Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 148 No. 7
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Beware the phishermen How to protect yourself from identity theft scams By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
As incidents of identity theft continue to rise, it’s becoming more important than ever to guard personal information. As quickly as security features and investigation methods improve, identity thieves change their bait. Phishing is the name given to email and website scams and can include sophisticated thefts over the phone. Below are some examples of phishing and tips on how to avoid becoming the catch of the day. If you receive an email, text or phone call and see or hear the following, be on guard: • We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure your account is not compromised,
please click the link below to confirm your identity. • During our regular verification of accounts we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information. • Our records indicate your account was overcharged. You must call within seven days to receive your refund. These messages will appear to be from places you do business with, such as banks or credit companies. They can threaten to close your account or take further action if you don’t respond. Don’t reply, use the link or call phone numbers provided in the message. These can direct you to phony sites. They may look real, but their real purpose is to acquire your information. If you’re concerned about your account and want to contact the organization the message claims to represent, call the
number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card. Another common scam is a caller claiming they are from the IRS. “The IRS does not call people to collect debt nor do many agencies. People should never give any personal information over the phone or by mail. If unsure, call the sheriff’s office or your local law enforcement agency, not after you did it, before,” said Putnam County Sheriff Kevin Doyle. IRS scammers use fake names and badge numbers and may know the last four digits of your social security number. They can be capable of spoofing the IRS tollfree number to make it appear as if it’s the IRS calling and victims can hear background noise that mimics a
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Freedom House offers program By Goldie Rapp
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
PRINCETON — Freedom v House has kicked off its obserp vance of Domestic Awareness - Month. t Each year in October, the organization provides an out- reach event to help educate the y community about the victims of h domestic violence to help them e better understand the struggles - the victims endure. m This year, Freedom House - teamed up with the Illinois Valt ley Community College theatre group improv team to produce - a provoking performance showm. casing the struggles women go e through after leaving an abusive relationship. y Amber Killian, Freedom - House shelter advocate, said - this year’s event is meant to o target agencies that work with - the victims of domestic violence. The overall theme focust es around the hoops women e. have to jump through once they e leave. h “A lot of times it creates an atmosphere for them that it’s o almost easier to stay. We want e to invite agencies to help them r understand that when a woman - has left, if the system fails her, she’s more likely to go back to n what she knows has worked in 1 the past,” Killian said. “We want al to create a discussion on how - agencies may be unwillingly d creating barriers for women, y, because of funding or their pol- icies.” s
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Freedom Page 3 Vol. 148 No. 7 One Section - 16 Pages
© The Putnam County Record
PCR photo/Dave Cook
Lisa Barton displays just a small portion of the brightly colored mums grown within her greenhouses at The Corner Garden in Tonica. This has been a good year for her garden, as even the smallest pots contain tall, vibrant flowers.
The most colorful corner The Corner Garden brightens Tonica’s portion of I-39 By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
TONICA — As you’re leaving Tonica on North 20th Road and coming off of the I-39 overpass, your eyes are drawn to the vivid collection of colors from the almost aerial view of The Corner Garden. As you browse the aisles of brightly hued mums, walk among
the selection of pumpkins and visit with the goats, it’s easy to forget this little garden business is tucked into the corner of an interstate. For the past six years, owner Lisa Barton has been helping people beautify their yards by supplying them with flowers and plants grown within her vibrantly painted and adorned greenhouses; indoor, outdoor
and holiday decor; and seasonal produce. There’s even a bit of a petting zoo experience included with a visit to The Corner Garden. There are nine healthy, happy and content goats living in a shady area of the garden. Some are napping; some are lazily chewing hay; and some stand patiently at the fence while waiting to be scratched behind their ears. “I rescued them all. Each
one was a sick baby when I got them, but they’re all healthy now. They’re my pets,” said Barton. In and around the small decor shop, there are fanciful Halloween items displayed with traditional autumnal choices. There are pumpkins of all sizes, squash, gourds, straw bales, Indian corn and stalks; everything you’d need
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