By District Attorney Summer Stephan

Does the contractor have business card? Does the name of person you are dealing with the name associated with license number?

You’ve likely seen the rows and rows of colorful gift cards at the supermarket. There’s practically one for every retail er and the ability to purchase a gif t card while grocery shop ping is the epitome of conve nience.

This month San Diego County is participating in the statewide United Against Hate Week cam paign, an anti-hate awareness ef fort to call for local civic action to stop the hate and biases that pose a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of neighbor hoods, towns, and cities. Unfor tunately, hate crimes have in creased across our nation, state, and region. By learning about hate crimes and how to stand against them and report them, we can make everyone safer.

•Learn the names of the police officers and prosecutors working on the case and keep in touch with them.

working i ADVERTISING INQUIRIES BRAD WEBER | 619-300-1732 brad@localumbrella.com

• Learn the names of the police officers and prosecutors working on the case and keep in touch with them.

Local Umbrella Media publishes hyperlocal, positive, upbeat, community publications, focusing on supporting local businesses, lifestyle articles, upcoming events, talents and contributions of the locals who live and work in our communities.

But as with anything is a dark side to having gift cards hanging within easy reach of fingertips and scam mers have found a way to ex ploit the convenience through c ard skimming or card swap ping.

Brad Weber, Group Publisher

MEDIA CONSULTANTS

2020, I set up an online reporting form and hotline public website where can report a suspected crime they witnessed in Diego County. The tool was in response to reports hate-related incidents aimed Asian community across nation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The onreporting tool, email and number are available for reporting of any type of suspectcrime.

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Check the personnel list license for additional qualemployees. Is the address of construction business local? If there is a discrepancy bethe business card, invoice, and the CSLB’s webpage, business number listed CSLB page to confirm all are known to each other. A con artist will frequently name similar to a reputable construction firm and sometimes unlicensed individual is foremployee of the reputable

Card skimming know that people often report hate crimes beof fear or shame, and we to provide a direct aveencourage victims or witto hate crimes to report. can and should continue report hate crimes to their police departments and Sheriff’s Department. This adreporting mechanism as a safety net and help reports are reviewed and by law enforcement. have been a victim of crime, here are tips on do:

• Get copies of police reports and check them for accuracy.

•Get copies of police reports and check them for accuracy.

For those who don’t already know, prosecuting and prevent ing hate crimes is a priority for me as District Attorney. In recent years, we’ve tripled the number of hate crimes prose cutions, sending an unwaver ing message that hate crimes will not be tolerated. Last year alone, we prosecuted 30 hate crimes cases, up from 21 in 2020.

Bef ore you buy that gradua tion or wedding gift card, keep r eading.

• Attend necessary court hearings, whether you are subpoenaed, including arraignment, bail review and sentencing.

•Attend necessary court hearings, whether you are subpoenaed, including arraignment, bail review and sentencing.

For this scam, the fraudster has already copied the unique gift card bar code number and PIN from the gift card. When an unsuspecting consumer buys and activates that gift card, the fraudster, who al ready has the barcode number and PIN , uses those funds be fore the legitimate consumer mak es a purchase or the fraud ster siphons the funds from the c ard.

We recognize the distinc tive fear and stress suffered by victims of hate crimes, includ ing the potential for reprisal, escalation of violence, and the far-reaching negative conse quences that hate crimes have on our community.

Tip:

Card swapping

• If possible, make a statement in court to the judge about threats, direct or indirect, and possible fears.

Make sure the PIN number on the card you purchase has not yet been scratched off.

A hate incident is an act, which is bias-motivated, but does not rise to the level of a hate crime. For example, if someone uses a racial slur against another it probably isn’t a hate crime, rather a hate incident. It’s important to un derstand the difference between an act that is understandably upsetting, and an act motivated by hate or bias that is a crime.

There should not be a sticker on top of the original barcode.

•If possible, make a statement in court to the judge about threats, direct or indirect, and possible fears.

A hate crime is against an individual or property that is substantially motivated by bias against the victim’s:

•Race/ethnicity/nationality

Check references. In San you can also check the San Superior Court filings for civil and criminal cases. If the individual has no presence, then that is also possible red flag. Is it a new company, joint venture or new liIf so, ask how much experithe contractor has with your

Card swapping involves a scammer stealing a stack of physical cards from the retail store outlet and then replacing original barcode with a counterfeit barcode sticker. The sc ammer will then return the cards to the store and re-hang them on the rack. When a

•Religion you are seriously injured, or get to the hospital immediately.

I set up an online reporting form and hotline public website where can report a suspected crime they witnessed in Diego County. The tool was in response to reports hate-related incidents aimed Asian community across nation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The onreporting tool, email and number are available for reporting of any type of suspectcrime. know that people often report hate crimes befear or shame, and we to provide a direct aveencourage victims or witto hate crimes to report. can and should continue report hate crimes to their police departments and Sheriff’s Department. This adreporting mechanism as a safety net and help reports are reviewed and by law enforcement. have been a victim of crime, here are tips on do: you are seriously injured, or get to the hospital immediately.

Whether or not you are inreport the crime. help yourself, it is importdo at least some of the following: ed on the card but be unaware it was actually loaded to a counterfeit account. document even minor physical injuries.

Always get a minimum of bids for any job. If the quote good to be true, ask why. Will the contractor be working alone or have employees?

•Take pictures of any physical injuries or damages to property, even if police already did so.

Tip: you can call (619) 531-3507 or email consumer@sdcda.org . required to have a minimum $25,000 surety bond. a doctor to treat and about the incident as

The public can find the DA’s online reporting form by searching for hate crimes at www.SanDiegoDA.com. The Hate Crimes email address is hatecrimes@sdcda.org and the phone number is 619-515-8805.

•If the crime is vandalism, let the police see and photograph the damage before you clean and/or repair.

When buying a gift card, opt for the ones that are kept under lock and key by the retailer.

As your District Attorney, I’m committed to increasing communication and accessibility between the DA’s Office and the public in or der to keep you safe. I hope these consumer and public safety tips have been helpful.

Always check that the barcode is original and does not

Clean Windows Feel Like a New Day!

• Legitimate contractors should not ask for more than a 10% deposit upfront.

Although this may seem like quite a bit of effort up front, it will save you time, money and heartache. Victims of unscrupulous contractors rarely recoup their financial losses from the criminals and always wish they had spent more time researching their contractor.

Military & Seniors

Does marijuana make you gain weight or increase your metabolism and decrease your mass?

Summer is upon us, and everyone wants to be beach body ready – or at least try to look good! In 2022, we clocked $76 billion in sales in weight loss programs, diet soda, low-calorie frozen food, gym memberships and more. Everyone wants a silver bullet, and the choice du jour is Ozempic, the diabetes drug. From the cabbage diet to fasting to the gut buster, everyone wants a trick to lose weight. But what about marijuana????

It is clear alcohol helps gain but what about cannabis? Does it affect your metabolism and your stomach/body size?

There’s some evidence that cannabis interacts with cannabinoid receptor 1 , which plays a role in metabolism and food intake. High amounts of cannabis appear to increase metabolism and reduce energy storage, resulting in a lower BMI. But like most effective weight tools, it takes time as opposed to sudden weight loss.

Different cannabis strains have different effects on these neurons. “THC may increase appetite, but CBD helps carbohydrate metabolism, fasting insulin, and metabolic function, mitigate and curb cravings—they work synergistically,” says Junella Chin, M.D., an integrative medical physician in New York and California specializing in medical cannabis and osteopathic neuromuscular medicine. “Having a cannabis formulation that is balanced in THC:CBD, or dominantly CBD, is helpful in minimizing the munchies.”

In 2013, the American Journal of Science released a report that noted the low prevalence of obesity in cannabis users despite an abundance of empirical and anecdotal evidence linking marijuana users to high-caloric diets. According to the study, “the most important finding is that current users of marijuana appeared to have better carbohydrate metabolism than nonusers,” Murray Mittleman, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the lead author of the study, told Time. “Their fasting insulin levels were lower, and they appeared to be less resistant to the insulin produced by their body to maintain a normal blood sugar level.

What about “the munchies”, the long-standing association between weed and snacking?

A study showed an increase in sales of “junk” food, largely defined as chips, cookies, and ice cream, in U.S. states where cannabis is now legal. However, you should keep in mind that correlation doesn’t mean causation. Just because there was an increase in sales of these foods where cannabis is legal doesn’t mean that the cannabis was responsible.

Body maintenance is a tough thing, and you should consult your physician before you start a significant weight loss program. Changing your body takes time, and you should never expect large changes in a short period of time. And it is not healthy for your system. Exercise, a sound diet, and sleep are key factors to maintain a healthy body.