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October 1, 2024

Be careful driving on Halloween

Kids love Halloween. Is there anything more fun for a child than to dress up in their favorite Halloween costume and stay up past their normal bedtime? With so many trick-or-treaters out at night, the potential for automobile-related accidents with young pedestrians increases four times this night according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study.

Since children are preoccupied with the night's excitement, motorists must take extra precautions when driving on Halloween night. Here are a few tips to remember:

• Don’t use a cell phone or other electronic device. Even with hands-free devices, a driver’s attention is not focused on driving when talking on the phone. Avoid distraction by waiting until you’re parked to call, text, or surf.
• Drive below the posted speed limit in residential areas during trick-or-treating hours. Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.
• Do not pass other vehicles that have stopped in the roadway. Children could be crossing the street, or parents may be dropping off children.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
• At twilight, and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
• Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic, and turn on your headlights earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances. The prime time for trick-or-treaters is between 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Keeping kids safe on Halloween

With all the fun Halloween brings, children may forget many of the safety rules you have taught them. Therefore, it is important to carve out some time before your children head out the door on Halloween to remind them of the rules you expect them to follow.

• Never get into a stranger’s car no matter what the person says.
• If your child is old enough to go out with friends, make sure that they have a pre-programmed cell phone with all important numbers, plan and review their route, and give them a time you expect them back.
• Children and adults are reminded to put electronic devices down, keep head up, and walk don’t run across the street.
• Tell your child to only go to homes with an outside light on, and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• When crossing the street remind your child not to assume drivers will stop. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Just because one car stops doesn't mean others will.
• Tell your child not to eat any of their treats until you have checked them.

Law enforcement should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

Join us for coffee and conversation, no agenda or speeches, from 9 - 11 a.m., Wednesday, October 2 at Fourscore Coffee House, 325 Lincoln Street. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers that serve your community.

Securely save those unused and expired medications for the next free take-back day. Drop off medications from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saturday, October 26 at Roseville Highschool (1 Tiger Way) or Sun City (7050 Del Webb Blvd.). For more information, visit roseville.ca.us/DrugTakeBack.

If you can't attend the event, you can find a permanent drop-off location at the US Department of Justice.

Join us from 1 - 3 p.m., Thursday, October 17 at the Riley Library, meeting rooms 1 and 2 to learn how to be more aware of what cyber criminals do to get into your computers and other electronic devices, as well as tips to help keep yourself more cyber secure.

How to avoid Amazon impersonator scams

Americans receive up to 150 million robocalls per month from scammers impersonating Amazon employees.

With so many people using Amazon on a daily basis, it’s no wonder scammers are targeting these shoppers.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) one version of the scam has the victim receiving a call, recorded message, or text stating that there’s something wrong with their account. The problem could be a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can’t fulfill.  The scammers tell their victims that they need information like your Amazon password or your credit card information.

If you receive an unexpected message like this, the FTC has the following recommendations:

• Do not press ‘1’ to speak with customer support.
• Do not call the phone number they gave you.
• Do not give out your personal information.

What should you do instead?

• Hang up or ignore the message.
• Check your Amazon account and credit card statements to confirm any fraudulent charges.
• If you think there is actually a problem with your account, contact Amazon using a phone number you know is real.

Report the scam using FTC’s online form.

If you are a frequent user of Amazon or any online retailer, be vigilant. Never give out your personal information to someone who calls or texts you.  Always be suspicious of unexpected calls or messages.  If you take these precautions, you can sit back and enjoy your online shopping experience.

Roseville residents scammed

Beat: 1
Date: August 14
Neighborhood:Stoneridge

The victim stated that on 8/14/2024, at approximately 0947 hours, he received a text message from someone he believed was his boss requesting that he purchase gift cards for him. He was unsure why his boss needed gift cards but his boss stated it was urgent. Since the victim was only two days in his job, he did not want to question his boss. The victim then proceeded to purchase six $200 and one $400 Apple gift card from Best Buy. Upon purchasing the gift cards, he texted them to who he believed was his boss. The victim began to get a bit suspicious as more gift cards were being requested. He reached out to his coworker and was informed the phone number he was texting was not known to the company. This is when the victim believed it was a scam and reached out to Apple customer service and was informed all the funds in the gift cards were gone.

Beat: 5
Date: July 25
Neighborhood: Harding

The victim said on 7/24/24, he received a message on his computer from Microsoft Defender Virus. He was unable to remove the message from his screen or access any programs on his computer. He tried restarting it, but still could not use his computer in a normal fashion with the Microsoft message still on screen. He called the number on the message which got him transferred to a male identifying himself as a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner. The suspect showed the victim an FTC badge with his name on it, and then cleared the virus from the victim's computer. He then informed the victim all his assets were in danger. The victim was told by the male suspect to purchase gold from J.M. Bullion. On 7/30/24, the victim went to his bank to complete the transaction of ($69,802.24) with J.M. Bullion with instructions from the male on how to do it. After the transaction, the victim was told by the male to wait for a secret service agent who would pick up the gold. The victim received the gold bars and secured them. On 8/6/24 at about 1230 hours, a male pulled into the parking spot in front of the victim's residence and parked. The victim was instructed to put the gold in the car through the window and then the vehicle drove away. The victim was told by the male that he would get a check for the same price as he paid for the gold ($69,802.24). On 8/20/24, the victim attempted to call the male to see when his check would come but the number was disconnected.  On 8/20/24 at about 1151 hours, the victim looked up the FTC website and was advised it was a scam, where people pretended to be part of the FTC and requested money from others.

Beat: 1
Date: July 29
Neighborhood: Stoneridge

The victim received a phone call from an unknown number stating they were from the Wells Fargo Fraud Department. The victim was asked for information like mother’s maiden name and other private information in their bank account. After providing the information, the victim could no longer access their Wells Fargo accounts and found it was locked. Wells Fargo told the victim that multiple fraudulent charges had been made to their accounts. The victim froze all credit cards to stop the charges.