Scammers or scammy companies use illegal robocalls to profit from Coronavirus-related fears – posing as the IRS or Medicare. Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website to hear scam calls: ftc.gov/coronavirus.
Testing Scam
Scammers are calling or knocking on doors in white lab coats or hazmat gear claiming to be with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention selling fake at-home Coronavirus tests.
Treatment Scam
Scammers are calling or knocking on doors in white lab coats or hazmat gear claiming to be with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention selling fake cures, vaccines, and medical advice on unproven treatments.
Supply Scam
Scammers are creating fake shops, websites, social media accounts, and email addresses to sell medical supplies in high demand, like surgical masks. When you try to purchase supplies, they pocket the money.
Provider Scam
Scammers are contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or family member for COVID-19 and demanding payment.
Charity Scam
Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas impacted by coronavirus.
Phishing Scam
Scammers are sending emails posing as health officials, including the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They want to trick you into downloading malware or providing personal identification and financial information.
App Scam
Scammers are creating and controlling mobile apps used to track the spread of COVID-19. If used, these apps insert malware on your device that steals your personal and financial information.
Compassion & Romance Scams
Scammers will use this opportunity to prey on your vulnerability while you are contained and isolated to your home, developing a friendship or romantic relationship with you to gain your trust and obtain your personal and financial information.
For additional information and updates from the City of Duncanville visit: duncanville.com/covid-19/
U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain warned the public today about the growing number and variety of fraud schemes associated with the coronavirus. He offered guidance to help prevent the public from being victimized by these frauds.
“Over the past few weeks, there has been a significant number of frauds committed across the country related to the coronavirus pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The fact that criminals seek to exploit the pandemic by preying on the worries and fears of the public in this difficult time is despicable. My Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. We will leave no stone unturned to find these criminals and bring them to justice.”
Below are some of the known fraudulent schemes related to the coronavirus pandemic:
Fake cures: Fraudsters are advertising fake cures, fake vaccines, and so-called “immunity” pills, and including wild claims about the products’ healing powers with no scientific or medical basis.
Fake testing: Fraudsters are selling fake at-home testing kits or going door-to-door performing fraudulent tests in exchange for money.
Health care frauds: Fraudsters are offering free (and phony) coronavirus testing to obtain Medicare or other healthcare insurance information, which they use to submit false claims for benefits.
Fake protection and supplies: Fraudsters are advertising fake or un-tested protective equipment (including respirator masks) through websites, social media, and robocalls. The fraudsters have no real equipment to sell, or provide equipment that has not been proven to work for its advertised purpose.
Phishing: Fraudsters are posing as representatives from well-known institutions, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in order to trick victims into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information.
Fake health care providers: Fraudsters pose as doctors or hospital employees and contact individuals via phone or email. They make false claims that they treated a relative or friend for coronavirus and demand money for the claimed treatment.
Identity theft: Fraudsters are using social media to fraudulently seek donations or provide stimulus funds if the victim provides a bank account number or other personal identifying information. The fraudsters use the information entered by the victim to impersonate the victim and steal money from the victim’s bank account.
Securities fraud: Fraudsters are promoting securities in publicly traded companies that they falsely claim have discovered the cure for coronavirus.
Fake charities: Fraudsters are soliciting donations for charities to allegedly benefit people affected by the virus and pocketing the money for themselves.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office urges everyone to follow these tips to better protect themselves from these types of fraud schemes:
Ignore unsolicited offers for coronavirus cures, vaccines, pills, or treatment. If there is a medical breakthrough, you will not hear about it first through an email, advertisement, or door-to-door sales pitch. Be aware that fraudsters often use addresses that differ only slightly from the entities that they are impersonating, such as “cdc.com” or “cdc.org” instead of “cdc.gov.”
Do not share personal information with strangers. Be extremely cautious about unsolicited emails or ads that request your personal information for any purpose. Legitimate healthcare providers will not call or email you and demand medical information, personal identifying information, or money for treatment they have provided to a friend or relative. Report the contact to law enforcement.
Do not open emails or links from unknown sources. In doing so, you could download malware or a virus onto your computer or device.
Be extremely cautious when sending money in any form. If a business, charity, or individual is requesting payments or donations in cash, by wire transfer, gift card, or through the mail, be careful. Take extra steps to verify the identity of the receiving party and the security of the transaction.
Have up-to-date software protections on your devices. Be sure the anti-virus and anti-malware software on your computer or device is operating and up-to-date.
If you or someone you know has been the target or victim of a fraud scheme related to the coronavirus, please report the incident to the national hotline at The National Center for Disaster Fraud at 1-866-720-5721 or at disaster@leo.gov
Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) reported five additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County. Local public laboratories are no longer required to send “presumptive positive” samples to the CDC for confirmation. Respiratory samples positive for COVID-19 in a public health laboratory will be considered “positive” with no need for further testing.
The
five cases include:
One man in his 40’s, one man in his 50’s, one woman in her
50’s, one man in his 60’s, one man in his 70’s
All are self-isolating at residences and are not hospitalized
Three cases are residents of the city of Dallas, one is a
resident of the city of Farmers Branch, and one resides out-of-state
4 cases are related to domestic out-of-state travel
1 case is likely from local community spread
Dallas
County will not release further information to protect their privacy.
“Significantly, there’s another likely case of community spread
among the five cases we are reporting today. I am in consultation with the
mayors of the cities in Dallas County and our state and federal partners. We
will be announcing additional measures to keep you safe soon,” said Dallas
County Judge Clay Jenkins.
Dallas County has now reported 19 presumptive positive cases, however, four of those cases are out of county residents and will not be reflected in our case counts posted on the DCHHS website.
March 14, 2020
March 13, 2020 Dallas County Health and Human Services has reported five (5) additional presumptive COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in Dallas County to eight (8). Last night, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins declared a local disaster for public health emergency and has issued a community gathering order effective today at 11 am. Judge Jenkins has requested that the mayors in Dallas County cities issue a local declaration in support of the county’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. To that end, Mayor Gordon issued an order mirroring the Dallas County order this morning, as allowed by state law.
ORDER OF COUNTY JUDGE CLAY JENKINS (SUMMARY) DATE ORDER ISSUED: March 12, 2020 The virus that causes 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is easily transmitted through person to person contact, especially in group settings, and it is essential that the spread of the virus be slowed to protect the ability of public and private health care providers to handle the influx of new patients and safeguard public health and safety. Because of the risk of the rapid spread of the virus, and the need to protect the most vulnerable members of the community, the Dallas County order prohibits community gatherings of 500 persons or more anywhere in Dallas County beginning at 11 a.m. on March 13, 2020, and continuing seven days through 11:00 a.m. on March 20, 2020. For all other gatherings, the Office of the Dallas County Judge and the Health Authority strongly recommends following the social distancing protocols attached to this Order, including canceling, rescheduling, or not attending events with more than 250 persons. Additionally, the Office of the Dallas County Judge and the Health Authority strongly urges high-risk individuals, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to cancel, reschedule, or not attend events that will have or will likely have 10 or more people.
Duncanville Facilities and Community Events, Programs & Classes Impacted
In order to protect the health and welfare of our employees and residents, the City of Duncanville has made the following immediate modifications in order to address the growing health concerns:
The D.L. Hopkins Jr., Senior Center will be closed starting Monday, March 16 through the end of March, which is subject to change based on the evolving COVID-19 situation.
Recreation Center and Library operations will continue as usual, and classes and programs are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
All senior activities are canceled until further notice.
The Recreation Center’s ‘Princess Tea Party’ event scheduled for March 28 has been postponed.
The Library’s ‘Touch A Truck’ event on March 18 has been canceled.
Large events occurring in the near future at the Fieldhouse will be canceled based on the Dallas County declaration of Local Disaster for Public Health Emergency threshold for community gatherings.
The Duncanville Chamber of Commerce has postponed the ‘Flavor of Duncanville’ event that was scheduled for Thursday, March 19 and have not announced a new date at this time.
March 12, 2020 The health, safety and well-being of our community and employees is of paramount concern, and the city continues to monitor the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) activity and is prepared to respond appropriately if Duncanville is impacted.
Dallas County Health and Human Services is the lead agency responsible for providing information and guidance regarding COVID-19 to the City of Duncanville. The Duncanville Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management are actively engaged with daily calls and communication with DCHHS and other partners to ensure Duncanville has the latest updates and information regarding the evolving public health threat.
The city is taking precautions to help mitigate the spread of germs at public facilities.
If possible, we encourage residents to use online tools and other resources for self-service needs. For example, residents can report an issue through the ‘Report A Concern’ button at the bottom of the homepage, and pay utility bills online at https://duncanville.dpnetbill.com or by phone: 844-608-6680. For general questions or concerns, please call City Hall at 972-780-5000 or peruse the city website. Follow the city on Facebook and Twitter for the latest new and information updates.
City facilities in Duncanville have enhanced cleaning and sanitizing efforts through the COVID-19 public threat period, including Duncanville City Hall, Duncanville Public Library, Duncanville Recreation Center, D.L. Hopkins Jr., Senior Center, Duncanville Fieldhouse and public restrooms at City parks.
Disinfection activities at facilities includes:
Increasing the cleaning and disinfection efforts in all city facilities
Disinfecting communal equipment multiple times a day
Re-filling soap and antibacterial dispensers daily
Posting the DCHHS 2019 Novel Coronavirus FAQ document in English and Spanish at the entrance to all city buildings and in public restrooms
City employees have been asked to assist with regular disinfection of workstations and public areas
Public restrooms at parks are cleaned and sanitized appropriately
Disaster Preparation CERT Organization Medical Part 1 Medical Part 2 Search and Rescue Fire Safety Psychology Terrorism Unit Review and Simulation of the program
The 2-day course will teach
citizens how to be better prepared to respond to, and cope with, the aftermath
of a disaster. Additionally, if a community wants to supplement its response
capability after a disaster, civilians can be recruited and trained as
neighborhood, business, and government teams that, in essence, will be
auxiliary responders. These groups can provide immediate assistance to victims
in their area, organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the training,
and collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responders with
prioritization and allocation of resources following a disaster. Since 1993
when this training was made available nationally by FEMA, communities in 28
States and Puerto Rico have conducted CERT training.
CERT is a public safety corporation
with the purpose of, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, aiding the
citizenry of the Best Southwest regional cities of Cedar Hill, DeSoto,
Duncanville, Lancaster, Midlothian, Red Oak and Maypearl as they adopt the
corporation program in their community. CERT meets monthly and conducts ongoing
training.
The online crime reporting portal, Police 2 Citizen (P2C), is no longer available due to a change in reporting and dispatch software. The Duncanville Police Department has been exploring other online crime data and reporting solutions that would integrate with the new software to provide a citizen portal that is user-friendly and informative. In the meantime, please visit the ‘Reports & Statistics’ web page for weekly, monthly and annual crime reports: www.duncanville.com/departments/police/reports-statistics/
The Duncanville Police Department, and its regional law enforcement partners, transitioned to a new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS) public safety software system in January 2020. Working collaboratively, the Southwest Regional Communications Center, and the Police and Fire departments of Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Duncanville made a joint decision to utilize a new software system for regional dispatch and records management. Transitioning to a new CAD/RMS is a keystone project for first responders, and the top priority was to ensure that 9-1-1 calls for service are generated promptly and accurately so that first responders can respond in a timely and safe manner. The new software suite is a robust and complex system, and implementation of the various modules is prioritized based on operational needs.
A new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was recently detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness. The 2019-nCoV outbreak began in December 2019, and Chinese health officials have reported hundreds of 2019‑nCoV infections in China, including several that resulted in death. Several additional countries have identified cases of 2019-nCoV infection including the United States.
On January 16, 2020, the Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Celebrate Duncanville: State of the City event at Hilton Garden Inn. Approximately 200 attendees from various businesses and community organizations came together to celebrate Duncanville’s progress over the past year, including awarding Duncanville’s Man and Woman of the Year, as well as the Mayor’s Choice Award for two local businesses.
The State of the City presented by Mayor Barry Gordon shares community highlights and city accomplishments for the year.
Man of the Year was awarded to Duncanville Police Officer Doug Sisk, pictured center with Mayor Gordon and wife Marlyse. Woman of the Year was awarded to community visionary Betty Dunn, pictured with husband Weymond.
Congratulations to the 2019 Duncanville Leadership Academy graduates! Fourteen Duncanville city employees from various departments graduated from the City’s annual Leadership Academy on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. The purpose of the Leadership Academy is to recognize and develop upcoming leaders amongst the staff who exhibit qualities of integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence and positivity.
2019 Duncnaville Leadership Academy Graduates
Members
of the 2019 Duncanville Leadership Academy
Esther Wright, Senior Code
Enforcement Officer
Jose Torres, Crew Leader Streets
Stephanie Lott, Librarian
Duaine Mayo, Police Officer
Christopher McCaleb, Police
Lieutenant
Ronald Wilcots, Police Lieutenant
Richard Jones, Fieldhouse Operations
Supervisor
Derrick Downs, Crew Leader Utility
Billing
Daisy Guillen, Court Clerk
Mike Forester, Crew Leader,
Irrigation
David Dunn, Assistant Utilities
Operations Manager
Angelica Garcia, Building
Inspections Coordinator
Ervey
Morales – Skilled Maintenance Worker Parks
Jimmy
Shelley – Maintenance Worker Streets
The
Leadership Academy is a one-year program that meets monthly for leadership
training, which also includes city-related topics such as Introduction to City
Values and Culture, Community Engagement, Council Relations, Strategic
Planning, etc. Midway through the program, academy members divide into three
groups and select a city-related project they are responsible for researching,
developing, and implementing. The group projects for the 2019 academy program include:
City University – Establish and implement a city-wide training and development program for employees
Senior Center Expansion – Research and recommend expanded programs/services for the Duncanville D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center
Employee “Walk In Your Shoes” Day – Create a program where employees rotate through departments/divisions to learn/observe what each department does in the city
Friends of Tri-City Animal Shelter will soon be breaking ground on a much-anticipated Surgery Suite & Medical Center at Tri-City Animal Shelter.
The non-profit launched a
half-a-million dollar capital campaign in September of last year in order to
renovate the old shelter facility, located next door to the current shelter and
adoption center. The Petco Foundation, PetSmart Charities, the Joe M. and Doris
R. Dealey Family Foundation, and numerous individuals and businesses from the
local community came together to help fund the project.
“We were nearly 80% of the way
to reaching our fundraising goal when I received a message from a local
family,” said Corey Thompson, Executive Director of the Friends. “I updated
them on the status of the campaign, and they expressed their commitment to
helping us save more lives at the animal shelter.” The couple then delivered
the news: they were funding the remaining $100,000 needed to launch the
renovations.
“Four years ago the Friends
board members asked what the shelter truly needed in order to help more
animals,” said Shelter Director, Tammy Miller. “What was the one big thing that
would transform our work?” Miller explained that what the Friends were already
doing for the animals — spaying and neutering and providing veterinary care —
was the most critical need. Her worry, though, was how to make it
sustainable long-term.
“We were resolved about what
needed to happen, but we were a tiny non-profit that had just hired our first
employee” said board member, Donna Fuller. “Building a medical center felt
pretty far fetched at the time, but here we are on the cusp of making that
vision a reality.”
The Surgery Suite and Medical
Center is now slated to open in 2020. Veterinarians will sterilize nearly 1,500
adopted animals next year and work with staff to meet the medical needs of the
nearly 7,000 animals that come through the shelter each year.
A classroom has also been
designed as part of the facility with a large window allowing students to see
into the operating room and watch surgeries.
“We have already begun conversations
with some local school districts and community colleges about how we can bring
CTE, STEM, and veterinary technology students to the shelter to enhance their
learning and train up the next generation of advocates for animals,” said
Thompson. “It’s going to be a really special place for our whole community, but
especially for our kids.”
Local businesses interested in
being part of the renovations should contact Friends of Tri-City Animal Shelter
at 469-850-2287 or director@tricityfriends.org.
Naming opportunities for the facility are also still available, with all
proceeds helping to fund surgeries, medical care, and educational programs in
the coming year. Visit www.tricityfriends.org/campaign for
more information.
About Tri-City Animal Shelter The Tri-City Animal Shelter is a municipal agency serving the cities of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and DeSoto, Texas. The shelter’s mission is to provide exemplary care for impounded and unwanted animals through redemption, adoption, and public education. For more information about Tri-City Animal Shelter, visit www.luvpets.org.
About Friends of Tri-City Animal Shelter
Friends of Tri-City Animal
Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2006 that partners with
Tri-City Animal Shelter to improve the welfare of homeless, neglected, and lost
animals. For more information about Friends of Tri-City Animal Shelter, visit www.tricityfriends.org.
