THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 Page 17 Middlesex Sheriff’s Office urges residents to be alert for scams T he Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) is once again urging residents to be alert for ongoing imposter scams. “Across the nation, the Internal Revenue Service, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Better Business Bureau (BBB) – among others – are warning of scams tied to tax filing season, economic impact payments and even COVID vaccinations,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian. “At the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office we want community members to be on guard and be able to immediately recognize these scams.” When it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations, for instance, the BBB warns that some immediate telltale signs that a communication is a scam are if the person contacting you wants you to pay to put your name on a waiting list or pay for the vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine is being provided “free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.” The MSO is also warning of continuing scams involving the alleged suspension or deactivation of Social Security numbers. According to the FTC, Social Security numbers MATEWSKY | FROM PAGE 1 speedy recovery,” he said. Capone also spoke about how the council should proceed under these circumstances. “The proper course of action is to have the body appoint an acting president on a temporary basis until Wayne is able to resume his duties as president,” he said. Editor’s Note: The staff at The Advocate Newspapers and the citizens of Everett wish Councillor Matewsky a full recovery. CONSTRUCTION | FROM PAGE 9 Everett Community Growers. Construction also began on a new section of trail beginning at West Street/Wellington Avenue that will extend approximately one mile south to Encore Boston Harbor and the adjacent Riverwalk. The Gateway Shopping Center is contributing funding for this section of trail as well. This new section of the trail is anticipated to be completed by this fall. do not get suspended. In all of the scams mentioned above – and their variations (arrest, jury duty, etc.) – the perpetrators are attempting to either obtain money in the form of direct payment through things like prepaid debit or gift cards, or to access critical personal information like Social Security numbers, bank or credit card accounts and passcodes. Residents who receive communications similar to these, are urged to: zImmediately hang up. zNever provide any personal information (Social Security or bank account numbers, etc.). zContact government agencies directly to verify the veracity of calls, emails, texts or letters. If you or a loved one have lost money or had your personal information compromised due to one of these schemes, you are urged to immediately contact local authorities. Individuals may also report cases of fraud to the FTC via reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.
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