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December 1, 2024

Ensure your home stays safe this holiday season

Are you heading out to see family and friends this holiday season? For many, it’s the best part of the holiday season. Before you rush out the door, make sure to secure your home.

• Lock up. Don’t assume your doors and windows are shut and locked. Double-check them! If you don't already have deadbolts on your doors, you may want to consider investing in some. 
• Avoid posting your whereabouts on social media. It's only natural that you would want to post a picture or two on Facebook, Instagram or X sharing your holiday fun, but wait until after your return to post your pictures.
• Put lights on a timer, smart plug, or app. If you have outside holiday lights, put them on an automatic timer when you go out of town. You can set the timer so that your lights go on at a certain hour each night, making it appear as if you're home. Consider setting a few indoor lights on timers, too.
• Don't hide a key. Having a spare house key is a must. Don’t leave it in a fake rock or place it under your doormat. Criminals know all the good hiding places. Instead, leave a key with a trusted friend or neighbor.
• Ask someone to pick up your mail, or stop your mail. Having newspapers or packages piled up on your doorstep might as well be a sign saying, "Hey everyone, I'm not home." You can also easily temporarily stop mail delivery on the U.S. Postal Service website.
• Hide any Christmas gifts. Make sure gifts are hidden from a potential burglar. Putting pretty wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree looks nice, but it’s also an open invitation for a burglar. Keep your Christmas tree, with gifts underneath, away from windows or other places with a view.

The holiday season is a joyous time of the year. Don’t let criminals ruin it.

Are you buying an E-scooter this holiday season?

Are you thinking about buying an E-scooter or E-bike for your child this holiday season? They have been rapidly increasing in popularity. They provide more independence, allowing you to travel farther and faster. But there are important factors to consider before using an e-bike or e-scooter.

E-scooter laws:

• California’s law permits anyone over the age of 16, who has a learner’s permit or license, to operate an e-scooter. Those under 18 must wear a helmet.
• E-scooter riders must know traffic laws, because they must share the road with vehicles.
• Users can ride in bike lanes if the posted speed limit is 25 mph or slower. California law prohibits riding e-scooters on sidewalks and pathways unless marked otherwise.

E-bikes are classified by type, class 1, 2, or 3. The class of the bike should be located on the bike. Each class has different rules. 

Visit our website for more information about E-motorcycles, E-bikes, and E-Scooters.

From now until Friday, December 13, drop off any new, unused, and unwrapped toy(s) at the Roseville Police Department. 

Donated toys are gifted directly to Roseville youth and families in local housing units. 

For more information or questions, contact Community Services Officer, Monjaras at (916) 774-5040 ext. 3947 or email at nmonjaras@roseville.ca.us.

It's the most wonderful time of year! Join us for the City's free Christmas tree lighting event from 6 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 5 at Vernon Street Town Square. Experience an old fashioned celebration and holiday cheer.

Neighborhood Santa is back! This year, Santa is visiting neighborhoods on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings December 10-19, 2024.

Santa will start his route at 6 p.m. each night and each route will run 1 to 1.5 hours. Routing information is available on the City’s website.

All visits are weather permitting. Look for schedule updates due to weather on the Roseville Parks, Recreation & Events Facebook page by 5 p.m. each evening.

The holiday season is well underway. Unfortunately, scammers don’t take holiday breaks.  During the holidays, consumers need to be extra vigilant in protecting their money and personal information. Here are some common scams.

Gift card scams
Gift cards are a convenient way to give during the holidays. Watch for outlandish fees that can add to the purchase price or drain your card’s value. In one common credit card scam, someone claims to be a family member or friend who needs money and insists that you give it to them in the form of a gift card.

Solution: If someone demands to be paid with a gift card, assume it’s a scam and refuse.  If you do purchase gift cards, try to do it from a clerk and where the gift cards are behind the counter. Also, be mindful of the fees. The fee amount should be printed on the packaging, or the retailer should be able to tell you when asked.

Charity scams
Americans tend to give more to charities during the holidays when they are feeling generous, or when they want to get tax deductions before the end of the year. Scammers try to take advantage of this through fake online charities. Some call you by phone to request a donation or thank you for a nonexistent donation and then ask for the payment.

Solution: It’s best to stick with well-known charities or groups you have successfully donated to in the past. You can also research any charity online through websites like Charity Navigator or use the IRS tax-exempt organization search. Do not give money to anyone who calls unsolicited and demands immediate payment. A legitimate charity will take your contribution at any time. And do not donate by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer.

Vacation rental scams
Travel scams are common during this time of year as families seek out vacation spots to celebrate the holidays together. Fraudsters will post beautiful rental properties online that don’t exist or market a “free” vacation that comes at a hefty price. Once you show interest, they often try to get you off the app to communicate with them directly and submit payment, reducing traceability so it will be difficult to get your money back.

Solution: Always book vacations through known travel sites like Expedia, Priceline, and VRBO. Keep the conversation and transaction within the app. You can also book your trip with a travel credit card, which offers more protections, and consider travel insurance in case there are delays or cancellations during your trip.

Roseville residents scammed

Beat: 6
Date: October 12
Neighborhood: Blue Oaks

Victim was investing in cryptocurrency, specifically MFER Coin, where he had 619,316 MFER Coins that had an approximate value of $21,000. The victim was interacting with an entity online and might have accidentally clicked on the wrong link which provided the other user with access to his account. The victim then had $21,000 worth of MFER Coin stolen from his account during that transaction. The victim did not know the identity of any of the parties involved but knew it was likely a scam as their X platform page was removed. The victim is unsure of the location of any of the potential suspects or if they are even located within the United States.

Beat: 3
Date: October 25
Neighborhood: Sierra Gardens

The victim advised she opened her browser to check her email. She clicked on a link and a pop-up came stating, "You have been hacked" and provided a phone number to contact. The victim called and spoke to "Amy" who told her that she was being hacked, they were in her computer, and they wanted $10,000 to make it go away. The victim provided information on her banking location and was provided a phone number to contact. The victim called and spoke with a fraud department employee who transferred her to the fraud department manager. The victim was told she needed to pull out $10k cash and do a handoff in person. The victim and her husband then went to a local bank and opened a new account to pull out 10k cash. The victim was told an agent would go to their address to get the cash and she needed to tell them a code word provided. At this point, the victim suspected a potential scam and engaged Roseville PD for assistance.

Beat: 7
Date: November 1
Neighborhood: Westpark

The victim applied for a job listing on Facebook as a “secret shopper.” After she applied to the listing, an envelope arrived in the mail.  The contents included specific instructions on how to complete the “secret shopper” job duties. The envelope also contained a check for $1,795. The victim was instructed to cash the check and use the funds to purchase gift cards at several local stores. When cashing the check at her bank, the victim inquired about the legitimacy of the check. The teller did not state anything was wrong with the check and assisted her in cashing the full amount. Once she had the cash and purchased the gift cards the instructions indicated to receive a bonus upon completion of the task, she was to remove the security tape from the gift card PINs and send photos of all the cards for confirmation. The victim complied and the photos were sent to the contact at the number provided. The victim was then notified by her bank of the reverse charge of $1,795 from her bank account due to a false or fraudulent check. The victim stated the funds were removed from her bank account and this alerted her to check the gift card funds. It was confirmed the funds were gone from the gift cards.