Green Valley Sheriff's Auxiliary Volunteers

 

There is at least one Cryptocurrency ATM in Green Valley and one in Sahuarita. Scammers

would previously request payments by gift cards, bank transfers, and online payment services

because, once sent, it is difficult to track and recover the funds. Nowadays, scammers prefer

cryptocurrency because it is of the higher likelihood that you will never see those funds again.

How it works is you scan a QR Code (supplied by the scammer) at the Crypto ATM and then

enter cash or credit/debit card payments that are then loaded onto the digital wallet identified

by the QR Code. The recipient can then transfer and launder the money easily from this

anonymous account. Any request to pay via a Crypto ATM is a red flag that you may be the

victim of a scam. Legitimate businesses and government agencies do not take payments

through Crypto ATMs.

 

 

Chilly weather brings an added danger for a home heating equipment fire to happen. About

half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January, and February. It is

essential to understand the three components needed for a fire to happen: oxygen, fuel, and

heat. A fire cannot exist or be sustained unless all three elements are present. The air that

surrounds us contains 21% oxygen. Fuel is any material that is capable of burning. A heat source is what is responsible for the initial ignition and is what allows fire to spread. For example, if you have a space heater at home and it is close to a stack of newspapers, we now have heat and fuel. Our room’s air is 21% oxygen, and we now have the makings of a fire because all three elements are present. The following are a few simple safety tips to keep you safe:

• Keep anything that can burn, including children and pets, at least three feet away from

furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves, or portable space heaters.

• Store lighters and matches out of the reach of children, in a locked cabinet.

• Never use the oven to heat your home.

• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified

professional. Chimney fires can happen when creosote (flammable, tar-like substance

that forms in chimneys when wood is burned) builds up.

• Remember to turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.

• Make sure the wood burning fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into

the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Always keep

the container a safe distance away from your home.

• Install wood burning stoves according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is best to

have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to

the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

• Install and maintain CO alarms in addition to smoke alarms.

• If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave home immediately

and call 911.

• Test your smoke and CO alarms at least once per month.

• If you have an electric space heater, choose one with a thermostat and overheat

protection. It should be placed on a flat surface and have an automatic shut-off that

turns it off if it tips over. Never plug the heater into an extension cord, it should be

plugged directly into an electrical outlet.

Following these safety tips can help prevent a home heating fire. Understanding the fire

triangle is also key – eliminate one of the legs of the triangle, and you can eliminate a potential fire. Your Fire District wants you all to keep warm when it’s cold outside and wishes you a safe and happy New Year!

SPOOFING: THINK BEFORE CLICKING ON WEBSITE LINKS
An important tool in the scammers’ toolbox is the ability to fake what seems to be a legitimate website or email. This “spoofing” ploy can easily trick you into thinking that you’re dealing with a legitimate company, so clicking on a website link in an email might seem safe. Unfortunately, that link will direct you to the scammers. 
If you have a keen eye, you can spot the bad actors. Websites with graphics that look exactly like a real company’s may have slight misspellings in the URL (web address), or email address, but they will be close enough to the real ones that they will be difficult to notice. 

 

Many of these scams begin with a pop-up on your computer screen. It will say that your computer has a virus. The pop-up will have a logo that looks like a familiar company and will include a link. The link will allow you to scan your computer for viruses and malware after you provide personal information, including a credit card number to pay for the service. 
Another ploy is to allow another person to take over your computer so the “expert” can find and delete the virus. All you need to do is authorize a remote connection to the “helpful” technician. If you agree to the remote connection, that “technician” will have access to everything on your computer, including any saved IDs and passwords. Don’t ever authorize a remote connection unless you are the one who initiates the contact with a trusted service

Remember, if you don’t have an account with the supposed company, you should not be receiving pop-up messages from them. You should also save the URLs (web addresses) of your actual on-line accounts as bookmarks. Then, if you do get a pop-up from what looks like your bank, brokerage, or security service, you can go directly to your bookmark to log in. You will probably find no indication on the legitimate website that you have a virus or security issue.

 

 

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION CAN SAVE YOU FROM SCAMMERS
Having your accounts protected by a simple password can lead to unauthorized access. In the likely case that a website you use was breached, your account information may have been stolen. If you use the same password on other sites and apps, it could be used to access important accounts like your bank or investment accounts. Many online sites now provide multi-factor authentication. Think of it as something you have and something you know. You know your username and password, and you have a physical phone. Without both, you cannot login to a website or app. This will help protect your critical accounts from unauthorized access. It is strongly recommended to enable multi-factor authentication wherever it is offered. Visit our website www.scamsquadsav.org to check for other scams and alerts. You can also contact the GVSAV Scam Squad by calling 520-351-6715 Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. To report an incident of fraud (money lost to a scam) call 911 or 520-351-4900.  

Help us save the night  Posted February 25, 2024
The solution is as easy as screwing in a lightbulb. Light pollution is something we can all help erase, in our homes and backyards, the parks that we play in, and the cities and towns we call home. LEDs and compact fluorescents (CFLs) can help reduce energy use and protect the environment, but only warm-colored bulbs should be used. Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers can help to reduce average illumination levels and save even more energy.

 

Outdoor lighting fixtures that shield the light source to minimize glare and light trespass help prevent light pollution. Switching to LED lighting allows for reduced illuminance without compromising visibility. Unnecessary indoor lighting should be turned off. This will help prevent leakage of interior light into the night sky.

 

The use of blue lights at night should be avoided: Outdoor lighting with strong blue content is likely to worsen sky glow because it has a significantly larger geographic reach than lighting consisting of less blue.  Blue-rich white light sources are also known to increase glare and compromise human vision, especially in the aging eye. These lights create potential road safety problems for motorists and pedestrians alike. In natural settings, blue light at night has been shown to adversely affect wildlife behavior and reproduction. This particularly true in cities, which are often stopover points for migratory species. It is recommended to only use warm-appearing light sources for outdoor lighting. This includes low-pressure sodium (LPS), high-pressure sodium (HPS), and low-CCT LEDs.  “Warm” toned or filtered LEDs (CCT 3000 K or lower; S/P ratio 1.2 or lower) should be used to minimize blue emission.