STAFFORD STAR Volume 4, Issue 2 April 2008 STAFFORD COUNTY SHERIFF S OFFICE Message from Sheriff Jett I know you hear it all the time, but communication is key. Very rarely do I get a chance to sit back and look at what Stafford County has become, and when I do get the opportunity, I am amazed at how much Stafford has grown! Things change over time, population, neighborhoods, restaurants, careers, people; but one things remains constant, communication is very important. I hope as a citizen of Stafford County you feel that you are kept informed of happenings in and around the county. This newsletter is one of many mediums we at the Sheriff s Office hope is utilized and improved upon! Our website is also another avenue we hope people can use to find, request, and share information. Let s keep the lines of communication open, share with us what you would like to see happen, suggestions, concerns, compliments, anything! We are here to serve the citizens of Stafford County, you are who we need to communicate with. Spring has sprung and for me this is a time of cleaning (I m certainly put to work at home)! While spring cleaning, be thinking of what you would like to see cleaned in Stafford County. There are many upcoming events and information sharing that I hope are useful for you, your family and friends. I would like to thank all of you that keep the open line of communication with the Sheriff s Office. You are our eyes and ears in the community and we appreciate your involvement and dedication to Stafford County. This communication could be spreading the word about an event, sharing a concern, encouraging friends, family and neighbors to obey the laws, getting involved with neighborhood watch, or simply being informed! Thank you. Sincerely, Sheriff C. E. Jett Building the Foundation of Community and Law Enforcement Partnerships Inside this issue: Ask Crime Prevention - Forwarding False Info 2 Kids Spot - Just Say No! 2 Semi-Annual Community Yard Sale 3 National Night Out 2008 Meeting 3 Missing Children Information 3 Business Corner 3 House Stealing - The Latest Scam 4 Protecting Your Vehicle 5 All About a Reverse Mortgage 5 New Look for the Website 6 This Month s Events: Scam Busters (Business Watch) 2nd Tuesday of the month at 2PM (PSC) Reverse Mortgage Seminar Thursday, April 10 / 10AM - 11AM (PSC) FREE Public Shred-a-Thon Saturday, April 12 / 10AM - 2PM Regional Landfill (489 Eskimo Hill Road) National Night Out Meeting Wednesday, April 16 / 7PM (PSC) Child Abuse Prevention Month Alcohol Awareness Month Sexual Assault Awareness Month PSC - Stafford County Public Safety Center 1225 Courthouse Rd
Page 2 STAFFORD STAR Ask Crime Prevention Current Threat Level as of April 1, 2008 is YELLOW Significant Threat of Terrorism. Go to www.dhs.gov for daily updates. SUGGESTIONS? Call or email us! The Crime Prevention office would like to answer questions you may have about various law enforcement subjects (such as terminology, D.A.R.E. Program, upcoming events, etc.) If you have any questions, call us at 540-658-4030, fax us at 540-658-4039, or email us at crimeprevention@co.stafford.va.us Forwarding (FW) False Information Our e-mail boxes are full of FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: Not all forwarded messages are true. www.snopes.com is a great website to check the validity of many emails that have been forwarded. This site also offers a weekly update on current scams, false emails, and weird and interesting news. Missing person emails and forwards can also be validated using this website. Many times there s a missing child email forwarded who is not actually missing. False information of this nature is misleading and diverts attention from those children who are missing and are still being searched for. Another great resource to research missing children information is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www.missingkids.com). You can also sign up to receive a text message if there is an Amber Alert in or around your location by visiting www.wirelessamberalerts.org! K S Visit McGruff online at: www.mcgruff.org QUICK FACT Youth who try meth may mistakenly believe it is less harmful than other drugs such as heroin and cocaine. SAY NO TO DRUGS, STRANGERS, and bullies!
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 Page 3 Saturday, May 3, 2008 The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Administration Center 1300 Courthouse Road Semi-Annual Community Yard Sale For more information about space, please contact Randy Shockey at (540) 658-4706 Spaces are first come first serve and are filling up fast! National Night Out 2008 MEETING National Night Out is a nationwide event where communities and law enforcement together are outside, mingling, and promoting safe communities. In 2007, out of 11,310 communities that participated in National Night Out, Stafford County was one of the 2007 National Award winners for WEDNESDAY APRIL 16, 2008 7:00PM Public Safety Center Stafford Sheriff s Office 1225 Courthouse Road the event held at Stafford Marketplace. Congratulations to all those who participated! This year, we are striving for 1ST PLACE and we need your help! If you re participating in NNO this year, please send a representative to our meeting. We will be discussing ideas on making NNO bigger and better than previous years! If you have questions or can not attend, please contact Sgt. Darrell English of Crime Prevention 540-658-4428 or denglish@co.stafford.va.us Missing Children Information www.missingchildren.com The first three hours after a child is abducted are the most critical to recovery efforts. Wireless AMBER Alerts TM an initiative of NCMEC and the wireless industry, have the potential to reach more than 242 million wireless subscribers with information to help bring abducted children home quickly and safely. www.wirelessamberalerts.org Business Corner You either work for a business or visit a business almost every day. It is important to be aware of the various crime trends that are happening in and around Stafford County! At the Scam Busters meetings, area businesses share and learn what the crime trends are in the area. There can be pictures, video, descriptions, and specific incidents shared! Cases have been made because of the information shared! Current Crime Trend: Many criminals are stealing, pawning, and robbing stores and people in order to get money to support a drug habit. Criminals can be very dangerous and store personnel and customers that may come in contact with a criminal need to notify 9-1-1 immediately and do not attempt to apprehend the suspect. 2 ND Tuesday of each Month TIME: 2PM PLACE: Public Safety Center Stafford Sheriff s Office 1225 Courthouse Road For more information, contact Deputy J. Hamilton 540-658-4112 or jhamilton@co.stafford.va.us
Page 4 STAFFORD STAR House Stealing The Latest Scam on the Block From the FBI: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/march08/housestealing_032508.html The on-line article has a summary graphic of how the scam works. 03/25/08 What do you get when you combine two popular rackets these days identity theft and mortgage fraud? A totally new kind of crime: house stealing. Here s how it generally works: The con artists start by picking out a house to steal say, YOURS. Next, they assume your identity getting a hold of your name and personal information (easy enough to do off the Internet) and using that to create fake IDs, social security cards, etc. Then, they go to an office supply store and purchase forms that transfer property. After forging your signature and using the fake IDs, they file these deeds with the proper authorities, and lo and behold, your house is now THEIRS. There are some variations on this theme Con artists look for a vacant house say, a vacation home or rental property and do a little research to find out who owns it. Then, they steal the owner s identity, go through the same process of transferring the deed, put the empty house on the market, and pocket the profits. Or, the fraudsters steal a house a family is still living in find a buyer (someone, say, who is satisfied with a few online photos) and sell the house without the family even knowing. In fact, the rightful owners continue right on paying the mortgage for a house they no longer own. It can get even more complicated than this, as we learned in a recent case out of Los Angeles that we investigated with the IRS. Last year, a real estate business owner in southeast Los Angeles pled guilty to leading a scam that defrauded more than 100 homeowners and lenders out of some $12 million. She promised to help struggling homeowners pay their mortgages by refinancing their loans. Instead, she and her partners in crime used stolen identities or straw buyers (people who are paid for the illegal use of their personal information) to purchase these homes. They then pocketed the money they borrowed but never made any mortgage payments. In the process, the true owners lost the title to their homes and the banks were out the money they had loaned to fake buyers. So how can prevent your house from getting stolen? Not easily, we re sorry to say. The best you can do at this point is to stay vigilant. A few suggestions: If you receive a payment book or information from a mortgage company that s not yours, whether your name is on the envelope or not, don t just throw it away. Open it, figure out what it says, and follow up with the company that sent it. From time to time, it s also a good idea to check all information pertaining to your house through your county s deeds office. If you see any paperwork you don t recognize or any signature that is not yours, look into it. House-stealing is not too common at this point, but we re keeping an eye out for any major cases or developing trends. Please contact us ( http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm ) or your local police if you think you ve been victimized. If you would like to add your email address to the Office of the Attorney General mailing list, or, if you would like to submit an item of interest to share with law enforcement, senior citizen service providers and seniors, write to the Office of the Attorney General
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 Page 5 Protecting Your Vehicle Vehicles in parking lots always present a target for thieves. Here are some steps you can take to diminish the chance that your car will be broken into or stolen. Lock your car whenever it is unattended (even in your driveway)! Do not leave expensive property, such as CD cases, purses, radar detectors, cell phones, and portable stereos in plain view in your car. Lock them in your trunk or take them into your residence. Cover up conspicuous stereo equipment. Remember that thieves target after-market stereo equipment, not factory installed equipment. Record the brand, model numbers, and serial numbers of all electronic equipment installed in your car. In the event of theft, give this information to the police. If the equipment is recovered it can be returned to you. Also engrave your driver's license number on this equipment. Engrave your Vehicle Identification Number (found on your registration or under the windshield on the driver's side) on the doors, windows, fenders and trunk lids of your car. This will prevent theft, because the thief will need to replace these parts before selling the car. Use a steering wheel lock when your car is parked. While these devices can be defeated, a thief may decide it's not worth the effort. All About a Reverse Mortgage DATE: Thursday, April 10, 2008 TIME: 10:00AM - 11:00AM PLACE: Stafford County Public Safety Center 1225 Courthouse Road/Stafford, VA 22555 PNC Bank of Stafford will be sharing valuable information regarding Reverse Mortgages. You will learn the basics of a Reverse Mortgage such as: What a Reverse Mortgage is How it works Who s eligible And many other need to know facts! Get you questions answered here! We hope to see you April 10th! Presentation by : Pat Simmons, PNC Bank of Stafford Sponsored by: Spotsylvania/Stafford TRIAD Want to be involved in TRIAD? Contact Randy Shockey at 540-658-4706 or randyshockey@yahoo.com TRIAD meets the second Thursday of each month and has speakers and presentations for Senior Citizens about various topics such as scams, personal safety, and many other topics! The next meeting is Thursday, April 10, 2008, 10AM at the Stafford County Public Safety Center. Learn about a Reverse Mortgage!
INTEGRITY COMPASSION FAIRNESS PROFESSIONALISM STAFFORD COUNTY SHERIFF S OFFICE Crime Prevention Office 1225 Courthouse Road P.O. Box 189 Stafford, VA 22555 Sheriff C. E. Jett Phone: 540-658-4450 Email: crimeprevention@co.stafford.va.us MISSION STATEMENT We, the men and women of the Stafford County Sheriff s Office, in partnership with the community, are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life by maintaining order, protecting life and property, and reducing the fear of crime. We will ensure the peace and safety of all citizens by upholding the Constitution of the United States and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As leaders of the community, we will embrace our core beliefs: Integrity, Compassion, Fairness, and Professionalism. Suggestions? Comments? LET US KNOW!! NEW LOOK FOR THE WEBSITE! We have recently updated our website and have a new look! We always encourage input from others. If you have any suggestions or questions, please send an email to crimeprevention@co.stafford.va.us or call 540-658-4030. The site includes all Crime Reports, News Releases, Crime Alerts, contact information, reference information, and other educational materials. There is also an online form that you can fill out and detail a commendation or complaint regarding the Stafford Sheriff s Office! Check out the Stafford Sheriff s Office Recruitment video! You can learn what our office is and the mission each of us strive to achieve each day. Visit us on the internet! www.staffordsheriff.com