Q: Do you know anything about the “one ring scam” I have heard about that is going around?
M.C.
Answer: We have heard of the “one ring scam,” but have yet to hear from anyone who has fallen victim to it.
In the scam, as described by the Better Business Bureau “the scammers program computers to send thousands of calls to random cell phone numbers, ring once and then disconnect. The scammers then hope you are curious enough to return the missed call right away.”
When you return this missed call, you are charged $19.95 for the international call fee, plus a $9-a-minute charge, during which you may hear music and advertising. Consumers who have fallen victim to this have reported phone numbers that originate from the Caribbean Islands including Grenada, Antigua, Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands.
“If you think you may have fallen for this scam, you should immediately alert your cellphone carrier and keep an eye on your cell phone bill,” according to the BBB. “The earlier you document the fraud, the better your chances of having some or all of the charges removed.”
The BBB recommends that if your phone rings and it’s an international number you don’t recognize, you should not answer it and do not call back.
Q: I’ve always had concerns about the treatment of the dogs at my neighbor’s house. They have more than five dogs chained to trees or in small dog runs, in the heat of summer or the cold of winter. I’ve called Animal Control to report the neglect, but I have gone unheard for almost three years now.
D.H.
Answer: Tim Jennings, head of Forsyth County Animal Control, said that they have been to that address nine times in the last two years, and each time, officers have noted that the animals — and also a horse on the property — appear healthy and have access to water and shelter. The owners have received citations for code violations involving licenses and rabies vaccinations.
“Tethering dogs is not in itself illegal,” Jennings explained by email. “A few years ago there was extensive public discussion of tethering and a possible prohibition on the permanent tethering of dogs, but the code that was eventually adopted does not prohibit tethering, instead provides for additional penalties when problems occur with tethered dogs. We find in many, if not most, of the calls on these situations the callers believe it is illegal to maintain the dogs in that manner. After the code was adopted, the department received 582 complaints in two years specifically regarding people maintaining their dogs by tethering.”
SHREDDING
We have heard about more shredding events coming up:
• Davidson County Department of Senior Service’s Senior Dynamics program will hold a community shred event from noon to 2 p.m. on March 6 at the Lexington Senior Center, 555-B West Center St. Ext. The event is free and open to all Davidson County residents, and no registration is necessary. Paper clips and staples don’t need to be removed, but papers should be emptied from their binders.
• Fries Memorial Moravian Church, 251 N. Hawthorne Road, will have a community paper shredding event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 26. A suggested donation is $5 for each file box. Proceeds will benefit Fries missions and programs.