Washington, D.C. November 24, 2010

— filed under: Press Release

As the holidays approach, the FBI reminds the public to use caution when making online purchases. Cyber criminals continue to create ways to steal your money and personal information. If a deal looks too good to be true, it likely is.

Be wary of e-mails or text messages that indicate a problem or question regarding your financial accounts. Criminals will attempt to direct victims to click a link or call a number to update an account or correct a purported problem. The links may appear to lead you to legitimate websites, but they are not. Any personal information you share on them could be compromised.

The major legitimate delivery service providers do not e-mail customers directly regarding scheduled deliveries; you have to already have an existing account for this type of communication. Nor will they state when a package has been intercepted or is being temporarily held. E-mails about these issues are phishing scams that can lead to personal information breaches and financial losses.

Internet criminals post classified advertisements on auction websites for products they do not have. If you buy merchandise promoted via an online ad or auction site but receive it directly from the retailer, it could be stolen property. You can protect yourself by not providing the seller with your financial information. Use legitimate payment services for transactions.

Fraudsters will also offer reduced or free shipping to auction site customers. They provide fake shipping labels, but they don’t pay for the packages’ delivery. Parcels shipped with these phony labels are intercepted and identified as fraudulent.

It’s safest to purchase gift cards directly from merchants rather than through auction sites or classified ads. If the merchant discovers the card you received from another source was initially fraudulently obtained, the card will be deactivated.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files; the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the e-mail with the link to which you are directed to determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
• Log directly onto a store’s website identified in the e-mail instead of linking to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence will provide the proper contact information.
• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.
• If you are asked to act quickly, it may be a scam. Fraudsters often create a false sense of urgency.
• Verify any requests for personal information by calling the business or financial institution using the phone numbers listed on a billing statement or credit card.

If you have received a suspicious e-mail, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center: www.ic3.gov.

For more information on e-scams, visit the FBI’s E-Scams and Warnings webpage: www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams

Contact: Kimberly Diedrich

Cell: 480-452-7997

Email: kimberly@houndathome.com

MARICOPA HAS GONE TO THE DOGS!!!

Local Pet Rescue To Hold Fundraiser and

The Maricopa Dog Park Alliance to hold Dog Park Meet and Greet

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20^th.  Two great events supporting pets and their owners will be held in Maricopa.  First, Santa will be at Maricopa’s newest pet supply store, Pet Club from Noon until 3 p.m. for the perfect holiday pet photo opportunity.  Pet Social Worker, a local pet rescue will be taking donations while Amy Jamieson Photography shoots all your dogs and cats mugs.

Pet Social Worker President Kimberly Diedrich is looking forward to Maricopa residents to take advantage of this fun opportunity and help the rescue efforts in Maricopa.  “For the second year in a row Santa will be visiting Maricopa early and we thought it would be nice to give pet owners something a little special for their donation.”  If you are interested in having your pet’s picture taken with Santa, please contact Kimberly at Pet Social Worker via email, info@petsocialworker.org or cell phone at 480-452-7997.

This month is one of those watershed months for us: we all heave a sigh of relief as cool nights and cooler days arrive (and stay!) and we all mark the arrival of Fall and we notice the changes in license plates as our winter visitors return. October is also the month we celebrate the first singing of the Star Spangled Banner (Oct. 19, 1814), the launch of Sputnik I (the first space vehicle) on Oct. 4, 1957, National Grouch Day (Oct. 15), and the start point for cell phones, texting, and humongous telephone bills – the very first two-way telephone conversation took place on October 9, 1876.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 9/14/2010
Contact: Karen Kerr-Osman

Phone: 520-381-6571
Fax: 520-381-6031

CGRMC Holds Dedication of OB Nursery in Honor of Joe Jonas
Casa Grande, Arizona – On September 14, 2010, Casa Grande Regional
Medical Center (CGRMC) welcomed Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers to a
dedication ceremony for “The Joe Jonas Nursery.” Joe was born at CGRMC on
August 15, 1989. He turned 21 this past August so the dedication was both in
recognition of his birthday and his accomplishments.
In honor of the nursery, Joe and his mother Denise presented a check in the
amount of $10,000 to purchase bassinettes and monitoring equipment for the
hospital. During the dedication, Rona Curphy, President and CEO of CGRMC,
stated, “We are honored that Joe and his family’s foundation, Change for the
Children, are willing to support the hospital and the town where he was born.
Their generous donation will allow us to purchase equipment to update our

newborn nursery.”
Curphy continued, “We are so excited to dedicate our nursery to Joe Jonas
because we want to inspire our small town community to know that their children
can accomplish wonderful dreams. We like to think that dreams start here in our
baby nursery everyday. Our families just need to dream, believe, and then they
will succeed.”

Joe Jonas commented, “My brothers and I always try to give back when and
where we can. It was an incredible experience to be among the hospital staff
and children today. Thank you so much.”

The invitation only ceremony was held at 1:30 p.m. and included a tour of the OB
unit where Joe was born. His mother, uncle and grandparents were also present.
Marlene Browning Hoeft, the nurse who assisted with Joe’s delivery also
attended the ceremony to greet Joe and his mother. At the conclusion of the
event, Joe made himself available briefly for photographs with approximately 50
children of hospital employees. Immediately following that, Joe returned to the
Phoenix area for the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2010 concert.

About Casa Grande Regional Medical Center
Casa Grande Regional Medical Center is a 187-bed, not-for-profit community
hospital providing full-service care to Casa Grande and the communities of
western Pinal County. CGRMC also provides a full range of outpatient services,
including Urgent Care coverage seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and a
24-hour Emergency Department. CGRMC is a partner in healthcare, providing
education and resources to the community. For more information, visit
casagrandehospital.com or call 520-381-6300.

Schedule Flu Shots Starting September 7

FLORENCE – The Pinal County Public Health Services District will begin providing flu shots to the public on Friday, October 1, 2010 by appointment only.  For your convenience, and to ensure short wait times, we will begin scheduling appointments starting Tuesday, September 7, 2010 and continuing through the end of October.  In order to schedule appointments for adults, please call toll free 1-888-431-1311, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Flu shots through the Pinal County Public Health Services District are just $15, a bargain compared to the cost of cold and flu medicines or trips to the doctor’s office and missed work.  If you are unable to schedule an appointment, the opportunity to receive a flu shot as a “walk-in” will be available on the following days after October 23, 2010:

Kearny – Wednesdays 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Oracle – 2nd Friday of the month 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Eloy – Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Mammoth – Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays 8:00 am-6:00 pm
Superior – 3rd Thursday of the month 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Apache Junction – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays 8:00 am-6:00 pm
Coolidge – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Casa Grande – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, & Saturdays 8:00 am- 6:00 pm
Stanfield – The 2nd Wednesday of the month 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Maricopa – Wednesdays 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Please be advised, all Pinal County Public Health Services District clinics will be closed Monday, October 11, Tuesday, November 2, Thursday, November 11, and Thursday, November 25.

The Pinal County Public Health Services District has not received any flu vaccines for children yet.  Once the youth dosages are received, children can receive a flu shot without an appointment at their local Pinal County Public Health clinic.  Updated information will be posted on the Pinal County Information Hotline toll free at 1-866-763-7252 as it becomes available.

In order to reduce that chance of catching the flu this season, the Public Health Department recommends frequent hand washing using soap and warm water for 30 seconds.  If you do become ill, it is important to stay home to help prevent spreading the illness to others.  For more information on influenza and vaccinations, please call the Health District hotline at 1-866-763-7252.

The number to call for appointments is 1-888-431-1311.

Pinal County’s website features a host of information pertaining to county services, emergency management, tourism, public health and much more.  Explorewww.pinalcountyaz.gov and discover Pinal County’s wide open opportunity.

CAREDF enlisted the assistance of a highly reputable freelance reporter to work on a series of articles covering our partnering communities of the region. The first city to be chosen in the series was the City of Coolidge. Upon researching the area, conducting interviews and consulting with CEO Barry Albrecht, Teya Vitu presented his final piece creating a very positive image for the City of Coolidge.

The full article has recently been published in the Casa Grande Valley Newspapers’ TriValley Dispatch. A link to the article is: Coolidge: Eye on the future with a business-friendly attitude

Additionally, an abbreviated version of the article was printed in the Arizona Republic’s Southeast Valley community newspapers and posted on their website: azcentral.com

Please take a moment to read a great article from an out-of-area perspective on the City of Coolidge. You may even discover something new that you may not have known about our neighboring community.

Have a wonderful day!

Put your car keys beside your  bed at night. Tell your spouse, your children,
your neighbors, your parents, your Dr’s office, the check-out girl at the
market, everyone you run across.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your
home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for
your car.

The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either
you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away,
think of this:  It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have
and requires no installation. Test it.

It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking
until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key
fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house,
odds are the burglar/rapist won’t stick around.

After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see
who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot.

The alarm can work the same way there.

This is   something that should really be shared with everyone.

Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

Between 8/7/10 and yesterday 3 counterfeit $100.00 bills and 1 counterfeit $20.00 bill was used to pay for items at two different businesses in the City of Maricopa. Please pay extra attention to all $100.00 bills used.

Please call Sgt. Judd if you have any questions at 520-251-6373.

If You Receive a Counterfeit:

• Do not return it to the passer.
• Delay the passer if possible.
• Observe the passer’s description, as well as that of any companions, and the license plate numbers of any vehicles used.
• Contact your local police department or United States Secret Service field office. These numbers can be found on the inside front page of your local telephone directory.
• Write your initials and the date in the white border areas of the suspect note.
• Limit the handling of the note. Carefully place it in a protective covering, such as an envelope.
• Surrender the note or coin only to a properly identified police officer or a U.S. Secret Service special agent.

For all businesses that operate ATM Machines, please check your ATM Machines at least once a day, and encourage your customers to alert you if something does not seem right with the ATM Machine.

What is ATM Card Skimming and PIN Capturing?

• ATM Card Skimming is a method used by criminals to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of an ATM card.
• The devices used are smaller than a deck of cards and are often fastened in close proximity to or over the top of an ATM’s factory-installed card reader.
• Pin Capturing refers to a method of strategically attaching cameras and various other imaging devices to ATMs; in order to fraudulently capture the ATM user’s PIN.

Where to spot a card skimming or pin capturing device on an ATM?

Light diffuser area, Speaker area, ATM side fascia, Card reader entry slot, ATM keyboard area.

Criminals tend to attach skimming devices either late at night or early in the morning, and during periods of low traffic. Skimming devices are usually attached for a few hours only. Criminals install equipment on at least 2 regions of an ATM to steal both the ATM card number and the PIN. Criminals then sit nearby receiving the information transmitted wirelessly via the devices (installed on the ATM).

What can you do to minimize the risk of a skimming attack?

Get to know the appearance of your ATM. Inspect the front of the ATM for unusual or non standard appearance. Scratches, marks, adhesive or tape residues could be indicators of tampering. The inspection should be part of your morning external check and afternoon closing procedure. Where possible, inspections should also be conducted during trading hours. Familiarize yourself with the look and feel of your ATM fascia. Particularly pay attention to all of the touch and action points.

Report any unusual appearance immediately through to the Group Emergency Hotline on 1-800-643-410 and keep watch over any suspect device until the Police or CBA Security arrive.

FLORENCE — The Pinal County Library District launched a new program today that offers students of all ages live, one-to-one help from certified tutors online.  The program also offers professional writing help for job seekers interested in creating or improving their resume.

The K-12 Student Center, College Center and Adult Career Center from Tutor.com includes live, one-to-one tutoring, a real-time writing center and 24/7 access to worksheets, videos and tutorials in just about any subject.   Any patron with a Pinal County library card can access the new online services from the library or right from home.

The live, online tutoring and resume writing service is available every day from 1:00 pm until 10:00 pm.  The service is completely free for Pinal County library patrons.  To access the service please visit the library’s website at http://catalog.pinalcountyaz.gov.

“I’m pleased that we are able to offer a valuable service that helps both students and job seekers,” said Library District Director Denise Keller.  “The best part is that it is free to use for our library members.”

Students of all ages and job seekers can find the help they need by simply visiting the library’s website and looking for the Tutor.com graphic.   Tutor.com has a network of over 2,000 certified tutors as well as career specialists who are ready to help with just about any question you may have.  Here’s the type of help you can get in each center.

• K-12 Student Center:  Students can get help with homework, test preparation, skills and concepts they are learning in class and standardized test preparation and college entrance exams.  Subjects include math, science, social studies and English.

• College Center: Besides subject-specific help, students can prepare for the GED and get resume help or prepare for graduate school entrance exams.

• Adult Career Center: Adults going back to school can get subject-specific help, prepare for the GED, get resume help or prepare for the citizenship exam.

Each center also includes real-time writing assistance from English tutors or career specialists for adults working on resumes.   Students and job seekers get immediate feedback, writing tips and strategies as well as proofreading.  Need help at midnight?  No problem.  Each center includes 24/7 access to thousands of resources including study guides, worksheets, videos and more in  math, science, social studies, English, resume writing,  GED prep, Citizenship exam prep and more.