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EPAP Animal Rescue Group meets at 10 am in the Multipurpose Room on the third Monday of the following five months each year: September, November, January, March, and May. We strive to bring interesting and informative guest speakers to our meetings to help you keep your animals safe and healthy. Tip of the month: Christmas pudding and mince pies – grapes and dried vine fruits, including currants, sultanas and raisins – can cause severe kidney failure if eaten. Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives all belong to the allium species of plant and are poisonous to dogs whether cooked or uncooked. For more information, contact Sandy Burgon at (909) 855-0226. 8 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | DECEMBER 2023 | By Michele Walter, crystalwater@dc.rr.com If you did not have a chance to see the November presentation on The Revitalization Plan by Nate Smith, Deputy Director of Public Works and Banning Animal Shelter by Amber Schlieder, Director, please tune in to channel 97 or to the Sun Lakes website under Community Awareness and watch the video there. Sheriff 's Department Issues Scam Warning The agency is seeing an increase in phone scams targeting residents county-wide, with "tens of thousands of dollars" ripped off from victims. Many of the scams involve a fraudster convincing a victim to convert currency into crypto currency, then send the crypto currency elsewhere which tends to lead out of the country. Some of the scams give the false belief the victim is investing in a new crypto currency. Once the money is sent outside of the United States, it is very difficult for investigators to track down and recover. The agency provided these tips to share with vulnerable people who could become victims: • Never give out personal information such as name, date of birth, social security number or bank information to unsolicited callers. • Never respond to an unsolicited email asking you to confirm personal information such as bank accounts or passwords. • If someone calls claiming you have a warrant out for your arrest, hang up and call the Riverside County Sheriff 's Department at (951) 776-1099. • If someone calls claiming you owe money to the IRS, hang up and call your local IRS office. Neither law enforcement agencies, including the sheriff 's department, nor the IRS will accept wire transfers, money orders, Bitcoin, other crypto currency, or gift cards as payment. • If someone calls claiming a family member has been involved in an accident or arrested, call a family member to confirm it is true. Never wire money or pay someone with gift cards before verifying the information. • If somebody wants you to deposit cash into a kiosk-like ATM machine for crypto transactions, it is most likely a scam. • Never trust the number that appears on your caller ID. Technology allows fraudsters to fake the caller ID information. If you have become the victim of a scam or want to report fraud, contact the sheriff 's department at (861) 776-1099 or Banning Police Department (951) 922-3170. We are dark in December. Our next program will be on Tues., Jan. 2 from 1 to 3 pm. Let's all be informed and stay safe. For more information please contact Michele Walter, (951) 202-8009 or email crystalwater@dc.rr. com. I welcome any suggestions for future programs. Community Awareness Program PLEASE REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUALS, ACTIVITIES, AND THEFTS DIRECTLY TO BANNING POLICE DEPARTMENT BY CALLING 911. Sat., March 9, 2024 • South Clubhouse • Doors open at 1:30 pm Tea will be served from 2 to 4 pm Tickets are $42 and will be on sale from 3 to 6 pm on the following days: Sat., Dec. 2, Wed., Dec. 6, and Fri., Dec. 8. Payment is by cash, check or credit card and is for Sun Lakes residents only. Should you wish to sit with specific people, please bring an envelope with all the checks inside and a note of their names and telephone numbers. Checks should be made payable to Sun Lakes Charitable Trust. Tables will be for eight people only. For further information, call Sandy Alexanian at (714) 330-3836 or Anne Wood at (951) 769-3394. An English Garden Party Tea

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