The NewsRoom Syndicate

The Social Security Administration and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) continue to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams during the fourth annual “Slam the Scam” Day on March 9. Social Security scams — where fraudsters pressure victims into making cash or gift card payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems or to avoid arrest – are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme.

For several years, Social Security impersonation scams have been one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Social Security has made concerted efforts to address this issue, through extensive outreach and investigative initiatives. These efforts have made a significant impact, reducing money reported lost to Social Security scams by 30 percent from 2021 to 2022.

“I am proud of the work we have done to combat Social Security imposter scams and raise public awareness,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security.

“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the public and their critical benefits. We urge Americans to remain vigilant, do not give out personal information or money, and report any scam attempts.”

Scammers use sophisticated tactics to trick potential victims into disclosing personal and financial information. Typically, they use these P’s – Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment. For example, scammers pretend they are from Social Security in phone calls or emails and claim there is a problem with the person’s Social Security number. The scammer’s caller ID may be spoofed to look like a legitimate government number. Scammers may also send fake documents to pressure people into complying with demands for information or money. Other common tactics include citing “badge numbers” and using fraudulent Social Security letterhead to target individuals for payment or personal information.

Social Security will never tell you that your Social Security number is suspended; contact you to demand an immediate payment; threaten you with arrest; ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone; request gift cards or cash; or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.

Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.

“Working with our law enforcement and private sector partners to inform consumers about scammers and their deceptive practices remains a priority for my office. We will continue promoting National Slam the Scam Day to help protect consumers from these predators. Slamming the scam begins with consumers quickly taking a step to hang up the phone, or delete suspicious texts and emails, without responding to the scammers,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “That remains the easiest and most effective method to avoid falling prey to these vicious scams.”

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“I got in at a young age and I worked with a lot of great people who turned into even better mentors. At the end of the day, If I could do it again… I wouldn’t think twice.”

Wentworth, NC February 27, 2023 –  Rockingham County would like to congratulate Anthony Crowder on his many years of service and retirement following his time as County Fire Marshal. From a young age, Crowder knew he wanted to serve as a fireman. He may be officially retiring at the age of 50, but Crowder says he is not done serving Rockingham County.

   Anthony Crowder began his fire career before he graduated high school; serving as a junior fireman at the age of 16 for the Ruffin Volunteer Fire Department. He earned his Emergency Medical Technician certificate in 1990 and graduated from Rockingham County High in 1991.  Before starting with the county, Crowder continued his education by receiving numerous certifications.

   In 1993, Anthony Crowder began working on a Rockingham County EMS truck and towards his Paramedic credential which he received a year later. With his goal of working for a fire station full time, in 1997, Crowder began with Reidsville Fire where he stayed until 2020 when he accepted his final professional role of Fire Marshal for the county. 

   During those 23 years, Anthony Crowder held numerous part-time fire positions and volunteered at local departments. He spent the majority of his volunteer years at Yanceyville Road Fire Department and worked part-time for Summerfield, Eden and Wentworth Fire departments.

   “I got in at a young age and I worked with a lot of great people who turned into even better mentors,” Crowder said, “At the end of the day, If I could do it again… I wouldn’t think twice. I would do it all over again”

   Crowder explained he has seen and done a lot over his career including delivered four babies, one of which being his youngest son Daniel. Crowder remembers clocking in and being in the kitchen of Reidsville’s Station Two when the news broke about the September 11th attacks.

   Anthony Crowder has been married to his wife, Tracy, for 24 years. The two have raised 3 children: Hayley, Christian and Daniel. Crowder said “I’ll still work, part-time. The pace will change but the work will still keep me busy.”

   Anthony Crowder’s last official day is February 28th, 2023. Rockingham County Government wishes him well in this new adventure. For more on the current Fire Marshal, please visit our webpage.  

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Rockingham County was 1 of 8 counties chosen to expand an EMS-based Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Bridge program.

Wentworth, NC (February 23, 2023) – Rockingham County Department of Health and Human Services is set to receive $350,000 to combat the opioid crisis that the nation faces. This funding comes from a federal grant intended to expand first responder and social worker efforts to help reduce the number of opioid overdose related deaths seen throughout the state of North Carolina. 

   Rockingham County was one of the eight counties chosen to expand an EMS-based Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Bridge program. Rockingham County initiated a Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) in 2020.  This Initiative is a collaborative effort between the Eden and Reidsville Police Departments, Daymark Recovery Services, the County’s DHHS Integrated Health Care Program along with other supportive community partners.  The intent of this initiative is to follow up with individuals, who have an unintended opioid overdose, within 24-72 hours when Narcan was administered but refuse transportation to the hospital. In January 2023, Rockingham County Emergency Services responded to 19 suspected opioid overdose encounters, as compared to 21 in January 2022 (NC Injury and Violence Prevention, February 14, 2023).    

   These funds will be utilized to expand the harm reduction efforts already being implemented by the PORT initiative. Community Paramedics with the Integrated Health Care Team will be allowed to administer Suboxone to patients who are interested in beginning treatment for their substance use disorder. This allows immediate access to treatment and reduces the chance of a future overdose event, while allowing staff to help them access ongoing treatment resources. During the past quarter, staff from the Integrated Health Care Program have contacted 50% of individuals who experienced an overdose, and 43% of those individuals accepted some type of assistance.

   “We believe that this will enhance treatment by making it more readily available in the community for those affected by opioid use.” Program Manager, Carye Dickerson said, “We will increase their potential for successful outcomes in the management of their opioid use disorder.”

   This federal money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will be allocated to the Integrated Health Program under Rockingham County’s Health and Human Services umbrella. Funds will be reimbursed based on County reports and should be utilized, in full, by September 30, 2025, and enhance the work that has been ongoing since 2020.

   The department’s mission statement for the Integrated Health Care Program is to align existing community resources around medical care, mental health care, medical transportation and other resources to increase effectiveness and efficiency of care through a multi-faceted assessment to generate a shared, integrated care plan for the most vulnerable population in our community.

The department’s goal moving forward is to prevent death by unintended opioid overdose and to expand our Post Overdose Response Program to other areas of the county in order to reach as many victims as possible to assist them in receiving treatment for their opioid substance abuse disorder  

For more information call Carye Dickerson at 336-342-1394 ext. 7048 or visit our Integrated Healthcare page on our county website.

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