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cyber FraUd costinG Millions
In 2020, cyber fraud represented roughly $8 million in total losses on the island. >Archive
Cyber Fraud Costing Millions to Puerto Rico Residents, Businesses
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Giovanna Garofalo
ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com @giopgarofalo
Evertec Inc. - a leading financial technology and transaction processing company in Latin America that is based in Puerto Rico - shared some insight into cyber fraud in the region, raising awareness on this ever-growing issue affecting citizens and businesses alike.
Emilio Fuentes, Evertec’s VP of IT Service Management and Security, reported during an educational webinar that, per a June study by Fortinet, there were 29 million cyberattack attempts in Puerto Rico in the first quarter of 2021 alone and more than 7 billion attempts in Latin America.
“The number will not go down because the increase in consumption of digital channels, online transactions and social networks continues to increase, and has even been accelerated by the [COVID-19] issue,” Fuentes stated. “This creates fertile ground for scammers and the individuals who engage in this cyber fraud.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicated in its Consumer Sentinel Network - Data Book 2020 that, throughout last year, there were 6,110 fraud reports in Puerto Rico. These represented roughly $8 million in total losses, with median fraud losses of $384. The top-five report categories, in descending order, were Identity Theft (21 percent);
Imposter Scams (17 percent); Credit Bureaus,
Information Furnishers and Report Users (13 percent); Online Shopping and Negative Reviews (9 percent); and Banks and Lenders (4 percent). The remaining categories made up 12 percent of reports collectively.
“In cases of identity theft, these cases are summarized by an attacker who steals privileged information from a citizen or business, such as a Social Security attack, with the purpose of defrauding someone or something. In the case of impersonating to [commit] fraud, this is when a person representing someone trusted by the victim asks for money or steals important information,” Fuentes explained. Similarly, the top-three categories in the U.S. mainland are identity theft, imposter scams and online shopping and negative reviews, representing $3.3 billion in losses in 2020, with an average median loss of $311.
How to Push Back Cyberattacks?
Ultimately, the key to protecting oneself and one’s business against these attacks boils down to education, Fuentes said. “The beginning of all this is education; we all have to educate ourselves to have a chance to beat the scammer. Educating our citizens and merchants is super important because as we increase the sophistication of our citizens and merchants, we give them the opportunity so that they can then take advantage of the technological advances that do exist to protect us from these attacks,” he affirmed.
Other ways to avoid being a victim of cyber fraud are ignoring emails and attached files by suspicious sources; using multi-factor authentication; being wary of tempting offers online; updating one’s antivirus software and antimalware; downloading content from trusted sources only; ensuring one’s electronic devices; eliminating or ignoring any password or financial information requests; not allowing a link to determine when one will land, and establishing spam filters on emails. According to the Global
In fact, Consumer Pulse Study by TransUnion, as of March 16, 2021, the percentage of According consumers worldwide who to TransUnion, Gen said they are being targeted by Z - those born from digital fraud related to COVID-19 1995 to 2002 - is in the previous three months currently the most (36 percent) is higher than targeted out of any approximately one year ago. In generation in the April 2020, 29 percent said they U.S., at 42 percent. had been targeted by digital fraud They are followed related to COVID-19. In the U.S., by Millennials (37 this percentage increased from percent). 26 percent to 38 percent in the same timeframe. Specifically, DataReportal published in ‘Digital 2021: Global Overview Report’ last January that there were some 5.6 billion malware attacks and 304 million ransomware attacks in 2020. These exposed 155.8 million individual records and resulted in $32.39 billion in losses over cyber fraud. According to TransUnion, Gen Z - those born from 1995 to 2002 - is currently the most targeted out of any generation in the U.S., at 42 percent. They are followed by Millennials (37 percent). Similarities were observed in the U.S., where Gen Z was most targeted at 53 percent, followed by Millennials at 40 percent. Incidentally, these are the generations with the broadest access to digital technology. The FTC noted that in addition to being targeted more often, younger people reported losing money to fraud more often than older people, with 44 percent of reports being submitted by people aged 20 to 29 and 20 percent by citizens aged 70 to 79.
Direct Relief Puerto Rico Marks Three Years on the Island
Executive affirms the island has improved its emergency response
Giovanna Garofalo ggarofalo@elvocero.com @giopgarofalo
For the past three years, Direct Relief Puerto Rico has positioned itself as an invaluable nonprofit organization dedicated to bolstering the island’s emergency response, as well as improving citizens’ access to healthcare and overall well-being in local communities.
Following the devastating passage of Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20, 2017, parent organization - Direct Relief - opened a division in Puerto Rico in early 2018, where it has since allocated both human and financial resources to bolster the island’s recovery process and make it better equipped to mitigate the impact of future disasters and emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Ivonne Rodríguez-Wiewall, the executive advisor of Direct Relief PR, held an exclusive interview with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL to discuss past and current initiatives overseen by the organization, as well as innovative projects under development that seek to amplify the entity’s mission of safeguarding human life and facilitating access to medical services.
“The strength of Direct Relief as an international organization is the distribution and logistics of medicine and medical equipment at the time of an emergency; we are doing it in over 100 countries around the world. What happened in Puerto Rico is that after Hurricane Maria - and thanks to the funds we received from AbbVie, which gave us $50 million in cash, $1 million from Amgen, the pharmaceutical company and other private donations - we were able to go to Puerto Rico, where we were able to develop several programs that went beyond the distribution of medicine,” Rodríguez explained.
For instance, an assessment of the situation islandwide concluded that part of the problems linked to limited access to healthcare and medical services was the collapse of the electricity grid, which in turn affected the telecommunications industry. As such, Direct Relief PR took on a more encompassing approach, such as collaborating with local nonprofits to install solar panels on health clinics so they may run on renewable energy should the grid collapse again.
Direct Relief Puerto Rico has taken a more encompassing approach toward improving the island’s emergency response network. >Courtesy
Focus on Primary Healthcare
Moreover, Puerto Rico Primary Health Centers, also known as Centers 330, operate 115 clinics, including mobile units and school spaces, throughout 67 municipalities. In these centers, patients receive primary and preventive health services. During the past three years, Direct Relief has provided funds to the centers for various projects such as telemedicine, mobile units, structural improvements and the implementation of special health programs.
“This was a success during COVID because there were many patients who could continue receiving this service, especially when they have chronic conditions. We also provided [healthcare] access with the donation of mobile units and all-terrain vehicles. To date, we have donated 45 of those vehicles,” the executive advisor stated, adding that “with COVID, this has been very important because the mobile units are being used as vaccination centers.
“As for the Centers 330, which are our largest partners, we are also working on communications. That is one of the things we learned from Maria, that communications failed as well. Now we are working on projects that give them the ease of being interconnected in case of an emergency. We are buying radios for them to be interconnected in case of a future emergency. Going forward, we are also looking for a way to see how a call center can be established because they are receiving so many calls with the COVID emergency… and, we are looking for ways to help them provide services to patients,” she reported. The initial purchase of these radios, excluding maintenance and the network connection, is roughly $350,000.
Close Monitoring is Key
In the current round of distributions, the local division has assigned $12.5 million in cash grants to roughly 55 organizations, including health clinics. After a request has been approved and the applicant receives the first allocation, it must submit periodic reports to measure the efficacy and impact of the project’s implementation before receiving further disbursements. The local team then collects all reports, summarizes them and sends them to headquarters in Santa Barbara, Calif., to measure the cost-effectiveness of operations. To date, Direct Relief PR has overseen over 400 projects.
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL asked Rodríguez how Puerto Rico’s emergency response has improved since Direct Relief established itself on the island. “Our primary health centers are definitely much more prepared because they are better equipped now than they were four years ago before Maria. It was demonstrated with earthquakes when they were able to respond with mobile units; with COVID, they had the refrigerators ready and had the facility to store the COVID vaccines. I think there is much more communication and at the same time, that makes collaboration easier,” she affirmed.
Direct Relief PR is also working on transforming Puerto Rico into an emergency response hub for the Caribbean region. For example, the team was able to provide assistance to Haiti following the deadly earthquake last August, the first time the island’s division responded to another country’s plight. The goal, she said, is to “have facilities here in Puerto Rico... for us to have in a warehouse the medicine, medical equipment, everything that is needed at the time of responding to an emergency.”
Cooking With My Doctor Reports Substantial Growth
Puerto Rican company ready to export to U.S. market
Giovanna Garofalo
ggarofalo@wjournalpr.com @giopgarofalo
Cooking With My Doctor, a Puerto Rican cooking seasonings brand, reported substantial sales growth over the last year, paving the way to export the line’s products to the U.S.
In 2020, the product line under the brand reached a 313 percent growth in sales compared to 2019, and a 90 percent market distribution rate. During the first half of 2021, the brand also grew 70 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Renzo Casillo, a marketing and food promotion executive and a key player in the brand’s growth trends, explained that an aggressive marketing strategy paired with islandwide lockdowns over the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the brand’s success.
“It helps that in 2020 we were all at home.
So, the topic of cooking at home gained more relevance in the pandemic because we all stayed home, and trying that type of item and using it at home helped the growth be of that magnitude.
What satisfies us the most is that the buyback and loyalty are very high. Our focus has always been on us being the preferred, not the greatest. If it is the preferred product and over time we get bigger, that’s good, but for now, our focus is that the customers who try us adopt us as their favorite,” Casillo told THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. The brand’s integration of rich flavors and healthy ingredients have bolstered consumer interest at a time when people have become more conscientious of their health. Cooking With
My Doctor was launched in 2018 by Chef Rafael
Barrera and Dr. Alfred Herger Anadón, following the duo’s success with a local TV segment of the same name, in which they elaborated nutritious and delicious recipes. Casillo said the brand has invested roughly $2 million so far, and expects to sustain its growth. What sets Cooking With My Doctor apart from other seasoning lines? Their products use formulas with herbs, spices and “superfoods” that provide healthier ways to cook without sacrificing flavor.
For instance, most of their seasonings contain turmeric, also known as curcumin, which is not typically consumed in Puerto Rican cuisine. The National Center for Biotechnology
The seasonings are available in different sizes, and are sold in 91 percent of the island’s supermarkets. >Courtesy
Information of the U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that this spice “aids in the management of oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety and hyperlipidemia. Turmeric may also help in the management of exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, thus enhancing recovery and performance in active people.”
The items are currently sold in 91 percent of supermarkets and food establishments in Puerto Rico. In addition, the brand is sold on Amazon, so buyers from other markets may experience healthy Puerto Rican cooking. Given its success, the brand’s distributor, Caribbean Produce, informed that they will also be sold in Wegmans supermarkets in the U.S. mainland in the next five weeks.
100% Made in Puerto Rico
Casillo underscored that all products under the Cooking With My Doctor label are manufactured in Puerto Rico, in the company’s plants in Ponce and Juana Díaz, employing “hundreds of workers” between the two facilities. He added that Cooking With My Doctor generates 350 direct and indirect jobs locally. “We try to buy local ingredients. When the ingredient exists in local agriculture, we buy it. In the case of sofrito, we have coriander, sweet pepper and recao, which are bought locally. However, there are products
In fact, that we do not produce in Puerto Rico and that must be imported. But they are all manufactured, bottled and labeled in Puerto All products Rico,” Casillo affirmed. under the Cooking The Cooking with my Doctor With My Doctor label product line includes Garlic Paste are manufactured in (Pasta de Ajo) formulated with Puerto Rico, in the turmeric, cilantro and parsley; company’s plants Cooking Base (Sofrito) with in Ponce and Juana turmeric, sweet peppers and Díaz. cilantro; BBQ Seasoning (Adobo) with turmeric and moringa; AllPurpose Seasoning (Sazón) with turmeric and moringa, and the Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste. Félix López, the general manager of Caribbean Produce, reported that of all the brands managed by the company, Cooking With My Doctor ranks third when competing with internationally developed lines, but first place among locally manufactured products.
Con la participación de
• Jorge Luis Ramos • Jorge “Molusco” Pabón • Alexandra Malagón • Lucienne Hernández • Israel Lugo • José Manuel “Chelo” • Sully Díaz
La historia de una unidad de encubiertos de la Policía que tras sufrir la pérdida de uno de sus miembros se dan a la tarea de encontrar al responsable de su muerte. Con mucho suspenso pero también humor, Sangre Azul narra el drama humano que viven los efectivos de la Policía de nuestro país, quienes a diario arriesgan sus vidas, en aras de imponer el orden y la justicia social en la isla. SERIE DE 6 EPISODIOS
GiGi Rodríguez,
Attorney and Avid Home Cook
Mamá, Borinquen Me Llama
Iwas sitting in the back of my mom’s car on the way home one afternoon when she taught me a song: ¡”Mamá! ¡Borinquen me llama! ¡Este país no es el mío!
Borinquen es pura flama, ¡y aquí me muero de frío”! [Mother, Borinquen calls me/This is not my country/Borinquen is pure flame/ and here I am freezing to death!] Excitedly, she called my dad to have me sing him my new song over the phone (and knowing myself, I probably refused. The battle against performing on command was constant. I was a diva who refused to work for free). For me it was just a song whose lyrics I barely understood beyond their literal meaning. For my mother, who for much of my childhood talked of going back to
Puerto Rico, I think her delight in my learning the song came not just from her own homesickness, but in her desire to have her own children associate Puerto Rico with home, even if it was not where we lived - to share a connection to the island she missed so much. I thought of this song as my plane touched down in the San Juan airport a few weeks ago, apprehensive of what I would find after to many years away. I had made that journey countless times, frequently enough to only barely notice the subtle changes that came with each visit. I don’t remember when we stopped clapping upon arrival (a practice that I am in the minority in wholeheartedly defending). It must have been around 2001, Post-9/11, when my grandfather could no longer stand right at the gate so that we could see him when we disembarked. Over the years my visits became less frequent as both my personal life and the situation on the island generally made visiting more complicated, and it had been my first time landing at the airport in a few years. This time around the crowds of families waiting excitedly for their loved ones to clear the baggage claim area were nowhere to be seen, save for a couple of people, replaced instead by a COVID checkpoint and healthcare workers that I’m told people call “Los Minions” because of their yellow and blue uniforms. As a kid I would wait with my mother and brother for what seemed like eternity in the pickup area, standing on my tiptoes to see if I could spot my Abuela circling the airport to pick us up, desperate for the respite of the car A/C and maybe a Happy Meal once we made the one hour journey to Ponce. This time around, I wandered around a strangely desolate airport pickup area following the signs to meet Erik the Uber driver at the rideshare area. I used to say that you could blindfold me and I would recognize that airport just by the smell of the hot air and humidity the second you step out the automatic doors. If it weren’t for the sound of the coquis and the blast of humidity, I’m not sure I would have immediately recognized this place I had passed through a million times before. Visiting Puerto Rico for the first time in a while felt like going to a class reunion and bumping into a good looking ex. When did you become so beautiful? Or were you always this way and I just was too stupid to notice? I’m happy for you but damn, it does hurt a little. Immigrants and their children (or whatever you would classify Puerto Ricans in the mainland who, technically speaking, are not immigrants) dine out on nostalgia. The same place we would often complain was too hot, too congested, too chaotic now looked fresh and lush. It’s sadly the moment you stop taking a place for granted and the nostalgia kicks in that place stops being your home. Homesickness is a longing for a home far away from you, but nostalgia for a place is mourning something that no longer exists. Long after the familial ties are gone and the mother tongue is rendered useless, we cling on to whatever stimulus transports us back - a favorite dessert, the smell of a specific perfume, the opening bars of a favorite song. Even the song my mother taught me speaks of a good plate of arroz con pollo and a decent cup of coffee like other songs bemoan the loss of a great lover. - Editor’s note: This article was edited due to space constraints.
