• Skip to main content

Levinson and Stefani Injury Lawyers

Client-first legal representation for injury victims. Injured? Free Consultation:

(312) 376-3812

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Attorneys
      • Ken Levinson
      • Jay Stefani
      • Vanessa A. Gebka
    • Practice Areas
      • Truck Crashes
      • Bus Collisions
      • Auto Accidents
      • Child Injuries
  • Firm News
  • Library
    • Articles
    • Cases
    • Law
    • Video
  • Blog
  • For Lawyers
    • Focus Groups
  • Free Case Review

Illinois Attorney General

Madigan’s 2015 Safe Shopping Guide highlights digital safety practices

December 3, 2015 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

2015_Safe_Shopping_Guide-1
One of the things we look forward to each holiday season is the Illinois Attorney General’s Safe Shopping Guide. Among the things detailed by Lisa Madigan and her staff is a host of information about various products that could cause, or have caused, havoc for consumers. But this year’s list contained a relatively new angle with respect to consumer safety, one that focused primarily on the smallest and most impressionable consumers: your kids. We found it to be one of the more insightful reports in recent memory, if only because the newest generation of children has never known a world without the Internet. The 2015 Guide sheds a little light on what to be aware of, should you be in the market for an iPad, smartphone or the like.

The new offering, “Creating a Positive Digital Culture in Your Home,” made sure to include useful tips on how to promote a safe learning environment for the tech savvy generation that is digesting more information via smartphone and tablet than ever before. If you’re considering buying devices for your kids this holiday season, this is the list for you.

This year’s guide provides a how-to list of points that stresses the importance of establishing age-appropriate limits on these devices so parents can monitor what their kids are accessing online. As Madigan states early on, recent studies show that an increasing number of children are left to use mobile and Internet-accessible on their own. Nearly 88% of American teens, ages 13–18, own or have access to a mobile phone; 73% of teens have smartphones. Even more remarkable, most of them started using mobile devices in their first year of life, according to statistics gathered by the AG’s office. The responsibility of having access to the Internet 24/7 is a responsibility many of us take for granted.

As a result, kids are exposed to the dangers of the Internet at increasingly younger ages. Madigan proposes a list of ten things that parents should take note of during the holiday season. Especially interesting, and worth pointing out, is bullet point number 6, the “use agreement.” Establishing those boundaries early on is a great way to hold you and your kids accountable in the future.

Top Ten:

  1. Maintain open communication with your child about technology and the appropriate uses of it.
  2. Make sure your child knows they cannot be anonymous on the Internet.
  3. Talk to your child about what should never be posted online and the dangers of posting too much information.
  4. Explain that posting online is just like writing in permanent marker – it cannot be erased.
  5. Engage your child in continuous conversations about how to behave online.
  6. Complete a “use agreement” with your child and talk about respecting others online. Establish and enforce household rules for technology usage.
  7. Discuss why strong passwords are important, how to create them and the need to keep them private. Obtain all passwords for devices and apps.
  8. Stay informed on your child’s Internet habits, review their user history and observe their social media activity. Know who their friends and followers are. (Taking it one step further, my wife and I don’t allow our children to erase their history. There’s consequences if we catch them doing so.)
  9. Be aware of changes in your child’s behavior that may indicate cyberbullying.
  10. Never threaten to take away your child’s phone or Internet access. This could prevent them from approaching you in the future about online problems.

Turning the dial up to 11:

(Bonus) 11. And in an ode to the Old West, we require our three boys to hand in their pistols/devices before they head off to bed, keeping distractions to a minimum.

Read the complete safety guide here.

Madigan Releases Annual ‘Safe Shopping Guide’ for 2014

December 5, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

2014 Safe Shopping Guide
The 2014 Safe Shopping Guide from the Illinois Attorney General

Some lists are more important than others over the holidays: Santa’s list, of course, and the latest list coming from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office.

Madigan’s team has released its annual “Safe Shopping Guide” for the 2014 holiday shopping season.  The Safe Shopping Guide is considered by many to be a critical resource for parents in the midst of perpetual spending sprees.  Since 2007, the annual guide has been helping families avoid dreaded product recalls (an estimated 44 million individual units of children’s products are recalled each year, many of which go overlooked by retailers and remain available to unassuming shoppers!)

This year’s guide highlights over 100 recalled products, as determined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Products recalled include toys, cribs, furniture, clothing and baby gear.  One of the great features of the “Safe Shopping Guide” is just how detailed it is.  You’ll find a comprehensive list of defective products, along with descriptions and photos pinpointing exactly what parents should be paying close attention to. Topping this year’s list are items like the Dynacraft Aviago Youth Bicycle (recalled on July 31 due to a faulty front tire prone to detach) and the Toys “R” Us Toy Toaster Set (recalled on October 13 as a result of the brittle plastic toast that has a tendency to crack and break into small pieces, posing a choking hazard).

“The Safe Shopping Guide is a must-have for this holiday season,” said Abe Scarr, Illinois PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) Director, in a statement released by the Attorney General’s office.  “Shoppers should pay close attention to toys that contain small parts that could lead to choking, and consumers should be especially vigilant while shopping online where recalled toys may still be available.”

Not Just Physical Products – Stay Cybersafe

New this year is a feature that provides important information on taking precautionary measures against identity theft and credit card fraud, two big concerns among consumers following several major data breaches at large retailers like Target, Michael’s, Neiman Marcus, and Home Depot.

Madigan’s guide includes preventative steps to help shoppers protect against identity theft.  Her office notes that caller complaints involving cyber security jumped 1,600 percent in 2013 alone; they have successfully helped more than 35,000 victims remove over $26 million in fraudulent charges from their credit, thanks in part by encouraging encouraging consumers to take preventative steps like the ones below.

Protect your data with four simple steps, as outlined in the Safe Shopping Guide:

Set up transactions alerts
Establish spending limits and email/text alerts to keep you updated whenever a transaction exceeds a certain threshold. Should you find out that your card exceeded the limit, you can dispute the charge immediately with your credit card company.

Regularly review your bank and credit card statements
It’s easy to pinpoint a fraudulent charge, especially when it’s a large amount. But some scammers have learned to do so over time with small charges that most people would otherwise not notice. Taking a closer look at your bank and credit card statements can help you find inconsistencies or patterns in small numbers.

Review your credit report for unauthorized accounts
Credit card holders are entitled to at least one free credit score report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies each year. By ordering your credit report, you can determine whether any unauthorized accounts have been open in your name.

Consider putting a security freeze on your credit
Lock down your personal data and prevent scammers from gaining access to your personal information. It’s the most extreme but also the most sure-fire way to keep things safe and secure. You’re free to lift the freeze at any time, should you want to make a big purchase in the future.

Levinson and Stefani Injury Lawyers in Chicago / Attorney Advertising