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Crime, Legal & Safety

​​ABUSE & NEGLECT

AUTO SALE OR REPAIR

DISABILITY FRAUD

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & STALKING 

  • The Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence is the central point of access for domestic violence assistance within Talbot County. The 24/7 Hotline is (800) 927-4673 or send a secure email here. They even offer pet safety, so you do not have to leave your pet behind!​

  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 crisis intervention services through three contact methods: call (800) 799-7233, text “START” to 88788, or chat. They also offer AI chat.

  • The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence​ is a coalition of advocacy programs for victims of domestic violence and stalking in Maryland. ​Click here for resources to seek help and stay safe. 

  • The Maryland Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program helps individuals who have relocated or are about to relocate to keep their perpetrators from finding them. Click here for more information, call​ (410) 260-3875, o​r email​ safe.athome@maryland.gov.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

  • TALBOT COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

    • Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program develops, implements, and monitors preparedness plans for public health responses to emergencies, including mass dispensing of medications and vaccinations, emergency communications surveys, professional workforce training, and facilitation and participation in exercises and drills. 

      • Click here for more details, additional resources, and contact information.

  • TALBOT COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES (TCES)

    • Has both an Emergency Information Form and a Medical Information Form that you can complete to better assist emergency services during your time of need.

    • Register for the Talbot County Citizen Alert System that provides time-sensitive alerts about emergencies such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods.

FINANCIAL FRAUD OR EXPLOITATION

  • If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at (833) 372–8311, a special program of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime.

FINANCIAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES COMPLAINTS

  • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) currently accepts complaints about: checking and savings accounts; credit cards; credit reports and other personal consumer reports; debt collection; debt and credit management; money transfers, virtual currency, and money services; mortgages; payday loans; personal loans like installment, advance, and title loans; prepaid cards; and vehicle loans or leases,

    • If you have a complaint with one of these financial products or services, you can report this to the CFPB.

    • After your complaint is filed, CFPB will work to get a response from the company you reported.

  • "Be your own boss," pyramid schemes, scam job listings, scam franchises, money-making opportunities, investments, or investment seminars should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission online. Or, call (877) 382-4357. 

FOOD SAFETY

  • The Talbot County Department of Health manages the food protection program, which is responsible for enforcing safety regulations related to food sold in Talbot County, which includes all facilities that prepare or provide food to the public, including both permanent and mobile establishments, as well as temporary events.

    • To file a complaint about a licensed food facility in Talbot County, email the Environmental Health Office at tchd.environmental_health@maryland.gov. Provide the facility's name and location, as much detail as possible, and your name and phone number.

  • Click here for additional food safety resources.

GUARDIANSHIP

  • Guardianship is the appointment by a court of a person or entity to make personal and/or property decisions for an individual whom the court finds cannot make decisions for themselves.

  • Click here for the Department of Justice's overview of guardianship, less restrictive options and alternatives, key concepts and resources, how to report mistreatment and abuse by guardians and other fiduciaries, and additional resources.

  • The Public Guardianship Program serves individuals 65 years of age and older who are deemed by a circuit court to lack the capacity to communicate responsible decisions concerning their daily living needs. As a last resort, when no other person or organization is willing or appropriate to act on the client’s behalf, the Executive Director of Upper Shore Aging, Inc. can be appointed as the “guardian of person.” Contact the Guardianship Program Manager at Upper Shore Aging, Inc. at (410) 778-7180 for more information.

HEALTH INSURANCE BILLING DISPUTES (Private Health Insurance)

  • The Health Education and Advocacy Unit (HEAU) of the Maryland State government helps Maryland consumers resolve billing disputes with healthcare providers and with private insurance coverage disputes through free mediation services. Start the process online here.

  • See the Medicare/Medicaid section below for billing disputes related to those programs. 

HEALTH PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

HOSPITAL CARE FAILURES

  • If you or a loved one experienced a hospital's failure to evaluate and stabilize an emergency patient, contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General at (800) 447-8477, or submit your complaint online here.​

IDENTITY THEFT & FRAUD

  • Identity theft is the illegal acquisition of your personal information (e.g., Social Security number, date of birth), while identity fraud is the subsequent use of that stolen data to deceive others for personal gain. In short, theft is obtaining the data; fraud is using it.

  • If you're a victim of either, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This site is a one-stop resource for victims of both. Once you submit a report, the FTC creates a personal recovery plan and helps implement it. 

  • For medical identity theft involving Medicare and/or Medicaid beneficiaries, also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, at (800) 447-8477.

INTERNET / CYBER CRIME 

  • Victims of an Internet crime, which can be everything from cyber-enabled frauds and scams to cybercrime, should file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

    • All digital or electronic fraud and scams, including those that originated via email, online, or social media (e.g., romance scams, email extortion, tech support scams), should also file a complaint with the FBI's IC3.

    • Trained analysts at IC3 will review and research the complaint and disseminate information to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for criminal, civil, or administrative action, as appropriate. ​

  • A problem with an online purchase or sale, or someone pretending to be a well-known online seller, should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission online. Or, call (877) 382-4357.

INVESTMENT FRAUD, SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, OR CRIME

  • FINANCIAL INDUSTRY REGULATORY AUTHORITY (FINRA)

  • SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC) & MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

  • COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION (CFTC)

    • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. The CFTC Reparations program provides an inexpensive, impartial, and efficient forum for customer complaints against futures industry professionals for alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.

    • File a complaint with the CFTC Reparations program or call (202) 418-5250.

    • Report fraud/suspicious activity involving cryptocurrency or other digital assets directly to the CFTC by calling (866) 366-2382.

LEGAL SERVICES FOR SENIORS

  • Brookletts Place partners with Shore Legal Access to provide legal services to members in need, including legal advice, counseling, and representation. ​​

  • Click here to learn more. 

MAIL FRAUD, SCAMS & CRIME

  • If you have witnessed or fallen victim to a mail-related crime, call the United States Postal Inspection Service at (888) 876-5322, or report the crime online for U.S. mail (e.g. sweepstakes scams, lottery scams, online auctions, chain letters, investments, romance scams), mail theft (or call (877) 876-2455), or counterfeit stamp or postage fraud.

  • To report any suspicious texts or emails related to the U.S. Postal Service, forward the text or email to spam@uspis.gov, and then delete the text or email.

MEDICAL INFORMATION VIOLATIONS

MEDICAID FRAUD

  • Report suspected Medicaid fraud by health care providers to the Medicaid Fraud & Vulnerable Victims Unit in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.​

MEDICARE FRAUD

  • Contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General at (800) 447-8477, or submit your complaint online here for the following:

    • False or fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare or Medicaid

    • Kickbacks or inducements for referrals by Medicare or Medicaid providers

    • Medical identity theft involving Medicare and/or Medicaid beneficiaries

  • Contact Brookletts Place's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Coordinator to work with you confidentially and at no cost, to provide guidance on preventing, detecting, and reporting potential Medicare fraud.

MEDICARE RIGHTS & BILLING CONCERNS/DENIALS/GRIEVANCES​

PHONE, INTERNET, TV SERVICE, OR COMPUTER TECH SUPPORT SERVICE ISSUES

ONLINE PRIVACY & SECURITY

SCAMS

SNAP/FOOD STAMP FRAUD, WASTE & ABUSE

SEXUAL VIOLENCE

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    • Sexual violence is a continuum that includes rape, sexual assault, sextortion, stalking, and sexual harassment.

  • GET HELP NOW!

  • OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES

    • The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault helps prevent sexual assault, advocates for accessible, compassionate care for survivors of sexual violence, and works to hold offenders accountable. 

    • Maryland Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program helps those individuals who have relocated or are about to relocate, in an effort to keep their perpetrators from finding them. For more information abou​t the program, click here, call​ (410) 260-3875 o​r email​ safe.athome@maryland.gov.

SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD, WASTE & ABUSE

  • The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is responsible for preventing and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement across all SSA programs and operations.

  • Click here to report Social Security fraud, scams, waste, and abuse to the SSA OIG, or call (800) 269-0271.​

TAXES FRAUD & ABUSE

  • The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) provide independent oversight of IRS activities. It is also committed to preventing and detecting fraud and abuse within the IRS and related entities.

  • Click here to report IRS imposter scams as well as fraud, waste, mismanagement, and abuse in IRS programs and operations to TIGTA. Or, call (800) 366-4484.

UNWANTED: PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, TEXTS, AND MAIL 

VICTIMS OF CRIME SUPPORT SERVICES

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