Intimidation Robbery on Brookville Road

Teenager’s cash stolen by group of 4 young men;
County Police investigating

Last Thursday (October 8) evening after 10:00 p.m., two teenaged boys (not Village residents) were walking on the Brookville Road sidewalk near East Irving Street when they were confronted by four unknown young males.  The four suspects approached the pair menacingly and demanded money.  Although no weapon was displayed, the four suspects intentionally intimidated the teenagers.
 
One of the teens ran from the scene, but the one who remained relinquished cash to the robbers.  No one was injured.  The victim returned to his home outside the Village and reported the crime to the Montgomery County Police.  County police are investigating.
 
Village residents are urged to remain vigilant when walking at nighttime.

Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection Warns: The Holidays Bring More than Festive Times . . . They Also Bring Scammers

The holidays are approaching. While the COVID-19 health crisis fueled a lot of new twists on old scams, the holidays are sure to bring out the criminals. Just like snow, decorations, cookies baking and gifts, the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is warning that additional traditions sure to be around for the holidays are scams.

With gift purchasing starting earlier than ever, OCP wants consumers to be alert that deals regarding online shopping, gift cards and charitable solicitations may not be as honest as they appear.

“The biggest problem consumers are facing this holiday season is that, as companies legitimately try to make their operations more secure—and tout that they are doing it—the criminals have also upped their games and seem just as legitimate,” said Montgomery’s OCP Director Eric Friedman. “The first steps for every resident are to start out being cautious, and mix that with a bit of suspicion.”

Among things in residents should approach carefully this holiday season are the following:

Online Shopping:  According to the Federal Trade Commission, it is safest to pay for items by credit card whenever possible. This provides extra protections for most online purchases. Credit cards also provide dispute procedures and benefits for returns or exchanges. Debit cards, even those with Visa or Mastercard logos, do not provide the same protections and dispute procedures as credit cards.

If shopping on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Letgo or other third-party marketplaces, be aware that scammers are using stock photos, or photos from other real transactions, to sell non-existent goods and even rentals. When looking to buy an item, if the deal sounds too good to be true, and there are no photos to see before sending a digital payment or paying with a gift card, that is a sign that you may be dealing with a scam. If you are the seller, the scammer may want to pay by check and for a larger amount than you seek. This is usually done with a need to have you write a good check to refund the difference on a bad one. That is a hallmark of check fraud scams.

This year has already seen an uptick in fake retail websites selling non-existent goods—many using Shopify as their platform and advertising on social media. These merchants either sell counterfeit goods or have no goods to sell. They may send you empty envelopes for proof of delivery to combat charge-backs or disputes through your bank. According to Forbes, one hallmark of the scam is finding the same ad, pictures and deals with numerous different companies with odd-sounding names (such as Predictfuture) selling the same exercise equipment at the same cut-rate as Geoghost.store. 

Gift Cards: The cards make great and easy gifts, but they also are a favorite of criminals who know gift cards are virtually untraceable. If someone contacts you about unpaid bills and demands payment via a gift or prepaid card, or even a wire transfer, that is a red flag that a scam is afoot. When buying gift cards, make sure the packaging has not been compromised. Do not buy gift cards that have packaging showing the bar code on the back. According to an AARP survey reported by CNBC, one out of five consumers say that the gift cards they received were empty. Criminals will record and register the numbers of empty gift cards, await notification of activation and quickly drain the value of the card—sometimes before it is even presented as a gift. CNBC also reports that gift cards sold through online auction sites are often stolen.

Donations: Charities and charitable drives increase during the holiday season. Before donating to a charity, make sure it is registered with the Maryland Secretary of State. Then research the organization to make sure it uses the money received for the work and not to hire call centers to get more money. Websites such as Charity Navigator, Guidestar, Charity Watch and Give.org are good places to search in checking the honesty of many alleged charitable organizations.

For more information about this or other consumer questions, contact the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection at consumer@montgomerycountymd.gov or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OCP.

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Media contact: Eric Friedman, 240-777-3719 or eric.friedman@montgomerycountymd.gov

COVID-19 Testing

Testing Sites Available through the County, State and Private Facilities

Various facilities across the county and state are providing COVID-19 testing for those exhibiting symptoms as well as testing for those who may be asymptomatic and need to be tested for clearance/travel purposes.

To view available testing sites in the county (county government operated and private), visit: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html

To view available testing sites provided by the State of Maryland, visit:
https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/symptoms-testing

Sign-Up for Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Updates

Montgomery County is continuously pushing out useful information and updates related to the COVID-19 health emergency.  Please visit the below site to sign-up for the county’s COVID-19 updates: 
 

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MDMONTGOMERY/signup/14849

Join the Village Listserv on Groups.io

CCVillage (CCVillage@Groups.io), is the neighborhood mailing list (listserv) for residents of Chevy Chase Village.  As residents continue to practice social distancing, CCVillage is a resource to allow neighbors to stay connected with one another other.  For more information and to join, visit:

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=806

Are You Prepared?

It is important to be prepared for local weather emergencies. In order the assist residents in their preparedness, the Village in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) offer a number of helpful tools, plans and free alerts to assist and keep you informed. Click on the below link to view this information:

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=813

Emergency Contact Sheet

EMERGENCY - 911
 
Chevy Chase Village Police 
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-654-7300

Montgomery County Police 
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-279-8000

Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - 301-652-0077

Chevy Chase Fire Dept
(Opposite Columbia Country Club) - 240-773-4707

Bethesda Fire Dept
(Wisconsin Ave and Bradley Blvd) - 240-773-4706

National Capital Poison Center
(George Washington University Hospital) - 800-222-1222

Utilities
 

Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO)

Emergency-Live wires down, power failure - 877-737-2662

Customer Service - 202-833-7500

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Emergency - 301-206-4002

Complaints, Leaks, Information - 301-206-4001

Washington Gas

Emergency - 703-750-1400

Information & Customer Service - 703-750-1000

Comcast - 800-934-6489

Verizon - 800-837-4966

**A cut out sheet is also located on page two of the January 2019 Crier.

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