You can copy and paste this post (in between the lines), print it out and put it in their mailboxes. Also please share it via text and email messages and posts in social media. We got this call today, July 16, 2019. The scam is currently active in PA. __________________________ Pennsylvania is the 2nd most senior state, after Florida. Pennsylvanians will be the target of “Social Security” scams for many years to come. Don’t answer the phone or email when you are busy, tired or feeling unwell. These states make us particularly vulnerable to this type of “phishing” scam (i.e. “fishing for information.”) Here’s what to look out for with the latest Social Security scam call. We received a call today from 1-646-755-1692, a New York, New York phone number. It was a robocall, but to untrained ears it could sound like a recorded human voice. The phone number of this scam changes quickly. You may not receive it from the same phone number, but the scam will basically be the same. The call attempts to scare the listener into pressing a button to “hear more” about the “suspension” of his or her social security number. The callers want to get you live, on the line, so they can trick you into telling them your Social Security number, banking numbers and other information. Here is the transcription of the message we received. Your message may be the same or similar: “This call is from the Department of Social Security Administration. The reason you have received this phone call from our department is to inform you that we just suspend [sic] your Social Security Number because we found some suspicious activity. So if you want to know about this case just press 1. Thank you.” THIS CALL IS A SCAM. HANG UP. Do not press 1 to hear more information. Hang up. If you do press 1, you will be routed to a fake call center where a human worker will ask you to verify your Social Security Number and contact information. These workers are well-trained in psychological … [Read more...]
Keeping up with the companies, cops and commotions.
We have 5 volunteer fire fighting companies in Haverford Township. You can keep up with their activities via social media and the Delco dispatcher service. Here are the Facebook pages of each firehouse. Some pages are updated more frequently than others. Some share on-scene photos and describe their work. It's amazing what our neighbors do for us on a daily (and nightly!) basis. Bon Air Fire Company Brookline Fire Company Llanerch Fire Company Manoa Fire Company Oakmont Fire Company And don't forget to pay your dues! The money is desperately needed. The houses run on donations. Also, all kinds of volunteers are welcome. Lots of work goes into running a fire company. Fighting fires also requires administrative support. Contact your local firehouse to see how you can help. Delco Alerts will send you texts about different emergencies... like the wee hours tornado warning we got last week! Sure, you may be awakened for no good reason, but sign up if you want to be told of the zombie apocalypse before they are crawling up your awning. Wonder what all the sirens are for but don't want to be one of those dispatcher radio weirdos? You can try signing up for Delco Dispatch alerts. We've found the system to be spotty sometimes. It works well enough, though. Log in to the page and go up to the menu in the top bar and click on "alerts." You can customize it to send alerts only for your firehouse, township police, etc. CALLING 911 in Delaware County, PA. REMEMBER: 911 is the number to call for any emergency and non-emergency police calls. We do not have a separate non-emergency line for police here. The Delco dispatcher will direct your call to the appropriate place. When you call 911, immediately say "This is a non-emergency police call for Haverford Township." When reporting an emergency, follow the six W's of 911: Where, What, When, Who, Weapons, Welfare. Where: Know the address or cross … [Read more...]
What to do in H-Town if your pet makes a run for it
Dogs and cats are living together, out on the mean streets of H-Town. Well, maybe they aren't living "together" exactly. They insist they're just roommates. Still - what's the procedure if your pet makes a break for his gang banging buds? And what do you do if you find a domesticated animal? Search your surrounding neighborhood and ask your neighbors if they've seen the animal. Call the police (911). The animal control officer will keep an eye out for your pet. They can also lend you humane traps to lure a stray cat. You can also call Haverford Animal Control at 610‐853‐1298 ext. 2205. (Scroll down to see a .pdf from the township site. It has info about various pet issues.) Go to the DELCO SPCA and CHESTER SPCA pages and call or fill out information. Grab a recent pic and write up a great description. If you can, make a .pdf flyer. Think twice about posting flyers to poles. Doing so is actually prohibited in H-Town: "Posting notices upon utility poles, trees and/or public structures and buildings restricted. No person shall post or affix any commercial or political notice, poster or any other paper or device calculated to attract the attention of the public to any lamppost, public utility pole or shade tree or upon any public structure or building, except as may be authorized or required by law." If you do decide to "go rogue" and paper the neighborhood, make sure no identifying info or your home address is on the flyer. An email address or cell number is sufficient. Don't stick any flyers on US Postal Service receptacles. Mail slots on doors are OK to put flyers through. Outside mailboxes are not. USPS does not want you to put any materials in mailboxes, but if the residence has a door mail slot, you can put your flyer in that. Avoid houses with a "no soliciting" sign. From the USPS site: "If you have a curbside mailbox or a mailbox on the outside of your house, Postal Service regulations govern what can and can not be placed in … [Read more...]
No snow? No problem! (& snow shovel match-up)
We will be writing this post with our best Delco accent. Here's the State of the Tewnship, right now: As ya probably kneow, an official H-Town Snow'mergency has been declared! Our intrepid officer-on-the-scene, Lt. Joe Hagan, has listed a whole crapload of roads ya cain't park on and if your car ain't got no chains then keep yer broke ass home! (Screll dewn to see Officer Hagan's noot). BUT! Havertownies has opened up the shoveling match-up service again! If you have a kid that wants to shovel snow this weekend, have them fill owt the form here: GOT SHOVELS? If you have walks and driveways to be cleared, fill owt the form here: GOT SIDEWALKS? We'll match up kids in neighborhoods with those needing snow removal, and we'll give yas a call on the phohhhne. We'll talk regular. Maybe. You all are on your own in terms of money exchanged, insurance, etc. Don't sue us, we're just trying to be helpful. We don't cover or claim any responsibility. Use the forms and the service at your own risk. From Officer Hagan: Due to the most recent weather forecast and the high probability of extreme weather conditions, Haverford Township has declared a Snow Emergency effective 6 p.m. on Friday, January 22, 2016, as authorized by § 175-58 Declaration of Emergency of the Haverford Township Codebook of Ordinances. This declaration will assist in snow removal and the safe passage of emergency vehicles. The Emergency Declaration will end 6:00 p.m., on Sunday, January 24th, unless you receive further notification. All unessential Township Facilities will remain closed during this event. When a snow emergency is declared, it shall be unlawful, at any time during the continuance of the emergency, for any person, firm or corporation: To park a motor vehicle or to allow that vehicle to remain parked anywhere on any Snow Emergency Route designated pursuant to this article; or To drive any vehicle on any such Snow Emergency route … [Read more...]
Biting Back at Mosquitos in H-Town
I love my town. And its mosquitos love me. Endless Love H-Town is a fantastic place to live. The people are great, the lawns are all squared away (for the most part) and we’ve got plenty of good bars lying around. The only thing I hate are the mosquitos. When I say they are a pain in my neck or they come back and bite me in the ass, I mean it quite literally. _____________ Summer Nights I’m not one of your typical bug-bite getters. After a 10-second step out to our standard-issue minivan, welts the size of dimes, nickels and sometimes quarters appear like Dementor magic on my skin. The swelling usually subsides in a day or so but the itching lasts for weeks. We’ve attacked this itchy invader problem with aggressive and defensive strategies. I’d baptize myself in DEET. We had the lawn guys put down pellets in the grass. We set up Citronella Torch Stonehenge around the patio table. We ran through the must-be-true-because-they-were-on-the-Internet bug-beater commands: carry a dryer sheet (like Bounce) daily dose of Brewer’s Yeast & Vitamin B Dab on Tea Tree Oil on light (or dark?) clothes wear long pants and long sleeves, but don’t sweat. Or breathe. Or be human. We also made sure to empty gutters clear any pooling water get rid of certain weeds dump bird baths and kiddie pool water at least once weekly (we have neither) perform ancient Celtic Rituals while dressed in plaid lederhosen. Nothing worked (not even the lederhosen, which is usually so powerful). So inside we went and there we stayed, watching the summer nights pass us by. But even indoors I wasn’t safe. I am so-well-loved by these Biting Creatures of Minuscule Mass that I had to spray myself with DEET before I went to bed. If I didn’t, I’d wake up with itchy welts not only on my body but on my face. I'm too old to look like I'm stressed out about the SATs. (For the amateur scientists who are surely wondering: Eau d’ DEET repels more than just insects in a human … [Read more...]
Got Shovels? Need Shoveling? Let’s connect!
A neighbor contacted us on our Havertownies Facebook page with concern about their 78-years-young (but not young enough to shovel) mom. Her walks will need clearing come the 5 to 9 inches of snow they are forecasting. Sometimes the young shovelers in the area don't get to interact with the retirees we have here in the Township. Gone are the days where parents feel safe sending their girls and boys out to knock on doors to drum up shoveling customers. We've made some forms over on Google docs for the shovelers and the requesters to fill out. As requests come in, we will match you up with people in your neighborhood. We are shooting for walking distance between homes. If you are a shoveler or have one in your house, fill out this GOT SHOVELS? form. If you are requesting shoveling services, fill out this GOT SIDEWALKS? form. Employees: Work hard and do a good job. You may not get paid, and you may not get paid much. Negotiate fairly ahead of time (it's a skill! time to practice!). Don't enter strangers' houses (even if they seem nice!). You can handle transactions at the front door. Work with a partner whenever you can. Make sure to put geo-location on on your phone when you are out, so your parents know where you are. Don't shovel after dark unless you have permission and are over 16. Stay safe! Don't shovel roadways or parking spots. And don't agree to take on extra tasks unless you've run it past your parents. Employers: Payment is a good idea. Kids these days don't get allowances like you think they do. Please make your own arrangements up front, though. And always remember: safety first. Don't put kids in dangerous situations. Do not ask them to shovel parking spots on the Township roads. Also: don't expect your walks will not be slippery. You can provide salt for the kids to spread but they are not responsible for the condition of your walks. Havertownies disclaimer: We aren't responsible for any interactions, actions, etc., that occur … [Read more...]
How to Hide Your Havertownie Search Trail
Sometimes we just want to search the ol' WWW without leaving a trace. Browsers like Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer all keep a history of every term you type into a search bar and every page you visit. Some users don't find this data tracking to be a big deal, as no entity seems all that interested in spying on an individual's browsing habits. Other users cringe at the privacy-crushing possibilities of a lengthy history being accessed by others... or the government, if you're a conspiracy nut up on current events. Thankfully, there are some sites that allow anonymous searching. One such site, DuckDuckGo, is even a Philly area start-up! Located in Paoli, DuckDuckGo is a web page that will let you search on terms without leaving a trace. Other options are StartPage or an "incognito" window in your browser. More and more anonymous searching options are coming online each day (not so much for mobile yet. Don't browse for medical information or other incriminating things on your phone). Go over to DuckDuckGo & give 'er a try. Because even in our everyday lives in Havertown, we still have stuff to hide. … [Read more...]