The Braddock Voices podcast features Braddock District and Fairfax County residents and leaders who make the community a better place. This episode features Paul Gross and Sarah Lennon of the Friends of Royal Lake (FORL). Paul and Sarah talk about FORL's mission, their work, and much more!

Residents can stay updated on future podcast episodes through:

 -Braddock District email list: https://conta.cc/3e59U14
-Facebook: www.facebook.com/SupervisorJamesWalkinshaw
-Instagram: www.instagram.com/supervisorjameswalkinshaw/
-Twitter: @JrWalkinshaw

Friends Of Royal Lake

The “Connect with County Leaders” podcast is a monthly opportunity to meet and connect with Fairfax County leaders, to learn about the latest county news and information, and hear more on specific Fairfax County programs and services. 

On this edition of “Connect with County Leaders,” host Jim Person connects with Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill, and they discuss what’s happening with COVID-19 and the vaccine, as well as social justice and police reform, and the county budget. Hill also offers holiday/new year well wishes to county residents and employees.

To listen to other great Fairfax County podcasts, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/podcasts, and for additional audio content, tune in to Fairfax County Government Radio at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/radio. 

For more Fairfax County news and event information, visit NewsCenter online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news. 

For questions, call 703-FAIRFAX (324-7329) weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or email publicaffairs@fairfaxcounty.gov. 

The “Connect with County Leaders” podcast is produced by the Fairfax County, Va., Government.

Bryan Hill -- COVID-19, Social Justice and Budget on the “Connect with County Leaders” Podcast

Hi, I’m Martin Bailey a member of the Northern Virginia AARP Fraud Watch Network, the Senior Medicare Patrol and Fairfax County’s Silver Shield Task Force.

Our motto is that the best way to avoid a scam is to know what’s going around.
 
What is going around now is suspicious activity in your account.

You receive an email, call, or text message informing you there’s been suspicious activity in your bank or another account, such as Amazon, Netflix, or PayPal. You need to take immediate action to prevent your account from being compromised or to avoid being charged for a fraudulent purchase. Do not fall for it!

The email version of this con uses the company’s logo, colors, and language to make the message look just like an official alert. A link in the message leads to website that asks for your account number, login and password information, or even your Social Security number. If you share this information, you could become the victim of identity theft and fraud. 

In the phone version, the caller claims to have noticed an expensive charge, which you did not make, on your account. The caller may even push you to download phony “security software” to your phone or computer. This is really malware, which will give scammers access to sensitive information stored on their devices. In other versions, the caller insists you need pay either by gift card, debit card or bit coin in order to reverse the fraudulent charges and secure your account. 
How to Spot this Scam:
•	Be extra cautious with unsolicited calls, emails, and texts. Do not be quick to believe claims from unsolicited sources.
•	Understand how businesses handle communications. If you know how disputes and suspicious activity is handled, it will be easier to spot a scam. For example, PayPal  will never send you an email asking you for sensitive information or ask you to download attachments or software.
•	Look into the claims. Do not take action without first verifying the claims. Log into your account or look up the company’s official phone number. Use your bill or other source that you are confident with. Call to confirm that there really is a case of suspicious activity associated with your account before taking any action.
•	Do not panic and don’t feel intimidated. Scammers want you to panic. They may use intimidation tactics to pressure you into giving up your personal information or making payments. Legitimate businesses will not intimidate you in this way. 
Never give your personal information to strangers. If you are not speaking or corresponding with someone you know and trust, do not give out sensitive information.



The best way to avoid becoming a victim is to resist the urge to act immediately. Remember that scammers are masters of psychology and human behavior and know how to use your emotions to get you to act quickly and respond irrationally. The best thing you can do when faced with your emotions starting to take over is to take a step back, take a deep breath and tell the scammer no.

Remember your only real defense against a scam is your due diligence and vigilance.

As always, please share this information.  People may be embarrassed or afraid to talk about their experiences, but you can help. A simple phone call, email or text, saying “Look what I just found out” may make a difference in someone’s life.
•	If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, call the Fairfax County Police Non-Emergency Line at 703-691-2131, TTY 711.

•	You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at  reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-382-4357

•	If you’ve been the victim of this or a similar scam, report it to  BBB Scam Tracker
•	If the fraud was perpetrated online, report it to the FBI’s Center at IC3.gov.
•	Finally, contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network at 1 (877)-908-3360 or aarp.org/scams with your concern. This will help them warn others. 
Thanks so much for listening. Take care, be safe and most of all stay healthy!

Friends Of Royal Lake

Sup. James Walkinshaw

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