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FROM THE DESK OF THE POLICE CHIEF
Stay Away From Scams
By Ryan Thompson, Pine Knoll Shores Police Chief
Scams seem to be never ending. I get daily phone calls and
emails from residents after a scammer has attempted to gain their
personal information. Some of you may get tired of reading these
articles, but if the scams were not working, the scammers would
move on. The fact that they are continuing on a daily basis means
that, unfortunately, people are still falling victim to them. Over the
next few months, I will be writing these articles on scam awareness
and protection over a wide range of areas.
Running a scam or fraud is a time-tested method for identity
thieves. They may contact you in person, by phone, mail, email,
or by trying to trick you into giving out personal information on a
website. Avoid scam artist ploys by following these steps:
1) Stay aware of current scams by watching or reading the news.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers information and tips
on current scams at consumer.ftc.gov (click on “Scam Alerts”). For
internet scam updates, go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center
site at ic3.gov and click on the “Alerts” link.
2) Before divulging personal information to anyone, know with
whom you are dealing. Independently verify any information
provided to you, and find the physical address and phone number
of who contacted you by yourself. Don’t trust email addresses given
by unknown people, and search online for a company’s name and
website. Read through the site, and read any online reviews of the
person or business.
3) Never reply to messages asking for personal information,
whether the message is sent over the phone or by email, text mes
sage or through an ad. Do not call phone numbers or click links
contained in these messages. You could be a target of phishing,
which is when cyber thieves send you emails that try to lure you
into providing or confirming personal information. The emails
look like they are from legitimate organizations, often ones you
know. They ordinarily use threats, warnings or enticements to cre
ate a sense of urgency—and you are usually asked to click on a link.
If you do, it can lead to a spoof or fake website, which can look real
enough to trick you into entering personal information.
4) Never send money or account information in reply to no
tices that you won a prize, lottery or a Publishers Clearing House
sweepstakes.
5) Give only to established charities and avoid pop-up charities,
that suddenly appear after disasters. Check a charity’s trustworthi
ness at give.org, the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance
site.
6) Don’t fall for pressure tactics. Never react quickly or impul
sively to offers or requests.
7) Be wary of imposter scams in which a scammer pretends to
be someone close to you or an entity you are unlikely to question.
Scammers pretend to be family members, friends, or representa
tives of government agencies or companies, often trying to get
personal information or gift cards.
To report a scam or fraud, contact your local police department
and report it to the state Attorney General’s Consumer Protection
Division by calling 877-566-7226 or by filing a complaint online at
ncdoj.gov.
Source: consumer.ftc.gov, ncdoj.gov
CONTENTS.
Women’s Club 7
PIKSCO Happenings 8
Mayor’s Memo 9
PKA News 9
Puzzle Solutions. 9
Fishing and Hunting 12
History of Pine Knoll Shores 13
On the Grill 13
Age-Friendly Community 14,25
Caught Doing Something Good 14
Garden Club 15
Town Crier 16-17
Pine Knoll Shores Turtle Report 18
Book Talk 19
Kramer’s Korner 20
What’s Up With PARC? 20
Current Crossword , 21
Events Calendar .....i 22
Pine Knoll Shores Commissioners Meeting 24
Current Sudoko 25
Country Club News 26
At the Library 31
Public
Safety
POLICE
During May, there were 3 arrests; 38 911 hang-ups; 11 alarm
activations; 13 animal calls; 2 disturbance calls; 47 assist Fire/EMS
calls; 5 motor vehicle collisions; 222 traffic stops; 73 citations issued
(22 speeding, 4 stop sign/stop light, 3 registration/inspection, 5
license revoked/expired, 22 other traffic violations, 15 narcotics
violations, 1 alcohol violation and 1 other criminal offense); 30
beach patrols; 348 business checks; 507 foot patrols; and 215
residence checks. Police personnel participated in 308.5 training
hours. Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) worked 77.5 hours.
FIRE AND EMS
In May, responders handled 1 fire, 53 rescue and emergency
medical service calls, 2 hazardous condition (no fire) calls, 2
service calls, 2 good intent calls, and 2 false alarms or false calls.
Personnel participated in 404 training hours.
REMINDER: Lock your doors, especially your vehicles, and
don’t leave valuables in sight. Report suspicious people or vehicles
to dispatch (726-1911) so that the police can be notified. You are
not “bothering” the police if you call to report something that
doesn’t look right. They prefer to assess the situation rather than
find out after the fact that you had noticed something and didn’t
report it. Alert citizens are an asset to the community.
252-247-4353 ext. 19
e-mail: Shoreline@townofpks.com
www.townofpks.com
EDITOR:
Janie Price
240-2365
EDITORS AT LARGE:
Mary Battista
422-4063
Marilyn Brandt 919-377-2501
John Brodman
726-7643
Phyllis Makuck
726-8776
CONTRIBUTING
REPORTERS:
Frederick S. Boyce
Paige Gillespie
723-6276
Marian Goetzinger
Jean McDanal
422-9000
Barbara Milhaven
240-0678
Jacquie Pipkin
622-0340
Jim Scanlon
726-4174
Richard Seale
726-0478
Jim Turner
Ken Wilkins
240-2474
CIRCULATION MANAGER:
Connie Shelton
247-4353
GRAPHIC DESIGNER:
Michelle Dobbs
726-7081
ADVERTISING:
Marie Lawrence
726-7081
ARTICLE DEADLINE
DUE DATE
ISSUE
Mon., July 16
Aug.
Wed., Aug. 15
Sept.
Wed., Sept. 12
Oct.
Wed., Oct. 17
Nov.
Mon., Nov. 11
Dec.
Tues. Dec. 11
Jan. 2019
ADVERTISING DEADLINE
The 19th of the month prior
to desired issue
Articles always welcome.
July 2018 I The Shoreline