Ashford Park Neighborhood Watch

I work at Salon Lofts at Cherokee plaza. A client of one of the stylists had a seizure. We dialed 911 and so far it’s been 20 minutes and no ambulance. Last time it was 40 minutes. What’s up with this?

ICE updates on this page are meant to warn people of areas to avoid / traffic alerts; not political comment. Be kind, these are your neighbors being affected.

In this week’s scam, you receive a frightening phone call from someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer. They tell you there is a warrant for your arrest because you missed jury duty, failed to appear in court, or owe unpaid taxes. They might even use your real name, tell you their badge number, or give you a specific court case number. All this information may lead you to believe that you are in serious legal trouble.
However, this is actually a vishing, or voice phishing, scam! You’re not speaking to a real law enforcement officer, but a cybercriminal who is trying to make you panic. Their goal is to scare you into acting without thinking. They will ask you to pay a fine by wiring money, purchasing gift cards, or sending cryptocurrency if you want to avoid being arrested. Remember, you aren’t actually in any legal trouble, and if you pay this “fine”, you’ll be giving your money directly to a scammer!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a vishing scam:

If someone calls you and threatens to arrest you unless you pay a fine immediately, it’s a scam. Cybercriminals often try to scare you into acting without thinking.
Keep in mind that cybercriminals can search online for public information, such as a case or badge number, and use it to make their scams appear more convincing.
Real law enforcement agencies will never ask you to pay a fine using gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. If anyone asks for these payment methods, hang up.

Scam of the Week: you receive text messages that say someone is trying to log in to your Apple account without your permission. Then, you get a call from someone claiming to be an Apple support agent. They tell you that your account has been compromised and that they have opened a support ticket for you so they can help you secure your account. You even receive an actual email from Apple support that contains your case number. The Apple support email you received is genuine, but the support ticket was initiated for you by cybercriminals, not by Apple. They’ll pretend to help “fix” the issue with your account and ask you to give them your security code so that they can close your support ticket. However, if you give them the code, they can steal your Apple account!
Don't fall for this SCAM. Only provide info with anyone online if you initiated the call / email, with a verified address.

Wanted to

In this week’s scam, you receive an alarming email from the Social Security Administration, or SSA. The email has an urgent subject line that warns about an issue with your account and includes an attachment that looks like an official government letter. The letter claims that your Social Security number is linked to criminal activities and has been suspended. It provides a phone number for you to call immediately to avoid being prosecuted.

However, this email is a phishing scam, and the attached letter is a fake! If you call the number, a cybercriminal will answer and pretend to work for the SSA. They may even use the name of a real government employee to make their scam even more convincing. They will ask you for your personal information and money to “fix” the problem with your account. But there isn’t actually a problem with your account, and the scammer will steal any money or personal data that you give to them!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this phishing scam:

Scammers often use official-looking attachments and a sense of urgency to make you act quickly. Real government organizations won’t pressure you to act immediately. Always stop and think before taking action!
Never trust a phone number listed in a suspicious email or attachment. If you’re concerned about your Social Security account, visit the official government website.
Never provide personal information or money to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Remember, the SSA will never ask you for money through a phone call, text, or email.

Sagamore Hills last week: 2 young black males driving a silver Honda or Toyota with Florida tags: stealing equipment from landscaper trucks / trailers. Seen cutting locks with large bolt cutters.

Officers responded around 4:30 a.m. Friday following reports of a car break-in at a Dunwoody apartment complex. Upon arrival, they discovered roughly 50 vehicles had been broken into.
Do NOT leave anything in your car, bags/backpacks of any kind can have perceived value, even visible change in a cup makes you a target. And as always: report all incidents to the Police.

In latest crackdown, several card skimmers were seized in Buckhead & Brookhaven:
PROTECT YOURSELF:
-Inspect the payment terminal to make sure it hasn’t been tampered with. If it is loose, crooked, damaged, or doesn’t match those of nearby terminals, don’t use it. Also, if the keypad feels thick or the numbers are hard to press, that may indicate the presence of a skimmer.
-If possible, tap your card instead of swiping or inserting it at the POS terminal.
-Cover the keyboard when entering your PIN number.
-If you’re concerned about skimmers at the gas pump, pay inside rather than at the pump.
-Consider paying cash or using a mobile wallet, such as Google Pay or Apple Pay, instead of swiping your card.
-Monitor your credit card and bank accounts regularly to check for unauthorized charges.
-Sign up for text alerts from your bank or credit union, so you will be notified of suspicious transactions or large withdrawals or purchases. But be careful…since scammers sometimes impersonate an agent from a well-known financial institution, if you do receive a notification that purports to be from your bank or credit union, do not clink on any links, call a number you have been texted, or give out any sensitive information to someone who calls you out of the blue; instead, contact your bank directly via a verified phone number.

Seems an old SCAM is back: County will NEVER call you to collect fine for not reporting for Jury Duty. Hang up, report the phone # to the BPD.

More reports of Postal Theft. Do not leave outgoing in mail in your mailbox with the flag up. And don't even use the drive-up mailboxes at the Post Office = go inside to deposit mail. I just experienced over-flowing drive up mailboxes at Buckhead AND Brookhaven Post Offices, I easily could have removed handfuls of mail from each of those boxes. Go inside to mail, use good ink on checks (do not use fine point), and utilize the MEMO line on your checks for description.

Sunday May 18: Someone up to no good looking into cars on Redding in Ashford Park last night around 2:30am. Here is our Ring video of him in our driveway looking into our cars and seems like he noticed our camera. We filed a report with Brookhaven Police and they said he was arrested last night.

ring.com