Congressional Breakfast, highlighted by addresses from Senator Charles Schumer AND Senator Hillary Clinton
- An Issues Briefing with Rolf Lundberg, Senior Vice President of Congressional Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Governor Pataki’s office
- A New York Delegation meeting on homeland security issues, hosted by Rep. John Sweeney, member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security
It’s not often that New York’s chamber community can gather in one place – as a cohesive force – to meet with both Senators Schumer and Clinton, and interact with dozens of our Congressional representatives as well. Make the time, bring a Board member, and sign up now! Registration information is HERE.
Please note that the special room rate at the Washington Terrace Hotel is only good until Friday, May 7th. Please contact the hotel directly to secure your room in our block! The hotel's main line is 202-232-7000.
Summer Membership Meeting in Oswego County . . .
Don't miss out on a fantastic opportunity to get a late-session update on legislation, network with other chamber professionals, energize and reward your chamber's staff members, and enjoy the best parts of the summer! Register TODAY for CANYS' second annual Summer Membership Meeting in Fulton, New York, June 21-22.
A registration fee of only $50 gets you a welcome reception, "Quest" networking event, lakeside dinner and Hawaiian Luau… and that’s only the first half-day! Day two begins with a full breakfast, continues with a hiking expedition or golf outing (extra fee applies for golf), and concludes with a luncheon and business meeting.
Plan to attend with your full chamber staff! Registration information is HERE. For additional details or questions, e-mail margaret.moree@bcnys.org
Institute scholarship winner . . .
Congratulations to Karen St. Hilaire, Executive Vice President & CEO of the Saint Lawrence County Chamber, winner of the CANYS 2004 Institute Scholarship. Karen will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help offset the costs of attending her first year of the 4-year U.S. Chamber-sponsored program. The selection committee of Linda Hillman (Rensselaer County Regional Chamber), Nancy Conley (Orchard Park Chamber) and Betsy Sherman-Saunders (Oswego County Chamber) thanks each of the strong applicants for their submissions.
Ed McMillan seminar wrap-up . . .
Special thanks to the 17 different chambers of commerce (even one from Vermont!) who sent staff members to the CANYS/ACCE regional education seminar, Chamber Financial Management 101. During the session, presenter Ed McMillan spoke about identity theft and fraud. Below is Ed’s newsletter article on the subject, reprinted with his permission.
"How ironic! I am a member of the Society of Certified Fraud Examiners and regularly teach fraud prevention classes for ASAE and the American Institute of CPAs, and guess who was the victim of a scam recently? That’s right, me! What happened to me personally is frightening, and I assure you it can happen to anyone.
'I was in Minneapolis for a speech on fraud prevention (of all things), and while checking out of the hotel, I cashed a small personal check, knowing I would need cash for the cab ride back to the airport. My check was approved and off I went.
'I didn’t think anything of it until I was balancing my check book several weeks later. While reviewing the cancelled checks in the bank statement, I thought the bank had made a mistake and included someone else’s checks in with mine – they were a different color and size. Looking closer, however, it was apparent that these checks cleared my account!
'This is what happened. Someone at the hotel made a copy of my original check after I had left the hotel and placed the check back into the register. It appears this person then went on the internet and secured a fake Minnesota driver’s license with my name on it, but a fictitious Minneapolis street address. This license wouldn’t fool a police officer, but it would certainly fool a store clerk who is only looking at the photo and name. Next, the person simply went to an office supply store and bought the software for printing checks at home. These checks had my name and the fraudulent local address on the top left-hand corner… and my account number on the bottom.
'The first stop was a shoe store. The person presented a deceptive check for payment, and of course, it was approved. When a check is submitted for approval, all a clerk enters into the check approval machine is the account number, not the name and address on the account. My account was hit for several thousand dollars.
'This unfortunate incident taught me quite a bit about the dangers of check writing and other important exposures, and I would like to share a few very important items with you:
- Investigate your bank’s Positive Pay Service for both your personal and organizations’ accounts. There are several variations of this service, but basically, you simply advise the bank of your checks written – usually electronically – and the bank won’t honor any checks presented for payment unless the check numbers, payees and amounts match.
- Ask your bank to provide you with their Check Fraud Checklist and determine where you are at risk. Make corrections accordingly.
- Have your attorney advise you on the current provisions of and potential liabilities included in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). In the past, banks assumed most of the loss on check fraud, but that is changing due to the unbelievable amount of fraud banks are now faced with. Basically, you have an obligation to advise the bank in a timely manner that your account has been compromised! The liability may be assumed by the party in the best position to have prevented the loss had they exercised ordinary care. In other words, open your bank statement immediately upon receipt and let the bank know right away if there are any problems.
- Use your credit and debit cards whenever possible, as many of these cards offer protection to the card holder in the event of unauthorized use. It is much easier to recover losses incurred on a credit card rather than a check.
- Instead of signing your credit cards, write the words, “Ask for ID” instead.
- Be aware of Identity Theft and don’t release your social security number, bank account and credit card numbers unless you are certain you know who you are dealing with. In the event of Identity Theft, it can take years to straighten out.
- Consider using a bank’s post office box instead of your mailbox for bills and business mail, and never place envelopes with checks and credit card information in your mailbox. It is very easy (and unfortunately, common) for the wrong person to access your personal information. Mail your bills from the post office.
- Back up your wallet. Make copies of your driver’s license, credit cards, insurance and other important information so that you have your account information and telephone numbers handy in the event of a lost or stolen wallet. It only takes a few minutes to do. Keep this information separate.
- Consider getting a second form of official identification, such as a passport. In the event of a lost or stolen driver’s license, it can be very difficult to get on an airplane without proper ID.
- Rip up or shred unsolicited credit card applications, pre-approved loan applications and any other documents you would rather not come into the hands of a thief.
'Obviously these suggestions are not a panacea with regard to theft, but they are a step in the right direction to protecting yourself. I can personally attest that we are all at risk. All it takes is a moment of letting your guard down to be a victim. Don’t let this happen to you!"
Ed McMillan is a CPS and CAE, and has spent his entire career in
not-for-profit financial management. His website is www.nonprofitguru.com
Got a question you’d like to ask other CANYS members? Job opening in your chamber? Great idea you’d like to share? Send it to Maggie Moree at margaret.moree@bcnys.org.
