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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2025 31 Safety Committee SAFETY 4 "ALL" SEASONS Happy New Year friends! HCN Bank, from their CyberSmart Series, has provided the following information to help you be aware of potential scams following a disaster or other high-prole events. BEWARE OF DISASTER SCAMS AFTER HIGHPROFILE EVENTS … Here's What You Need to Know: Scammers are at it again! Aer major disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, scammers are taking advantage of people's goodwill and emotion to trick you into donating to fake charities or clicking on malicious links. A recent scam involved an image circulating on social media showing a scared young girl holding a puppy, supposedly being rescued from a ooded area. It's fake! e scammers are using AI to create these emotional images to deceive you into acting impulsively. eir goal? To steal your money or your personal information. Consider the Following Recommendations: • Donate to Veried Charities: If you want to help disaster victims, only donate through ocial websites of well-known charities. Scammers oen create fake charities or impersonate real ones. Always do your homework! • Avoid Acting Impulsively: Scammers rely on getting you to act quickly without thinking. Pause before you click any links or make a donation. Take time to research the charity or relief eort, especially aer a disaster. • Avoid Unsolicited Emails or Messages: Be cautious if you receive unsolicited emails, texts, or social media messages asking for donations. Don't click on links in messages you weren't expecting. Instead, go directly to the organization's ocial website to donate or get information. • Be Wary of AI-Generated Images: Look carefully at images, especially those that seem too perfect or play heavily on emotions. AI-generated images oen have subtle aws or inconsistencies. If something feels o, trust your instincts. In the aermath of any disaster, scammers will use whatever tricks they can to deceive you. Don't fall victim to their schemes. By following these recommendations, you can safeguard your nancial well-being and avoid becoming a victim. As an added safety reminder: Unsafe driving is a common concern and theme brought up by residents. Here are a few reminders to help keep our community safe. • 25 miles per hour is the maximum speed limit on roadways within our residential districts. • 30 miles per hour is the maximum speed limit on Four Seasons Circle. • 15 miles per hour is the maximum speed limit in alleyways. Remember, parking in alleyways is prohibited. We need to maintain access for emergency response vehicles. • Stop at all designated STOP signs. • Yield to vehicles that have entered a roundabout. Note: When entering a roundabout, only drive in a counterclockwise direction! • No Distracted Driving - Put away your cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. • Yield to pedestrians. Note to Drivers: It is important to follow prudent driving practices. Although our streets are not marked with center lines, please avoid driving down the center of our roadways, keeping on the right side of the street. For our pedestrians: While walking, be mindful of vehicle trac on the streets and stay on the sidewalks whenever possible. If you need to walk in the street, always walk facing the opposing trac, and if in a group, walk single le. ~ Frank Hilberg, hilberg frank@gmail.com

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