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September 2019                                                          September 2019                                                  PGA C.A.N.!, Page 1




































       VOL. 29 NO. 9                                    FAX 561-624-9088 • E-MAIL canpga@yahoo.com                                    SEPTEMBER 2019

      Commissioner’s Update



      Consumer Protections –                            reports about previous consumer disputes in the division’s   IDs and passwords. Scammers use your information to steal your
      An Important Aspect                               database at www.pbcgov.com/consumer. The telephone   money or your identity or both. Scammers also use phishing
                                                                                                           emails to get access to your computer or network to install
                                                        number is (561) 712-6600.
      Of Public Safety                                     The division investigates more than 500 cases annually and   programs like Ransomware that can lock you out of important
                                                        have recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for   files on your computer. These scammers lure their targets into
      By Commissioner                                   consumers.                                         a false sense of security by using the familiar, trusted logos of
      Hal Valeche                                          Towing services doing business in Palm Beach County are   established, legitimate companies, or pretend to be a friend
         Have you been victimized                       required to obtain a license through Consumer Affairs. The   or family member. They make it seem like they need your or
      by an unscrupulous business                       county has established maximum fees companies can charge for   someone else’s information quickly, or something bad will
      or solicitor? Are you tired                       private property impounds and police-directed tows. Vehicles   happen, and they tell you lies to do this.
      of dealing with robo calls                        for hire, water taxis and nonmedical transport companies also      There are steps you can take to safeguard yourself from
      or spoofing calls, Internet                       must obtain licenses through Consumer Affairs.     becoming a victim of phishing, including:
      phishing and other attempts                          Home caregivers seeking an ID badge through Consumer   • Be cautious about opening attachments or clicking on links
      to trick you into giving away                     Affairs must undergo a state and national fingerprint background   in emails.
      valuable personal information                     check. Information on caregivers holding valid ID badges is   • Do your own typing in your search engine rather than clicking
      for fraudulent uses? Palm                         available at the above website, or by calling the office number.  on a suggested link.
      Beach County’s Consumer                              Telemarketers must follow rules promulgated by the   • Turn on two-factor authentication for logging into your
      Affairs Division may be able to help you.         Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that include   account.
         The Consumer Affairs Division is a county government   a prohibition on spoofing. Spoofing occurs when a caller   • Back up your files to an external hard drive or cloud storage.
      agency under the Public Safety Department that administers   deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller   • Keep your security software up to date.
      our ordinances for consumer protections including moving,   ID display to disguise their identity. This practice is often      If you become a victim, Consumer Affairs can assist you in
      water taxis, towing, vehicles for hire, and home caregivers.   part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away personal   reporting the incident and filing a complaint with the Federal
      Their investigators and staff provide licenses, conduct   information for fraudulent purposes. Since you may not be able   Trade Commission and other applicable enforcement agencies.
      investigations and informal mediations, and other activities   to tell right away if an incoming caller is spoofing, be careful      Should your HOA or neighborhood organization be
      to ensure compliance. The division works to help consumers   about responding to any request for personal information. If   interested in having Consumer Affairs provide a presentation
      make informed decisions about businesses and avoid unlawful,   you suspect a caller has falsified caller ID information or you   on their services and more detailed information on how you
      deceptive and unfair trade practices.             think someone is violating the rules for protecting the privacy   can protect your property, identity and finances, please let
         While the division does not rate or recommend any   of your telephone number, contact Consumer Affairs to assist   me know or contact the division’s Investigator and Outreach
      product, service or company, they can look up a business   you in filing a complaint with the FCC.   Coordinator, Terry Newton at (561) 712-6548; tnewton@
      you may be interested in hiring for any history of complaints,      Phishing occurs when a scammer uses fraudulent emails or   pbcgov.org.
      or to verify proper licensing or registration. Additionally, a   texts, or copycat websites to get you to share personal information      As always, please contact me if I can be of assistance at
      member of the public can also review business information   such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login   (561) 355-2201, or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org.
      Northern Notes




      Streets, Swales And Stormwater                     roads to become impassable. It is important to understand the   widespread and longer-lasting storm will require more time
                                                         basics of how streets are used to convey stormwater, in order
                                                                                                           for local, secondary and regional systems to absorb the excess
      Management                                         to identify when problems may occur.              water. Because these flood control systems are connected, what’s
                                                         Streets And Stormwater Management                 happening upstream or downstream from your neighborhood
      By O’Neal Bardin, Jr.,                                Many streets are designed and built with curb and gutter   also has an impact.
      Executive Director, Northern                       along the street and with storm sewers underneath the pavement.   Keep It Clear
      Palm Beach County                                  The curbs and gutters direct stormwater from the pavement into      Many stormwater blockages in streets occur due to clogged
      Improvement District                               the storm sewers. These storm sewers not only collect water   storm sewer inlets. If there is an inlet in the street adjacent to
      Streets                                            from the roadway, but also connect to other drainage systems   your home, residents are asked to keep this drain clear of all
         Streets are an important                        to collect water from yards and subdivisions and transport the   obstructions including leaves, grass and debris. Debris at storm
      part of Northern Palm                              stormwater to lakes, canals and other outlets.    sewer inlets also build up after a storm event, which is a good
      Beach County Improvement                              Did you know that in very heavy rains, some water standing   time to check the inlet to make sure that the system will work
      District’s overall Stormwater                      in streets or swales is part of the flood control design plan and   well in the next storm.
      Management System. Both the                        is expected? Your neighborhood lake’s water level may seem
      storm sewers located below                         to rise alarmingly, but that’s not likely to last. If the system in   Northern Notes on page 2
      the street, ditches or swales                      your neighborhood is working
      located along the street, and the roadway itself serve to convey   properly, levels will return
      stormwater to designed locations. At times blockages can occur,   to normal soon after the rain
      which can cause undesired flooding conditions that may cause   has stopped. A heavier, more
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