Cops For Kids With Cancer donated $5000 to the family of a boy who is battling health problems related to cancer. Ian Cadden was on hand today to accept the check with his dad, Bill.
In the last 4 years, including hospital donations, Cops For Kids With Cancer has given to over 200 families in need, totaling more than $1,000,000 in and around New England. www.copsforkidswithcancer.org
A man knocks on your door and says he has extra asphalt and is willing to pave your driveway at a discounted price. His high pressure approach confuses and intimidates. You are not getting a deal, you are being scammed.
If you agree, here is what likely happens. Men and equipment suddenly appear and begin “working” on your driveway. At some point, the conman claims a mistake was made and you owe thousands more than the original price. He threatens that if you refuse to pay, the “work” will cease. You may be escorted to the bank, to withdraw money. When you realize the scam you try to cancel the check only to learn it was cashed within minutes of it being written.
Paving scams like this occur regularly in Massachusetts and increase during spring and summer. The perpetrators target senior citizens and are well known to police across the country. Criminal charges vary by state but are commonly filed.
Avoid victimization and consider the following suggestions:
This article is intended as a public service announcement. It is a warning that joins numerous similar warnings that have appeared in newspapers, on television and been sent out by the AARP. Your vigilance will help police in their effort to keep Massachusetts safe and secure. When faced with one of these scammers remember, there is no such thing as extra asphalt.
Update 6/12/13 – Members of the Dutile and Vining communities:
Thank you to those of you that participated in today’s joint informational meeting with the Billerica School and Police Departments regarding recent events that have led to an increased security presence at both the Vining and Dutile Schools. Thank you also to those that were unable to attend but who have also shared their thoughts with us.
In response to concerns that have been raised, and to help address and calm the fears of our communities at both buildings, we have decided with the Billerica Police Department to have an officer present at both schools during all times that school is in session. We are also coordinating with the Police Department to provide additional coverage, as warranted, for special school events.
Please know that nothing has changed with the individual in the last week that would warrant these increased measures. The extra measures are being taken as extra precaution, and our intent is to make sure that parents feel as safe and secure as possible sending their children to school. To reiterate what was stated in the letter sent home to parents last week, there have been no threats made to either school, nor have any students, at any time, been in harm’s way.
Thank you, and if you have additional questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact either me or your child’s principal. Thank you also to the Billerica Police Department for their continued cooperation and support.
Tim Piwowar
Superintendent
Billerica Public Schools
6/7/13 – Today Superintendent Tim Piwowar sent a letter home with students from the Vining and Dutile elementary schools. Here is the text of the letter and a PDF version is linked below this post.
Parents/Guardians of Dutile and Vining School Students:
As you may be aware, we have recently added a police presence to both the Dutile and Vining Schools during arrival and dismissal times each day. Please know that there has been no threat made to either building, but that we are cooperating with the Billerica Police Department to provide additional security as a precautionary measure at both buildings in response to suspicious activity involving a former School Department employee.
This presence will continue through the remainder of the school year, and we are very thankful to the Billerica Police Department for their cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact either your child’s principal or my office for additional information.
Sincerely,
Timothy G. Piwowar
Superintendent of Schools
We would like to reiterate the Superintendents assertion that there has been no threat made to either school at this time. This action resulted from an arrest of a former school department employee. The man in question was arrested at the Vining School and charged with trespassing last month.
The following will be released as a CodeRED call at 5:30 PM on 4/26/13 -Since January 1st the department has recorded approximately 40 incidents of unlocked vehicles being entered and property being stolen. During the same time frame a dozen cars were stolen, half of which had their keys left in them with the doors unlocked. As a community we cannot stop all of these crimes but we can do a better job preventing them by securing and locking our property. In addition, the department would like to remind all residents about the importance of maintaining a visible house number on their residence. Missing or poorly displayed house numbers may delay a response during emergencies.
Historically, scammers, spammers, and other malicious actors capitalize on major news events by registering domain names related to the events. Malicious actors may attempt to exploit the April 15, 2013 explosions at the Boston Marathon in this way. Some may use fake domains to take advantage of those interested in learning more details about the explosions, or target individuals looking to contribute to fundraising efforts.
In addition to fake domains, malicious actors may also create fake social media accounts with similar intent. For example, Twitter account @_BostonMarathon was created shortly after the explosions took place. The account stated it would donate $1 for each retweet, and was crafted to closely resemble the legitimate Boston Marathon Twitter account (@BostonMarathon). This account has since been suspended by Twitter; however, the likelihood that similar social media accounts will surface remains high.
DHS recommends that all persons looking to donate money in support of those affected by the events rely on official fundraising charities. Exercise caution when clicking on links or interacting with social media accounts that claim to represent the best interests of those involved in this incident. Additionally, when searching for updates on the story, it is safest to go directly to trusted news sources rather than conducting general search engine queries.
Billerica – The Billerica Police is again urging the public to be aware of phone scams targeting the elderly. The most recent scam involved a suspect calling random seniors and pretending to be the grandson. Once the targeted senior is duped into believing they are speaking with their grandchild, the scammer manages to convince the senior that they need to wire money to assist them with a current crisis. The common theme pushed on the unsuspecting senior is that the money must be wired, usually via Money Gram or Western Union, in an expedited fashion. This department suggests that the public make their aging family members aware of this ongoing scam and advise that they always contact direct family members or law enforcement to check the integrity of the information.
Any additional questions should be directed to Lieutenant Roy Frost, 978-667-1212 x120
