For those of you who have subscribed to “The Chief’s Email” for a bit, you are well aware of my inability to deal with modern technology. Born in the age of the black and white television and 8 track tapes, I have had my battles with the technology that presently line the shelves in our stores; still I am trying. Recently I have come to terms with the fact that my AM/FM transistor radio, nestled in my junk drawer above the sock drawer for the past 20 years, is a thing of the past and in fact may soon be found on eBay as a collectible!
Speaking of collectables, I have been battling and searching for a new phone since my old one, I mean a really old one, crashed on me. The new one that my wife has selected for me is amazing; I think it is anyway. I am told that it is a “ 4 gigabyte”; of course, I have no idea as to what or how big a gigabyte is, so in reality I have no idea what this phone is capable of. I have mastered how to answer a call, make a call, listen to my voice mail and of course how to send and receive text messaging. The latter is the purpose of this message, the text messaging that is.
In July, the State of Indiana set forth legislation that basically allows the police to charge those who text while driving a vehicle. In reality, that is a tough one for the police. It is a bit hard at times to tell if one is texting or simply trying to find a name in their contact list. I am not sure how effective that legislation is going to be, but my wife sent me something the other day that I think sends a powerful message about texting and driving and it is something that I think you will in fact find convincing.
The link is sponsored by AT&T and the video is a bit over 10 minutes long. I know, you do not have time for a 10 minute video. Well, I would suggest that most of us have time for this or at least need to make time for this. Better yet, watch it with a loved one, it will be the best 10 minutes you and someone you love can spend when it comes to the topic of texting and driving. If you can get through it without shedding a tear, then you are a better man than I!
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2964
THE FBI NEEDS HELP
I spent nearly 32 years of my adult life with the FBI, a great experience that has brought me many memories and allowed me to investigate some pretty incredible things. Recently, an Agent from the local FBI passed along a request for assistance concerning the theft of milk, yep, milk thieves! There apparently is a ring of sorts stealing large amounts of milk in the area, some $200,000 worth in Indiana thus far. According to the Agent the milk is stolen at night, thousands of gallons of the stuff, off of trucks in our state and then taken to Illinois where it is sold. So, if you have heard of anyone involved in this, let the local FBI know about it by contacting them at 219-769-3719.
The request from the FBI noted that they have “herd” the jokes so don’t bother. They understand that most would find this case “utterly” ridiculous; still the FBI tells us that they continue their attempts and are “mooving” to stop the crimes from taking place. Hey, those jokes came from the FBI and I take no responsibility for them. Just wanted to “steer” you straight on that- ok, that one was mine…I apologize for that one.
SCAMS
Well, I have heard from some of you that a person representing themselves as U.S. Army Captain Andrew Lewis has been attempting to get a response to his email notifying his recipients that they have won some money and that he will use a Diplomatic Courier to make delivery of the money to you, once you provide him with 30% of the total take. Ok, that is a common one, just passing it along because it is actively being sent around.
Now this one is a bit sneaky and you need to watch for it closely. This one was active in Canada, but recently one of our Portage subscribers was contacted by the scammers. Apparently it begins with a call from your charge card company, at least they say they are, who tell you that they are from the Security and Fraud Department and they provide you with a badge number- I guess that makes them sound more official. They tell potential victims that their credit card has been flagged due to an unusual purchase pattern and they will actually have your credit card number in their possession when they call.
They will ask you if you have charged x amount in a purchase from a certain store and of course you have not. They then will tell you that they are going to credit your account for that purchase, most of the charges they call on are under $500. The caller will also be in possession of your home address and will verify that address to be correct so that they can send your credit now, rather than waiting for your next statement. He then gives you a 6 digit “control number” to be used to track your fraud case. Now here is where the scam comes in.
The caller will need to verify that you are in possession of your credit card and so he will ask you to turn your card to the back, there are 7 numbers on the back of your card. The caller wants those last 3 numbers of the 7 digits as those are the security numbers he needs to use your charge card and carry out fraudulent charges. What makes this one believable is that the caller has all of your personal information, but they need that 3 digit pin to make the charges with your card.
This first came into play back in 2003 and now it has been reported as recently as July of 2011. One of our subscribers made a payment on her Verizon bill with her VISA and soon received a call from someone advising the payment did not go through due to a lock on her bill. She had just heard of the scam above, terminated the call and contacted her credit card company.
Visit snopes for more on the topic if you care to http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp
PORTAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEVER SLEEPS!
Lately I have been contacted by several people who have asked me why the Portage Police Department closes at night and on the weekend?
Well, of course we don’t close, although at times there are those days when a few of us would like to hang up a “closed” sign and head home for a nap. Truth is, our officers are on the streets 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. Our clerical staff is available on Monday-Friday from 7am-11pm and then on Saturdays from 8am – 4pm. If you need the police just dial “911” and we are headed your way. If you require a copy of a report or need some administrative assistance, please visit us during the hours identified above.
That’s it for now! Remember, if it does not seem right, it probably isn’t right. Call the police and let us figure it out, that is what we get paid to do.
Contact Us!
- Emergency - "911"
- Routine Business - (219) 762-3122
- STOP Team - (219) 764-5676
- We Tip Line- 1 - 800 - 78 - CRIME
Be Safe !!!