Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing a new scam on the rise, a new blood test to detect sleepiness and an update on next week's newsletter. 

Virtual Kidnapping Ransom Scam

Virtual kidnapping ransom scams are on the rise, and they can occur via phone calls from an outside area code or even look like it's a local phone number. The caller will allege that a family member has been kidnapped or is injured and won't be allowed to go to the hospital until damages are paid. To avoid becoming a victim of this extortion scheme, people should look for specific indicators, such as calls not coming from the alleged kidnapped victim's phone and callers going to great lengths to keep the person on the phone. In addition, individuals can try to slow the situation down, request to speak to the victim directly, and attempt to call, text or contact the alleged victim via social media. People should not directly challenge or argue with the caller and should notify the local police department at the earliest opportunity. Read more about these scams here. 

Australian Researchers Develop Blood Test to Detect Sleepiness in Drivers

Researchers at Monash University in Australia have developed a blood test that can detect sleepiness in drivers. The test is based on identifying five biomarkers in the blood that can determine if an individual has been awake for 24 hours or more with 99% accuracy. The test's accuracy dropped to 90% when tested in closer to real-life situations. However, researches are currently working to improve the test so that it can quantify the number of hours an individual may have slept prior to taking it. Portable tests that could determine sleepiness on the road could take another five years to arrive. The test could pave the way for the prosecution of drivers and their employers if a crash was a result of insufficient sleep. Read more here. 

Next week - Wednesday, May 17th

The IIAW is very excited to be hosting our 124th InsurCon next Tuesday and Wednesday in Oshkosh, WI. Because of this, we will not be sending out a Big I Buzz newsletter next Wednesday. If you aren't attending InsurCon2023, you can see all of the exciting things happening on our Facebook page.  Plus, we post great things daily outside of convention time too! 

Don't forget if you haven't already updated your information to head back to this week's Big I Buzz email so you can receive our monthly email curated for you and your role.  For more news, check out the Action News section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here  to add your email to our emailing list.