NC Atty. General Stein warns of ‘brushing’ scams

Hemphill, Alex Adams, and Ben Hodge would double from the plate. Alex Khan, Hemphill, Adams and Hodge would drive in two runs each for the offense.

“This was a big win for the program,” said head coach John Grigg. “We were facing an uphill battle against a ranked DI team, and the guys battled to get the win.” The Yetis, who compete as Division II members of the NJCAA, travel for a Region 10 series at Wake Tech Saturday and Sunday.

Military child care initiative launched

Last week, the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood-PLUS (MCCYN-PLUS) initiative launched in North Carolina to make it easier for military families to access and afford quality child care from community providers.

The program is funded and run by the U.S. Department of Defense and is critical in our state, as North Carolina is home to the fourth largest military presence in the nation. Licensed child care programs can now participate in MCCYN-PLUS based on their rating in the state’s quality rating and improvement program.

Tennis

From Page 2B Pack 8-5; Camden Morris (KM) def. Charles Day 8-3.

Doubles: Landon Webster (KM) def. Lincoln Bohealer 8-3; Simon/Allen (KM) def. Hutchens/King 8-1; Tipton/ Thomas (KM) def. Yanoike/ Pack 9-7; Christian Smith/

Big Start

From Page 1B Brockman worked the first three innings to get the win. He gave up just one hit and struck out eight.

This is an expansion of the existing Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood, which requires national accreditation from the U.S. Department of Defense. Under the new PLUS initiative, child care programs in North Carolina can participate if they have a license rated 3 stars or higher. MCCYN-PLUS provides a significant opportunity to increase the number of centers and family child care homes participating in the military child care fee assistance program and increases the number of quality child care options for military families.

Zane Oakley (KM) lost to Day/Bohealer 9-8.

Extra matches: Tristen Parler lost 9-8; Markie Wampler and Grayson Howell won 8-4; Ben Laurich and Barrett Huffstetler won 6-3. “I thank all the parents who help supply drinks and snacks for the matches and for everyone’s support by attending our matches,” Guy said.

Brayden Patrick came on to pitch the final two innings. He didn’t give up a hit and struck out five. Three Ashbrook hurlers combined for nine bases on balls while fanning just two.

Attorney General Josh Stein issued an alert for citizens to be aware of Brushing Scams. “Our office has been alerted to reports of ‘brushing’ scams.”

Brushing scams occur when a person receives a package from a business containing various items that they never ordered. The packages will be addressed to your residence, but usually do not have a return address or have the return address of a retailer. The scammer typically orders the merchandise using a third-party seller like Amazon or eBay. Their aim is to pose as a verified buyer of that product so they can post a fake positive review online to boost their product rating and popularity.

Although this type of scam seems victimless, it likely means that your personal information has been leaked and is available somewhere online. This information may be your name, address, or phone number. While you may not face any immediate harm from a “brushing” scam, your leaked personal information could set you up for another type of scam or identity theft in the future.

If you receive a package that you did not order yourself, follow these guidelines to protect yourself:

• Notify the retailer. Most businesses encourage you to report fraudulent activity for security purposes. You should let them know that you received a package based on a fraudulent purchase so that they can take the appropriate steps to prevent it from happening again.

• Do not send money for an unsolicited package. Contact the retailer directly and ask whether they are willing to pay for the return to them or let you keep the product at no cost to you. You should not pay for any return.

• Change your passwords. It is very likely that your personal information has been compromised. You should immediately update your security settings and passwords for accounts you may have with various retailers.

• Monitor your accounts. Keep an eye on your bank statements and credit reports to be sure that your more sensitive personal information has not been leaked. Consider putting a free security freeze in place as well – learn more at www.ncdoj.gov/securityfreeze.

If you think that you or somebody you know has been affected by a brushing scam, contact our office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online.

Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ

By Gar y Miller Gary Miller

I think of all the hunters who are enjoying the spoils of victory right now. They are making some of the best chili or spaghetti sauce with the ground deer from their freezer. Others are slicing the tenderloin for either a breakfast biscuit or an evening meal. And there’s nothing better than a crockpot full of onions and potatoes slow cooking with a venison ham. My mouth is watering as I type. Not only do we get to enjoy telling the stories of a successful solo harvest, but the results will bring some joyful refreshment for many others and for many months later. Pardon the pun, but I’ve been chewing on the this thought for several days now; the thought of how a seemingly devastating defeat or even a death brings about an even greater fruitfulness.

As most of you know, I believe nature is not by accident. I don’t believe God created something without purpose. I believe the Apostle Paul when he said that creation shows us God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power, and his divine nature. That is, creation is a compass that points us to God. Now fast-forward to me and my deer. My deer died, but in dying became the source of joy for many others. And to this I am reminded of so many illustrations in the Bible about things like the crushing of grapes for wine, being crucified with Christ, and even Jesus’ prophecy concerning his crucifixion. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:23-24 NIV)

Some of you are in the prime of your life- not only physically, but spiritually. You have been producing great fruit and it seems that it’s been a long time coming. But recently something has brought all of that to a halt. It seems everything you have worked for, or prayed for, or accomplished, has been crushed, or even put to death. You are not wrong. It has. But not so the rest of your life will be UNfruitful, but so it will be MORE fruitful. And while you can’t see it right now and while it really does feel devastating, just remember, God is the one who is overseeing the process you are going through. He is perfect in his work and in his promises. Again, the Apostle Paul confi rmed this. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6 NIV)